AVE high-speed train

Explore Spain on its high-speed trains

explore-spain-on-high-speed-trains

Explore Spain on its high-speed trains


Would you like to travel comfortably by train between Madrid and Valencia in just 100 minutes? And between Madrid and Barcelona in two and a half hours? You can do so thanks to Spain's extensive network of high-speed trains (AVE). When you opt to take these trains you'll be eligible for discounts on cultural visits, and you'll also be able to see some of the country's most important tourist destinations in record time. Visitors are highly recommended to make the most of this service.If you like this style of travel, you're sure to be interested in the various destinations on the high-speed train network: a mode of transport that is fast, safe and sustainable, and in which the journey itself becomes part of a unique experience. The timetables are extremely flexible, so you’ll be able to set your own pace and design a custom trip to fascinating cities including Albacete, Alicante, Barcelona, Cordoba, Cuenca, Granada, León, Lleida, Madrid, Malaga, Ourense, Palencia, Puertollano, Segovia, Seville, Tarragona, Toledo, Valencia, Valladolid, Zaragoza, and many more. You'll be able to explore at length a vast heritage featuring all the historic, cultural, culinary and leisure attractions of a country that is guaranteed to capture your heart.Below is a list of all the lines available depending on where you want to travel. You can also check them on this map.

Travelling south

Journey: By train

Madrid-Seville lineJourney time: around 2 hours and 30 minutes.Stops (depending on the train): Ciudad Real - Puertollano - Cordoba - Seville.Madrid, the capital of Spain, is connected by high-speed train with Seville, in the very heart of Andalusia. In around two and a half hours you can go from the most famous monuments in cosmopolitan Madrid –such as the Royal Palace and the Prado Museum– to enjoy the culinary delights and the charm of Seville's most beautiful sites, like the towers of the Giralda and Torre del Oro.There are several stops on the way. The first is in Ciudad Real, a land that was famously immortalised in Cervantes' Don Quixote. The second stop is Puertollano, and the third is Cordoba, where the whole historic city centre is a World Heritage site, and where you'll be able to see famous monuments such as the Great Mosque, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Madrid - Seville

Barcelona - Seville lineJourney time: from 5 hours and 30 minutes.Stops (depending on the train): Camp de Tarragona - Lleida - Zaragoza - Ciudad Real - Puertollano - Cordoba - Seville.You can travel from Barcelona to Seville in just over five hours on the AVE high-speed train. Imagine the possibilities! For example, you can wake up beside the Sagrada Familia in the morning and enjoy a walk round María Luisa Park in Seville in the evening. The train also stops at Camp de Tarragona, Lleida, Zaragoza, Ciudad Real, Puertollano and Cordoba.

Valencia - Seville lineJourney time: from 4 hours. Stops (depending on the train): Cuenca - Ciudad Real - Puertollano - Cordoba - Seville.You can also travel to Seville from Valencia on the AVE high-speed train. This connection enables you to travel between these two important tourist destinations in around four hours.

Valencia - Seville

Madrid-Malaga lineJourney time: from 2 hours and 40 minutes.Stops (depending on the train): Cordoba - Puente Genil - Antequera - Malaga.Also in Andalusia, just 160 kilometres from Cordoba, the AVE train will take you from Madrid to Malaga, where you can marvel at its Roman theatre. Renfe (the company that operates the AVE) offers promotions such as reduced-rate visits to one of the most famous museums in Malaga –the Picasso Museum– on presentation of your train ticket.

Barcelona - Malaga lineJourney time: from 6 hours.Stops (depending on the train): Camp de Tarragona - Lleida - Zaragoza - Ciudad Real - Puertollano - Cordoba - Puente Genil - Antequera - Malaga.You can also travel to Malaga from Barcelona on the AVE high-speed train. This will enable you go practically from one end of the Spanish Mediterranean coast to the other in just over six hours.

Barcelona - Malaga

Madrid - Granada lineJourney time: from 3 hours and 20 minutes.Stops (depending on the train): Cordoba - Puente Genil - Antequera - Granada The AVE from Madrid to Andalusia also stops at Granada. Take the opportunity to visit a city famous for its atmosphere, its tapas tradition, and most of all, the astounding Alhambra. Don’t miss the Albaicín neighbourhood and its lookout points with wonderful views of the Alhambra and its gardens. Both the Alhambra and the Albaicín district are World Heritage Sites.

