Train Travel in Spain
 

My husband and I are planning a trip to Spain next summer and we are unfamiliar with the transportation systems there. Ideally we would like to arrange travel by train between Madrid and Sevilla/Granada (something in that region) and then from there to Barcelona. Is this a feasible plan? I have read some posts here about intra-Spain travel that referenced buses--which I would like to avoid if possible. I would appreciate advice from anyone who has experience with travel in Spain. Thanks!

Presuming there is not need for intermediate stops:

Madrid-Sevilla has frequent high-speed AVE train service.

Sevilla-Granada can be done by bus or by train. I did by Renfe because the schedule matched my need as well as it was simple just add this purchase when I was already buying other Renfe tickets.

Granada-Barcelona is best done by plane. Ground based trip of any kind will take a full day. I found an Iberia Web special for €60 this year. Vueling also flies this route.

Do NOT wait until your travel day to buy train tickets. Madrid-Sevilla route is VERY popular. Also, the ticket window wait can be very long.

1* Best train from Madrid to Sevilla is the AVE, Spain's high-speed unit. It runs regularly during the day. The trip takes 2 and a half hours. It is not an inexpensive ride.
2* The train from Madrid to Granada is very slow. I went that way and regretted it. It took 5 and a half hours, and the last part was very leisurely indeed. The train, like many trains in Spain, was quite ordinary.
3* The bus from Sevilla to Granada takes about 2 and a half hours, and leaves about hourly. Bus stations in Spain are very well-organized, and the buses are frequent, modern, comfortable and cheap.
4* From Sevilla, you could make a day-trip to Cordoba, where the mosque is certainly worth the effort.
5* Many posts will have suggested buses over trains on most routes in Spain, and I would agree with that preference.

You can check all of the train routes at www.renfe.es. The schedule will give you the number of trains as well as the times of travel so you can decide on what you want to do. When you visit the web site, select the English language page. Go to the box marked "I want to travel from", and enter the city you want to travel from and a list of all possibilities will come up and you can see all of the routes and times.

The bus works on best on a number of routes, planes on others, but the rail system is worth exploring.

You can register on the Tiknet page (again, using the English language page) and make your initial reservation. You will not be able to print the ticket this time, but you can pick them up at any Renfe ticket office in Spain as long as you have the reference number and the credit card you made the purchase with.

Don't discount buses in Spain, they are every bit as comfortable as the train, often they have more frequent routes and take less time than the train. Bus stations in many cities are just as nice as the train stations. You really need to just check all the schedules for trains, buses and planes and then decide based on time and cost.

www.renfe.es is the train site
This site has links to various different bus companies. Different ones operate in different parts of Spain.
http://www.softdoc.es/madrid_guide/t...ong_buses.html
For flying trying www.whichbudget.com with links to several cheap(er) airlines.

We did this exact same roue a couple of years ago.

AVE from Madrid to Seville was excellent and we had bought tickets in advance through an agency outside of Spain so we didn;t have to wait in any ticket lines.

We took the train from Seville to Granada and that trip takes 3 hours and seat reservations were required.

If the bus only takes 2.5 hours then I would definitely consider that option.

I wholeheartedly agree with flying from Granada to Barcelon which only takes about 1 hr and 15 minutes O/W.

We got a cheap fare by reserving on Iberia months ahead (an e-ticket). The Granada airport isn't that big and there are only a few gates so very easy to negotiate.

You can also check on budget flights at www.skyscanner.net

No one has mentioned baggage limitations on the bus systems. Are a couple of big suitcases a problem?

buses always seem to have tons of room in the baggage compartment under the bus IME

I prefer taking the bus over a train (as long as time is not longer) because it is much easier with luggage. I have a large suitcase and a small carry on. It's much easier to place the suitcase in the belly of the bus and not have to worry about it then to have to hoist the suitcases (by myself) up the train stairs all in the short amount of time the train is stopping at that station.

In some parts of Spain bus is the only option.

Thanks everyone for your helpful posts! The bus system in Spain seems counter-intuitive, I would have expected them to take longer than trains--so I am glad I asked.

Long distance buses in Spain are very comfortable and modern. Sometimes they provide a better option than traveling by train.

And the best part of going by bus is , no lugagge restrictions ! In addition, it's easier that in the train as you place the lugagge in the "belly" of the bus, which makes it very easy to retrieve.