When to get to the train station

I shoot for 30 minutes. (And usually show up a bit earlier, because that’s how I am.)

I would arrive 10 minutes beforehand. It is a train. RENFE does check tickets before boarding and pretends to scan your luggage, but in my experience most people come to early and pointlessly queue. I wait for the queues to be gone, and then walk through, and on to the train. You have reserved seats, so no need to be on board earlier than a minute or two before departure.

WengenK.....you like to live life on the edge. L old
I would get there at least 1/2 hr so you can get oriented to where things are. Also, our seats were at the opposite end of the platform. So it took us 10 mins to walk to them.

Simply arrive before the train departs but give yourself plenty of time to locate the track and get onboard. If you had to transfer then some train connections are mere minutes and truly it works. Additionally, sometimes tracks are not announced until 10-15 minutes before departure. I’m not speaking about Madrid since my last experience there was many sunrises ago. I’ll have an opportunity to use those trains later this year.

WengenK.....you like to live life on the edge.

Do you think 10 minutes is living on the edge? My personal record is arriving 30 seconds before departure, although I'll admit that was cutting it a bit too close…

10 minutes prior to departure is more than enough.
I remember many years ago when in Italy I would get on (or off) the train while the train was already moving. That is no longer possible nowadays as the doors are centrally controlled, but in the old days it was pure Far West.

I think in the case of Atocha, I'd like to be there 30-45 minutes before the train leaves. We have an early train so I might need a snack before we get going. I can see that for the Granada and Malaga train stations that we wouldn't need to be there 30 minutes ahead.

oh we are in car 21 for one trip so that could be a long walk, as DianeJay mentioned. will plan accordingly for that.

Thanks everyone! Loved the comments 👍

Not specific to Spain, because I don't know what the policy is there, but in some countries the train doors close a minute or two (at least) before scheduled departure time. Beyond that point, you cannot board. I'm nearly certain Spain is a country where tickets are not sold within 5 minutes of scheduled departure, and from my experience that seems to apply even when the train is flagged as delayed on the departure board. I ran into that with bus tickets as well. Frustrating. Yes, I'm one of those "live on the edge" people--though not where flights are concerned.

We like to get there 20 minutes early to figure out the orientation of larger train stations. Longer if I would also like to have a coffee before we leave. The smaller train stations are 15 minutes for us.

I think in the case of Atocha, I'd like to be there 30-45 minutes before the train leaves.

That is a wise decision. The responses that say "hey a few minutes is more than enough" are not helpful and it appears they were speaking of other countries, not Spain.

First, if you are arriving at a strange station, it will take you a few minutes just to figure out the layout, figure out what track you need to be on, and in some stations, that can be a hike to the track, and then to your car.

Second, speaking to Atocha specifically, once you get to the "fast train" area, you will first be stuck at a central security point, like an airport, not as bad, but there will be a line, it will be for all fast trains, and is a delay. Once you get past that, you go into a waiting area, there are a few snack places and a restaurant or two, but much better variety is before security. The track typically is not announced until just before departure (5-10 minutes?) but the regular riders seem to know the track used.

I would agree, Granada and Malaga are much smaller stations, 20 minutes or so should cover most issues encountered. I usually get there a little earlier, grab a coffee, and figure things out.

Thinking that arriving for the first time ever at a large train station you’ve never been to just 10 or 20 minutes before your train departs is asking for trouble. Madrid Atocha and Barcelona Sants train stations are much larger today than they once were as they’re transit stations for multiple train systems: the Metro, Renfe, Rodalies/Cercanias and High-Speed trains—each of which has its own section in the Madrid Atocha and Barcelona Sants stations. ( Sants, though it’s ginormous, still gets incredibly crowded). I can’t imagine how crowded these stations would be if most train tix were still sold at train stations rather than online. There are security lines for high-speed trains and multiple floor levels in these stations that you need to navigate through crowds with your luggage before you can even begin to walk to the platform your train departs from.
During my first visit to Barcelona Sants last September, with a little more than 3 minutes before departure time, I walked up the steps of the IRYO high-speed train to Madrid Atocha I had tickets on. I think it was the best train 🚂 ride of my life!

