Rail travel in Spain Voyage Tips and guide

With the second largest high-speed rail network in the world and the largest outside China, rail travel in Spain remains one of the most popular means of travelling within Spain.

Spain has three different types of railways and thus three different gauges. All high speed lines use standard gauge (1435 mm), typically seen in the rest of Europe, while the non-high-speed lines use the Iberian gauge (1668 mm). A few narrow gauge railways (1000 mm) also exist throughout the country. This is in addition to metro and tram services which have their own requirements.

Spain's first ever high-speed rail line was tested in the 1960s on a section of track near Seville, marking the very first time a train had exceeded 200 km/h in the country. After extensive consulation and planning in the 1980s, it was decided that the tracks would be standard gauge (1435 mm) in line with the rest of Europe but made it incompatible with the rest of Spain's rail network – this does have many travel benefits, though: precisely, the high-speed rail network is segregated and any issues with one line are unlikely to affect other lines. In a way, the HSR network of Spain is closer to that of Japan's or France's than it is of Germany or other Central European HSR networks. The first HSR line fully opened between Madrid and Seville in 1992 and since then, Spain has only ever continued expanding its network. With the network now capable of reaching up to 350 km/h (220 mph), the network, along with the French TGV network, is one of the world's fastest passenger railways.

Most of Spain's high-speed rail network is operated by Renfe under the brand name AVE (Alta Velocidad Española) which operate most routes out of Madrid and to a lesser extent, Barcelona. The network does heavily rely on a hub and spoke model and in many cases, it will be faster to take a train in and out of Madrid than it is to go direct (if there is one in the first place).

Renfe also operates a few other services – Avlo is the direct budget alternative to AVE that operates on more higher-demand routes such as to Valencia or Alicante (though now discontinued to Barcelona since 2025). Avlo costs less than AVE, but expect fewer facilities onboard and stricter luggage limits. Alvia is a hybrid and has services that run on both the high-speed and normal tracks for places yet to be served by AVE. Avant primarily operates medium-distance trains and connect to smaller regional centres. The capacity of Avant services tend to be a lot lower, as is the max speed of only 250 km/h (160 mph).

As of 2025, two other private operators also run high-speed trains on various routes. Ouigo (or Ouigo España) is the prime competitor to Avlo (Renfe's budget operator), run as a subsidary of France's SNCF. The style of trains are very similar to France's TGV and fares tend to be similar to budget airfares: a low base fair but you have to pay extra for luggage, Wi-Fi or seat selection. Iryo is a bit more upmarket and based on Trenitalia's trains.

All operators require bookings in advance as is allocated seating.

Spain's rail network may be known for its extensive network of high-speed lines, but there is also a large network of low-speed conventional rail connecting smaller cities to either their nearest regional rail hub or to Madrid directly. Although by definition, many of these lines are "low-speed", they are still reasonably decent with most of them at least reaching 100 km/h (62 mph) at a minimum. If you're booking directly, low-speed rail can often be a lot more affordable as well.

Renfe, similar to Spain's HSR lines, also operates many of the conventional lines, but under different services: Alvia (as mentioned under § high-speed lines) is a hybrid between high-speed and conventional rail. Renfe Intercity operates similar long-distance trains as many AVE routes, but are often slower and make more stops – they do, however, compensate for the fact that Intercity fares are used. Bookings are needed for both Alvia and Intercity but are not usually required for any of the other services. Most of them can be booked up to 90 days in advance.

In addition to Alvia and Intercity, Renfe also operates Media Distancia (MD), which are medium-distance trains as the name suggests, on local rail tracks. These mainly connect smaller centres to rural areas. Regional/Regional Exprés also has a similar purpose but is much slower and catered for shorter distances. Neither service requires advanced bookings.

Northern Spain has a small 1250-kilometre network of narrow gauge railways – compared to Spain's conventional railways, these railway lines are very slow in comparison, making them suitable for either more scenic journeys or trips into very specific rural areas. They are operated by Renfe's FEVE (now called Renfe Cercanías AM) as both commuter and tourist services.

