Anyone taken the AVE train from Barcelona to Madrid? Are there porters at both train stations( Barna/Madrid)? I know Madrid has 2 stations ( learned that the hard way a few yrs. back). Does the train stop at Madrid or continue shortly? 4 seniors with 8 pieces of luggage and they are fretting about manouvering on and off the train.

They would prefer a car service to drive them, but it is 650 kms or so. I know you have the convenience of stopping whenever you want, but 5-6 hrs? That's a bit much IMO.
Does anyone know of a car service they can recommend?

Madrid's Atocha station is a terminal station, at the end of a line. Trains would need to reverse in order to continue, so there is plenty of time for passengers to disembark.
Whichever form of transport they use, travelling is so much easier with less luggage. If they can't easily get their luggage on and off a train, they plainly have too much.

Have they thought of hiring a sherpa to carry their luggage?

There are no porters.
There are luggage trolleys, but they will need to haul their luggage on and off the trolley, the train and store it themselves in the luggage racks at the end of each carriage or in the overhead rack above their seats.

Does anywhere stillhave porters. I honestly cant recall seeing porters at any European rail stations in years. Perhaps I've just not noticed them.

I would strongly recommend that unless they can fend for themselves with the lugagge they fly instead of taking the train.

Thanks guys, I know, I know. The damn luggage. Believe me, they would hire a sherpa if they could. Their entire trip is almost 2 months, and only one of them is a lean packer. Thanks for the info and advice. I just realized how old-fashioned the idea of a porter is.

The only 'bullet train' I know of is in Japan (Tokyo-Osaka).
Spain has high speed AVE's and Talgo's.

BEWARE of gypsies who offer to help with luggage at Barcelona Sants. They are more likely to help themselves to things of value from your luggage (or the whole magilla).

Check with the consignments counter at Madrid's Puerta de Atocha or Barcelona Sants. Someone there might be able to help you.

Luggage on wheels is supposed to eliminate the need for porters; and with the luggage racks at the ends of the carriages, people don't have to heft luggage to overhead racks at their seats.

Have these ladies pre-pack, drive to a mall, and tell them to walk the length of the mall wheeling their bags. Then have them lift the bags up over their heads (as though they're handing the luggage up from the platform to someone on the train). They'll soon learn to eliminate a lot of the stuff they're bringing. Even roller bags are very heavy to wheel if you don't have good upper arm strength, which most older women do not have.

There are private car hire services that can take them from Madrid to Barcelona, but it will cost a minimum of €600 for 4 people as most services are local.

"Believe me, they would hire a sherpa if they could. Their entire trip is almost 2 months," - have they heard of laundry? If they're really taking two months worth of stuff they're going to be so miserable!

Let's assume they will have the two cases.

If they are seniors needing some assistance, once the ticket is bought you call 902 240 202, requesting this free service. They will be met and helped to get themselves and one bag and one carry on onto the train.

Technically only one large bag plus carry on is allowed. Especially if asking for assistance.
I am not sure what they would do if they saw four people with two large bags each, so it seems something additional must be planned out anyway.

Plan B

They can have them collected and sent to next/LAST town with a messenger service(mrw, dhl, seur)

Or they can be taken to the bus station and sent from there, and they will keep them in storage at destination free of charge for several days or until they arrive.

This all is charged by the kilo, but it is a very convenient way to get rid of excess while traveling.

thanks everyone. Thursdaysd, in their defense, there's a cruise in the mix and yes they've been using laundry and drycleaning facilities throughout, but it isn't hard to end up with 2 suitcases, despite the best efforts. They are in the middle of the trip, and they aren't doubling back, I agree it wasn't well planned, but now I'm trying to find solutions and you all have helped me, so thank you. Lincasanova, I really appreciate the phone #. And Robert2533, I e-mailed 2 car services to get info, no reply, you don't know of one do you?

If may take a couple of days for the service you emailed to get back to you because of the weekend. In the meantime, I would try a couple of other services you may not have tried.

One that might be able to help is Autocars Esteve ([email protected]) in Barcelona. Another service is ABASER (www.abaser.es/ciudades/madrid), which has offices in Madrid and Barcelona.

for hotel pick up about 44 euros/per 20 k bag to ship to Madrid hotel.

You only save a little by takng it to bus station to have them ship it. With the ALSA bus company it is 17.40 for every 11 kilos.

Hope this helps.

If they really want to take the train, they can take one bag plus carryon and have the SEUR or other agency collect the additional bags earlier.

I spoke to autocare esteve and if you email them they will send a quote.