Renfe Medium Distance Review! Pleasant but Expensive...

[@rte32gfr]

Plane usually is cheaper than AVE to get to Madrid from Seville

[@John_Fugazzi]

You've given us quite a range of travel experiences lately. Friday you were above the Arctic Circle in bitter cold and snowy landscapes. Today you're sweltering in the Spanish sun with all that dry, golden scenery passing by that looks a bit like California. Nice trip!

[@Jazzthink]

I've always considered Spain to be Europe's California... Don't push on the details of that comparison though 😆

[@pedrorubiotejero_aka_prt]

Well, Spain even have some deserts and semi-deserts though

[@fevemario72]

You must try narrow gauge trains in the north of Spain

[@naoisecooke6079]

I just completed a 5 hour journey from Madrid to Merida onboard the S-599. I found it quite comfortable for the long journey. One thing that disappointed me was that there was no food. I was told there was vending machines but they were actually empty. Otherwise I thought it was a very pleasant and comfortable train journey. Great report as usual. Keep up the great work!!!

[@mariadelmarjimenezarroyo]

Please do a review on the Alvia S730 from Madrid to Extremadura

[@pepejuega267]

You just ride one of the most polemical line in all Spain due its condition. The people of Extremadura always complains about delays, expensive prices and a very bad condition in the infrastructure. But in the south of Extremadura there is an Andalusian province called Huelva which conditions in the line that conects it to Extremadura is as bad a the one at Extremadura, plus the line that conects it with Seville (Which is electrified at least) only has a fecuency of 2 regional trains each way to Seville and 1 to Madrid

[@LosTrenesDeAndalucia]

True, that happens in a lot of places, for example Ronda. But the people of Extremadura are the only ones that complain...

[@CrazySquirrelProductions]

So much cleaner than any train I used when I lived in France. Thanks Dylan!

[@RedRocketthefirst]

Why do you want yo live in fr*nce? 🤢🤮

[@eieio1943]

And the station looked brand new. Tres bein.

[@JScot92]

Great video. Although I think it's decent value for money. Spain is over twice the size of the UK so although it may only be a "regional train" you're still travelling 165 miles.

[@RedRocketthefirst]

Exactly

[@mancubwwa]

on the other hand, buying 4 weeks inadvance in Germany, which is about the same size you can get ICE from Berlin to Cologne, a distance of roughly 570 km or twenty hundred pints eight stones in Imperial, as far as I understand it, for under 20 euros. Or around 25 euros with seat reservation and free cancelation.

[@BlackHoleSpain]

@@mancubwwa That's why the train is almost empty. It was too expensive, and people have no money. Unemployment in that region of Spain is currently 18%, but we came from some suffocating 30% in 2013. And average salaries are lower than your minimum wage...

[@traceyinglis6471]

The scenery on this trip is just stunning

[@jgodfrey546]

0:47 I imagine the walk to the station wasn't any easier wearing horseshoes... 🙃

[@Jazzthink]

Holding the camera in his horse mouth 🙃

[@AnnabelSmyth]

Not at all expensive when compared with UK trains - I'd expect to pay about that for a trip between London and the South Coast (I know you can get cheaper, but....).

[@davidwebb4904]

Tip for saving money London to Southcoast. Buy a ticket with it originating on the Southcoast, and use the return tix first and outbound tix to return. Avoiding the London originating premium.

[@s125ish]

@@davidwebb4904 is that allowed?

[@davidwebb4904]

@@s125ish At least I buy a ticket. Many do not.

[@andrewwilson6240]

@@s125ish can't see why not

[@andrewwilson6240]

A tip for the very pricey crosscountry journeys: split ticket, and choose legs where the fare is set by another TOC, and where day returns are available. I once cut the £130 return to Cardiff Central to about £30 by splitting at Long Eaton, Birmingham New Street, Worcester and Gloucester. I had more a book of tickets than a ticket!

[@rezaalan3991]

Great trip. Delay for unknown reasons? This train deserve some on board catering for a longer trip like this.

[@moestrei]

I'm surprised there was no mention of how noisy the Diesel engine was. Loco hauled trains are way nicer, no engine noise and vibration. Lovely country side. Funny that the fast train runs on a narrower gauge than the slow one.

[@stevenmontoya9950]

Fun fact, the first AVE line between Madrid and Seville was originally planned to run on Iberian gauge, but planners switched to standard gauge at the last minute to allow better connectivity to other European countries, as is the case with the AVE service between Barcelona and Lyon in France

[@moestrei]

@@stevenmontoya9950 Ah....compability with other countries....makes sense. Thanks of info.

