➡ how to buy your train tickets in Spain ua-cam.com/video/MYqz41n5Qn4/v-deo.html ➡ 10 TIPS about the high-speed train in Spain ua-cam.com/video/QYvUn-sJxZ4/v-deo.html ➡ a trip on the high-speed train, in TEN STEPS ua-cam.com/video/sSiIRby2RGU/v-deo.html
Spain is a country underestimated in many respects, we have great toll-free highways, train lines running all over the country, great prospects in its big cities and much more intangible resources
I traveled around Spain last September, largely on high speed trains, and only Renfe. I was lucky enough to be able to go first class, so I had lunch on the trip from Madrid to Barcelona, and breakfast from Barcelona to Seville. My only complaint is I could not find the first class lounge in Barcelona, and none of the train station staff had a clue where or what it was. Very enjoyable trips, quiet and smooth. One amusing anecdote: on the Madrid to Barcelona trip I had to enter on Car #1 to get to Car #2. The Renfe employee addressed me in French! Luckily I speak a fair amount of French. He later told me he assumed I was was continuing on to France.
I had the opportunity to travel with all high-speed train brands aside from Avlo when I visited Spain at the end of last year. I celebrate every little bit of progress Spain makes in making the country more accessible 🙌
The "Y Griega" Basque will be operational this decade (at 220 km/h, maybe 2027-28) without building the entrance to Bilbao by tunnel (8 km). A provisional train station will be built on the outskirts. This video: ua-cam.com/video/uoKjBJnAl2E/v-deo.html
Great train video!! Your videos were soooo helpful when we visited Spain & Portugal last fall!! Thank you for bringing such content to your channel. My husband & I love it!! 😁👍🏼
Great video Tony, VERY informative & enlightening. We shall definitely travel this way more often. We've already done the Valencia - Madrid fast train & that was simply amazing! Many thanks, keep up the great work amigo...
Eagerly awaiting your 2025 update to this helpful video. We are planning to be in Spain for 30 days in December 2025 and hope to use trains mostly to get around. Thank you for your channel.
Hi Kurt, we are not sure we will be doing a 2025 five as there have been only a minor number of changes. Plenty of ongoing work on new routes but few announcements to make from the point of view of the user.
My wife and I thank you for all of you work to provide all of your information on travel to and within Spain. We are traveling to Spain for our granddaughters university graduation this May in Madrid. We will be spending 2 plus weeks making Madrid our home base while we take day trips and also travel for overnight stays in other cities like Seville and Granada. We would like to hire local guides in each city and would appreciate your input on how to find, contact and hire qualified personal guides.
Hello Gerry, unfortunately, we don't have any experience or knowledge of qualified personal guides to be able to share any contacts with you. Hope you will have a superb time in Spain, May is a beautiful time to visit the country. And feel free to ask any other questions you might have, if we can, we'll be delighted to help. All the best to you and your wife.
Thanks for the update! We have used Renfe trains exclusively so far but will take our first trip on iryo to Valencia in March. Looking forward to seeing what they are like. Heading over to watch video #146 now.
In less 2 years Lisbon and Madrid will be linked in 5h:40m, so far. New high speed section (100 km) at 250 km/h in Portugal. This video: ua-cam.com/video/2TD86rJFhL4/v-deo.html
Thank you! We are aware of the announcements made but, time has taught us to focus on the actual events, which is why we intend to continue doing. Portugal's priorities right now lie further north.
Great Video Tony. Greetings from Australia. We'll be trying the AVE Chamartin to Murcia "bullet" route in Feb 2025. (Brrrrrrr) 🥶We'll keep you posted as to the journey.
@@ROADTRIPSpainandPortugal Absolutely...we used your link on Trainline and realised that Alicante offered a lot more flexibility. Extremely good value and easy to use service. Muchas Gracias Tony...you are estupendo 🙂 👍
Another informative video. Thank you. We've done many Renfe trains in the past and on an upcoming trip we're going to try Iryo for the Madrid-Malaga and Malaga-Valencia (changing trains in Madrid) trips.
@@ROADTRIPSpainandPortugal Yes, thank you. We're aware that we'll have to go from Atocha to Chamartin via Cercanias or taxi. But we'll have about 90 minutes so plenty of time.
I am so glad that your channel exists because I am currently planning my trip to Spain! Do you have plan to add videos for the Basque Country? I saw a couple from your Spanish channel (with auto-generated subtitles and English translations), and I would love it if you can make them for this channel as well. Thank you!
Hi Andy, believe us when we tell you that the Basque Country (Bilbao and San Sebastián) are top of our priorities, but unfortunately we are currently snowed under with work and trips, and are unlikely to be able to produce those videos in the first half of this year. Hopefully in the second half. All the best to you!
@@ROADTRIPSpainandPortugal Hi Tony, is the Euskotren train a reliable way to travel within the Basque Country? Ex. 1) San Sebastian -> Deba 2) Bilbao -> Bermeo 3) San Sebastian -> Bilbao? Alternatively, are there any bus companies for inter-city travel that you would recommend in that region? Thanks in advance!
