Trains in Spain
Thanks to the fast, modern and comfortable trains in Spain, journeys between Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Seville are more enjoyable than ever before. From the magnificent Andalusian mountains to the divine cuisine of the Basque Country, the best way to experience Spain's vibrant culture is on a rail adventure!
Train types in Spain
The majority of trains you'll take on the Spanish rail network are run by RENFE, the country's national train company. High-speed and night trains connect Spain to other European countries. You can search for Spanish train times in the Interrail timetable as well as on the RENFE website.
- Route map
- Domestic trains
- International trains
- Night trains
Regional and Intercity trains
Media Distancia (RE)
Connects larger cities with smaller destinations over medium distances.
Fast trains making frequent stops along their routes.
Cercanías (RE)
Suburban trains serving Spain's largest cities such as Madrid and Valencia. In Catalonia, around Barcelona, these trains are branded as Rodalies.
Domestic high-speed trains
Avant (AVN)
High-speed services for short journeys along short to medium routes.
Faster and more comfortable than Media Distancia with similar coverage.
AVE (AVE)
- Covering Europe's largest high-speed rail network, these trains travel on speeds of up to 310 km/h (193 mph).
- Takes you from Madrid to Barcelona in under 3 hours.
Alvia (ALV)
Comfortable, long-distance trains connecting Madrid and Barcelona to destinations throughout Spain.
Intercity (IC)
Comfortable, long-distance trains connecting Madrid to destinations in the south of Spain.
Euromed (EUR)
High-speed, air-conditioned trains running along the Mediterranean coastline of north-eastern Spain.
Connects key cities in the Levante region: Barcelona to Valencia in just over 3 hours then onwards to Alicante.
International high-speed trains in Spain
TGV INOUI to France
- TGV INOUI Trains operated by the French railways.
- Barcelona – Paris.
RENFE AVE to France
- Barcelona – Lyon
- Madrid – Marseille
- Reservations are required
Celta (IC)
- Intercity trains that link Spanish train station Vigo Guixar with Porto in Portugal.
Other International routes to France (also see Night Trains section)
Rodalies (RE)
It is possible to reach cities such as Perpignan and Toulouse by local trains from Barcelona. These French cities are very well connected to Paris and the rest of France by TGV and other trains, as an alternative to the direct Barcelona-Paris services.
- Barcelona – Latour de Carol (France), see Rodalies (search for La Tor de Querol-Enveitg).
- From Latour de Carol, connecting trains go to Toulouse.
- Barcelona – Cerbère (France), see our timetable and filter on regional trains
- From Cerbere, connecting trains go to Perpignan, Montpellier, Nîmes and Avignon (France).
Alvia (ALV) Madrid – Irun
- Madrid – Valladolid – San Sebastian – Irun (French border).
- A 3km walk from Irun to Hendaye (France) to take direct trains to Bordeaux and Paris. Or take Euskotren (not included for Passholder)
Other International routes to Portugal
IC & Regional train (RE)
- Madrid - Lisbon/Porto(Portugal). See our Rail Planner.
- Madrid – Badajoz by IC.
- Badajoz – Entroncamento.
- Entroncamento – Lisbon/Porto with connecting trains.
Night trains
Night trains connecting the Spanish border to France. The following routes are useful for travellers to France:
- Latour de Carol – Paris (Daily)
- Cerbere – Paris (Not daily)
Use the Intercités de Nuit as an alternative route to France
Night trains from Latour de Carol and Cerbere are good alternatives for the busy TGV routes from Barcelona. The night train to from Bayonne is a good alternative to reach San Sebastian and Bilbao via Hendaye.
- Search for Latour de Carol to Paris in our timetable and find the local train from Barcelona to Latour de Carol on the Rodalies website (‘La Tor de Querol-Enveitg’).
- Search for Cerbere to Paris and Barcelona to Cerbere in separate enquiries in our timetable. This train only runs daily during summer season.
- Search for Hendaye to Paris in our timetable and find the local trains from San Sebastian and Bilbao on Euskotren* to Spain. RENFE trains from San Sebastian and Madrid arrive to Irun, which is a 30 minute walk across the border or a 4 minute train ride by Euskotren.*
*Euskotren is not part of the Interrail network. Buy your tickets locally in Hendaye in vending machines or at the ticket desk.
