Madrid trainsExplained If all Spanish Public transport services are world class then Madrid trains can be considered the jewel in the crown! From the luxury and opulence of travelling preferente between Paris and Madrid to taking a short trip on the high velocity Ave to the nearby tourist city of Toledo youŽll be suprised at how quick and easy Madrids rail system is to use! Rail travel in Spain and Madrid can be broadly broken down into three classes:
International Madrid Trains
Direct services run from Madrid to France - Paris and Portugal - Oporto Lisbon. These are operated by the national train companies of both countries in a co operative effort. Travelling in luxury whilst seeing the sights of rural Spain canŽt be a bad way to go!Additional International train services run from Barcelona and as getting from Madrid to Barcelona is not a difficult affair this is a very viable option. Trains from Barcelona go to Switzerland, Italy and Southern France.
National Madrid TrainsThere are two types of National train services Ave and National.The Ave is a high performance train running on dedicated tracks and at over 200kmph. This network is in its infancy although it already covers the length of Spain between Huesca / Lerida in the Pyrennes to Sevilla in the Andalucian south of the country. Plans are in place to extend the network to Barcelona (2007) Valladolid (2008) and Badajoz (2010). Whilst you pay a premium for using these train it can make a great difference to travel times. For example; Madrid to Zaragoza is 3 hours in a car or 40 minutes flying but is only 75 minutes via Ave, downtown to downtown! Alot quicker when you think of the time you would have to spend in the respective airports! National trains run accross the existing network and conect every Spanish city in comfort. The only difference to the Ave product is the train speed... You will also notice a difference in your wallet!!
Regional Madrid TrainsMore commonly know as Cercanias these are high frequency trains that connect Madrid to its outlying suburbs and closest cities. Very cheap and efficient they cost little more than the Madrid Metro and have the advantage of beeing able to see out of!!! Should you wish to visit the mountains surrounding Madrid or sample village life this is the way to do it cheaply!If Madrid by train doesnŽt suit why not check out other options for getting to Madrid?
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