SPAIN | High Speed Rail

[Cristovão471]

I will be travelling Spain in april and will be taking trains from Madrid to barcelona
will the high speed line be up by then and how long would I expect the ride to be?

Another thing I opted to travel on the coastline, if that gives you an idea.

[juanpe_r]

hello chirs! Barcelona-Madrid high speed line is not finished yet. It will be in December with 2hours,15 minutes. Nowadays high speed is about 75%of the distance between the 2 cities. it´s 3hours 55 minutes. The higest speeds are between Zaragoza and Madrid (280km/hour....far from the 350km/hours in december....)

But plane is a good idea to travel between the 2 cities. we call the madrid-bcn conection:"puente aereo" it means "air brige". It is usually cheaper than train...and there are more than 100 flights everyday between the 2 cities. One plane each 20 minutes more or less. You can book on the web, or just go to the airport and take your tickect from a ticket machine like the underground ones.

sorry for my english!!!!!!! hehehe. and enjoy your trip!

[juanpe_r]

the distance between madrid and barcelona is about 650km

[Cristovão471]

Damn I thought it would be like 2 hours 15 mins, If I travel by the coast line how long would that take?

I will take planes in the future, but atleast I will see some scenery.

[Pendergast]

Originally Posted by chris_underscore47

Damn I thought it would be like 2 hours 15 mins, If I travel by the coast line how long would that take?

I will take planes in the future, but at least I will see some scenery.

The coast line?. What do you mean?, Madrid is 320 km away from the nearest sea (Mediterranean) in Valencia, so, if you like the "coast" line you must travel from Madrid to Cartagena-Alicante-Valencia-Barcelona, or Madrid-Valencia-Barcelona

Madrid-Cartagena: 5 hrs. + Cartagena-Barcelona: 8 hrs. = 13 hrs.
Madrid-Valencia: 3.22 hrs. + Valencia-Barcelona: 3.10 hrs.= 6.32 hrs.

This travel time is "not real" you must add the conexion time.

So my advice is to take de AVE Madrid-Barcelona.

[Reivajar]

Well, really if you take an Alvia (HST Madrid-Barcelona) you'll travel along the coast between Tarragona and Barcelona (about 100 km).

Here you can see an Alvia train on the Garraf coast.


If you are really interested in travelling by train, you can take a night train too, the Estrella Costa Brava. It's quite old but it's also another possibility.

[Cristovão471]

Well I think i'm doing AVE madrid to Barcelona, my travel agent was confusing me. In my itenarary it said about 4 hours or something, but she gave me a choice to travel inland or by the coast. I'm just confused

[juanpe_r]

YES- alvia train is 3hours 55 minutes

[Bitxofo]

Originally Posted by juanpe_r

YES- alvia train is 3hours 55 minutes

Only one direct ALViA per day takes 3h55min. The rest take 4h20min.

In June 2007: 3h20min. --> ALViA
In December 2007: 2h30min. --> AVE

But high speed trains are more expensive than many flights...

[juanpe_r]

more expensive than meny flights???? or....always more expensive???????jejejejjejejeje

[ChinaboyUSA]

I speak English and Chinese, so what do you think that I will be welcomed in Spain, because I always want to live in Madrid for some years, or Barcerlona.

[Stifler]

Originally Posted by ChinaboyUSA

I speak English and Chinese, so what do you think that I will be welcomed in Spain, because I always want to live in Madrid for some years, or Barcerlona.

Of course you would be welcomed. Madrid and Barcelona are plenty of foreign people working or learning Spanish. Speaking Chinese can open you several doors in the labour market.

However, the language could be a problem in the daily life. There is only a few people above 50 years who can speak English properly. Between young people things are quite different, but you should learn the language if you want to adapt yourself completely to the Spanish life.

[Bitxofo]

Originally Posted by ChinaboyUSA

I speak English and Chinese, so what do you think that I will be welcomed in Spain, because I always want to live in Madrid for some years, or Barcerlona.

All young people (under 36y.o.) speak English in BCN or Madrid.