@@andychan4 Hi Andy, we've never used the Euskotren (it's on our wish list) but it should be a reliable service. The San Sebastián to Bilbao train is supposed to have some scenic stretches of line we'd like to cover whenever we find the time. All the best!
Thank you for your time/talent/sharing! I'll be in Toledo and want to attend the Lumina Cathedral and the only tickets available has the program ending at 8:50 pm. The last train back to Madrid leaves at 9:26 pm. How much time do I need at the train station to get back to Madrid? It appears to be a 10 minute drive from the cathedral to the train station.
Hi Gina, the problem is that there are no cars allowed near the cathedral, it's a pedestrian precinct. To be on the safe side, I would allow 30 minutes.
Hi Tony! We are so lucky to come across your channel! Your videos are informative, full of useful tips and are of such high quality! Thank you for being so meticulous about details and for your hard work. We have a question about AVE speed train by Renfe. Particularly about their luggage. The information on the website says they allow 3 pieces of luggage with the largest being 85x55x35 and total weight of 25 kg. We will be coming to Spain by plane and travelling with the standard airline allowance for each of us - 1 large suitcase of 23 kg + carry on of 10kg . This is more than 25 kg, even though the measurements are within the limit. We are wondering, do they actually weigh the luggage at AVE? And what happens if we are over the limit - nowhere on their website it says how much we would have to pay. It is only with AVLO and OUIGO that they mention extra fees for extra luggage. Thank you so much for your advice in advance!
Many thanks for your kind words, Svetlana. In more than 200 trips on the AVE, we've never seen anyone checking the size or weight of the luggage being carried by the passangers. But we always like to stress that this fact doesn't mean one day they decide to control it. Only AVLO, Iryo and OUIGO control luggage, because its transport its not included in their basic fare. All the best!
Hey Tony love the channel! I’ll be in Spain later this year and wanted to know what the best way to travel from Barcelona to San Sebastián to Oviedo would be. Thanks for any suggestions!
Hi, as you will have seen, there are no high-speed trains traveling to San Sebastián. You can either fly or take a slow train. From San Sebastián to Oviedo you might want to take a bus.
Very helpful video. But I was puzzled why you say there is no plan to link Madrid with Badajoz and ultimately Lisbon by high speed. As far as I understand this project is very much underway and that part of the line is already operating (although not yet at full high speed). Please can you say why we should not believe any of the reports of these developments?
We are not saying there are no plans. What we are stating, based on the opinion of specialists we trust, is that we won't see a direct Madrid-Lisbon high-speed connection in this decade. Portugal has just started opening for tender works on the Lisbon to Porto high-speed line, it's there where the current priorities lie.
@@ROADTRIPSpainandPortugal Thanks Tony...that is very helpful. Just for clarification then: as far as I can understand it there is an active construction operation to complete the high speed line at least from Madrid to Badajoz, with stops in Plascencia, Caceres and Merida at least by 2030 (with trains running at variable speeds until all safety measures are fully installed and operational) with the full high speed of up to 300kmh trains on the full line by 2032. Is this your understanding too? If so, hopefully in one of your future updated videos you might mention this?
@@Mike-m5z4w hi Mike. There are some UA-cam channels informing about train travel that use clickbaiting as their way of doing things. I have seen the Lisbon-Madrid completion date announced many times. That's not the way we like to do things. We might get less views but, above all, we want to be helpful. That's why we only report about links in operation or about to start operating. Any other consideration is pure speculation, even more so when you talk about giant infrastructure projects. An announcement made by a politician 8 years ahead should be taken with a pinch of salt. You can be sure we will add all the new high-speed train lines as soon as they join the network! All the best!
Hi Tony, thanks a lot for producing these very practical high quality videos! I have a few questions about buying high-speed train tickets: 1) what are the pros and cons of getting a Renfe Spain Pass for travelling by train in Spain? 2) I noticed that the Trainline website charges more than the Renfe website for the same train. Is it true that Trainline charges more than Renfe? 3) I cannot find the AVE train posted on Trainline's website when I went to Renfe's website. Why is this the case? Am I missing something here? 4) On Trainline's website, I see trains operated by Renfe and Renfe AVE. What is the difference between Renfe and Renfe AVE? Thanks a lot in advance for helping me understand how to find train tickets in Spain.
Hi Judy, let's try to answer your questions: 1) don't think it's worth it in Spain unless you intend to do just long and expensive trips. The name of the game is buy your tickets as soon as possible for the best possible fares. 2) we have never ever seen done happen. 3) you would need to be more specific for us to be able to help. 4) Renfe might be a slow train, always check the travel time. All the best.
Hello, a question from a futur traveller to Spain. From Madrid train line which arrive at Orihuela Costa station, which is the faster and the nearest to Torrevieja, pilar de la horadada and the next regions. Thank you very much.
Hi Tony! What are the rules for carrying kitchen or pocket knives on the train? I usually keep a pocketknife in my big suitcase for cutting up fruit in towns we visit, but that has all been flying with it in checked bags. I know my brother had to give his up when he took the Eurostar.
Hi Jim, it is tricky, knives considered to be potential weapons are not permitted and they will be confiscated. So it's really down to the size of the knife (a pocketknife is tiny, I know) and the security guard when you board the train. I would think a pocketknife would go through, but don't take my word for it.
