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 and iryo, the two Spanish railway companies part of the Interrail network. High-speed and regional cross-border 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 and iryo website.
- Route map
- Domestic trains
- International trains
- Night trains
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 |
5h 50m |
Madrid to Granada |
3h 35m |
Madrid to Valencia |
1h 50m |
Madrid to Santiago de Compostela |
3h 15m |
Madrid to Seville |
2h 40m |
| Barcelona to Valencia (Euromed high-speed train) |
2h 50m |
| Madrid to Irun (Alvia high-speed train) |
5h 40m |
By travelling with slower regional trains, you do not need to make reservations. For example, a direct regional train ride from Barcelona to Madrid takes 9h 46m. This is a long journey, but you can take it on any given day and hop on/hop off at any town you like.
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
- Domestic: AVE, Intercity (IC), Euromed and Alvia trains
- AVE, Intercity (IC), Euromed, Avant and Alvia (domestic tickets only)
- iryo (IRY) (domestic tickets only, from 1st April 2025)
- RENFE AVE international to Lyon, Marseille and Toulouse (from June 2025)
Other platforms
- Rail Europe:
- TGV Barcelona – Paris
- Intercités de Nuit Bayonne/Cerbere/Latour de Carol – Paris
- Happyrail:
- RENFE AVE Barcelona-Lyon and Madrid-Marseille
At a local railway station
- Reservations for international AVE trains and other domestic and long-distance trains in Spain can also be 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.
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
The following railway stations have connections to many domestic cities as well as international destinations:
- Madrid Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes
- Barcelona Sants
- Zaragoza Delicias
- Girona (Viajeros)
- Figueres Vilafant
- Guadalajara Yebes
- Camp de Tarragona
- Irun
- Port-Bou
- Puigcerdà
Other main hubs in Spain are:
- Valencia Joaquin Sorolla
- Sevilla Santa Justa
- Alicante
- Malaga
- Cordoba
- Valladolid
Gate at stations for some local lines
There are several stations with access gates. The barcode on paper Passes or mobile Passes (day ticket) cannot be used to open these access gates.
In these stations, customers can ask the staff to open them by showing the Pass (the day ticket generated in the Rail Planner app for mobile Passes) 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.
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
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.
Get inspired
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1 Month: Madrid to Rome This journey takes you from the capital of Spain to the capital of Italy, through several of Europe’s most iconic cities, and along some dramatic scenic routes.
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