Also in BCN, there is a big Chinese community.

Anyway, I recommend you to learn Spanish!

[Cristovão471]

Well in my itenarary it said: Madrid to Zaragoza to barcelona.
Do you think I would be travelling in the 'Talgo 350' and last question: What is the differnece between economy class (2nd) and first class on the trains?

[Stifler]

Originally Posted by chris_underscore47

Well in my itenarary it said: Madrid to Zaragoza to barcelona.
Do you think I would be travelling in the 'Talgo 350' and last question: What is the differnece between economy class (2nd) and first class on the trains?

I suppose you are taking an ALViA then. Bitxofo made a great thread about his travel between Madrid and Barcelona in that train. Here you are:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=427042

Some pics to show you the difference between classes:

Originally Posted by Bitxofo

Turist Class (2nd)







Preferent Class (1st)

[Cristovão471]

thanks! but I don't see much difference between turista classe and preferent classe?

[kub86]

Wow! I'm doing madrid-barcelona in April too! About the flights...so is it a good idea to reserve a seat ahead of time to save money? Or are the costs the same no matter how or where or when you get them? I've seen prices around 30 euros...which is like really cool. So what's the price if I just show up at the airport vs. buying it online or something?

[juanpe_r]

book your flight!!!!!!!!! is you just go to the airport an take there the ticket it´s about 200€ return!

[Bitxofo]

Originally Posted by kub86

Wow! I'm doing madrid-barcelona in April too! About the flights...so is it a good idea to reserve a seat ahead of time to save money? Or are the costs the same no matter how or where or when you get them? I've seen prices around 30 euros...which is like really cool. So what's the price if I just show up at the airport vs. buying it online or something?

The earlier you book, the cheaper you fly!

Madrid-BCN starting at 20 euros, tax included.

Try:
www.vueling.com
www.travelprice.es
www.trabber.es

[growingup]

http://www.larazon.es/noticias/noti_mad2858.htm (Spanish)
A Mag-Lev will go through Madrid in ten minutes at 500Km/h.
Madrid’s Regional Government is studying joining the Airport and Alcalá de Henares with Chamartín in a record time.

Pilar Gómez/ La Razón
MADRID- A train that <<flies>>. That’s the Regional Government President’s dream, Esperanza Aguirre, who, after having put Madrid Metro network among the best three around the world, now plans to bring to Madrid the fastest train in railroad’s history, the Mag-Lev.
The project, which is still in informative studies and pending technical advice, has been rounding through President’s head several years. Actually, since Aguirre travelled to the Chinese city of Shanghai, where the only commercially-operated Mag-Lev is located being able to travel the 30km from downtown to the airport in seven minutes at a speed near to 500km/h.
Madrid goal’s are the same. Studies which are being carried out by the Regional Government aim to stablish some HSLs crossing in diagonal Madrid’s regional map.
ROUTES:
Geographical and technical studies are being carried out right now to evaluate the possibility of a Mag-Lev train that could link Campamento’s zone with Madrid-Barajas Airport in a time that will not surpass ten minutes.
Even more ambitious are the regional plans to build a big Mag-Lev line which could lie parallel to A-2 road and connect Alcalá de Henares y Torrejón with Chamartín station in less than five minutes. This will be a revolution in commuter traffic and mobility in Madrid’s regional area, and specifically in the route already mentioned will eliminate one of the main conflictive traffic spots to access the capital.
In addition to these possible itineraries, a track joining Madrid’s big suburbs in the outskirts is being considered in order to link them in a faster way than the underground offers right now.
Madrid’s metro network enlargement has already reduced travel times a little. However, while the network is getting bigger, it is also getting slower. The regional government argues this is the reason for considering an ultra rapid high tech transport like the Mag-Lev as a complement to the underground system.

...

The article carries on commenting Mag-Lev's technology, benefits and disadvantages, its initial elavated and luxury costs, and other projects around the globe as the one to join Gasgow and London, Munich and its airport or japnese JR-Maglev.