[@andrewlong6438]

Very interesting video. I am amazed how empty the train is compared with an equivalent service in the UK. We took a train from Granada to Almeria and was amazed by the spaghetti western type countryside. Train was empty though. I suspect a significant number of Spaniards drive everywhere.

[@Talkathon408]

They tend to get the bus which a lot more popular and is cheaper than the train. Plus they go all over the place.

[@CityWhisperer]

The huge quantity of toll-free motorways doesn't help train services.

[@suprauro]

Carsharing is very popular, cheap and reliable in Spain, it brings you door to door for the half of the money.

[@itsjohndell]

British (especially northerners ) Scorching hot 21C. We can always tell the Europeans in LA. Shorts when we are wearing jeans and hoodies. Noticed you have upped your game video wise. Beautiful video.

[@mxh5647]

Same in Canada but other way around. Tourists in parkas et al while we wear shorts :). All what we're used to, eh?

[@speedymccreedy8785]

Tremendous video, great shots of the countryside and the outskirts of the towns, and interesting commentary on the trip highlights. Very well done.

[@DylansTravelReports]

Thanks!

[@omarhamid3638]

Lovely landscapes along this journey Dylan! Both very beautiful cities. Couldn’t agree more, booking beforehand and online is much easier. Thanks for sharing with us! Great job.

[@NSE465]

Considering the state Spanish railways have been in for some time, not surprised it cost that much. Its because the government fund jack sh*t so they have to make up for it a bit. Of course, high speed is improving so I expect these sorts of services to improve as well. Its never been terrible in experience, just unfortunately priced like a meal for 2 or 3. Renfe is solid tho, overall.

[@andynorris3537]

Seville is know as the frying pan of Spain for its heat 🥵

[@alejandrayalanbowman367]

The frying pan is actually Ecija 86 km further East.

[@hermenegildoc3933]

Do the Canfrancero Dylan

[@davidaarthur]

A very golden landscape! Seville looks nice, for a big modern station.

[@angelgames9351]

I’ve experienced a couple things differently in my trip in the s599 (Huesca-Zaragoza, 1 hour approx), the main difference was that seats were reserved, and the other difference is that the toilet was broken and it interfered with the AC, so there was no AC in July, with 40°C outside. Apart from that, I believe it’s a really nice regional product, specially if it wasn’t used for the 10h trips like these, but shorter more regional trains instead. Hopefully Renfe someday invests in conventional rail.

[@s125ish]

I've noticed that with Spanish trains , they often have reserved seating for all.

[@CityWhisperer]

Both Renfe and Adif invest billions of euros in conventional rail. This is not like ordering a brand new PC and having it delivered in a few days, it takes years for those investments to materialise.

[@hermenegildoc3933]

Are u from Huesca? Or do you have family there?

[@angelgames9351]

@@hermenegildoc3933 Close, Zaragoza

[@hermenegildoc3933]

@@angelgames9351 take this train daily

[@hermenegildoc3933]

Dylan do to Canfrancero

[@SergioCanovasS]

In my experience, most MD trains are delayed due to the one-way railroad tracks, so they often stop at a station longer than necessary just because there is a train coming from the other side.... In addition, Renfe doesn't care much about MD services, as they are totally focused on AVE services, which is shameful, as several small towns are seeing how Renfe is trying to stop offering some of the MD lines those towns depend on (for example, the Madrid-Cuenca-Valencia which was abandoned just a month ago after more than a year of mistreatment by Renfe).

[@SergioCanovasS]

In fact, if you look closely at the railway track on the MD service I normally use, you can see some nuts dating back to the early 20th century, which says a lot about Renfe's maintenance

[@alejandrayalanbowman367]

My first ride on a Spanish train was back in 1991 from Atocha to Valdepeñas - it was a wreck, old rattly and generally uncomfortable. Subsequently have ridden on the taht line to and from Jaén in modern trains which was very pleasant but they could do with refreshments. Parking at stations is VERY expensive! This journey was very pleasant.

