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Spain: Railway Information

The Spanish Railways are state-run. The Red Nacional de los Ferrocarilles Españoles or RENFE covers a large number of lines connecting all the regions and the major cities. RENFE trains offer a wide range of high quality, comfort and punctuality. Most of these trains supply additional services such as phone facilities, snack bar or a restaurant. RENFE also supplies night train services between several cities in Spain.

The Spanish Railways are state-run. The Red Nacional de los Ferrocarilles Españoles or RENFE covers a large number of lines connecting all the regions and the major cities. RENFE trains offer a wide range of high quality, comfort and punctuality. Most of these trains supply additional services such as phone facilities, snack bar or a restaurant. RENFE also supplies night train services between several cities in Spain.

Visit the website of the Spanish railway company RENFE: English version / Spanish.

Eurail Passes for Spain:

Spanish railway company

Logo Spanish Railways

The national railway company of Spain is called RENFE (Spanish National Railway Network - Red Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Españoles).

Visit the website of the Spanish railway company RENFE: English version / Spanish.


Network
The main cities have local networks connecting the smaller towns and villages. In Madrid there are 9 lines with frequent services of less than 15 minutes with a 95% punctuality.

From Madrid Central station travelers can easily reach any other destination in Spain. For example Madrid to Valencia is a 4-hour train ride.

'Cercanias' trains (suburban services) are the newest trains in Europe with connections to: Toledo, Segovia and the Escorial Palace.

High-speed trains:

  • AVE trains run with speeds up to 300 km/h on the routes: Madrid -  Zaragoza - Camp de Tarragona - Barcelona, Madrid - Zaragoza - Huesca, Madrid – Cordoba -Sevilla, Madrid – Cordoba -Málaga and Madrid - Segovia - Valladolid.
  • ALVIA trains run with speeds up to 220 km/h on the routes: Madrid - Gijón, Madrid - Santander, Madrid - Bilbao, Madrid - San Sebastián - Irún/Hendaya and Madrid - Valencia - Castelló.
  • EUROMED trains run at 124 mph (200 km/h) on the line: Barcelona – Valencia/Alicante
  • ALTARIA trains run at 124 mph (200 km/h) on the following routes: Madrid – Alicante, Madrid - Córdoba - Algeciras,  Madrid - Granada, Madrid - Sevilla - Cádiz, Madrid - Sevilla - Huelva, Madrid - Pamplona,  Madrid - Logroño, Madrid - Murcia - Cartagena.

Reservations in Spain

Please note that most trains in Spain have compulsory reservations. Costs for making a reservations for these domestic day trains are:

  • Altaria, Euromed, Alvia: € 6,50 for 2nd class; € 23,50 for 1st class (first class includes drink and meal)
  • Arco, Talgo, Diurno, Intercity: € 6,50 for 2nd class; € 10,00 for 1st class
  • AVE, Alvia (high speed line), Altaria (high speed line) and Avant: € 10,00 for 2nd class; € 23,50 for 1st class (first class includes drink and meal).
  • Regional trains (when needed): € 4,00

Supplements in Spain

Surcharges and/or reservation costs are required for these domestic day trains:

  • Arco, Talgo, Diurno, Intercity
    1st class: € 10 (approx. USD 14,80 / AUD 17,50) / 2nd class: € 6,50 (approx. USD 9,60 / AUD 11,40)
    Reservation compulsory.
  • Euromed, Alvia, Alaris, Altaria
    1st class: € 23,50 (approx. USD 34,80 / AUD 41,10) / 2nd class: € 6,50 (approx. USD 9,60 / AUD 11,40)
    Reservation compulsory. First class includes drink and meal.
  • AVE, Talgo 200, Avant
    1st class: € 23,50 (approx. USD 34,80 / AUD 41,10) / 2nd class: € 10 (approx. USD 14,80 / AUD 17,50)
    Reservation compulsory. First class includes drink and meal.

Special trains

You can travel by train through Europe on a large variety of special trains. Examples are high-speed trains, scenic trains or night trains.

Special trains mostly require a small supplement or a reservation fee from Eurail Pass holders. See the list of supplements for international trains and the information about train reservations. You can plan your trip with the help of online timetables.

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