Barcelona - Granada

Barcelona - Granada lineJourney time: from 6 hours 25 min.Stops (depending on the train): Camp de Tarragona - Lleida - Zaragoza - Cordoba - Antequera - GranadaThe fast train between Barcelona and Granada lets you see spectacular sights such as Park Güell and the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, the Great Mosque of Cordoba and the Alhambra in Granada in just a few days. All of these monuments are UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Travelling east

Journey: By train

Madrid - Barcelona line Journey time: from 2 hours 30 min.Stops (depending on the train): Zaragoza - Lleida - Camp de Tarragona - Barcelona.Another option is to take the AVE to Catalonia, in north-eastern Spain. Barcelona is the regional capital and one of Spain's most important cities. It has excellent transport connections thanks to the AVE, with a journey time from Madrid of two and a half hours non-stop. You can discover heritage buildings like the Sagrada Familia and the cathedral. The AVE also connects Barcelona to Girona and Figueres (where you can catch a direct train to Paris from the Figueres Vilafant station, arriving in five and a half hours). In Girona, you can enjoy its ancient Jewish quarter and its cathedral. And in Figueres, the Dalí Theatre-MuseumSome of the trains on this line also stop along the route in Zaragoza, Lleida and Camp de Tarragona, just over 10 kilometres from Tarragona.

Madrid - Barcelona

Madrid - Castellón lineJourney time: around 2 hours 30 minutes.Stops (depending on the train): Cuenca - Requena-Utiel - Valencia - Castellón The AVE's Madrid-east coast corridor offers a daily high-speed train service that includes numerous trains that directly link Madrid and Valencia in 100 minutes. Perfect for visiting places such as the spectacular City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia.All the other trains on this line also stop at Cuenca and Requena-Utiel, ending the route in the city of Castellón de la Plana. Cuenca is a World Heritage City, in Castilla-La Mancha. Requena-Utiel is in a well-known wine-making area of the Region of Valencia. Castellón is a coastal city, also in the Region of Valencia.

Madrid - Alicante lineJourney time: from 2 hours 35 minutes.Stops (depending on the train): Cuenca - Albacete - Villena - Alicante Alicante is situated in the heart of the Costa Blanca and is one of the main tourist destinations in the Levante area. The historic quarter and Santa Bárbara Castle are a must.

Madrid - Alicante

Travelling north

Journey: By train

Madrid-León lineJourney time: around 2 hours 15 min.Stops (depending on the train): Valladolid - Palencia - Leon.In Leon you can find one of Spain's most beautiful cathedrals and enjoy the nightlife in the district known as "El Húmedo". If you prefer, you can get off before Leon, in Palencia. You'll love its medieval heritage buildings and delicious food. Another highlight is that it is close to the magnificent Picos de Europa mountains.

Madrid - León

Madrid-Valladolid line Journey time: from 55 minutes.Stops (depending on the train): Segovia - Valladolid.The attractions in Valladolid, a little over 200 kilometres from Madrid, include its 16th-century cathedral. And the line also has a stop in the World Heritage city of Segovia, where you'll be amazed by its spectacular Roman aqueduct and Alcázar citadel.

Tips and recommendations

AVE connections and the constant development of new railway infrastructure also enable faster local trips, such as Madrid - Toledo (30 minutes). Find further details in the section on “How to get around Spain”.Take a look at the map of main connections in Spain for high-speed trains (AVE) and other long-distance lines.AVE trains offer a full array of services, as well as a firm commitment to punctuality. A range of meal options, a café, films, music channels, entertainment activities for children, free Internet connection, special group prices, discounts at museums, and a full timetable of services are just some of the things to enjoy on your journey.Now there is no excuse not to come and explore Spain while you enjoy its stunning landscapes from the train window. Don't think twice, whether travelling with friends or family, be sure to catch the train. The AVE railway network is constantly being expanded, and more and more cities are being added to the list.

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