Getaways by train
High-speed train trips from Madrid
High-speed trains leave Madrid for almost every corner of Spain: Andalusia, the east coast, Catalonia, Galicia, Asturias and Castile. Cities you can reach without a car, centre to centre, for a weekend or even a day trip.
Updated 19 October 2026 · How we make our guides
Very close: there and back in a day
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SpainToledo
Half an hour on the train and you’re in one of the most beautiful cities in Spain, with a lovely neo-Mudéjar station.
What to see in Toledo -
SpainSegovia
The aqueduct, the Alcázar and the cathedral, with the high-speed station on the outskirts and a bus into the centre.
What to see in Segovia -
SpainCuenca
The hanging houses and the upper town, less than an hour away; there’s a bus from the station to the old town.
What to see in Cuenca -
SpainValladolid
A sculpture museum, stone churches and tapas; an hour on the train, and the station is right in the centre.
What to see in Valladolid
Andalusia
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SpainCórdoba
The Mosque-Cathedral, the Jewish quarter and the patios, less than two hours away: the quintessential AVE getaway.
What to see in Córdoba -
SpainSeville
The cathedral and the Giralda, the Real Alcázar, Triana and Plaza de España, with Santa Justa station close to the centre.
What to see in Seville -
SpainMálaga
Museums, the Alcazaba, Calle Larios and a city beach, with the train arriving almost in the old town.
What to see in Málaga -
SpainGranada
The Alhambra, the Albaicín and tapas, with a direct high-speed train from Madrid.
What to see in Granada
The east coast, Aragon and Catalonia
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SpainValencia
The City of Arts and Sciences, the old town, Malvarrosa beach and the Albufera, in under two hours.
What to see in Valencia -
SpainAlicante
Santa Bárbara Castle, the Explanada and Postiguet beach, a short walk from the station.
What to see in Alicante -
SpainMurcia
The cathedral, the Casino, the market gardens and tapas, with high-speed trains for just a few years now.
What to see in Murcia -
SpainZaragoza
The Pilar, the Aljafería and El Tubo, in little more than an hour: ideal for a short break.
What to see in Zaragoza -
SpainBarcelona
Gaudí, the Gothic Quarter and the sea: the longest journey on the list, but centre to centre and with no airports.
What to see in Barcelona -
SpainTarragona
A Roman amphitheatre, circus and walls facing the Mediterranean, with Miracle beach right next to it.
What to see in Tarragona -
SpainGirona
The Jewish quarter, the cathedral and the colourful houses above the Onyar, on the line that continues into France.
What to see in Girona
The north and north-west
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SpainLeón
The cathedral of stained glass, Gaudí’s Casa Botines and tapas in the Barrio Húmedo.
What to see in León -
SpainBurgos
One of the great Gothic cathedrals of Europe, the Las Huelgas monastery and the Miraflores charterhouse.
What to see in Burgos -
SpainOviedo
The old town, Asturian pre-Romanesque churches and cider houses, with the high-speed line that crosses the mountains.
What to see in Oviedo -
SpainOurense
Open-air hot springs beside the Miño, the cathedral and the gateway to the Ribeira Sacra.
What to see in Ourense -
SpainSantiago de Compostela
The cathedral, Praza do Obradoiro and the end of the Camino, with high-speed trains all the way to Galicia.
What to see in Santiago de Compostela
Frequently asked questions
Which cities can you visit by AVE from Madrid?
There are high-speed trains to Toledo, Segovia, Cuenca, Valladolid, León, Burgos, Oviedo, Ourense, Santiago, Zaragoza, Barcelona, Tarragona, Girona, Valencia, Alicante, Murcia, Córdoba, Seville, Málaga and Granada, among others.
Which cities are an hour from Madrid by AVE?
Toledo, Segovia, Cuenca and Valladolid are an hour or a little more away by high-speed train, so you can see them in a day.
Which AVE destination from Madrid for a weekend?
Córdoba or Seville for Andalusia, Valencia to combine city and beach, Zaragoza or León for tapas and monuments, or Málaga if you want sunshine.
Is AVE the only option?
No: on many of these lines there are also high-speed trains from other companies and low-cost services. Compare before you buy.
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Reviewed 19 October 2026. Dates and seasonal warnings: the same data the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.
Cover photo: Jose María Ligero Loarte (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons.