Renfe Passenger Rail
Rail · Madrid · Renfe
1 line · 2 intercity routes · 10 stations · 8 interchanges
Every line drawn through its stations. Tap a line in the legend to hide or show it.
Lines
Intercity routes
Stations from my trips
Photographs from stations connected to this network.
+1
Service information checked . Check the operator before travel because schedules can change at short notice.
Quick facts
- Operator and stations
- Renfe operates passenger trains. Adif manages most of the national railway infrastructure and many major stations.
- A station page may therefore sit on Adif while the journey and ticket are handled by Renfe.
- Train categories
- AVE and Avlo are high-speed products. Alvia, Euromed, Intercity, Avant, Media Distancia, and Cercanías cover different long, medium, and local markets.
- The product name matters because fare rules, luggage terms, and boarding procedures differ.
- Long-distance tickets
- AVE and other long-distance tickets are named and tied to a booked service. Carry the identification used for the booking.
- Euromed corridor
- Euromed links Alicante, Valencia, Castellón, Tarragona, and Barcelona along the Mediterranean corridor.
- Calling patterns differ between departures. The route page maps the principal stations rather than every possible stop.
- Euromed: Alicante to Barcelona
- Madrid to Alicante
- Renfe competes with Iryo and OUIGO on the Madrid to Alicante high-speed corridor.
- The Madrid terminal depends on the selected operator and departure. Check the full station name on the ticket.
- Madrid to Alicante route
- Visitor pass
- The Renfe Spain Pass is sold to non-residents for a fixed number of trips on eligible trains.
- Each trip still needs to be selected and validated before travel.
- Featured stations
- Alicante Terminal, Barcelona Sants, and Ávila Railway Station are connected to this network. Alicante and Ávila currently have photographs.
Mike’s notes
Renfe operates passenger trains in Spain. Adif manages the tracks and most large stations, so station information may be on Adif while the timetable and ticket are on Renfe.
Start with the train category
AVE is Renfe's principal high-speed service. Avlo is its lower-cost high-speed product. Alvia, Euromed, and Intercity cover other long-distance corridors. Avant handles shorter high-speed trips, Media Distancia covers conventional regional routes, and Cercanías or Rodalies serves major urban regions.
The category affects the fare, boarding process, luggage allowance, and flexibility. Long-distance tickets are named and tied to a selected departure. Allow time for the platform check and carry the identification used during purchase.
Choose a ticket
Renfe sells tickets through its website, app, station offices, and machines. Advance purchase matters most on AVE and other long-distance trains because the cheapest fares can sell out and every traveler needs a place on a specific service.
Local Cercanías ticketing works differently. Some eligible AVE and long-distance fares include a Combinado Cercanías code for a connecting suburban journey. Check its details before buying a second local fare. Contactless bank-card travel is not a universal substitute for a Renfe ticket across Spain.
The Renfe Spain Pass can suit a non-resident taking several eligible trips, but it is not a hop-on pass. Each journey still needs a train selection and validation.
Euromed along the Mediterranean
Euromed links Alicante and Barcelona through the Valencia, Castellón, and Tarragona areas. It is a reserved-seat long-distance service, not a local train with open boarding. Buy a specific departure and check its stop pattern before arranging connections.
Eligible Euromed tickets include a Combinado Cercanías code for participating local networks. At Alicante Terminal, the current terms can also cover TRAM lines L1 through L4 around the long-distance journey.
The stations connected here
Alicante Terminal combines high-speed, long-distance, Media Distancia, and local Cercanías services. Renfe, Iryo, and OUIGO serve the Madrid to Alicante high-speed route, while Euromed runs toward Valencia and Barcelona. Alicante's tram network is separate from the mainline platforms.
Sants Estació, usually called Barcelona Sants on long-distance tickets, is Barcelona's principal intercity station. It connects with Barcelona Metro lines L3 and L5, Rodalies, and long-distance trains including Euromed.
Ávila Railway Station is on the conventional railway west of Madrid. Media Distancia trains run toward Madrid, and selected longer-distance services also call. The station is outside Ávila's walled center, so allow for the walk or a local transfer at either end of the rail trip.