High-speed train from Madrid to Paris

According to the article the service won't start until next year. But it sounds like construction work is under way and of course some segments are already done. It will make Spain and France far more connected since the route will also include Barcelona. Until then though, the best answer for Madrid to Paris is usually to fly.. PS - Many may not realize but Spain's rail gauge was different than the rest of Europe and so there were never any through-trains. Once had to switch at the border. The AVE is being built at standard European gauge so international trains can go right through. In some parts of Spain, once still has to transfer or wait while trains are changed (Madrid to Granada for example).

Great news!! I will certainly plan to use it when I am there later this year and next. Avoid the hassel of the airports if at all possible.

There is a direct overnight Trenhotel train from Madrid to Paris, but it's not high speed.

on www.typicallyspanish.com I found the following article: London to Madrid by train in eight hours in 2012 larger | smaller By h.b. - Nov 28, 2009 - 11:24 AM You will be able to travel by rail from London to Madrid in eight hours in 2012 EFE archive That's the claim being made with the five hour trip from Madrid to Paris and then the three hours more on the Eurostar, and comes as France and Spain have agreed to create a rail company which will build the train which will link the two capitals. The Times reports that the Spanish Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, and his French counterpart, François Fillon, have given the go ahead to the plan. The new rail company will be run jointly 50/50 by the Spanish RENFE and the French SNCF although the headquarters are to be in Spain. RENFE expects to invest 300 million dollars in the purchase of new trains for the route. One thing which could delay the plan is the AVE high speed link from Barcelona to Figueras on the French border which is still under construction. Read more: http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_24111.shtml#ixzz1kEmLqcDM

I don't like the arrangement they are making, as I'd rather have a private rail operator taking over trains over there. But let's hope, when the infrastructure (the tracks) is completed, more private companies offer services. Some competition is always healthy for giving us more options, prices etc.