Trains in Spain: Book Spain Train Tickets Here

Trains in Spain

Train travel in Spain allows travellers to admire the scenic landscape, while conveniently reaching their destination in a timely fashion. Spain’s extensive train network allows travellers to easily explore the vast country. Spanish trains are modern and work on a complete railway network, known to be one of the largest in Europe. The Spanish train network also offers several high-speed trains (known as AVE trains) that connect Spain's main cities with one another, as well as to other major cities around Europe.

The most popular train stations in Spain include Madrid Atocha, Barcelona Sants, València Nord, and Sevilla Santa Justa. The main train providers in Spain are Renfe and Renfe AVE. The company has also partnered with French train operator, SNCF, to create direct train routes between Spain and France. Renfe has trains that cater to regional rural routes, commuter routes, and high-speed long-distance routes.

Some of the most popular domestic Spain train routes go from Madrid to Barcelona, Barcelona to Valencia, Madrid to Seville, Seville to Cordoba, Alicante to Madrid, and Zaragoza to Barcelona. There are also popular international train routes from Spain including Madrid to Lisbon, Barcelona to Montpellier, and Madrid to Paris. With the Omio app, travellers can find all the best routes for trains in Spain.

Popular destinations in Spain by train

Popular train routes in Spain

Booking Spain train tickets with Omio

If you want to travel to Spain by train, or within the country, you can easily book train tickets with Omio in your language. Our app planner helps you plan your trips efficiently and smoothly. To book a trip, select your destination in Spain as well as the dates of your trip. Once you have finalised these details, you'll see clear and up-to-date information showing which options are available to you, including train types.

At this point, travellers can choose which currency they’d like to pay with, add on any personal discount cards, and decide which type of train they’d like to book (i.e. slower trains for lower prices or high-speed trains for faster travel times and higher prices). You can also filter by price, making it easy to find cheap train tickets in Spain. Once booked, you'll have access to your tickets directly on your mobile — no printer needed!

Popular international trains from Spain

Travellers wishing to visit Spain by train from other countries around Europe will find that the Omio app and website is a useful and convenient tool for booking their tickets. The primary international routes for the trains in Spain have stops in Madrid or Barcelona. Some of the most popular international routes that stop in Madrid go to Lisbon, Portugal and Paris, France. On the other hand, the most popular international routes from Barcelona are to Montpellier and Perpignan in France.

Popular international trains to Spain

Train companies in Spain

There are three main companies that provide train service within Spain: Renfe, Iryo, and Ouigo.

• Renfe is Spain’s national train company and is the best known. Renfe routes cover approximately 15,000 kilometres of railway, making it easy to get pretty much anywhere within Spain by train! There are a variety of Renfe trains to choose from, including high-speed AVE and Alvia trains.
• Iryo is one of the newest train companies in Spain, with its first routes having been launched in 2022. Its trains are high-speed and can reach speeds of up to 224 mph (360 km/h). A noteworthy perk of booking Iryo trains is that you can change your ticket as many times as you want. You may also bring up to three bags onto any Iryo train free of charge.
• Ouigo trains are low-cost and high-speed. Its double-decker train cars allow for more passengers on board, which makes for cheap train tickets within Spain. Ouigo trains currently call at 18 different train stations within Spain, making it a good option for anyone travelling between the major cities.

Train companies in Spain: Renfe

Travellers planning to book trains within Spain may want to get acquainted with the country's main travel company. Renfe is Spain's national train company, and you can book several types of trains within their regional and intercity lines. One type of train travel that Renfe provides is Media Distancia (medium distance) trains, which have routes that connect regional and high-speed trains. Another service provided by Renfe is the Cercanias (suburban trains), which have routes around the major cities of Spain.

Renfe also offers international train routes from Spain to France (with the Renfe-SNCF collaboration) and Portugal. Moreover, the Renfe AVE trains typically provide long-distance routes that connect the major cities of Spain. Some of the routes Renfe AVE trains provide include Madrid to Seville, Barcelona, Valencia, Toledo, Cordoba, and Malaga. The Renfe AVE route that connects Madrid to Barcelona is the most popular domestic route in Spain.




Types of Renfe trains in Spain

AVE




AVE: The fastest way to travel between Spain’s biggest cities, like Seville and Madrid. AVE trains can travel up to 218 mph (350 km/h) and are a smart choice for travellers with a limited amount of time in Spain.

Euromed




Euromed: Connects the cities along the Mediterranean Sea. This type of Spanish train offers breathtaking views, such as the ones along the train route from Barcelona to Valencia.

Alvia




Alvia: Alvia trains are a type of high-speed, long-distance trains within Spain. They’re not as fast as AVE trains, because they run on both the high-speed rail lines as well as the regional routes. Utilising on a combination of high-speed and regional train lines allows Alvia trains to connect smaller train stations with larger travel hubs like Madrid and Barcelona

AVE




Avlo: Other train types




• Altaria: Altaria trains operate on high-speed routes and connect Madrid to cities such as Granada and Murcia.
• Talgo: A long-distance train with journey times that are much longer than AVE trains on the same routes. A few popular connections include Barcelona - Murcia and Madrid - Almeria.
• Trenhotel: These are trains that travel at night and have limited connections.
• Media Distancia: These trains link regional destinations with the country's larger cities via long-distance, high-speed trains.
• Larga Distancia: You can find these trains all over the country for both high-speed and non-high-speed routes.
• Cercanías: Suburban trains operating in and around Spain’s major cities, such as Barcelona and Valencia.

Renfe also offers tourist trains that run through some Spanish regions. In particular, the Transcantábrico, which crosses the entire Cantabrian region, the Tren Al Andalus, which offers the possibility to travel to the north and walk the Camino de Santiago. There are numerous trips to neighbouring countries, such as Portugal and France, where Renfe and SNCF offer combined high-speed services, such as with the TGV INOUI trains between Barcelona and Paris.


There are also a number of domestic Estrella and Trenhotel trains, as well as international sleeper trains connecting Spain with France, Portugal, Luxembourg and Switzerland.

Main train stations in Spain

Barcelona Sants Valencia Joaquin Sorolla Malaga Maria Zambrano Madrid Puerta de Atocha
Sevilla Santa Justa Segovia Guiomar Alicante Terminal
Zaragoza Delicias Valencia Estacio del Nord Cordoba Central Station



Explore other ways to travel Spain

• Coaches to Spain
• Flights to Spain

Exploring Spain by train

A favourite travel destination for many, Spain has more to offer than just its sunny weather! The capital city, Madrid, is filled with grand parks, museums, and ornate buildings. You can look forward to wandering through its beautiful streets, experiencing the local culture, and discovering the best of the city’s many tapas bars and restaurants.

Madrid’s central location makes it the perfect starting point for travelling by train within Spain. Hop on a train from the Madrid Atocha station; in a few hours, you can be enjoying Catalonia’s capital, Barcelona, or you can be sunning yourself on the beach in Malaga. Or, head to the north of Spain with a visit to Galicia — a highly underrated city! From eating some of the freshest seafood in Europe to swimming in the Mediterranean sea, Spain won’t disappoint. Are you ready to explore Spain by train? Book with Omio today!

Learn more about trains in Europe

Trains to France Trains to Italy Trains to Sweden Trains to Germany
Trains to Austria Trains to Switzerland Trains to Belgium
Trains to the Netherlands Trains to Denmark Trains to the Czech Republic