Renfe AVE from Madrid to Barcelona, at Madrid Atocha. Buy Renfe, Iryo, Avlo or Ouigo tickets in , £ or $ and print your own ticket. More info on how to book.
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Choice of 4 high-speed train services
The 621 km (386 mile) high-speed line from Barcelona to Madrid opened in 2008, and high-speed trains now link Barcelona Sants & Madrid Atocha in as little as 2h30 at up to 310 km/h (193 mph). Before it opened, trains took 7 hours on the classic line. Spanish high-speed lines were opened up to competition in 2021, and you now have a choice of 4 different train operators: Renfe, Iryo, and lo-cost operators Ouigo & Avlo. This page will help you choose.
Option 3: Lo-cost Ouigo trains
Which train to choose?
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AVE
Renfe's (Spanish Railways') AVE trains are the most frequent, with 10 or more departures a day from 17 upwards. These are the principal Barcelona-Madrid trains, run by Spanish national railways (Renfe), and before 2021 they were the only option. AVEs are 'full-service' trains, so no draconian luggage limits or extra fees to pay for suitcases or backpacks. There's a cafe-bar, and the Premium fare gets you a first class leather seat in Comfort class with a meal & wine included. More about AVE trains.
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Iryo
Iryo is another high-quality 'full service' train, also a top choice for comfort, with excellent catering. There's an excellent cafe-bar and in Infinita Bistro class you get a first class leather seat with a meal & wine included. More about Iryo trains.
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Ouigo
Ouigo is a lo-cost operator, a subsidiary of French railways (SNCF). It offers around 5 departures per day from only 9. There are strict baggage limits, you need to pay an extra 5 for a suitcase or backpack. In principle, Ouigo trains are one class only, but there are several cars of roomier 'XL' seating for a 9 surcharge which are really 1st class seats. There's a cafe-bar. More about Ouigo.
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Avlo
Avlo is also a lo-cost operator, a subsidiary of Renfe (Spanish Railways) with around 3 departures per day from only 7. There are strict baggage limits, you need to pay an extra 10 for a suitcase or backpack. There's no cafe-bar, only vending machines, and no first class. Some seats may offer a restricted view. More about Avlo.
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If you need help choosing an operator, watch this excellent video. You can check times, compare prices & buy tickets for all of these operators in one place at www.thetrainline.com.
Option 1, Renfe's AVE trains
This is the principal train service between Barcelona & Madrid, with the most frequent departures including some fast non-stop trains. Renfe is Spain's national train operator, their premier high-speed trains are branded AVE, Alta Velocidad Espaρola, Spanish High-Speed, also the Spanish for bird. Most AVE services between Madrid & Barcelona are operated by smart S103 AVE trains built by Siemens shown below, hence the resemblance to Germany's ICE3.
AVEs are fully air-conditioned with power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. There's a convivial cafe-bar selling alcoholic & non-alcoholic drinks, snacks and hot dishes. As with most European trains, suitcases & backpacks can be taken at no extra cost, you just take it with you and put it on the luggage racks inside each car.
AVEs have 2 classes of seating, Standard (2nd class, seats 2+2 across the car width) and Comfort (1st class, seats 2+1 across the car width).
There are 3 fare types, Basico (standard class seat), Elige (Elige = standard class seat, Elige Confort = comfort class seat) and Premium (comfort class seat, flexible tickets, access to the Sala Club lounges in Barcelona & Madrid and a meal with wine included in the fare).
If you're sitting in comfort class and the person next to you is served a nice hot meal and you aren't, they paid the Premium fare, you only paid the Elige fare, even though you're both in comfort class!
Fares start at 17.05 in standard class or 68.05 in comfort class.
More about AVE trains. See AVE S103 seat map. You can choose your seat from a seat map if you use www.thetrainline.com or www.renfe.com.
There's a brief X-ray luggage control & ticket check before boarding Spanish high-speed trains, so don't arrive last minute, see the travel tips section.
A Barcelona-Madrid AVE (type S103) at Barcelona Sants. See virtual tour
Option 2, Iryo trains
Iryo is another 'full service' operator, highly recommended especially in Infinita Bistrσ. You can buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com or iryo.eu. See video of a journey by Iryo. Iryo trains offer 3 or 4 classes depending on how you define a class:
Inicial = 2nd class in cars 4-8 with seats arranged 2+2 across the car width. A refreshment trolley serves drinks & snacks.
