Is there a train connection between Spain and Portugal?

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There isn't a direct train connecting Spain and Portugal. You can travel by train, but it requires multiple transfers. The route typically goes from Barcelona, through Madrid and Badajoz, eventually reaching Lisbon. The entire journey, including these transfers, usually takes around 13-14 hours.
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Train travel between Spain and Portugal: Are there any routes?

Okay, so, train travel Spain to Portugal...

No direct trains, nope.

BUT, hold on... I think you can kinda do it, like, the hard way.

Basically, you gotta hop, skip, and jump through a bunch of cities to get from, say, Barcelona to Lisbon. I remember looking into this for a trip around summer June 2022, and I just couldn't deal with all the transfers.

It's Barcelona to Madrid, then to Badajoz, then to Entroncamento, and finally Lisbon.

Apparently, the whole thing takes almost 14 hours. Man. That's longer than it took me to fly from New York to Madrid on 12 June 2022.

No direct train from Spain to Portugal. Requires several transfers in cities like Barcelona, Madrid, Badajoz, and Entroncamento. Trip around 13 hours 48 minutes.

Is there a high-speed train between Spain and Portugal?

Madrid to Lisbon... a high-speed line. By 2030, they say.

Twelve and a half hours now. Imagine, all that time spent just traveling. Feels… like a lifetime, doesn't it?

Atlantic Corridor, that's what they're calling it. Progress. I wonder what that really means, though.

Spain and Portugal… building. Building what? Connections? Or just...more distance, masked by speed.

  • Journey Details (Current):
    • Up to 12.5 hours travel time.
    • No direct rail link presently.
    • Think I took that train once. Ugh.
  • High-Speed Rail Line (Planned):
    • Madrid to Lisbon route.
    • Target completion: 2030.
    • Part of the Atlantic Corridor development.
  • Personal Reflection:
    • Time lost in transit is… something.
    • Progress has a funny way of changing things. Or not.
    • Building… feels like a Band-Aid sometimes. It just does.

They're saying great progress. Like my garden, maybe? It grows, but always with weeds. Same thing, I guess.

Why are there no trains between Madrid and Lisbon?

No trains... Madrid to Lisbon. It's quiet now.

The Lusitania stopped running. Feels longer than just 'pandemic restrictions' suggest. It ended in 2020, yeah.

Like a dream forgotten, the sleeper car, gone.

Maybe a high-speed line is coming, by 2027. Maybe finally.

That's a long time from now.

  • Direct trains ceased in 2020. Just like that.
  • The Lusitania Comboio Hotel was its full name, I think. Fancy.
  • 2027… if it actually happens, a high speed line linking both countries.

Is it worth waiting for?

What is the new high-speed train in Spain?

Spain's high-speed train upgrade involves AVE Class 106 trains.

The León-La Robla-Pola de Lena section opened November 29, 2023; after a lengthy 20-year construction period.

On May 21, 2024, Renfe replaced Alvia services (Madrid–Gijón, Castellón/Vinaros–Gijón) with AVE services. Those gauge-changing Class 106 trains can hit 330 km/h (205 mph), reportedly, with reduced... Well, reduced what?

It always amuses me when massive infrastructure projects take longer than expected. Like that new coffee shop down the street from me. They were "opening soon" for, what, two years? Perspective, eh?

AVE Class 106: Further Points:

  • Gauge-Changing: Adaptable to different track gauges.
  • High Speed: Designed for fast transit.
  • Renfe Operated: By Spain's national rail operator.

The transition from Alvia to AVE marks a significant enhancement in speed and efficiency. Though efficiency is a relative term, isnt it? I mean, what's truly efficient in the grand scheme? Just ponder that while you zoom across Spain.