If you're looking for a particularly high-end scenic route, the Transcantábrico is a 650-km-long line that runs on the narrow gauge railway entirely along Spain's northern Atlantic Coast. It takes roughly a week to complete.

Spain has four full metro systems: Barcelona, Madrid, Bilbao and Seville. Cadiz, Palma de Mallorca and Valencia also have hybrid metro-suburban rail systems, while Granada and Malaga have proper light rail systems.

Most of Spain's dedicated urban rail systems are reasonably modern, except for Madrid and Barcelona. Madrid has one of the world's oldest metro networks over 105 years old, as of 2026, though its age is visibly apparent in the design of some of the older lines and stations (especially line 1). Barcelona's metro, although not much newer, has far more of a modern look and feel to it.

Renfe also operates various suburban (commuter) rail services called Cercanías in most cities outside Catalonia. In the larger cities such as Madrid or Valencia, these supplement the metro system, while in smaller cities such as Zaragoza or San Sebastian, these are the main form of local rail transit. These are marked with a white 270° circle inside a red circle and standard across the country (except Catalonia). In Catalonia, the equivalent Cercanías rail service is called Rodalies, with the Catalan Rodalies network spanning Barcelona, Girona, Lleida and Camp de Tarragona. Rodalies' logo is marked by a white R inside an orange square, distinct from the rest of Spain.

Spain's network is rather segregated and there are only three areas with rail crossings from France. The western crossing is in Basque Country in the town of Irun, while the eastern end the high-speed line crosses at Ia Jonquera and the low-speed line at Portbou. The third is just to the east of Andorra at Puigcerda, though relatively a very minor crossing. The poor connectivity is further not helped by Spain (and Portugal) using a separate rail gauge from France (and the rest of Europe), thus all trips from France using low-speed lines requiring a break-of-gauge transfer.

While there are many crossings in the Alps in other parts of Europe, there are no railway lines that go across the Pyrenees west of Andorra. Previously, the Somport Tunnel used to run through the Pyrenees, but this tunnel closed in 1970 after a deadly freight train accident. There have been investigations to reopen this tunnel, but no set timeframe has been set as of 2026.

Rail crossings from Portugal are also annoyingly similarly limited, but do not require a break-of-gauge transfer as is the case with France. The main crossings are Badajoz, Vilar Formoso and Valença, all low-speed trains (though Badajoz and Valença are slated to get a high-speed connection).

Both Eurail and Interrail passes are valid within Spain and most Renfe services will accept them. However, most long-distance services require a reservation for an additional fee (quite the contrary to many other European countries) as seats are allocated in advance. The prices vary by service. Many regional trains such as Media Distancia or Cercanías/commuter lines, do not need a reservation, however. Eurail and Interrail passes, more often than not, are invalid on private railways (such as Ouigo) and on narrow-gauge services. They are also not valid for urban rail services either.

Generally, an Eurail/Interrail may be worth it if part of a larger trip, but an Eurail/Interrail pass is very rarely worth it on its own in Spain. It lacks the options for flexibility on major routes, defeating the primary benefit of such pass.

Renfe offers the Spain Rail Pass for travellers that reside outside Spain. The pass allows you to pick between 4, 6, 8 or 10 trips when purchasing, in addition to the class (standard / comfort – premium cannot be used on this class), and are valid for 1 month from the first journey.

You must validate the trip (Renfe's way of saying you need to reserve a seat) before travelling. These can be used on all long-distance (including high-speed) and regional trains, but not the narrow-gauge railways.

On AVE high-speed trains and most long-distance trains, there is a dining car and limited food service at your seat. The dining car has a longitudinal layout as opposed to the traditional transverse layout seen in other countries, mostly catered for standing. You have the option to bring food to your seat; however, eating is banned in the quiet carriage (although unenforced).

On AVE high-speed trains, WiFi is available but requires you to download an app. Low-speed trains may have WiFi.

At least some trains have outlets at your seat to charge devices.

• Rail travel in Europe
• Rail travel in France
• Rail travel in Italy