Looking to explore the beauty that is Spain? The AVE is a high-speed train connecting Spain’s capital Madrid to the Andalucia region, so that travellers can experience all that Spain has to offer; plan on breathing the fresh air of Madrid, Seville, Malaga, Barcelona and our newest destination, Valencia, just 1 hour, 38 minutes from Madrid.
Launched in 1992 during the World Expo in Seville, the AVE which stands for Alta Velocidad Española, offers excellent service with proven punctuality. AVE trains effortlessly coast from city to city at speeds of up to 300 km/h.
Known for its speed, punctuality, reasonable fares and flexible schedules, the AVE remains the ideal form of transportation for savvy travellers looking for an unparalleled Spanish experience. Take advantage of the rail and design a trip that takes you from the breathtaking monuments of Madrid to the art and design of Barcelona and the fine cuisine in Seville.
Alvia is a high speed train in Spain used by RENFE for long distance service.
Routes and Travel Times
AVE
Best travel time:
Madrid-Sevilla: 2h20
Madrid-Córdoba: 1h44
Madrid-Zaragoza: 1h18
Madrid-Lleida: 2h08
Madrid-Huesca: 2h06
Madrid-Camp Tarragona: 2h28
Madrid-Valladolid: 0h56
Madrid-Málaga: 2h30
Madrid-Barcelona: 2h38
Madrid-Valencia: 1h38
Sevilla-Zaragoza: 3h48
Málaga-Zaragoza: 3h41
Barcelona-Málaga: 5h45
Barcelona-Sevilla: 5h37
Number of Services:
Madrid-Sevilla: 40 trains a day
Madrid-Córdoba: 56 trains a day
Madrid-Zaragoza: 38 trains a day
Madrid-Lleida: 16 trains a day
Madrid-Huesca: 4 trains a day
Madrid-Camp Tarragona: 18 trains a day
Madrid-Valladolid: 10 trains a day
Madrid-Málaga: 26 trains a day
Madrid-Barcelona: 52 trains a day
Madrid-Valencia: 10 trains a day
Sevilla-Zaragoza: 2 trains a day
Málaga-Zaragoza: 2 trains a day
Barcelona-Málaga: 2 trains a day
Barcelona-Sevilla: 2 trains a day
Alvia
Best travel time:
Madrid-Logroño: 3h14
Madrid-Pamplona: 2h59
Madrid-Léon: 2h42
Madrid-Alicante: 3h50
Madrid-Burgos: 2h20
Madrid-Vitoria: 3h41
Madrid-San Sebastián: 4h59
Madrid-Santander: 4h25
Madrid-Gijón: 5h05
Madrid-Bilbao: 4h46
Barcelona-Logroño: 3h49
Barcelona-Pamplona: 3h45
Barcelona-San Sebastián: 5h38
Number of Services:
Madrid-Logroño: 2 trains a day
Madrid-Pamplona: 8 trains a day
Madrid-Léon: 10 trains a day
Madrid-Alicante: 10 trains a day
Madrid-Burgos: 4 trains a day
Madrid-Vitoria: 4 trains a day
Madrid-San Sebastián: 6 trains a day
Madrid-Santander: 6 trains a day
Madrid-Gijón: 8 trains a day
Madrid-Bilbao: 2 trains a day
Barcelona-Logroño: 2 trains a day
Barcelona-Pamplona: 4 trains a day
Barcelona-San Sebastián: 2 trains a day
Onboard Services
AVE offers 3 classes of service, however not all classes are offered on every route. Alvia trains offer 2 classes of service; they do not feature Club Class.
• Club: 1st Class for the business traveller
• Preferente: 1st Class
• Turista: 2nd Class
Club Class:
• Meal (choice of entree) at your seat
• Drinks
• Daily Newspapers and “Paisajes” (Sceneries) magazine
• Audio/video
• Access to AVE lounges (refer below for further details)
• Access to conference room on train
Preferente Class:
• Meal at your seat (menu)
• Daily Newspapers and “Paisajes” (Sceneries) magazine
• Audio/video
• Access to AVE lounges
Turista Class:
• Family area
• Children’s board games
• Wheelchair facilities
• Audio/video
Other Services:
• Bar-buffet car with souvenirs shop and snacks/drinks
• Phone booths
• Nursery area
• Meeting area
AVE Lounges:
The access to the lounge is limited to the city of origin, only on the day of the listed date in its transportation title and from 2 hours before the exit of the train.
AVE lounges feature:
• Temperature control
• Daily newspapers and magazines
• Background music
• A television
• Toilets
• Telephone
• Cafeteria service
Club Class Customers have access to lounges at the following stations: Sala Club in Alacant Términal, Albacete Los Llanos, Barcelona-Sants, Camp de Tarragona, Castellón, Córdoba Central, Lleida-Pirineus, Málaga María Zambrano, Madrid Chamartín, Madrid Puerta de Atocha, Murcia El Carmen, Sevilla Sta. Justa, Valencia Joaquín Sorolla, Valladolid Campo Grande and Zaragoza Delicias.
Preferente Customers have access to lounges at the following stations: Sala Club in Tarragona, Madrid Chamartín, Madrid Puerta de Atocha, Málaga María Zambrano, Córdoba, Sevilla Santa Justa, Valladolid Campo Grande, Zaragoza Delicias, LleidaPirineus and Barcelona-Sants).
Fares
AVE and Alvia services can only be booked up to 60 days in advance.
Fare application:
Adult
Child (4-11yrs)
Passholder fare
Traveller’s ages are based on age at travel departure date
Passholder fares:
Passholderes will have to use one day of validity from the pass.
Pass needs to be validated prior to boarding AVE.
Passholder fares are also available in Club Class for those customers holding first class passes.
Customers are not allowed to purchase a first class passholder fare with a second class pass.
It is possible for 2nd class Pass holders to travel in 'Preferente', when they pay the reservation and the difference of the fare between 'Preferente' and 'Turista'.
Passholder fare: are valid for travellers carrying a Eurail Global Pass; Eurail Select pass including: Spain or any other Eurail Pass which includes Spain.
While discounted fares are offered for holders of certain passes the client still needs to buy an AVE ticket.
Exchange/Refund
Special cancellation fees apply to some fares.
Exchange and refund policies vary depending on the type of fare purchased.
Refunds, when authorised, can only be performed up to 60 days after train’s departure date in your country.
In case of delay caused by AVE (not by third parties), customers are entitled to a refund of:
50% for delays between 16 and 30 minutes
100% for delays of 30 minutes or more
Check-in and Immigration Procedures
Ticket control and passport checks will occur before boarding AVE trains.
It is open 30 minutes before the train leaves and is closed 2 minutes before departure..
Rail Protection Plan
Many rail passes and tickets are non refundable and cannot be reissued, our Rail Protection Plan offers peace of mind knowing that you are financially covered if things do go wrong.
