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Spanish train travel- guide train travel in Spain
Trains
In Spain train travel is run by the Spanish state-operated train service comprising
of a total of 13,000 kilometres of train tracks, covering the entire country.
While train travel in Spain can be a confusing, most
rail travel systems have now been consolidated under Spain's national
train company, RENFE.
If you are looking for a train travel in Spain schedules
click on RENFE train
schedules. Try
our travel partner for a Spanish
Rail Pass a Eurailpass giving
flexible travel throughout 17 countries and look at the rail
map of Europe.
The state-run company RENFE covers an ample number of domestic train
lines that connect all the regions on the Iberian Peninsula for train
travel
in Spain.
Spanish trains, the most inexpensive in Europe, have two classes.
RENFE has established a series of special prices and discounts
that make
travelling by
rail in Spain
that much more convenient. The most interesting offers are the following:
The so-called "Dias Azules" (Blue Days) are dates that
do not generally coincide with holidays, the eves of holidays or
the most common holiday periods.
There are many such dates throughout the year on which it is possible to
travel by train in Spain with a 50% discount.
The "Tarjeta Joven" (Youth Card) allows the bearer, whose age
must be between 12 and 25, to travel with a 50% discount on all tickets
providing
that travelling dates coincide with the "Blue Days". The "Tarjeta
Turistica" (Tourist Card), reserved for non-residents of Spain,
independent of their nationality, allows unrestricted circulation, without
kilometre
limitation, on any RENFE line, without having to pay supplements. This
card may be for
either first or second class travel and its price varies depending on
the duration of
travel time requested, which may be 3, 5 or 10 days to travel by train
in Spain.
The "Euro- Railpass" (Eurail Pass) is also a discount ticket
reserved for visiting guests. It can be purchased in the country of origin
and provides
unlimited travel rights on any date, on any line, without supplements.
Its price also varies according to duration, which can be 15, 25, 30, 60,
or
90 days.
Besides the regular trains and sleeper cars, RENFE has recently inaugurated
the AVE, a high speed train linking Madrid and Seville in a time of three
hours, as well as series of special trains, of particular interest to
the tourist.
The
most outstanding is the so-called "Expreso Al.Andalus" (Al Andalus
Express) which departs from Seville each week and for 5 days tours the beautiful
cities of Seville, Cordoba, Granada, Malaga, and Jerez de la Frontera. The price
of the ticket includes the visits to these cities, meals at the finest restaurants
in each one, "fiestas" and typical shows plus dinner and lodging on
a truly special train that includes a discotheque, video room, bars and the luxury
and comfort of the finest hotel. Another tourist train with similar characteristics
is the "Transcantabrico" which tours the north of Spain. For
information call RENFE, tel: (91) 530 0202, (93) 4900202 and for reservations
call (91)
527 3333 in Madrid.
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