Spain Launches Powerful New Direct AVE Service Between Barcelona and Seville

International

Travelling across Spain is about to get a whole lot faster thanks to a brand-new high-speed rail connection that links two of the country’s most beloved cities—Barcelona and Seville—without the need to transfer trains in Madrid.

Each year, tens of millions of travellers, including large numbers from the UK, explore Spain’s scenic coastlines, cultural landmarks, and sun-soaked cities. But given the country’s expansive geography—nearly twice the size of the UK—getting from one region to another often involves time-consuming and costly transfers.

Now, Renfe, Spain’s national rail operator, is transforming cross-country travel with a newly introduced AVE high-speed train that directly connects Catalonia and Andalusia. This nonstop service between Barcelona and Seville bypasses Madrid entirely, cutting down overall travel time and offering greater convenience for passengers.

Set to launch on April 23, the new route will operate daily in both directions. Departures from Seville-Santa Justa station begin at 6:00 a.m., arriving in Barcelona-Sants by 12:41 p.m., before continuing north to Figueres, near the French border, and concluding at 1:44 p.m. Southbound services will leave Barcelona at 4:58 p.m. daily—except Saturdays—and reach Seville at 10:49 p.m. after scheduled stops in Zaragoza, Madrid, and Córdoba.

Key stops along the northbound journey include Córdoba, Puertollano, Ciudad Real, Zaragoza, Lérida, Tarragona, and Girona. The quickest journey between Seville and Barcelona takes just five hours and 48 minutes, with ticket prices starting at approximately €100 (£87) each way.

This new express service adds to Renfe’s existing network of six daily connections between Seville and Barcelona, which typically take between six and seven hours depending on route and timing. For travellers seeking flexibility, the operator continues to offer integrated ticket options, allowing seamless connections across different legs of a journey without the need to purchase separate fares.

Barcelona remains one of Spain’s top tourism magnets, drawing over 11.7 million visitors between January and November 2024—a 5% rise from the previous year. The Port of Barcelona welcomed 1.6 million cruise passengers, while the city’s airport saw a record 55 million travelers in 2024 alone.

Meanwhile, Seville attracted more than three million tourists last year, ranking it as the third most visited destination in the country. Nationwide, Spain experienced a tourism boom in 2024, welcoming 94 million international visitors and generating a staggering €122 billion in tourism revenue, according to data from SUR in English.

With the launch of this game-changing rail service, exploring Spain just became faster, easier, and more comfortable—especially for those eager to skip the detour through Madrid.