@@ROADTRIPSpainandPortugal We traveled in May, and my Gerber Evo Jr. which is just over 6 cm wasn't flagged. It was in my carryon at Granada and Cordoba stations. For future reference I would get the Gerber paraframe mini which is definitely under the 6 cm limit. Much chorizo was cut.
To travel to a day trip from Madrid to Segovia. Do you recommend train or bus? I can see train is faster but is located far from city centre in Segovia and requires additional transportation. But by bus takes longer but you can get dropped off close to city centre.
We prefer the bus for the reasons you have pointed out. In terms of travel time from Madrid to the centre of Segovia, the bus beats the high-speed train.
What would you suggest for 2 seniors to travel from Salamanca to Madrid? Train, bus or ride sharing? The hotel we stay in Madrid is NH collection Abascal.
Tony-thanks for these videos--question for you--traveling from Madrid to Barcelona--we are taking 2 large rolling suitcases--which is better AVE or Iryo for our luggage--we would like to travel 1st class--thank you
Hello, in terms of luggage AVEs operated by Renfe tend to have larger baggage racks, but since you'll be boarding in Madrid, lack of space shouldn't be an issue, make sure you board the train as soon as boarding opens. Other benefits associated to first class differ. Renfe's VIP lounges are much better than Iryo's. Onboard food service might be better at Iryo, for as long as the fare you buy includes it.
I have a rather particular question. do you know if Madina Del Campo has two stations ? I need to take a high-speed train from Santiago de Compostela to San Sebastian. Renfe shows an Alvia train Stopping in Medina Del Campo the next train departs from Medina Del Campo and arrives in Irun. From Irún I take a cercanías train to San Sebastian metro station I read on Google maps a complaint that Medina Del Campo has two metro stations 4 km apart yet I do not see it on maps nor can I send an email to Renfe
Hi, there is the conventional train station and the high-speed train station. If you have seen the video you will know there is no high-speed train from Medina del Campo to the Basque Country. You will probably have to change stations. We haven't done it, so cannot share any first-hand info on the topic.
I’ve learned so much from your videos! Thank you! My daughter gets motion sickness going backwards in trains. I’ve had a hard time figuring out which Renfe seats will be forward facing on the train app. Is there a way to tell?
Hi Beth, we never pay to select our seats, but when you do so, you should be offered a map showing the direction of travel. But we cannot share the details from personal experience.
Hi! Many thanks for the good video :) a question to the Basque Y. Shouldn’t that be going into operation by 2027? At least that’s what I can find when searching online for the topic. Or are you referring to the Vitoria-Gasteiz to Burgos link not being done prior to end of this decade? Do you know if there will already be high speed trains from France going into Spain via Basque Y even if Vitoria-Gasteiz to Burgos isn’t yet done? Currently because of the gauges not compatible it’s not possible, but given Basque Y is standard gauge and connecting till border with France it should be. Do you know if today already there is standard gauge installed as 3rd rail between Vitoria-Gasteiz and Burgos or if it’s planned in the meantime till the missing high speed link is finished? Many thanks!
Hi there, while we, from time to time, talk about future developments, we prefer to focus on what is currently in operation. Over the years we have seen and heard many announcements that were never fulfilled in time. So once there are services running on the Basque Y and the region, we will reflect them in a future update of the video. All the best!
@@ROADTRIPSpainandPortugal got it, many thanks! Do you nevertheless have some info on when currently the Basque Y is expected to be inaugurated? Thanks!
@@Stromschlag hello, we don't really want to spend much more time in a discussion way beyond the scope of this channel. But here we go. There is a fundamental confusion between the conclusion of work on the Basque Y, which will happen in a few years time, and the beginning of full train services to the three Basque capitals, which we are unlikely to see this decade (the number of infrastructure projects that need to be completed is long). And while the government is going to refer to those train services as high-speed, the trains will run at a maximum speed of 220 kmh, which is not really high-speed in the terms defined by the infrastructure operator.
@@ROADTRIPSpainandPortugal thanks for the details even though you didn’t really want to comment. Highly appreciated and really interesting! Best from Germany and thanks again! Just FYI: German rail operator Deutsche Bahn already classifies high speed starting at 200 km/h (including), even though the international standard is indeed 250 km/h minimum…
@@Stromschlag thanks again. It's not that we don't want to comment, replying to questions takes an awful lot of time, and we do it seven days per week. We need to keep the discussion within the scope of the channel, tourist trips to Spain and Portugal. All the best!
Hi, I am travelling to Spain in September. We want to use trains to travel around parts of Spain. How far in advance do we need to purchase the tickets? Is it possible to buy them a day or two before, or should we be booking them online weeks in advance for that time of the year? Many thanks for your channel, it is very informative and I love your videos!!
Video 154? I’m in Santiago de Compostela and I need to get to Madrid Sunday June 16. What’s the best way to do this. Bus to Ourense then train to Madrid? I’m very confused.
