maria

I'm planning to take this train from Madrid to Seville, and I would like to do it the same day I arrive in Madrid from the US. In other words, go from the airport to the train station. I've been told that I need a reservation and that if I miss that specific train I'll loose the entire price of the ticket and will have to buy a new one! Can anybody confirm this? Has anybody done this and can give me an idea of the "connecting" time I'll need to calculate to make sure I'll make the train? Thanks!

Tom

Maria, I'm not sure about the AVE reservations policy, but we had about three hours from the time our plane landed to the time our train left Atocha. It turned out that was more than enough time to make connections, including time for passport control at the airport and driving into the city.<BR><BR>(I should probably mention, though, that we were there in the off-season. I'm afraid I don't know how long passport control would take when it's busier. Maybe someone else can speak to that.)<BR><BR>I hope this helps a little bit!<BR>

Vicente

I have taken the AVE several times. You do have to make reservations although there are several trains/day.<BR>I would suggest you look into flying to Seville from Madrid. The incremental cost is probably not much and that way you don't have to worry about getting from the airport to the center of Madrid to take the AVE.<BR>Enjoy it!

maria

Thanks to Tom and Vicente for their comments! A follow-up question : Can we check luggage in the "AVE" ? Thanks.

Tom

Maria,<BR><BR>My memory is a little hazy on that point. I don't recall being able to check luggage, but maybe the option was offered and I just didn't realize it.<BR><BR>I do recall having to take my suitcase out on the platform and then have it X-rayed. Once onboard the train, there were plenty of luggage racks.<BR><BR><BR><BR>

Erin

Maria, <BR>I did the same thing about 3 weeks ago on my trip. We arrived in Madrid from the US and took a taxi to the train station - about a half hour ride. My advice is don't make reservations ahead of time. It's too confusing to figure out which window to go to to pick up your tickets. Your best bet, since AVE trains run nearly every hour, is to just wait until you get to the station and purchase your tickets then. There are windows at every station ticket office that allow you to purchase for the "next departing train." That way, you aren't sitting around waiting 3 hours for your train to arrive - you can hop on the next one. We did that every time we took the train and always got a seat. As far as luggage goes, you can just take it with you onto the platform - it will have to go through x-ray - and then put it directly in a luggage rack on the train. It's very safe, and I never felt uneasy about leaving my bag unattended. The ride to Sevilla is beautiful - if I remember correctly, about an hour and a half. The train does provide earphones so you can listen to music during the trip.