An incredible 302-mile high speed train journey starts and finishes in two of Europe’s best cities, without crossing a single border.
Train travel is one of the best ways to see the greatest cities in Europe. From France to Germany, from the Netherlands to Croatia, it is possible to see so many iconic places by rail.
One of the most incredible is a high-speed rail line that takes passengers between two of the continent’s greatest cities, Madrid and Barcelona.
Measuring around 300 miles long it is one of the longest high-speed rail lines in Europe and the world.
According to Railway Technology, the trainline is so long and was so ambitious, it was constructed in five stages. The first, between Madrid and Lleida, was opened in October 2003 while the fifth stage, between Figueres and Barcelona, opened in January 2013.
It isn’t just the rail line that’s impressive, so too are the trains. Operated by RENFE, the Alta Velocidad Española (AVE) can travel close to 200mph.
As a result of their ability to run at such high speed for some of the lines, the journey time from Madrid to Barcelona is around two hours and 30 minutes.
The trains have been praised by the likes of reservation service Rail Ninja who said the “trains pride themselves on exemplary punctuality, boast a broad timetable”.
They added there were also “fantastic onboard amenities, such as air-conditioning, electric sockets, and TV screens”.
As well as being fast, trains travelling between Madrid and Barcelona are regular. British ticket provider Trainline said there are around 34 trains between the two cities per day with tickets on some trains available from as little as £6.28.
They explained: “It takes an average of 2h 39m to travel from Madrid to Barcelona by train, over a distance of around 314 miles (506 km). There are normally 34 trains per day travelling from Madrid to Barcelona and tickets for this journey start from £6.28 when you book in advance.”
What’s more, there is also a lot of choice for passengers. Trainline said: “You won’t need to worry about making any changes along the way, as direct services are available on this route.
“All trains depart from Madrid Atocha station and arrive at Barcelona Sants station. There are now 4 high-speed trains to choose from on this route – OUIGO, Avlo, AVE and iryo trains.”
Madrid and Barcelona are two of Spain’s most important cities. Both are home to a pair of football teams, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona that have fierce rivalries. Furthermore, both are hubs of culture and immensely popular with British tourists.
Madrid has a population of around three million while Barcelona is much smaller with a population of over 1.5 million. Despite this, both pack a culture and economic punch with major airports.
What’s more, as well as being home to two successful football teams and a bevvy of museums, both cities are near tracks used or soon to be used by Formula 1 with a track near Madrid allegedly taking the place of Barcelona’s race on the F1 calendar.
The high-speed trains are just part of Spain’s magnificent transport infrastructure as the country looks to expand its airports. The country’s President Pedro Sánchez recently announced plans to expand Madrid’s international airport.
The aim of the project is to increase the size of the Adolfo Suárez-Madrid Barajas International Airport’s capacity to 90 million passengers by 2031.
In a statement at the International Tourism Fair earlier this year, President Sánchez said: “We are going to make it one of the largest airports in the EU.”
