steviedeluxe

article on high speed trains

All very well, but it would be illuminating to see current occupancy levels. Surely travel numbers must be down in the recession?

Hillybilly

I used the AVE for the first time last Nov to go to Madrid. It IS a fab service, smooth and quick and comfortable. The closer you get to Madrid, the more people join the train, obviously using to commute to work in the capital, not that it stops at many places! The trains both ways were pretty full, maybe 3/4 full.

St. John

I have never used the service - probably because of the cost. Two years ago two friends and I wanted to visit an art exhibition in Madrid. The AVE cost for the return journey was extortionate. We drove there and back. When we did the sums the cost of driving there, a hostal for three nights and our meals worked out cheaper than the return train fares of 399 Euros per person.

Veleta

How much? Why so expensive??

I use the AVE regularly and pay on average about 100 euros return per person from Seville-Madrid. I would have thought that distancewise that is similar to your journey?

That said however, last time I went to Madrid I went with Iberia and the return tickets cost 25 euros, taxes included. Can't beat that!

St. John

I can't really say - I have deleted all of the information from my computer. My friends also checked the fares, booking on-line et al, and they confirmed the costs. I really didn't mind the drive, the motorways are traffic-light and the hostal we used was delightful (pity about the road-works!). My sister and her husband wanted to come down to me using the trains but the cost of the service from Paris to Madrid was just ridiculous. The Hotel-Train thing is just amazingly expensive, why pay for this when a) you are asleep for most of the journey and b) low-cost airline fares are less than a 20th of the train fare? Of course, if money is no object.................

Hillybilly

To take advantage of the cheap online fares you really need to try and book about 60 days in advance, when they release the tickets. If you do that, you can pick up a one way fare for between 25€-45€ (from Puente Genil, similar from other stations at the same-ish distance). Two and a half hours in comfort infinitely preferable to the drive IMHO.

St. John

Thanks. I'll bear that in mind, tho' 60 days in advance! I don't even know what I'm having for breakfast the next day. Put it down to senior moments. It's fun being old - tho' not necessarily economically prudent.

Relampago

I used the high-speed train for the first time in 1994 and it is a marvel. It seems a space ship, you run to a vertiginous speed but you don't know it. Are very comfortable the seats, until those of the class tourist, the cheapest

I believe that a high-speed train don't bother. But it is also necessary to make this: to reduce the tickets and to improve or to fix other services, as the trains of proximities that are the trains that it usually uses the great majority of the citizens (the workers, the students etc etc etc). A high-speed train is not bad option, because if at some time you want to go of " marcha " without necessity of catching the car, of jams, etc, you use the high-speed train to be at once in your destination. You sleep in your destination, and although you have drunk, it is not necessary the car, because you use the high-speed train again and at once you are in your home. But I repeat, it is good a high-speed train, whenever it is not the only option and that the tickets are cheap

In Spain there are also other trains...
high-speed (300 km/h or more)




or the trains of " altas prestaciones " (trains of high benefits) 220 km/h

steviedeluxe

Anyone want to buy a model train kit? I know I do!!

St. John

Do I need to give them 60 days notice to buy the kit?

jurdyr

ya 60 days befor going but that two change , you can buy up last min on there site ..... now with most trains ....

Alicante to Madrid i would used ...... lot this 2 hours wait on flight real getting two me .... get in out off the madrid airports change trains .....

steviedeluxe

Does anyone know the date of the opening of the Madrid- Valencia line?

bigglesworth

Slightly off topic but oh how I wish they would introduce high speed trains in the UK.
The British Government's new measure to make rail faster than road is.......

50 mph limits on most roads, and 20 mph on urban roads.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/n...-to-50mph.html

You could not make it up!