Singular = sold as an upgrade to Inicial, the same 2nd class seats in cars 4-8, but tickets are more flexible, more luggage allowed, can pre-order meals at iryo.eu.
Singular Only You = 1st class in the cafe car (car 3) with seats around tables arranged 2+1 across the car width. Meals & drinks can be served at your table at extra cost. At iryo.eu you can pre-order meals.
Infinita Bistro = 1st class in cars 1 & 2 with seats arranged 2+1 across the car width with a light meal & drinks included in the fare & served at your seat.
All seats in all classes have power sockets and free WiFi. There's a luggage limit of 1 small bag & 1 cabin-size bag in Inicial class, other classes have room for more & larger bags, see iryo.eu for details. There's a brief X-ray luggage control & ticket check before boarding Spanish high-speed trains, see the travel tips section.
More about Iryo trains. Seat map for Iryo trains showing layout of each class.
An Iryo train to Madrid boarding at Barcelona Sants.
Infinita Bistro in car 1, seats arranged 2+1 across the car width. A light meal is included, breakfast is shown above left.
Singular Only You in cars 2 & 3, seats arranged 2+1 across the car width.
Inicial & Singular seats in cars 4-8, arranged 2+2 across the car width.
Option 3, lo-cost Ouigo trains from 9
Ouigo is a lo-cost subsidiary of SNCF (French Railways), offering 5 or so trains per day in each direction between Barcelona & Madrid. Fully air-conditioned, free WiFi, power sockets at all seats and (unlike Ouigo in France) a spacious cafe-bar on the upper deck in car 4.
Ouigo is a lo-cost train with budget airline-style baggage limits, so you'll need to pay an extra 5 for a suitcase or backpack when you book. Bags go on the racks inside the seating area in each car. Small pets in carriers can be carried, at extra charge. Bikes are not carried.
Ouigo uses French double-deck TGV Duplex trains. I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views, it's just 9 easy, wide & shallow steps with handrails from the entrance to the upper deck, which Ouigo calls Sky - they call the lower deck Earth. There are toilets & luggage racks both upstairs & downstairs in each car.
First class? Although Ouigo bill their trains as all one class, the seats are unchanged from the TGV Duplex trains used in France. Cars 1, 2 & 3 retain their larger, more comfortable 1st class seats with extra legroom, arranged 2+1 across the car width. Cars 5-8 remain 2nd class with seats to 2+2 across the car width. Ouigo call the former first class seating 'XL' and charge a 9 fee for it on top of the basic fare - a bargain. The XL fee includes an extra-baggage fee for one suitcase or backpack, it's easy to miss this perk when booking XL, so don't accidentally pay twice.
You can choose your seat from a seat map for a small extra fee if you book using www.thetrainline.com.
There's a formal 30-minute minimum check-in for Ouigo trains, a ticket check happens before boarding and as for all operators there's an X-ray luggage control before accessing the platforms, see the travel tips section below. Within a few months of the service starting, Ouigo was achieving 90% load factors.
Ouigo train from Madrid to Barcelona, at Madrid Atocha. Photos courtesy of www.youtube.com/c/nonstopeurotrip.
Ouigo train at Alicante Terminal.
Option 4, lo-cost Avlo trains from 7
Avlo is a subsidiary of Renfe (Spanish Railways), operating several lo-cost trains per day in each direction between Barcelona & Madrid and a few other routes. Fully air-conditioned, free WiFi, power sockets at all seats. But no first class, no cafe-bar, just card-operated vending machines selling snacks & drinks.
As a lo-cost train, Avlo has strict budget-airline-style baggage limits, you need to pay an extra 10 for a suitcase or backpack. You take your bags onto the train and put them on the luggage racks in each car. Only folding bikes are carried. No pets allowed. If your bags are found to exceed the set dimensions when you arrive at the station (even if they simply bulge a bit) you'll have to pay a 30 fee - if in any doubt about luggage, stick with the normal Renfe AVE service.
