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Spain ... when trying to book a train from city to city in Spain, how do you know which one is the fast train ?

Let's start off by which website to use.

On a given segment, one with the shorter travel time.
For example, if you look at Madrid-Burgos, you see two travel times:
Train A: 4 hr 32 min
Train B: 2 hr 17 min
Which train do you think is the fast train?

www.renfe.com for Spanish trains but is a tough one for many to get to work actually doing the tickets - scores of complains here always-check www.seat61.com for alternative booking sources that are about as cheap. For general info on trains - like first vs 2nd class and types of trains check www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

On Barcelona to Madrid and Madrid to Seville and from France to Barcelona the fastest trains are called AVE trains made especially to run on these all-new high speed lines - other faster trains on other lines with no so high speeds are called various names. But like Greg says the fastest times between any two places are for the fastest train (or one with the least stops).

Rail Europe World sells Spanish tickets at renfe.com prices plus I think a very small surcharge - http://www.raileurope-world.com/

Forget Rail Europe (just read the reviews). If you're having problems with Renfe.com, you can purchase the our tickets at Petrabax.com.

Do not use Raileurope! I just booked my trips on renfre.com, some 90 days in advance, a couple only 60. Used paypal, printed out my tickets. Nothing to it!