Page 630 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Spain

628  SUR VIV AL GUIDE

Travelling by Train DIRECTORY

The Spanish state railway, RENFE (Red Nacional de National Enquiries and
Ferrocarriles Españoles), operates a service that is continually Reservations
improving, particularly between cities. The fastest intercity Luxury Train Club
services are called TALGO and AVE – these names are Benwell House, Preston,
acronyms for the high-speed luxury trains that run on these Chippenham, Wiltshire SN15 4DX,
routes. Largo recorrido (long-distance) and regionales y UK. Tel 00 44124 989 0205.
cercanías (regional and local) trains are notoriously slow, ∑ luxurytrainclub.com
many stopping at every station on the way. They are much RENFE
cheaper than the high-speed trains, but journey times can Tel 902 32 03 20; for information
be hours longer. on disabled access call 902 24
05 05. ∑ renfe.es
Arriving by Train Regional Railways
There are several routes to Spain ET
from France. The main western Tel 902 54 32 10.
route runs from Paris through
Hendaye in the Pyrenees to ∑ euskotren.es
San Sebastián. The eastern route FGC
from Paris runs via Cerbère and Tel 900 90 15 15.
Port Bou to Barcelona. The trains ∑ fgc.net
from London, Brussels, Amster­
dam, Geneva, Zurich and Milan FGV
all reach Barcelona via Cerbère. Tel 961 92 40 00.
At Cerbère there are also ∑ fgv.es
connec tions with the TALGO
and the long­distance services
to Valencia, Alicante, Girona and station for regional and
Murcia. If you book a sleeper on international services. Major
the TALGO from Paris, you travel train terminals pass luggage
to your destina tion without AVE high-speed trains at Estación de Santa through scanners; allow extra
having to change trains. There Justa in Seville time for this.
are direct trains to Madrid and
Barcelona from Paris, and to Seville and with Málaga – both
Barcelona from Milan, Geneva trips take five and a half hours. Fares
and Zurich. The largo recorrido (long­ Fares for rail travel in Spain
distance) trains are so much are structured according to
slower that you usually need the speed and quality of the
Exploring by Train
to travel overnight. You can service. Tickets for the TALGO
Spain offers many options for choose between a cochecama and AVE trains cost the most.
train travellers. The intro duction (a compartment with two or Interrail tickets for people
of high­speed services has four camas, or beds) or a litera, under 26 and Eurail tickets
made it possible to travel the one of six seats in a compart­ for non­EU residents are
long distances between ment that converts into a bunk available from major travel
the main cities extremely bed. You reserve these when agencies in Europe and from
quickly. Ticket prices compare booking and pay a supple­ RENFE ticket offices in Spain.
favourably with the cost of ment. Book at least a month Always take proof of your
high­speed train fares in many in advance. Regionales y identity when booking.
other countries in Europe. cercanías (the regional and local Holidays onboard Spain’s
Efficient high­speed AVE services) are frequent luxury train (see opposite)
rail services link Madrid and cheap. are expensive but offer
with Seville in two In Madrid the high standards of comfort.
and a half hours, major stations for
and with Barcelona Logo for the high- regional and long­
in three hours. The speed rail service AVE distance trains are Regional Railways
AVE from Madrid to Atocha and Chamartín. Three of the comunidades
Zaragoza takes one and a The AVE runs from Atocha, and autónomas have regional rail
half hours; to Málaga two the TALGO from both. Sants companies. Catalonia and
hours and 40 minutes; and to and Passeig de Gràcia are Valencia each has its own
Valladolid only 50 minutes. AVE Barcelona’s two main stations. Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat –
routes also link Barce lona with In Seville Santa Justa is the only respectively, the FGC and the

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