[@carlharris2808]

Here is the info on the steam train now restored and painted it was a rusty wreck before =RENFE 240-2081 (Henschel 11526/1912, 1941 ex MZA 1101) derelict at Villanueva del Rio y Minas (Sevilla) station was the first of a large class of 120 2-8-0 built by Henschel for the Cia. de los FC de Madrid a Zaragoza y Alicante between 1912 and 1921. In 1942 94 locos of the class remained in service with RENFE at Alcázar de San Juan, Alicante, Ciudad Real, Córdoba, Mérida, Murcia, Sevilla and Madrid-Delicias. At the end of the 1940 some were transferred to Valencia. The last eight units of the class were withdrawn in 1968. Preserved 240-2081 also spent its time between its withdrawal and 1991 inside Sevilla-San Jerónimo depot and was then dumped at Sevilla-Majarabique freight yard until it was brought to Villanueva del Rio y Minas, an old mining town 42 km NE of Sevilla on the line from Los Rosales to Mérida.

[@moestrei]

Thank You, great info.

[@DylansTravelReports]

Thanks for the info 😁

[@Andrewjg_89]

Renfe trains are beautiful trains in Spain. And Spain itself is a wonderful country in Europe.

[@s125ish]

Indeed

[@Andrewjg_89]

👍

[@CristianFT86]

Great stuff!! I'm very familiar with the s-599 as it's widely used in the North-West aswell as many people use them for commuting. Here they operate on the REGIONAL branch between A Coruña and Vigo. On the s-599 takes there or thereabouts 2h and 10 min compared with the hour and a half the High-Speed MD service takes. It costs 6,30€ for a 37min trip between A Coruña and Santiago de Compostela on the same corridor on the s-599. The MD tickets cost 7,30€ for 28mins.

[@DanyZ103]

Villanueva del río y minas was a mining town. It supplied coal to the old company MZA and later to RENFE

[@carlacourt7216]

Good video. When I watch your video there are 3 essential checks WiFi check Toliet check Seat tour You forgot the WiFi check. Have you done a class 444 review first class on SWR yet.

[@pepejuega267]

Actualy only AVE trains and some cercanias trains has Wi Fi,

[@CityWhisperer]

It's a regional train travelling through the vast countryside. More often than not you won't find Wifi.

[@pepejuega267]

@@CityWhisperer Well other countries like Germany or France have it in all its services and renfe plans to install WiFi in regional trains soon

[@Humberto-F7]

At least it had wi-fi? ... thanks for the not cheap ride

[@TheArkamedBat]

With that scenery, who tf needs WiFi?

[@thomilsvlog4544]

9:17 - I wonder if Guadalcanal station offers onward connections with the Tokyo Express? 🤔🙃 Questionable jokes aside, another great video! Keep it up!

[@DylansTravelReports]

Thanks 😁

[@maxart3392]

Ask Drachinifel

[@BlackHoleSpain]

Guadalcanal island in the Pacific was named after this town, where the discoverer was born circa 1520

[@shirleynitka5030]

I'm always interested to see what you come up with. Pleasant journey thru Spain. I have to wonder, considering the heat, are the trains air conditioned? I'd hope so. Your legroom was generous. Your tray table with cup holder was nice. The price was a bit bad. Is this a well-travelled route or barely used? Maybe that accounts for the high price ticket. The train did seem a bit empty. Considering the cost, you'd think they could at least give you a snack & a drink. It would probably cost more in the States. Looking forward to Friday. Stay safe.

[@lindavainomae3489]

Thanks for another great video Dylan and for pointing out the interesting sites and towns along the way and what to see there. The stark countryside is really beautiful and I like the attractive cream and terracotta paint scheme for the stations.

[@danieltravelsspain7641]

If you think Acueducto de Los Milagros is in surprisingly good condition, you should see the Acueducto Romano in Segovia! It's in perfect condition 2000 years later! Great video btw.

[@ruhahani7816]

Can somebody tell me why does spanish standard iberian gauge made the trains run slower than the standard gauge that most high speed train used? I think the bigger rail gauge, the faster the train can go

[@isidestroller1731]

The reason its because Spain has a los of mountains, so when the rail líneas were made on the 19th century, the were made with a los of curves, so the locomotives couldnt go very fast. Un the partes were its a nice ride, i think they are more or leds equal to standar gauge, althroug se has pone of the most powerful stam locomotives of the time, the santa fe

[@morrisneedleman6981]

It’s probably just me, but I would love it if your reviews were of recent trips. Not all that interested in old trips when stuff changes so much. Any chance you could post in chronological order?

[@DylansTravelReports]

I don't post them in order as there wouldn't be much variety. I do have a playlist of everything in order though shouldbyou wish to watch them that way.

[@mdavid1955]

Beautiful countryside!

[@dannydanny9875]

Summer Vibes! 😀

[@SteveSmithRailways]

I'd love that kind of fare here in the UK. You seen the prices?

