Soyyo
Member
- Joined
- 16 Jul 2012
- Messages
- 58
I've been living in Girona for a few months. It's a stop on the high speed line between Spain and France, and also on a main line from Barcelona to the French/Spanish border at Portbou (Spanish side) and Cerbere (French side).
I've use the railways quite a lot, and whilst I found the ticketing and charging system a bit strange to begin with, I now think it's actually very sensible.
Between here and Barcelona (about 85km) there are three different services and three different speeds and prices.
The "Regional" is the slowest (it stops everywhere), takes 1 hour 40mins and the fare is about 8 euros. The "media distancia" takes 1 hour 15 mins, stops about 5 or 6 times, and costs 11 euros. Finally the "Avant" is non stop on the new high speed tracks (the Paris-Barcelona line), takes just 37 minutes and costs 16.50 euros.
The trains are different. The Regional is an uncomfortable 3 car which is overcrowded at peak. The media distancia is a spacious 10 car where there are more than enough seats, even at peak. The only time I've seen this full is on Friday afternoons when the students from Barcelona all go home for the weekend. And on the Avant, you're allocated a seat so if it sells out, too bad. The train will normally be an eight car "AVE" high speed train, usually RENFE but sometimes SNCF, to which a certain number of carriages or seats are sold as Avant. Both the MD and the Avant are very comfortable and very spacious - none of the "cram 'em in" attitude we see on UK railways.
At first I found the system a bit confusing (there are 3 separate types of ticket machine on the station!), and ended up paying more than I needed to the first time I went on the Regional.
Now, it makes perfect sense. I wish we had this in the UK so I could go Liverpool to Manchester on the all stations at 35% less than the cost of the non stop. Don't suppose this will ever happen though!
I've use the railways quite a lot, and whilst I found the ticketing and charging system a bit strange to begin with, I now think it's actually very sensible.
Between here and Barcelona (about 85km) there are three different services and three different speeds and prices.
The "Regional" is the slowest (it stops everywhere), takes 1 hour 40mins and the fare is about 8 euros. The "media distancia" takes 1 hour 15 mins, stops about 5 or 6 times, and costs 11 euros. Finally the "Avant" is non stop on the new high speed tracks (the Paris-Barcelona line), takes just 37 minutes and costs 16.50 euros.
The trains are different. The Regional is an uncomfortable 3 car which is overcrowded at peak. The media distancia is a spacious 10 car where there are more than enough seats, even at peak. The only time I've seen this full is on Friday afternoons when the students from Barcelona all go home for the weekend. And on the Avant, you're allocated a seat so if it sells out, too bad. The train will normally be an eight car "AVE" high speed train, usually RENFE but sometimes SNCF, to which a certain number of carriages or seats are sold as Avant. Both the MD and the Avant are very comfortable and very spacious - none of the "cram 'em in" attitude we see on UK railways.
At first I found the system a bit confusing (there are 3 separate types of ticket machine on the station!), and ended up paying more than I needed to the first time I went on the Regional.
Now, it makes perfect sense. I wish we had this in the UK so I could go Liverpool to Manchester on the all stations at 35% less than the cost of the non stop. Don't suppose this will ever happen though!