Seville Santa Justa: Location map
Seville has one main station, Sevilla Santa Justa. Opened in 1991, it's a well laid out modern station built on an impressive scale. All high-speed and classic trains to Cadiz, Cordoba, Madrid & Barcelona leave from here. I have to admit I like it!
Main entrance with McDonalds on the left.
A closer shot of the entrance, showing the taxi rank with plenty of taxis.
The large main hall with plenty of food and retail units. This photo looks north across the hall. The Renfe & Iryo ticket offices are on the left, as are the exits to the forecourt & taxi rank. The main departures board can be seen on the right, walk under it to the platforms. Renfe's Sala Club is in the corner behind the camera.
Which platform?
The platforms are numbered 1 to 12 from right to left as you look towards them.
Platforms 1-7 for high-speed trains
Platforms 1-7 are standard gauge, used by high-speed trains including AVE to Cordoba, Madrid & Barcelona and Iryo to Madrid & Barcelona.
Ticket check: You wait in the designated queuing area at the top of the travelator down to your platform. When boarding starts, staff at the top of the travelator will scan the QR code on your ticket before letting you down onto the platform.
Luggage control: You'll find X-ray luggage scanners on the platform before you reach the train, indicated by the arrows in the second photo below. Luggage control only takes a few minutes, there are no metal detectors so it's nothing like an airport. Security staff next to each scanner may have a metal-detecting 'wand' but on a recent trip the 'wand' was used on me once in 8 trips and even then they failed to find the corkscrew in my left pocket or iPhone in my right one, it's basically security theatre. Tip: Put any Swiss Army knives or corkscrews in your pocket to avoid arguments if they see them in the scanner.
Platforms 8-12 for regional & suburban
Platforms 8-12 are Iberian gauge, used by regional and suburban (cercanias) trains. There's free access to these platforms, without any luggage control.
Above, the queuing area & travelators down to each platform.
Below, left to right: Platform 7/6, platform 5/4, platform 2/3 & platform 1. The arrows point to the X-ray luggage scanners.
Tickets & reservations
The Renfe & Iryo ticket offices are in the main hall, next to each other. The Renfe office has a numbered queuing system, take a number from the purple machine you can see in the photo below just inside the door, it has a touch screen which can be switched to English. Then keep an eye on the queuing screen until your number comes up. There are also Renfe ticket machines, although these won't do passholder reservations.
Luggage lockers
There are currently no left luggage lockers in the station. However, there are privately-run lockers 3 minutes walk across the road on the north side of the station which you can pre-book, see lockandenjoy.com/en/luggage-storage/sevilla-chooselockers/santa-justa-en. It's unstaffed, you need to book online to get the code to enter the unit. See map of walking route from station.
Sala Club lounge
If you've paid the Premium fare for one of Renfe's AVE trains, you can use the Sala Club lounge for up to 2h before departure, with complimentary tea, coffee, snacks & beer. It's located in a corner of the main hall, over to the right when you walk into the station. Open 06:00-21:40 Monday-Thursday, 06:15-21:40 Friday, 06:15-21:00 Saturday & Sunday.
Food and drink
There are various food outlets around the station, including McDonalds. If you find a good bar or restaurant nearby, let me know!
One correspondent has suggested La Bodeguita de Santa Justa (www.facebook.com/bodeguitasantajusta), just across the road, see walking map. It closes 17:30 so isn't open for dinner and it's closed all day Saturday, but it's a good place for lunch or a beer.
Taxis
The taxi rank is in front of the station outside the main station exit. Taxis are usually plentiful, no need to pre-book.
Buses to Faro
The Alsa-Rede Express buses to/from Faro in Portugal start & finish their journey right outside the station, next to McDonalds.
Plaza de Armas bus station Location map
Alsa-Rede-Express buses to Faro start from Seville Santa Justa, but also call at Plaza de Armas bus station in the west of the city. It may be more convenient to leave/join a bus here if you are visiting Seville and not moving on immediately by train. Other companies' buses to/from Faro generally start/finish here.
Below, inside the bus station.
Hotels in Seville
Hotels close to the station
For a short stay with a late arrival or early departure, you may want to stay close to the station. There aren't many hotels right next to Santa Justa, but try these:
The Only YOU Hotel Sevilla gets top reviews and is just a 6-minute 350m walk away, see walking map. It has a swimming pool, a restaurant, free WiFi and 24 reception.
The Catalonia Santa Justa is just a 13-minute 900m walk away, see walking map. It also has a swimming pool, a restaurant, free WiFi and 24 reception and is located a towards the old town.
The Ibis Styles Sevilla City Santa Justa is also worth considering, 11 minute 800m walk, see walking map. Also with a pool!
Hotels in the old centre
For a longer stay I'd look for a hotel in Seville's old town close to all the sights:
The Hotel Fernando III gets superb reviews, it's right in the heart of the old town with a rooftop terrace & pool.
The Hotel Giralda Centre also boasts a pool and gets great reviews, it's a 10 minute walk from the Plaza de Espaņa, 17 minutes from the Giralda Tower.
Hotel Alfonso XIII
If you're in the money, don't argue, just book Seville's most illustrious 5-star hotel, the beautiful Hotel Alfonso XIII, set in secluded grounds with swimming pool, just a few minutes walk from the Giralda tower or Plaza de Espaņa. The Cairo Officers' club scenes in the 1963 film Lawrence of Arabia were shot inside the hotel, indeed cast and crew stayed here - Peter O'Toole, Jack Hawkins, Anthony Quayle & Claude Rains walked these corridors! Check prices & book.
Visiting Seville
Seville is a great city with a lot to see. The old town is a bit of a hike from Santa Justa and there's no handy metro as there is in Madrid or Barcelona so a taxi may be the best bet. But once in the old town all the sights are easily walkable.
Giralda Tower
The UNESCO-listed Giralda tower is a symbol of Seville, completed in 1198 as the minaret of the Great Mosque of Seville, later repurposed as the bell tower of Seville cathedral. It's a 30-minute 2.1 km walk from Santa Justa station, see walking map. Wikipedia page: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giralda.
Plaza de Espaņa
Built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exhibition of 1929, you may recognise it from the Cairo Officers' club scenes in the 1963 film Lawrence of Arabia, or (if you're a generation younger) from scenes in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones. Both Peter O'Toole and R2D2 have walked here! Inside a park and free to visit, it's a 35-minute 2.6 km walk from Santa Justa station, see walking map. Wikipedia page en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaza_de_Espana_Seville.
Plaza de Armas railway station
Across the road from the Plaza de Armas bus station is the old Moorish-style Plaza de Armas railway station, now restored as a shopping centre. Opened in 1901, the station handled trains for Cordoba & Madrid until its replacement by Santa Justa in 1991.