Didn't understand your initial question. You have a three daily direct trains from Santiago to Madrid, but it might be far too late to find seats. Check tickets out here prf.hn/l/dlOx2lN
Hi, I am trying to travel from Madrid to Sevilla on May 25th, but there are absolutely no trains showing up. I have even checked tomorrow and multiple days in between… am I doing something wrong? I have checked both train line and renfe. I’m so confused what to do. Help please!
Question… I was looking for a train from Seville to Granada on May 25th 2024 and 8 to 11 am train is listed as full train?? When I looked at every day in the month of May, every 8-11 train is listed as full train… is that really the case 3 months in advance? Or just too early to book? Thanks
Great video! But with huge imprecissions for the rail fans out there. This is a false statement: "It is not possible to go from one quadrant to another without passing through Madrid" Not all the connections are competitive, but it's perfectly possible and still in high-speed (sometimes using conventional lines to connect corridorsm but they are still high speed services). The North-East has direct high speed trains to the East and the North-West. Also it's false that there's no high speed line between Barcelona and Valencia and that it's not server by high speed trains. The main characteristic of this line (which was the second high speed line after Madrid-Seville) is that it's a refurbished old line rather than a new line built with high speed standards in mind, making it less performant than the other high speed lines in Spain, also, there are parts of the line that are nowadays substandard for high speed, being bottlenecks. Of course this line has not the same performance as the other corridors, but it's a high speed line by national and international standards and you cannot say it's not a high speed line without putting a huge asterisk explaining this. Examples of inter-quadrant connections: You can go from Barcelona to A Coruña in Alvia. It takes longer than via Madrid since the connection between Galicia and Madrid was improved last year (making it particularly fast) and there are temporary works in the connection to Galicia (Monforte de Lemos) forcing you to use a bus for part of the trip right now. But for example, Tarragona-Leon has a similar travel time via Madrid or with the direct route, and Tarragona-Vitoria is way faster with a direct train than with connections at Madrid. You can also go from Barcelona to Valencia in a high speed train (Euromed) without going through Madrid (and faster than via Madrid). There's even a high speed train (Torre del oro) connecting 3 quadrants (Barcelona-Tarragona-Castellon-Valencia-Ciudad Real*-Jaen*-Cordoba-Seville-Cadiz). That's ~1300km in ~12-13 hours calling at 21 stations, not that bad!
If you label the Barcelona-Coruña Alvia route as a high-speed service, or the Torre del Oro for that matter, then I gather there is no point in engaging in much discussion. We stand by all the claims made in the video at the time of publication.
➡ how to buy your train tickets in Spain ua-cam.com/video/MYqz41n5Qn4/v-deo.html
➡ 10 TIPS about the high-speed train in Spain ua-cam.com/video/QYvUn-sJxZ4/v-deo.html
➡ a trip on the high-speed train, in TEN STEPS ua-cam.com/video/sSiIRby2RGU/v-deo.html
Spain is a country underestimated in many respects, we have great toll-free highways, train lines running all over the country, great prospects in its big cities and much more intangible resources
@@jdmortega9121 My favorite country❤️
I traveled around Spain last September, largely on high speed trains, and only Renfe. I was lucky enough to be able to go first class, so I had lunch on the trip from Madrid to Barcelona, and breakfast from Barcelona to Seville. My only complaint is I could not find the first class lounge in Barcelona, and none of the train station staff had a clue where or what it was. Very enjoyable trips, quiet and smooth. One amusing anecdote: on the Madrid to Barcelona trip I had to enter on Car #1 to get to Car #2. The Renfe employee addressed me in French! Luckily I speak a fair amount of French. He later told me he assumed I was was continuing on to France.
I had the opportunity to travel with all high-speed train brands aside from Avlo when I visited Spain at the end of last year. I celebrate every little bit of progress Spain makes in making the country more accessible 🙌
Yes, we are not China but the progress Spain is making in the growth of its high-speed network is outstanding.
The "Y Griega" Basque will be operational this decade (at 220 km/h, maybe 2027-28) without building the entrance to Bilbao by tunnel (8 km). A provisional train station will be built on the outskirts. This video: ua-cam.com/video/uoKjBJnAl2E/v-deo.html
Thanks for this very informative video! The map illustration made it so much easier to understand.
Glad to hear the maps were helpful!
Great train video!! Your videos were soooo helpful when we visited Spain & Portugal last fall!! Thank you for bringing such content to your channel. My husband & I love it!! 😁👍🏼
Thanks so much, always, for your appreciation, Marion.
Great video Tony, VERY informative & enlightening. We shall definitely travel this way more often. We've already done the Valencia - Madrid fast train & that was simply amazing! Many thanks, keep up the great work amigo...
Many thanks for your kind words, Peter. ¡Un abrazo!
Thanks for all of your wonderful information!
Always delighted to help!
Thank you for all your work you do to make life easier for travelers.
It's our pleasure, Michael!
Eagerly awaiting your 2025 update to this helpful video. We are planning to be in Spain for 30 days in December 2025 and hope to use trains mostly to get around. Thank you for your channel.
Hi Kurt, we are not sure we will be doing a 2025 five as there have been only a minor number of changes. Plenty of ongoing work on new routes but few announcements to make from the point of view of the user.
Thanks!
That's very kind of you!
