The trains in Spain

Last updated on September 13th, 2019 at 09:11 am.

Spain has a good reputation for the construction of its Spanish high-speed trains. Its AVE are the fastest trains in the world with a speed of up to 300 km/h (186 mph). Spain manufactured the first high speed train in the middle east and has been awarded major contracts in both the USA and Russia.

There is currently an increase in the number of AVE fast train routes. So, for example, the Madrid-Alicante line is due to open in June in time for the San Juan festival. The expansion is not just across Spain. There is good news if you are wanting to travel to the continent too.

Plans have been published for AVE fast trains from Barcelona to link up with French TGV fast trains to Paris and Eurostar to London. It is claimed that this new link will enable travel times between Barcelona and Paris to be reduced by 1 ¼  hours, making travel to Europe easier.

It’s not just speed that matters. There is close scrutiny being given to the cost of these journeys too. The intention is to reward customer who book their seats early with cheaper fares, a little like the airlines do. You should be able to purchase a train ticket up to seven months in advance and be rewarded for your foresight with a 70% discount.

For each journey, there will be a base tariff onto which will be added other costs which will vary according to the level of demand from other passengers and how early you make your booking. To travel from Madrid to Malaga currently costs 107€ and to Seville is 95€. The new AVE route from Madrid to Alicante is projected to bring down the travel time from 3 ½ to less than 2 hours and will cost 66€. A good alternative at a time when the airlines are putting up their fares.