Getting to know Spain by train
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From the train window I could see gleaming white towns tucked into the olive tree-studded folds of a hillside, the wrinkled contours of a surf-bashed coastline and the arid plains of the Spanish interior. Coupled with the knowledge that trains are one of the lowest-carbon forms of travel, exploring by rail is easily the most satisfying way to see Spain.
Like all the best global train experiences, the railways of this country provide an ever-changing picture of its wildernesses and human spaces. One minute, you might be traversing a mountain river stained red by the mineral-rich soil; the next, you’re pulling into a new city filled with the promise of history-laced adventure, soulful culture and genre-defining art.
Ever since taking my first train journey into Spain from France, I have been in awe of the way that places are mythologised here. On that earlier journey, I had trundled through the tunnel beneath the French-Spanish border to emerge at the border town of Portbou, where the philosopher Walter Benjamin spent his tragic final days during the Second World War. From there, the train pressed onwards to Figueras, the hometown of Salvador Dalí – a fact that gave this unremarkable little station near-mystical powers.
Ever since that first rail adventure, I have taken trains all across Spain: to Granada and Guernica, Santiago de Compostela and Seville, Barcelona and Zaragoza. Each stop has been preceded by a keen reputation that hinted at the riches waiting to be discovered and explored. On other occasions, I have taken the train simply for the sake of the ride itself. A slow rail journey to anywhere in Spain can be satisfying, as long as it works its way languidly through the countryside. This approach is filled with just as much wonder: perhaps it’s the sight of thick medieval walls in a town you’ve never heard of before, or the regimented rows of grapes that will contribute to a wine from a denomination you’ve yet to try.
The country’s national railway operator, Renfe (Red Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Españoles), runs trains across a network that connects practically every major Spanish town and city. A handful of additional companies, such as Ouigo, operate other high-speed routes between major stops, while regional alternatives like the Basque Country’s Euskotren complement a vast network of suburban and intercity trains. It means that you can go virtually anywhere by rail.
Trains that speed through the country or chug gently through rural climes offer a range of possibilities to suit any travel tempo. And with every hour spent on the railways of Spain, it becomes clear that there’s so much more to the country than can ever be contained within a guidebook. Every time I set foot on a train here, it furnishes me with new itineraries for future trips and adventures.
Spain by train
Across Spain, Cercanías (aka Rodalies around Catalonia) are slower commuter trains linking major cities to their suburbs and outlying towns. For more extensive journeys, a variety of long- and medium-distance trains provide the perfect way to explore Spain beyond the resorts and major urban hubs. These include AVE, EuroMed, Intercity and Alvia (long distance), and Media Distancia and Avant (medium distance) services. Whether taking high-speed or slower-paced trains, you’ll get a fresh perspective on Spain’s dazzling sierras and sparsely populated hinterlands from your seat.
The Spanish railways have enjoyed persistent investment and development in recent years. The biggest change came in 2020, when restrictions on competition between providers were relaxed, allowing multiple companies to operate on the same high-speed, long-distance routes. This has ostensibly pushed down ticket prices for local residents and, more pertinently, travellers in Spain
On routes connecting major cities, such as Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia and Seville, Renfe now shares the timetable with Ouigo España and a low-cost Renfe subsidiary called Avlo. In 2022, Iryo also hit the country’s high-speed rails; this is a private venture between train and airline providers, and seeks to provide combined train, hotel and plane tickets in the near future, making it one to watch for travellers.
Long journey
Much of the investment into Spain’s railway network has gone into what is more than 3,200km of high-speed lines. You can now travel from Madrid by high-speed train to places all over Spain, such as Gijón, León, Valencia, Málaga, Valladolid, Cuenca and Galicia. In recent years, competition among providers of high-speed rail travel here has seen a huge improvement in services and prices available to the public.
But there’s joy to be found in the slow approach too, particularly along Spain’s most picturesque routes. Some regional lines pass relics of empires and the kind of landscapes that have inspired some of the country’s finest literature and art. For example, the Torre del Oro train between Barcelona and Cádiz is a beauty. At a distance of around 1,300km, it’s one of the country’s longest direct trains, taking a leisurely 12 hours.
The three-and-a-half-hour Alvia train from Madrid to Oviedo (capital of Asturias) passes through a host of historic cities, such as Segovia and Valladolid, on its way to the country’s north coast. North of León, however, the undulating landscape becomes the main attraction, as the route navigates through the lush, nature-rich Cantabrian Mountains. The same is true for most routes to north-coast cities from Madrid. Up in the north of Spain, one of the country’s great luxury train journeys is the Transcantábrico Gran Lujo.