Thank you, Tony!
Our pleasure!
Exceptional information
Our pleasure! We intend to update the video whenever there are enough new routes in operation. All the best!
An excellent and ultrainformative video!
Glad to hear that!
My wife and I thank you for all of you work to provide all of your information on travel to and within Spain. We are traveling to Spain for our granddaughters university graduation this May in Madrid. We will be spending 2 plus weeks making Madrid our home base while we take day trips and also travel for overnight stays in other cities like Seville and Granada. We would like to hire local guides in each city and would appreciate your input on how to find, contact and hire qualified personal guides.
Hello Gerry, unfortunately, we don't have any experience or knowledge of qualified personal guides to be able to share any contacts with you. Hope you will have a superb time in Spain, May is a beautiful time to visit the country. And feel free to ask any other questions you might have, if we can, we'll be delighted to help. All the best to you and your wife.
Thanks for the update! We have used Renfe trains exclusively so far but will take our first trip on iryo to Valencia in March. Looking forward to seeing what they are like. Heading over to watch video #146 now.
Hope you'll like the Iryo experience, their trains are brand-new.
Thank you very helpful
Our pleasure!
Great video, thanks!
Our pleasure!
In less 2 years Lisbon and Madrid will be linked in 5h:40m, so far. New high speed section (100 km) at 250 km/h in Portugal. This video: ua-cam.com/video/2TD86rJFhL4/v-deo.html
Thank you! We are aware of the announcements made but, time has taught us to focus on the actual events, which is why we intend to continue doing. Portugal's priorities right now lie further north.
Great Video Tony. Greetings from Australia. We'll be trying the AVE Chamartin to Murcia "bullet" route in Feb 2025. (Brrrrrrr) 🥶We'll keep you posted as to the journey.
Excellent, now it would be a good time to buy your train tickets. All the best!
@@ROADTRIPSpainandPortugal Absolutely...we used your link on Trainline and realised that Alicante offered a lot more flexibility. Extremely good value and easy to use service. Muchas Gracias Tony...you are estupendo 🙂 👍
@@brett_flower delighted to hear that!
Another informative video. Thank you. We've done many Renfe trains in the past and on an upcoming trip we're going to try Iryo for the Madrid-Malaga and Malaga-Valencia (changing trains in Madrid) trips.
Hope you'll like the Iryo experience. Remember that, as well as trains, you will have to change stations in Madrid.
@@ROADTRIPSpainandPortugal Yes, thank you. We're aware that we'll have to go from Atocha to Chamartin via Cercanias or taxi. But we'll have about 90 minutes so plenty of time.
@@artmann7684 that amount of time sounds very reasonable.
Thank you for your kind help! I just purchased a ticket from Madrid to Pamplona. It is relatively fast. Is this not a high speed train?
@@rdgreeley it's not. You can see the reach of the Spanish high-speed network here ua-cam.com/video/7QSmj6b_q5k/v-deo.html
You should check out the corredor mediterráneo, LAV Barcelona - Valencia - Alicante - Murcia - Almería that will be in operation by 2026.
Here we report on LAVs currently in operation. Announcements are just that, announcements. You might remember what happened to the LAV to Granada.
You always outdo yourselves! Ten minutes of video that guarantee a complete trip. I loved it!❤
Thank you so much, Yara, delighted to hear that.
I am so glad that your channel exists because I am currently planning my trip to Spain! Do you have plan to add videos for the Basque Country? I saw a couple from your Spanish channel (with auto-generated subtitles and English translations), and I would love it if you can make them for this channel as well. Thank you!
Hi Andy, believe us when we tell you that the Basque Country (Bilbao and San Sebastián) are top of our priorities, but unfortunately we are currently snowed under with work and trips, and are unlikely to be able to produce those videos in the first half of this year. Hopefully in the second half. All the best to you!
@@ROADTRIPSpainandPortugal Thank you for all your wonderful videos!
@@andychan4 our pleasure, Andy. Feel free to ask as often as you need!
@@ROADTRIPSpainandPortugal Hi Tony, is the Euskotren train a reliable way to travel within the Basque Country? Ex. 1) San Sebastian -> Deba 2) Bilbao -> Bermeo 3) San Sebastian -> Bilbao? Alternatively, are there any bus companies for inter-city travel that you would recommend in that region? Thanks in advance!
@@andychan4 Hi Andy, we've never used the Euskotren (it's on our wish list) but it should be a reliable service. The San Sebastián to Bilbao train is supposed to have some scenic stretches of line we'd like to cover whenever we find the time. All the best!
Please make a video for trains from Spain to Europe
Right now there are only trains to the south of France and Paris.
@@ROADTRIPSpainandPortugal which city in South France?
@@aa77655 Marseille, Lyon, Montpellier.
Thank you for your time/talent/sharing! I'll be in Toledo and want to attend the Lumina Cathedral and the only tickets available has the program ending at 8:50 pm. The last train back to Madrid leaves at 9:26 pm. How much time do I need at the train station to get back to Madrid? It appears to be a 10 minute drive from the cathedral to the train station.
Hi Gina, the problem is that there are no cars allowed near the cathedral, it's a pedestrian precinct. To be on the safe side, I would allow 30 minutes.
