I talk trains - my favourite way to travel. Sit back and enjoy the ride as I take us on a trip from Madrid to Barcelona on Spain's high speed train, the AVE (Alta Velocidad Española).

From Madrid's Atocha station with its indoor jungle to Barcelona's modern Sants terminal, I describe the journey as we rocket across Spain at nearly 300 km p/h.

I look at routes, destinations, tickets, prices, how to book and give advice on how to get the best value across the rail network.

Links & resources for AVE/Train bookings:

RENFE: http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/index.html

Trainline: https://www.trainline.eu/

Trenes: https://www.trenes.com/

Loco2: https://loco2.com/

And a fantastic website with tonnes of info on train travel in Spain:

Seat61: https://www.seat61.com/Spain-trains.htm

AVE ticket classes: Turista (Most basic & cheapest, non-refundable) Turista+ (partially refundable) Preferente (First Class includes a meal & wine).

All of the above ticket classes come with an option of ‘flexible’ which means the ticket can be used on different trains for departure and return - you’re not tied to a specific time. Also, all of the above ticket classes sometimes offer promo or promo+. These are the discounted fairs which are real bargain but not always available.

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