Popular connections
- Domestic connections
- International connections
Here are approximate times between Spain's most popular cities when taking direct high-speed trains.
| Route | Duration |
|---|---|
Barcelona to Madrid |
2h 30m |
Barcelona to Malaga |
2h 30m |
Madrid to Granada |
3h 35m |
Madrid to Valencia |
1h 50m |
Madrid to Santiago de Compostela |
3h 15m |
Madrid to Seville |
2h 30m |
| Barcelona to Valencia (Euromed high-speed train) |
2h 50m |
| Madrid to Irun (Alvia high-speed train) |
5h 50m |
By travelling with slower regional trains you do not need to make reservations. For example, there's a direct regional train ride from Barcelona to Madrid that takes 9h 06m. That's 6 and a half hours longer than the high-speed train journey.
You can travel to and from Spain from popular cities in the following European countries:
| Route | Which train? | Duration | Reservations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barcelona to Paris (France) | SNCF | 6h 50m | Required |
| Vigo to Porto (Portugal) | Celta | 2h 15m | Required |
| Madrid to Lisbon (Portugal) via Badajoz | IC + RE + IC | 9h | Required (Madrid – Badajoz & Entroncamento – Lisbon) |
| Madrid to Porto (Portugal) via Badajoz | IC + RE + IC | 11h | Required (Madrid – Badajoz & Entroncamento – Lisbon) |
| Madrid to Porto (Portugal) via Vigo | ALV + RE + IC | 11h | Required (Madrid – Pontevedra) |
Reservations
How can I make reservations for trains in Spain?
More often than not, you need to make advance reservations for trains in Spain. Fees vary depending on the type of seat or bed you choose.
Interrail reservation self-service system
- Interrail
- TGV Barcelona – Paris (international tickets only)
- Only AVE, Euromed & Alvia trains (domestic tickets only)
Other platforms
- Rail Europe:
- TGV Barcelona – Paris
- Intercités de Nuit Bayonne/Cerbere/Latour de Carol – Paris
At a local railway station
- Reservations for international AVE trains and other domestic and long-distance trains in Spain can only made locally at the ticket desk of a Spanish Long Distance railway station. Find a list of long distance train stations here. You can make reservations on the day of travel or or up to one year in advance.
- The international TGV’s connecting Barcelona with Lyon and Paris in France, can only be booked at train stations in France and in the Interrail reservation self-service system.
- AVE international trains, reservations can only be made at a train station in Spain. They cannot be booked online or at a train station in France.
By calling RENFE phone sales
- +34 91 232 03 20
- Pre-reserving a seat is possible. You will receive a PNR code which you must use to pick up and pay for your reservation at a local station ticket office, making sure to show your Interrail Pass. After the booking, you must collect your reservation within 72 hours. The reservation can only be booked up to 24 hours before the train departure time. After this time the pre-reservation will expire.
- Please note that a pre-reservation is not the same as a reservation. It only holds a seat for you for 72 hours.
- Your ticket must be picked up from a train station in Spain.
If you have a disability or reduced mobility and you want to travel by train in Spain, you can request help from Atendo Service. You can contact them by phone:
- Phone number: +34 91 214 05 05
- Opening hours: 24/7
Other locations
- In Portugal, the following stations have international ticket desks where you can make reservations for RENFE trains departing from Badajoz and Vigo: Lisbon Santa Apolónia, Lisbon Oriente, Lisbon Rossio, Porto Campanhã, Porto São Bento, Aveiro, Coimbra and Faro.
- At a Deutsche Bahn ticket office. You need to provide the train number.
You can get more detailed information about train reservations in our reservation guide.
Get your Pass for Spain
Interrail Global Pass
Offers you rail travel in 33 European countries including Spain
Discounts available for youth, senior and families
Extra benefits include free bus routes plus discounted ferry crossings to the Balearic Islands, Italy and Morocco
Prices from € 212
Tips and tricks for Spain
The main train stations
Spain's 4 main hubs have connections to many domestic cities as well as international destinations. They are:
Madrid Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes
Barcelona Sants
Irun
Port-bou
Railway stations in Spain have a range of useful facilities:
Lockers for storing your stuff
Cash machines and foreign exchange desks
Cafés, restaurants and shops
Tourist information offices
Elevators, escalators and access for disabled passengers
Gate at stations for some local lines
Barcode paper or mobile Pass cannot be used.
There is a number of stations with access gates. In these stations, customers can ask the staff to open them by showing the pass (and the seat reservation if necessary). In case there’s no staff at the station, the gates will be permanently open or will open automatically.
Spelling of names in Spain
That's not a mistake on your train map! Spain has several cities that are named differently in English and Spanish. Such spellings include:
Alacant = Alicante
Sevilla = Seville
Zaragoza = Saragossa
City tours and discounts
If your Interrail Pass is valid in Spain, you can get a discount on many different city tours.
And we've got many more discounts for you.
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