Hi Tony! We are so lucky to come across your channel! Your videos are informative, full of useful tips and are of such high quality! Thank you for being so meticulous about details and for your hard work.
We have a question about AVE speed train by Renfe. Particularly about their luggage. The information on the website says they allow 3 pieces of luggage with the largest being 85x55x35 and total weight of 25 kg. We will be coming to Spain by plane and travelling with the standard airline allowance for each of us - 1 large suitcase of 23 kg + carry on of 10kg . This is more than 25 kg, even though the measurements are within the limit. We are wondering, do they actually weigh the luggage at AVE?
And what happens if we are over the limit - nowhere on their website it says how much we would have to pay. It is only with AVLO and OUIGO that they mention extra fees for extra luggage.
Thank you so much for your advice in advance!
Many thanks for your kind words, Svetlana.
In more than 200 trips on the AVE, we've never seen anyone checking the size or weight of the luggage being carried by the passangers. But we always like to stress that this fact doesn't mean one day they decide to control it.
Only AVLO, Iryo and OUIGO control luggage, because its transport its not included in their basic fare.
All the best!
Actually, Spain is the well conected country in the world.
Hey Tony love the channel! I’ll be in Spain later this year and wanted to know what the best way to travel from Barcelona to San Sebastián to Oviedo would be. Thanks for any suggestions!
Hi, as you will have seen, there are no high-speed trains traveling to San Sebastián. You can either fly or take a slow train. From San Sebastián to Oviedo you might want to take a bus.
I'm afraid you're wrong. I travelled on 19 January from Malaga M.Z. to Barcelona Sants on the AVE which took six hours and didn't go through Madrid.
www.adif.es/informacion-al-usuario/mapa
Very helpful video. But I was puzzled why you say there is no plan to link Madrid with Badajoz and ultimately Lisbon by high speed. As far as I understand this project is very much underway and that part of the line is already operating (although not yet at full high speed). Please can you say why we should not believe any of the reports of these developments?
We are not saying there are no plans. What we are stating, based on the opinion of specialists we trust, is that we won't see a direct Madrid-Lisbon high-speed connection in this decade. Portugal has just started opening for tender works on the Lisbon to Porto high-speed line, it's there where the current priorities lie.
@@ROADTRIPSpainandPortugal Thanks Tony...that is very helpful. Just for clarification then: as far as I can understand it there is an active construction operation to complete the high speed line at least from Madrid to Badajoz, with stops in Plascencia, Caceres and Merida at least by 2030 (with trains running at variable speeds until all safety measures are fully installed and operational) with the full high speed of up to 300kmh trains on the full line by 2032. Is this your understanding too? If so, hopefully in one of your future updated videos you might mention this?
@@Mike-m5z4w hi Mike. There are some UA-cam channels informing about train travel that use clickbaiting as their way of doing things. I have seen the Lisbon-Madrid completion date announced many times. That's not the way we like to do things. We might get less views but, above all, we want to be helpful. That's why we only report about links in operation or about to start operating. Any other consideration is pure speculation, even more so when you talk about giant infrastructure projects. An announcement made by a politician 8 years ahead should be taken with a pinch of salt. You can be sure we will add all the new high-speed train lines as soon as they join the network! All the best!
Is there a train from Madrid to Andalusia? If so, how long does it take? Thanks so much for all your videos! They are so informative and helpful!
Hi, you will find the answer to your first question on the video. The travel time depends on your destination. All the best!
Hi Tony, thanks a lot for producing these very practical high quality videos! I have a few questions about buying high-speed train tickets:
1) what are the pros and cons of getting a Renfe Spain Pass for travelling by train in Spain?
2) I noticed that the Trainline website charges more than the Renfe website for the same train. Is it true that Trainline charges more than Renfe?
3) I cannot find the AVE train posted on Trainline's website when I went to Renfe's website. Why is this the case? Am I missing something here?
4) On Trainline's website, I see trains operated by Renfe and Renfe AVE. What is the difference between Renfe and Renfe AVE?
Thanks a lot in advance for helping me understand how to find train tickets in Spain.
Hi Judy, let's try to answer your questions:
1) don't think it's worth it in Spain unless you intend to do just long and expensive trips. The name of the game is buy your tickets as soon as possible for the best possible fares.
2) we have never ever seen done happen.
3) you would need to be more specific for us to be able to help.
4) Renfe might be a slow train, always check the travel time.
All the best.
Hello, a question from a futur traveller to Spain. From Madrid train line which arrive at Orihuela Costa station, which is the faster and the nearest to Torrevieja, pilar de la horadada and the next regions. Thank you very much.
Hello, we haven't covered that region yet, haven't got a ready reply for you.
Hi Tony! What are the rules for carrying kitchen or pocket knives on the train? I usually keep a pocketknife in my big suitcase for cutting up fruit in towns we visit, but that has all been flying with it in checked bags. I know my brother had to give his up when he took the Eurostar.
Hi Jim, it is tricky, knives considered to be potential weapons are not permitted and they will be confiscated. So it's really down to the size of the knife (a pocketknife is tiny, I know) and the security guard when you board the train. I would think a pocketknife would go through, but don't take my word for it.
