I just went to the Renfe site to check some trains I may take in May, and when I tried to understand the various names--AVE, ALVIA, ALARIS, and AVANT--their descriptions came back in Spanish. I can handle a few words but not that much. Can someone please help me figure out which kinds of trains are which? I'm aware Cercanias is basically commuter, but I'm looking right now at the various long distance trains, such as Barcelona-Madrid, Sevilla-Cordoba, Granada-Madrid, etc. In the end, does it matter, as long as I pick a departure time and a logical duration that fit my needs, for any particular trip? Clearly, some are cheaper than others on the same route, but otherwise, what difference does it make?
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17440 posts
AVE stands for Alta Velocidad Espana, which is Spanish for "high-speed Spanihs train". These are the newest, fastest trains that run on special tracks, covering mainly the corridor from Barcelona to Madrid ( spur to Toledo) and down to Malaga, passing through Cordoba and Seviaa. They are the most expensive trains, and they do not go to Granada. I don't know what the other names stand for, but it really doesn't matter. Pick the departure time, the overall travel time, and price that you prefer. We found very little difference in comfort of the trains, just the speed. And we bought our tickets on the AVE trains at the Web discount, so the price was right.
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
4684 posts
AVE are trains running only over the new high-speed lines. ALARIS and ALVIA are different types of trains that run partly over the high-speed lines and partly over the old-style ones. AVANT are shorter-distance trains running over the high-speed lines with, I think, cheaper fares on trips like Sevilla-Cordoba. No real difference in comfort.
Posted by
OP
Easley, SC, USA
306 posts
Thanks, folks. That's exactly the kind of explanation I was looking for!