For a first-timer at these train stations, it’s a new experience that will be vastly different from regular riders who know the station layout and where to go even before they arrive at the train station.

The maximum length of passenger trains in Europe is 400m. (About 16 standard carriages). A normal adult walks that in 4 minutes. So that is your worst case if you enter the platform the furthest possible from where your car is.

In general, 10-20 minutes depending on your comfort level and if you’re traveling one of the high speed trains where you pass through security with a magnetometer. That sometimes adds a few minutes if there’s a queue.

Taking a train from Atocha is a bit different from taking a train from, say Frankfurt or Granada. Atocha has multiple levels. Once you go to the departures level, you will go through a security checkpoint where they X-ray your bags, like at the airport. Then there will be a line where your ticket is scanned, similar to an airport. Or at least there was the last time I was there pre-Covid. Then you go down to the level where the train platform is. Then find your car. I would be there 30+ minutes in advance.

As opposed to Frankfurt or Granada, where there is no security, no ticket check, only one level.

What if I did not buy train tickets in advance? Say, to Salamanca.
How much time do I need to add to 30 minutes, please?

Hi Arborvitae - I'm not an expert on all things train-related in Spain so hopefully someone else might see your question and be able to answer.

I'm familiar with Atocha and know it's huge. Our AVE train leaves at 7:25a.m. and we'll take a taxi to the station. I'm not sure if days of the week matter but we're traveling on a Monday so I did a google estimate of how long it might take in a taxi from our hotel (10-24 minutes) so thinking of having a taxi collect us at around 6:25a.m. Does this sound reasonable to those frequent Atocha travelers?

Thanks again for all the replies. They definitely help!!

What if I did not buy train tickets in advance? Say, to Salamanca.
How much time do I need to add to 30 minutes, please?

I think 30 minutes would be safe at a larger station, maybe 5-10 minutes at a smaller station. It also depends how savvy you are, you could do it on the app on the bus on the way to the station, or before; use the machines at the station, or go to the counter. The wildcard with the counter is how many people they have working vs. how many people in line.

Just remember, you will need your passport, or at least your passport number to buy tickets. At the counter they may ask for the passport to record the number.

If possible buy tickets ahead of time online. Sometimes the machines are not working and especially Atocha can have long lines.
Not worth the stress.

Any large train station that I've never scoped out before, I leave my accommodation to allow for an extra, if transportation is involved, 1 hour before the train leaves. You never know about taxi or subway delays. Generally, this is plenty of time, but traffic or security measures can bog one down. I don't like unnecessary stress so I'd rather wait at the station than wait to leave. I find changing locations is the most stressful of my trips, so I allow a good time cushion. I went through Charmartin in Madrid and was happy I had the time.

I know this might be overkill for most, but I like to relax during my travels and avoid stress and not miss the train.

I relied on a laid back person for getting the train out of Santiago de Compostela. We barely made the train, the lines were so long. Never again.

If you have already bought your train tickets online, then arriving at Atocha 30 minutes before the train’s departure time should be fine. You will just need to put your luggage through the machine at the security checkpoint for all high-speed trains ( it is not required for standard trains) before walking to the platform your train is departing from.
Have a great trip!

Also, remember that often the departure board will not list the train until about 15 prior to departure and the track can change so stay insight of a departure board until you are certain of the departure track. But if the train originates at that station then it is possible that the train will waiting at the track earlier. Spain does have a screen processing for boarding passengers and at least three years ago required anyone on the platform had to have a valid ticket. Cut down on the number of "helpers."

In 2016 and again in 2019 the staffed ticket counters at Madrid-Atocha were unbelievably backed up. I spent multiple hours in line there in 2019. Do not under any cirucumstances plan to buy a long-distance ticket at a staffed Atocha counter. It's possible you'd have no problem with short-distance trips; I think those tickets are sold at a different counter. The vending machines are easy to use for the sort of purchases I've made. I don't know whether there'd be an issue with a US credit card on a really large purchase, because I've always just been buying a single ticket.

One additional factor not mentioned above, unless I missed it: If you are traveling with luggage you will not be able to lift up onto the rack above your seat, you'll be looking for a place on one of the racks near the door or part-way down the carriage. Those spaces can fill up, so it's very helpful to get on the train early, especially when you're boarding at the origination point.