Making the most of the north’s effortless natural beauty, this eight-day narrow-gauge route runs between Ferrol and Bilbao, with connections to Santiago de Compostela (the destination of Camino de Santiago hikers) and San Sebastián (unofficial capital of Spanish fine dining), where trips begin and end. Gourmet food, endless rolling mountains, religious pilgrimage and world-class art are all included on tours aboard this Belle Époque-inspired train, which runs between March and October.
Toledo train station (Photo by Laura Field)
Shorter journey
Spain is littered with short routes that offer spectacular scenery and connect larger cities to towns that aren’t easy to reach by plane. On the island of Mallorca, the Sóller train from Palma still has leather seats and lacquered wooden carriages. It’s a wonderfully retro affair that lumbers through the Tramuntana Mountains to the attractive coastal town of Sóller. In Andalusia, Intercity trains from Córdoba to Ronda, and between Almería and Granada, pass pretty pueblos blancos before slaloming through the Sierra Nevada.
Elsewhere, Zaragoza lies right in the middle of the high-speed line connecting Madrid and Barcelona. This oft-overlooked city is worthy of a stop in its own right, but it is also a great base from which to take a shorter train journey into the Autonomous Community of Aragon. The hour-long train ride to Huesca departs from Zaragoza Goya station, which is dedicated to the city’s famous artist. It then passes through the trench-riddled land where George Orwell fought alongside soldiers during the Spanish Civil War – a period depicted in his Homage to Catalonia. Lastly, in Basque Country, Euskotren links the cities of Bilbao and San Sebastián with the French border town of Hendaye.
Routes to remember
Southern Spain has its high-class answer to the north’s Transcantábrico in the Al-Andalus train. This seven-day luxury train ride works its way languidly through the Andalusia sierras and plains between cities of historical and cultural value, including Seville, Córdoba and Granada. Its nickname (‘The Palace on Wheels’) is more than simple hubris. Its carriages were initially constructed for the British royal family, and are said to be among the world’s most spacious. During the trip, you’ll have time to explore the four lounge cars, the ballroom and the dining car.
For a budget-friendlier, go-slow alternative to the Transcantábrico through northern Spain, try taking either the Costa Verde Express, which follows a similar route, or La Robla, which runs through the mountains from Bilbao to León. Both are impressive luxury train experiences offering a shorter three-day itinerary.
A few unique train journeys exist outside of Spain’s main rail network. These are often relics of once popular routes that are now redundant, or simply use infrastructure that was put in place to service heavy industry but is no longer in use. A great example of the latter is the Ferrocarril Turístico Minero in the Huelva province of Andalusia, which runs alongside the beautiful blood-red Tinto River.
Other quirky train journeys include the Tren de la Fresa (the Strawberry Train) from Madrid that runs through strawberry-farming country. Travellers are greeted by stewards serving fresh strawberries as you travel to the UNESCO-listed city of Aranjuez.
For literature lovers, the Tren de Cervantes departs from Madrid for Alcalá de Henares, the hometown of Don Quixote author Miguel de Cervantes. Alternatively, there is a service to the medieval city of Sigüenza that sees passengers joined by staff providing onboard entertainment dressed as knights and princesses. And lastly, the old Tren dels Llacs rattles through the mountainous Catalan Pyrenees, connecting Lleida with La Pobla de Segur. All of these trains are seasonal, running from spring to autumn each year.
Need to know
Tickets
Tickets can be purchased from the websites of Renfe, Ouigo and Iryo, all of which have English-language versions. Renfe runs by far the most extensive countrywide network. As with UK trains, pricing tends to operate on a tiered system, with tickets being cheaper the earlier you book. Outside of national holidays, prices only really start to trend steeply upwards when you’re a week or less from the date of travel. This is particularly true for high-speed trains and longer-distance journeys. Tickets are released up to two months (three months for AVE trains) in advance.
For most local and regional services, you can often only buy a ticket on the day. These are purchased from machines, found either in the station or on the platform, which function in multiple languages (including English).
More information
Before travelling on a high-speed route, you must pass your luggage through the station’s x-ray security scanners. Budget some extra time to complete this process ahead of your scheduled train. When on board, the general quality of even the smaller passenger trains is high. For medium-and long-distance travel, your seat will often have a tray table and a plug or USB socket for charging devices. When on a high-speed train, such as AVE or Iryo, check your ticket for the phrase ‘Combinado Cercanías’, which means you’re allowed to take any Cercanías train in the cities of your departure and arrival for four hours either side of your train journey (including Rodalies in Barcelona and Alicante TRAM network trips)
In Madrid, Malaga, Valencia and Murcia/ Alicante, you can use the same ticket; elsewhere, present a valid ticket at the ticket office or use the machines at the station to receive a Cercanías pass.
Rail Passes
Glossary
Sustainability
The quality of being able to continue over a period of time, or the avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance (Camrbdige Dictionary).
