You may have heard your Spanish friends talking about taking a high-speed train in Spain. These trains are called AVE. Spain offers a special mode of transportation to get around the country at very high speeds. It’s self-explanatory that the high-speed train in Spain is faster than other trains in the country. This service is offered by Renfe, but wait before you rush to their site to buy your tickets for the AVE. Spain can be tricky, so scroll down and read our short article about how to take the AVE in Spain below!
What is the AVE?
AVE (pronounced ah-vay) is an acronym which stands for “Alta Velocidad Espanola,” which simply translates to “Spanish High Speed!” These trains can reach speeds of up to 310 km/h. While these tickets are more expensive than tickets for slower Spanish trains, you will save lots of time. In fact, people have been saving time since 1992 with the AVE! For this reason, it’s actually more common to take the high-speed train in Spain than to take a flight. It doesn’t matter which region of Spain you’re traveling to; certainly, the AVE will save you time! Their popularity proves that these high-speed trains are the easiest and most comfortable way to travel in Spain. Read on to see how the high-speed train in Spain can help you see Spain quickly and comfortably.
Where Can You Take the High-Speed Train in Spain?
It can be a bit hard to imagine just how fast a high-speed train in Spain actually is. The Spanish train that makes the route from Madrid to Barcelona makes it easy to comprehend the speed. The AVE Spain route that starts in Madrid and ends in Barcelona takes approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes. However, if you were to drive to the same destination, it would take you and your car around 6 hours and 8 minutes! The AVE train will save you 3 ½ hours in this case. Another plus is that the AVE trains are almost always playing a film in Spanish. This way, you can practice your Spanish listening while you travel!
Here’s a list of how long it takes AVE trains to arrive at these destinations:
- Madrid to Seville: 2 hours, 30 minutes
- Madrid to Leon: 3 hours, 20 minutes
- Madrid to Barcelona: 2 hours, 30 minutes
- Madrid to Figueres: 4 hours, 30 minutes
- Madrid to Huesca: 2 hours, 15 minutes
- Madrid to Malaga: 2 hours, 30 minutes
- Madrid to Valencia: 1 hour, 40 minutes
- Madrid to Castellon: 3 hours, 10 minutes
- Madrid to Alicante: 2 hours, 30 minutes
- Barcelona to Seville: 5 hours, 30 minutes
- Barcelona to Malaga: 5 hours, 30 minutes
- Valencia to Seville: 4 hours
You can also take the AVE train from Spain to France and that means easy international travel trips while you study abroad in Spain! For details and tickets, visit the Renfe homesite. Make sure you arrive 15 minutes early to the station for your AVE train, so you don’t miss your train (or the lady with the food cart).
