Train Travel in Spain

By Ciara Carruthers

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Summary: Spain rail travel is both convenient and affordable, aside from being a fun way to visually experience the whole of Spain.

Spain rail travel is both convenient and affordable, aside from being a fun way to visually experience the whole of Spain from the luxury of a comfortable seat. From Barcelona you can hop to Madrid within a few hours, from Cadiz to Valencia or from Oviedo in the North to Almeria in the South.

Spain's national train system, Renfe, provides an excellent network of trains across the country and also has a detailed website (http://www.renfe.es/) which is available in English, as well as Spanish. It is possible to purchase your travel tickets online, via this website, and to check the timetable of the trains for your journey. To give an example of times and costs, a trip from Barcelona to Madrid will take approximately 5 hours, you will have a choice between 7 trains, leaving every two hours and the journey will set you back an average of Euro 65. These trains will normally have a cafe on-board, first-class options and wheelchair access.

For those traveling on the Madrid-Cordoba-Seville, you have the option to hop on-board an "Ave" train. This is a high speed train which can get you from Seville to Madrid in just two and a half hours. Not in keeping with what is often thought to be typical Spanish; bad time keeping, the Ave service offers a guarantee: if your train is more than 5 minutes late, you can get a refund. The main lines are between Madrid, Cordoba and Seville, however, work is being done on connections to and from other large cities within Spain. Soon there will be a high speed connection from Madrid to Barcelona which will make many a tourist and Catalonian resident very happy indeed.

One can also quite easily purchase a Spanish Rail Travel Pass if you are planning on stopping in at a handful of Spain's beautiful and interesting cities. If there is a possibility that you won't return to Spain, make sure that you do see as much as possible. Barcelona is a very unique city and is definitely worth the visit, but equally is Granada a gem in its own right. Madrid is a must see but don't forget the northern regions such as Bilbao, Santiago and Pamplona. Each region has its own special quality so a rail pass is going to get you value for your money. Prices for adults start from $99, for more information, visit raileurope.com.

Spain rail travel is cheap, quick and flexible. Exploring Spain has never been easier!