One of the best parts about being in Europe is being able to travel to easily from one country to another. Now that I’m focusing my travel this year on Spain, I’m taking advantage of the many ways to travel here, including traveling via Renfe AVE. AVE stands for Alta Velocidad Española, or Spanish High Speed. It’s Spain’s line of high speed trains.
If you plan to do land travel in Spain, you’re likely going to travel by Renfe, since it’s the country’s main train company. In Madrid, I’ve taken Renfe Cercanias trains, which connect Madrid capital to the other main cities in the region of Madrid. *Oh yeah, you might not realize but Madrid is the capital city of the region of Madrid in the country of Spain. I live in Madrid, Madrid, Spain. Like, Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Hope that made sense!* So I’ve traveled Cercanias before but hadn’t gone longer than one hour on a Renfe train.
Realistically, the AVE is very similar to the Cercanias trains. It’s very similar to most high speed trains in Europe, like the Eurostar or ÖBB Railjet. I expected a basic travel experience and pretty much got just that. The odd thing was, I couldn’t find much when researching the AVE trains other than generic info, so I’ve compiled some for you!
Things to Note:
- Security. There is a control of security (control de seguridad). It’s like a mini TSA, but you can pass liquids through. The actual scanning process is very quick.
- Lines. There’s a line to go through security (above) and a line to get onto your train. Allot 10 minutes (at least) to go through these.
- Timing. You should be in line to board the train at least 15 minutes prior to departure. Add to that the 10 minutes for TSA which leads to my recommendation to arrive at the station at least 25 minutes before departure. That is assuming you have your ticket printed or on your phone. If not, give yourself 5 more minutes to get that done too.
- WiFi onboard. TBD. This is a big deal for me, as I am always looking to get some writing done and need WiFi for that. Some research said there would be WiFi, but further research suggested otherwise, so I had a backup plan (downloaded Netflix movies!). Thank goodness, because there was no WiFi. While onboard, I Tweeted with Renfe and they recommended I speak to the onboard technician. At this point, the gentleman in the aisle seat next to me was passed out and there was no way I was moving, so I stuck with plan b. Next time, I’m getting an aisle seat just in case.
- Food. There is a cafeteria on board, but at least for me, moving from my chair once I’m on board is a super pain. For me that means bringing water and a snack…or two. Again, things to keep in mind when you plan on being onboard a train for three hours.
- Plus size traveler note: I couldn’t find the seat width online but they felt slightly wider than an economy airline seat, and the armrests really helped add space. In the seats where you face someone and there is a table in between, there is a space of approximately 39 inches. Not ideal for stretching in front of a stranger but not bad either! *Update: since publishing, Renfe confirmed the seats are around 50 cm (19.7 inches) in width.
Now obviously please keep in mind that this is based on my experience and just that. I’ve been on AVE twice so far, from Madrid to Malaga and then back. Seeing how easy it was though, I’m definitely going to continue traveling via AVE to continue my Spain adventures! Here’s hoping I have more updates and helpful tips soon!
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