Avlo uses two types of train: Most Avlo services use a version of Renfe's S112 AVE train, repainted in Avlo colours and refitted with a one-class interior with high-quality leather seats and plenty of legroom. The S112 is nicknamed Pato (duck) by Renfe staff, no prizes for guessing why - see the photo below! Avoid seats in car 6 on these S112 trains, this was the former cafe-bar and it retains the small high-level windows so you can only see out if you stand up!
Some Avlo services now use the latest S106 Avril trains, also one class with no catering, these have extra-wide articulated cars fitted with 2+3 seating, meaning you may end up in the dreaded middle seat.
Tip: You can choose your seat from a seat map for a small extra fee if you book using www.thetrainline.com or www.renfe.com, use this to avoid car 6 on an Avlo S112 or the dreaded middle seat on an Avlo S106.
Boarding closes 5 minutes before departure, for all operators there's an X-ray luggage control before accessing the platforms, see the travel tips below.
An Avlo S112 train at Barcelona Sants, originally a Renfe S112 AVE converted to one-class for Avlo services. Courtesy of www.youtube.com/c/nonstopeurotrip.
2+3 seats on an Avlo S106 Avril which now operates some services, note the dreaded middle seat! The seats are the same size as on the S112, but these Talgo cars have a wide body made possible by their short length, allowing 2+3 seating. Photo courtesy of Marcos Castro.
Travel tips (all operators)
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Seat reservation
Seat reservation is compulsory on all these high-speed trains, all tickets come with a specified reserved seat automatically included. For a seat map of AVE & Iryo trains, see the seat maps page.
You can choose your seat from a seat map for a small fee on AVE, Avlo & Ouigo trains if you book using www.thetrainline.com or www.renfe.com.
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Real time information
You can see whether a train is on time and which platform it will leave from, if you download thetrainline.com's app and run an enquiry for today. Trainline's app show real time information for all operators, Renfe AVE, Avlo, Iryo & Ouigo.
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Security checks at stations
At Spanish stations including Madrid Atocha & Barcelona Sants there is a quick baggage X-ray control before entering the departures area and your ticket may be checked. It only takes minutes, much easier than any airport, but don't turn up with seconds to spare. How to board a high-speed train at Madrid Atocha. How to board a high-speed train at Barcelona Sants.
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Luggage limits
You take your luggage with you onto the train and put it on any suitable rack near your seat.
On Renfe's AVEs, luggage is easy, as on most other European trains. There's no extra cost for a suitcase or backpack, and (unless you take the mickey) nobody weighs it, measures it or argues about its exact size.
On Iryo there's a baggage limit of 1 small bag and 1 cabin-size bag in the cheapest Inicial class, but more & larger bags can be taken in other classes, see iryo.eu for details.
On lo-cost operators Avlo & Ouigo you need to pay a luggage fee for suitcases or backpacks, added when you buy a ticket. Check permitted dimensions carefully when you book. If you need to add an oversize or additional bag on the day of travel it will cost significantly more. If your bags are found to exceed the strict size limits on these lo-cost operators you'll be charged a hefty fee - one traveller on Avlo was charged 30 for a bag which was a few millimetres over the permitted size and his lo-cost journey became more expensive than the normal full-service AVE! Train travel really shouldn't be like that.
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Babies & infants need a ticket!
Babies and infants under 4 years old travel for free if you're happy to have them on your lap, but unlike other European countries where you can just bring them along without a ticket, on Spanish high-speed trains they need a zero-cost ticket booked in their name. You'll get this if you enter them as a passenger with their actual age, when you buy tickets. If you want to them to have their own seat, enter their age as 5+ so the system gives you a child ticket.
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Food & drink
Renfe's AVEs have a cafe-bar and Premium fares include food & wine served at seat. Iryo has a refreshment trolley service and in some classes, food served at your seat. Ouigo has a cafe-bar. Avlo has no catering other than credit-card-operated vending machines. You are of course free to bring your own food and drink along to eat & drink in your seat, even a beer or bottle of wine if you like, on all these trains.
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WiFi & power outlets
There are power outlets at all seats in all these trains, of the usual European 2-pin type. All these trains have free WiFi, the network name on AVE & Avlo is PlayRenfe, with some free content to stream too.
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Station guides
To get familiar with the stations, see the Barcelona Sants station guide and Madrid Atocha station guide.
