Train use in Spain

You could also consider the buses especially for Madrid to Teledo. A train strike a few years ago forced us to use the buses -- it was great. Spain does not have as extensive train system as other parts of Europe so the buses are a good option. Often times the bus will be in the center of town while the train station is on the edge. Obviously the buses will be a liittle slower but can be more convenient. And, of course, for longer trips the train is better/

This may be dated information but I was studying in Madrid in 04' and my class used the Renfe lines to travel all over the place! We had an issue where the train broke down and they put us on a bus to our arrival city. Very little trouble actually, and the delay only set us back minimal time. We used their transit system for different lectures in different cities on an almost daily basis. That was the only problem we had.

My vote: Use the train. The auto drivers over there are a bit scary. I wouldn't want to be on the road with them.

My wife and I were in Spain last December and used both trains and buses in Spain. We found that the convenience of the 40 minute madrid-toledo train on the AVE was well worth the price. We also did several long haul bus trips (Madrid-Granada, Granada-Tarifa and Tarifa-Sevilla) and found that the buses were much cheaper and often faster than the same trips if we had taken the trains!

Thank you all for your postings. Good info. However, I have a major need-to-know as regards the AVE train from Madrid to Barcelona.....does it exist? Also, is driving in the north of Spain that problematic?
Thanks.

Yes, the AVE runs from Madrid to Barcelona...8 trains a day....but it's not a high speed run all the way yet, so the travel time is about 4.5 hours. The entire system is set to go all high speed just before Christmas, with travel times of about 2:45, so you'll just miss it! Even the current times are faster than driving....it's about 400 miles...so about 6 hours at least. With fuel and toll costs, never mind the cost of renting a car, the train is still the best way to go.

How much is the train from Madrid to Barcelona? Is a reservation in advance required?

Sharon...Six trains a day between the two cities...five daily on weekends....about 65 Euro each way. If you're going to be in Madrid a couple of days before travelling to Barcelona, then buy the tickets at that time. Fridays and Sundays are the busiest as people return from weekends, but you shouldn't have any problem getting tickets in Madrid (unless you're travelling during summer/08)

Ted, I'm not sure what you'd call problematic, but I spent a week in Asturias. on the northern coast of Spain, and we drove all over. City traffic is city traffic, but in the rural areas the roads are great, ranging from highways similar to our state highways to tollways similar to our interstates. In the mountains of Asturias there are lots of tunnels, which are well-lit, with frequent emergency phones along the way. The tunnels even have a system for telling you what weather you will be encountering on the other end of the tunnel.

I just came back from Spain, and yes there is a high speed train from Madrid to Barcelona.

As far as the train vs. auto, it's really up to you. Do you want to get out and see the smaller towns, and take your time or just get from point A to B? I drove through Spain and can tell you that the big cities are confusing and can be frustrating to drive in and around. Madrid and Barcelona being the two largest- I would not. But between the two, the distance is not that far, and there is much to see and do. Consider dropping off and picking up the car outside of the city, or at the airport. There is a blue bus that takes you into Barcelona center- Placa de Catyluna at the top of the Rambla, for $3.90/person.
Also, if you want to see more in a short amount of time consider flying between cities. I flew on Vueling airlines from Barcelona to Seville. It cost $30 Euros and took 2 hours.

November shouldn't be a time to be concerned about full trains either way.

Does anyone know the website for AVE trains in Spain? I am looking for one way train tickets from Madrid to Barcelona.

Also, someone on this board mentioned that the AVE train from Madrid to Barcelona was scheduled to become faster (2hr 45mins) by Christmas 2007. Has that happened yet? How much time does it currently take to get from Madrid to Barcelona on the AVE? Thanks and appreciate any feedback!

Go to the RENFE web site and look up itineraries for Madrid-Barcelona. I think it has a different name thatn AVE, but it is, I believe, 3 hours, which is fantastic!

I realize this advice comes too late, but may be of use for future readers. This is what I learned from my trip in May '08.

Madrid->Barcelona on AVE:
To get to the AVE trains in Madrid Atocha, don't go to the same section where the commuter trains are departing. Instead, you go upstairs to the section which is pretending to be an airport gate.

General Advice:
If you're going to get a Spanish railpass, make sure you make any necessary railpass reservations before you leave. You do NOT want to deal with RENFE directly. I found this out the hard way - I made the mistake of planning a connection from Algeciras to Madrid early on in my trip. For some reason, the reservations were reserved for sale inside Spain, so I had to take care of this on the first groggy day of my vacation and wound up missing 2 days in Madrid (for all the gory details, email me directly).

I agree with Frank below. Take the bus. Many tourists like the speed and the advantage of seeing the countryside.

If your time is limited, the train MAY be faster; there is now way to know. But the bus is usually cheaper.

Renting a car is far more expensive when you consider cost of fuel, parking and rental fee. In some towns such as Madrid and Barcelona you will find NO PARKING most of the time.