@@ROADTRIPSpainandPortugal We traveled in May, and my Gerber Evo Jr. which is just over 6 cm
wasn't flagged. It was in my carryon at Granada and Cordoba stations. For future reference I would get the Gerber paraframe mini which is definitely under the 6 cm limit. Much chorizo was cut.
@@jimriceva good to hear that!
To travel to a day trip from Madrid to Segovia. Do you recommend train or bus? I can see train is faster but is located far from city centre in Segovia and requires additional transportation. But by bus takes longer but you can get dropped off close to city centre.
We prefer the bus for the reasons you have pointed out. In terms of travel time from Madrid to the centre of Segovia, the bus beats the high-speed train.
What would you suggest for 2 seniors to travel from Salamanca to Madrid? Train, bus or ride sharing? The hotel we stay in Madrid is NH collection Abascal.
You can go by train (our preferred option) or by bus. All the details about Salamanca here ua-cam.com/video/gyjxZk4hnDo/v-deo.html
Tony-thanks for these videos--question for you--traveling from Madrid to Barcelona--we are taking 2 large rolling suitcases--which is better AVE or Iryo for our luggage--we would like to travel 1st class--thank you
Hello, in terms of luggage AVEs operated by Renfe tend to have larger baggage racks, but since you'll be boarding in Madrid, lack of space shouldn't be an issue, make sure you board the train as soon as boarding opens. Other benefits associated to first class differ. Renfe's VIP lounges are much better than Iryo's. Onboard food service might be better at Iryo, for as long as the fare you buy includes it.
@@ROADTRIPSpainandPortugal Tony--Thank you! Really appreciate all your videos!
I have a rather particular question. do you know if Madina Del Campo has two stations ? I need to take a high-speed train from Santiago de Compostela to San Sebastian. Renfe shows an Alvia train Stopping in Medina Del Campo the next train departs from Medina Del Campo and arrives in Irun. From Irún I take a cercanías train to San Sebastian metro station I read on Google maps a complaint that Medina Del Campo has two metro stations 4 km apart yet I do not see it on maps nor can I send an email to Renfe
Hi, there is the conventional train station and the high-speed train station. If you have seen the video you will know there is no high-speed train from Medina del Campo to the Basque Country. You will probably have to change stations. We haven't done it, so cannot share any first-hand info on the topic.
Also it seems like Spain’s Renfe Trains are always having strikes… how do you plan a trip with any reliability? Just rent a car everywhere?
That is certainly not our perception, as heavy users of Renfe services. Strikes, while not uncommon, are not a regular event.
I’ve learned so much from your videos! Thank you! My daughter gets motion sickness going backwards in trains. I’ve had a hard time figuring out which Renfe seats will be forward facing on the train app. Is there a way to tell?
Hi Beth, we never pay to select our seats, but when you do so, you should be offered a map showing the direction of travel. But we cannot share the details from personal experience.
Hi! Many thanks for the good video :) a question to the Basque Y. Shouldn’t that be going into operation by 2027? At least that’s what I can find when searching online for the topic. Or are you referring to the Vitoria-Gasteiz to Burgos link not being done prior to end of this decade? Do you know if there will already be high speed trains from France going into Spain via Basque Y even if Vitoria-Gasteiz to Burgos isn’t yet done? Currently because of the gauges not compatible it’s not possible, but given Basque Y is standard gauge and connecting till border with France it should be. Do you know if today already there is standard gauge installed as 3rd rail between Vitoria-Gasteiz and Burgos or if it’s planned in the meantime till the missing high speed link is finished? Many thanks!
Hi there, while we, from time to time, talk about future developments, we prefer to focus on what is currently in operation. Over the years we have seen and heard many announcements that were never fulfilled in time. So once there are services running on the Basque Y and the region, we will reflect them in a future update of the video. All the best!
@@ROADTRIPSpainandPortugal got it, many thanks! Do you nevertheless have some info on when currently the Basque Y is expected to be inaugurated? Thanks!
@@Stromschlag hello, we don't really want to spend much more time in a discussion way beyond the scope of this channel. But here we go. There is a fundamental confusion between the conclusion of work on the Basque Y, which will happen in a few years time, and the beginning of full train services to the three Basque capitals, which we are unlikely to see this decade (the number of infrastructure projects that need to be completed is long). And while the government is going to refer to those train services as high-speed, the trains will run at a maximum speed of 220 kmh, which is not really high-speed in the terms defined by the infrastructure operator.
@@ROADTRIPSpainandPortugal thanks for the details even though you didn’t really want to comment. Highly appreciated and really interesting! Best from Germany and thanks again! Just FYI: German rail operator Deutsche Bahn already classifies high speed starting at 200 km/h (including), even though the international standard is indeed 250 km/h minimum…
@@Stromschlag thanks again. It's not that we don't want to comment, replying to questions takes an awful lot of time, and we do it seven days per week. We need to keep the discussion within the scope of the channel, tourist trips to Spain and Portugal. All the best!