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Renfe's Sala Club lounge
If you have a Premium fare for a Renfe AVE you can use the Sala Club at Barcelona Sants or Sala Club at Madrid Atocha before departure, with complimentary tea, coffee, beer, soft drinks & snacks.
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Onward connections
If you are making a same-day connection into or out of an SNCF high-speed TGV to or from France, or another Renfe train within Spain, I'd stick with the main Renfe AVE service between Barcelona & Madrid. Iryo, Avlo & Ouigo are separate companies and if you combine them with onward trains run by Renfe or SNCF you will not be covered for missed connections if there's a delay. More about passenger rights.
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Free connection by suburban train in cities
When travelling on either Renfe's AVE or on Iryo you get a free connection by suburban train (Cercanias) at the beginning and end of your journey within the urban areas in both Barcelona & Madrid, see Cercanias Combinado explained here. It means that you can transfer for free between (for example) Madrid Atocha and Madrid Chamartin, or Barcelona Sants and Barcelona Franca.
Interrail & Eurail
Passes are good for Renfe's AVE if you pay the reservation fee. Passes are not valid on Iryo, Ouigo or Avlo.
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A slow train still takes the old route
For the record, one train per day still links Barcelona & Madrid via the classic line. Run by Renfe, it's an air-conditioned Regional Express taking 9 hours, leaving Barcelona Sants around 09:03 westbound and leaving Madrid Chamartin around 07:15 eastbound. It has one fixed price, around 43. You may see it in your search results, don't book it by mistake!
Route map
Click for larger map. Red = 310 km/h high-speed line. Black = classic lines. Green = scenic sections.
Reproduced with kind permission of the European Rail Timetable people. Buy a copy of the European Rail Map at www.europeanrailtimetable.eu.
What's the journey like?
All these Madrid-Barcelona trains take the same route through the same scenery. The platforms at Barcelona Sants are underground, but the train soon emerges into daylight as it accelerates to 310 km/h (193 mph). High-speed lines in Spain are built to standard gauge (4' 8½") like the majority of Europe, even though Spain's classic railways are Iberian broad gauge (5' 6"). Soon after leaving Barcelona, look out for the distinctive jagged ridge of Montserrat on your right (on the left, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montserrat_(mountain). The rest of the high-speed journey to Madrid is pleasantly undulating and often scenic, as you can see in the second photograph below. All trains call at Zaragoza, the major city between Barcelona and Madrid.
View from a Madrid to Barcelona Ouigo train. The jagged mountain in the distance is Montserrat, a major landmark, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montserrat_(mountain). Courtesy of www.youtube.com/c/nonstopeurotrip.
Scenery from an AVE train from Barcelona to Madrid.
Mountain ridge.
Central Spain.
Passing a small Spanish village and church.
Poppies colour the fields red.
How to buy tickets
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Thetrainline.com sells tickets for Renfe AVE, Ouigo, Avlo & should also sell Iryo, so you can check times & buy tickets for all 4 operators in one place. Quick & easy to use, overseas credit cards no problem, you can pay in , £ or $. There's a small booking fee.
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Omio.com also sells tickets for Renfe AVE, Ouigo, Avlo & Iryo, all 4 operators all bookable in one place.
Easy to use, you can pay in , £ or $. There's a small booking fee.
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Raileurope.com sells tickets for Renfe & Ouigo, but doesn't sell tickets for Avlo or Iryo. Easy to use, overseas credit cards accepted, you can see fares & pay in , £ or $. There's a small booking fee.
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You can of course book at the operator sites. For Renfe's AVE it's www.renfe.com, in , not the easiest site to use as it tends to slip back into Spanish even if you select Ingles, it's often poorly worded and it has a reputation for rejecting some overseas credit cards. For Ouigo, it's www.ouigo.com, this allows you to choose a seat from a seating plan for a small fee (free if you pay for XL) although you can't tell which seats face forward or backwards as the train could enter service either way round. For Avlo, it's either www.renfe.com or avlorenfe.com, also allowing seat choice from a seating plan for an 8 fee, this time with direction of travel shown. For Iryo it's iryo.eu.
Recommended hotels
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See my recommended hotels in Barcelona, either near the station or near the old town & Las Ramblas.