Rail
The national Spanish railway network is operated by RENFE (tel: (902) 240 202; website: www.renfe.es). Madrid has two main railway stations: Chamartín Station, Calle Agustín de Foxá (tel: (91) 328 9020), in northern Madrid, and Atocha Station, in southern Madrid, close to Paseo del Prado at Avenida Ciudad de Barcelona (tel: (91) 527 3160). Both stations have exchange facilities, cafés and car hire on or near the premises; Chamartín also has a post office, tourist information, hotel reservation centre, InterCity Club Room and a large shopping centre. Tickets can be obtained in the train stations, the RENFE office on Calle Alcalá or from a travel agent.
Rail services: Madrid's rail network provides a service to provincial capitals in Spain and connections to the European railway network. Chamartín station serves trains from France, Catalonia and northern Spain (including Bilbao and Barcelona). Atocha is Madrid's largest station, and serves trains from the regions of Andalusia and Extremadura, and Portugal. Many trains stop at both Atocha and Chamartín stations. Atocha is the arrival and departure point for AVE (tel: (91) 328 9020), the high-speed Madrid-Seville route, which leaves twice daily taking a little under three hours. It is also the hub of the Cercanías suburban rail network (see the Public Transport section). The smaller Príncipe Pío station, Paseo del Rey 30, serves trains from northwest Spain (Salamanca and Galicia). Journey times to Madrid: from Barcelona - six hours; from Bilbao - six hours; from Oviedo - six hours; from Malaga - five hours.
Transport to the city: All three stations are connected to the metro system. For a look at maps and more infromation about about the RENFE Rail System visit, Soft Guide for information.
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