I ❤ 🚂🚃 trains 🚄 🚅 trams 🚈🚞
take a ride, I have a folder on ''transportation''
(folder 2) I think you will love them too :)
Hi, I am travelling to Spain in September. We want to use trains to travel around parts of Spain. How far in advance do we need to purchase the tickets? Is it possible to buy them a day or two before, or should we be booking them online weeks in advance for that time of the year? Many thanks for your channel, it is very informative and I love your videos!!
Hi Kathy, buy them as far in advance as possible, we talk about it here ua-cam.com/video/QYvUn-sJxZ4/v-deo.html All the best!
What train combination do I need to take to get to Tarifa? I want to add Morocco to my trip.
No high-speed trains going near Tarifa.
Who sales the train tickets? I cant get a website to sell or even give a price for tickets
ua-cam.com/video/MYqz41n5Qn4/v-deo.html
Video 154? I’m in Santiago de Compostela and I need to get to Madrid Sunday June 16. What’s the best way to do this. Bus to Ourense then train to Madrid? I’m very confused.
Didn't understand your initial question. You have a three daily direct trains from Santiago to Madrid, but it might be far too late to find seats. Check tickets out here prf.hn/l/dlOx2lN
Avión en 1 hora
What is the best of getting to San Sebastian from Santander?
There is no high-speed train connecting the cities, but if you leave us your question for a Q&A video we'll give you the details.
their is also direct train from Ourense to Alicante
Renfe has added many more cross-sector services in the last few months.
@@ROADTRIPSpainandPortugal this was running from last summer
Hi, I am trying to travel from Madrid to Sevilla on May 25th, but there are absolutely no trains showing up. I have even checked tomorrow and multiple days in between… am I doing something wrong? I have checked both train line and renfe. I’m so confused what to do. Help please!
Never mind! I found that the system must have been down because 5-6 hours later, everything showed up just fine! 😅 phew!
Alright!
If I coming from states to Madrid airport how would I get from there to Salamanca on train?
Need to go to Chamartín station to catch your train to Salamanca. Details here ua-cam.com/video/eq1mDR4XH90/v-deo.html
If I travel from Granada to Seville do I have to change train at Cordoba and if yes, must it be the same train company? Thank you in advance
If you buy a direct service you don't need to change trains.
Question… I was looking for a train from Seville to Granada on May 25th 2024 and 8 to 11 am train is listed as full train?? When I looked at every day in the month of May, every 8-11 train is listed as full train… is that really the case 3 months in advance? Or just too early to book? Thanks
Hi Victor, see this short video ua-cam.com/users/shortswmKDTtNRV8c
Spain and England old colonial masters spain trains to everywhere even at high speed waw England is floundering in the land where the sun sets
is Renfe MDE train from Barcelona to Figueres reliable?
We've never taken the MD but haven't heard bad things about it either.
Great video! But with huge imprecissions for the rail fans out there.
This is a false statement: "It is not possible to go from one quadrant to another without passing through Madrid"
Not all the connections are competitive, but it's perfectly possible and still in high-speed (sometimes using conventional lines to connect corridorsm but they are still high speed services). The North-East has direct high speed trains to the East and the North-West.
Also it's false that there's no high speed line between Barcelona and Valencia and that it's not server by high speed trains. The main characteristic of this line (which was the second high speed line after Madrid-Seville) is that it's a refurbished old line rather than a new line built with high speed standards in mind, making it less performant than the other high speed lines in Spain, also, there are parts of the line that are nowadays substandard for high speed, being bottlenecks. Of course this line has not the same performance as the other corridors, but it's a high speed line by national and international standards and you cannot say it's not a high speed line without putting a huge asterisk explaining this.
Examples of inter-quadrant connections: You can go from Barcelona to A Coruña in Alvia. It takes longer than via Madrid since the connection between Galicia and Madrid was improved last year (making it particularly fast) and there are temporary works in the connection to Galicia (Monforte de Lemos) forcing you to use a bus for part of the trip right now. But for example, Tarragona-Leon has a similar travel time via Madrid or with the direct route, and Tarragona-Vitoria is way faster with a direct train than with connections at Madrid.
You can also go from Barcelona to Valencia in a high speed train (Euromed) without going through Madrid (and faster than via Madrid).
There's even a high speed train (Torre del oro) connecting 3 quadrants (Barcelona-Tarragona-Castellon-Valencia-Ciudad Real*-Jaen*-Cordoba-Seville-Cadiz). That's ~1300km in ~12-13 hours calling at 21 stations, not that bad!
If you label the Barcelona-Coruña Alvia route as a high-speed service, or the Torre del Oro for that matter, then I gather there is no point in engaging in much discussion. We stand by all the claims made in the video at the time of publication.
Ave and avlo are those companies??
Don't understand the question? What would "those companies" be?
They’re both part of Renfe.
@jessicauptergrove8505 thanks but what's different
@@aa77655 ua-cam.com/video/boVV8YQbRx0/v-deo.html and ua-cam.com/video/t7CQ2TFxppA/v-deo.html
@@aa77655 avlo is the low-cost ave (ave means spanish high speed train).
Important rule ..all trains HAVE to go via Madrid. ..
Los de alta velocidad
Thanks!
That's super kind of you, Andy!