Spain Guide
Getting around
By train
Spanish trains, operated by RENFE 
902 240 202, 
www.renfe.es , tend to be efficient and comfortable, and nearly always run on time. There's a confusing array of services, though the website has a useful English-language version on which you can check timetables and even buy tickets with a credit card (printing them out at home before you travel).
Cercanías are local commuter trains in and around the major cities, while media distancia (regional) and larga distancia (long-distance) trains go under a bewildering number of names, including Avant, Alaris, Intercity (IC), Regionale and Talgo services. The difference is speed, service and number of stops, and you'll always pay more on the quickest routes (sometimes quite a lot more). The premier services are the high-speed trains, such as the Euromed from Barcelona to Alicante, or the expanding AVE (Alta Velocidad Española) network from Madrid to Seville, Málaga, Segovia/Valladolid, Zaragoza and Barcelona. The AVE trains have cut travelling times dramatically, with Madrid to Seville, for example, taking two and a half hours compared with six to nine hours on the slower trains. The AVE network is also set to expand to Valencia/Alicante (possibly by 2010), Girona and France (2012) and, eventually, to Santander/Bilbao (and on to Oviedo).
Advance booking is essential (and seat reservations obligatory) for long-distance journeys. Advance tickets can be bought at the stations between sixty days and five minutes before departure, but don't leave it to the last minute, as there are usually long queue. Automatic ticket machines at main stations take some of the hassle out of queueing, or you can buy tickets at travel agents that display the RENFE sign.
Actual fares vary wildly, but as an example, you'll pay around €16.50 on the regional service from Madrid to Salamanca (2hr 30min trip), while on the Madrid to Barcelona route you could pay €40 for the overnight "Estrella" service (9hr 30min) or from €105 on the high-speed AVE service (around 3hr).