[@DylansTravelReports]

Yes, I've paid much less here for a journey of that length or even longer

[@JISJ1964]

Guadalcanal, I think it also has some importance in the history of the civil war of Spain.

[@judithcatlett8518]

The landscape reminds me or looks like, I should say, Arizona.

[@andrewwilson6240]

I do miss the RENFE jingle, and the ubiquitous recorded message "Tren con destino ..." It has been a while since I caught a cercanías or media distancia train. Hopefully soon again hopefully.

[@shivaprasad6311]

Superb vlog ❤️👌🏼

[@stevenmontoya9950]

Great video as always, Dylan! From what I understand, rail lines to and from Extremadura to other parts of Spain have always gotten the short end of the stick, which can lead to those extremely long travel times in that part of the country, so much so that they actually found that riding atop a donkey can go faster than the train itself. Not to mention these DMUs are prone to breakdowns and even a few fires since their introduction. All adding to the fact that the AVE line to Extremadura keeps getting delayed, Extremadurans have demanded the government invest more on it's conventional lines, "Un tren como Dios manda" (a train as God intended) as they say. Unfortunately that seems to be the case in the rest of Spain as well.

[@mlc1503]

Spaniard here. What you say here is completely true. Extremadura and the western part of Spain has always had bad connections by rail. Not only trains are very prone to fail while on journey, but when they actually do work, journey's can be up to 5h30' in the case of Cáceres-Madrid, which are 350km or so apart. It mostly comes down from the age of the rails being used, even some of them date back to the late 19th century! And because of it, trains have to go painfully slow. Now, it's not only Extremadura who suffers from it, every autonomous region suffers from it in som way or another. I'm from Valencia, the eastern part of Spain, and from 2011 we have had an AVE connection to Madrid. The AVE has diminished so much the use of the old conventional rail line, that since Jan 2021 the line has been closed because "it's not worth keeping" and because "it's not profitable". Which is a contradiction as these services are not profit seeking, but public obligation services. To sum up, its the government and Renfe who are to blame about the years of neglect conventional rail has been suffering on a national scale. So yeah, we need Un Tren Como Dios Manda

[@Neville60001]

@@mlc1503, that sounds a lot like what happens here in North America (Canada) with VIA Rail

[@s125ish]

@@mlc1503 is there not local services on the old line?

[@CityWhisperer]

@@mlc1503 The conventional line is not officially closed. A section suffered major damage during a storm so trains no longer run through there, but that's it for now.

[@katherinespencer2633]

Beautiful scenery, love you train trip videos.

[@DylansTravelReports]

Thank you!

[@SMILEVIDEOTRAINS]

nicely presented. thank you

[@dattaramphutane7473]

Nice video . Thanks

[@opagodaswirling9383]

Nice mural in Caceres station by the way. Hope you saw it when you returned to the station for departure -- to Madrid ? Fine video between two wonderful places .

[@simonnlaroche5438]

It would be nice if you could do some long distance super fast trains across Europe or alternatively the OBB Railjet all the way from Budapest to Zurich in winter, complete with multiple locos pulling it through western Austria on the uphill gradients and lots of snow!

[@luisstransport]

Great trip report

[@DylansTravelReports]

Thanks 😁

[@user-gc1ky2rf3y]

Is it the same train model as the DB 612?

[@pepejuega267]

Nope is made by caf and is totally different

[@samtrak1204]

Has Portugal agreed to pay for its section of the Lisbon-Madrid high speed line?

[@DylansTravelReports]

I'm not sure.

[@andrejohannzippelius1870]

I've travelled on renfe and always been a pleasant experience, AVE almost plane like😀

[@musgawp]

Just like being there, for me, stuck at home! Thank you for your videos. A quest for you; I want to go back to visit Barcelona again (been every decade since 70s). Avoiding flying (and driving) should I go ferry to N. Coast and train to Barcelona or Euro tunnel and train all the way. I expect flying is cheaper to me, but not so good. Thanks again for the videos, I’m glad you’ve found your voice, it adds so much.

[@michaelpilling531]

Greetings from Poland And excellent video Dylan. Full of facts and information that any prospective traveller would love to have. I loved the Spanish scenery flashing by the window. Your history fun facts were very interesting. Stay safe please and I'll see you again soon

[@Abnerbandanovotempoinscrito1mi]

Lindo trem Dylans boa tarde ai boa tarde ai renfe

[@michaelformaini7053]

A pleasant ride through Southern Spain. I was pleasantly surprised by the neat condition of most of the stations you passed through and the aqueduct ruins were an unexpected surprise. I wonder when Australia will catch up to Spain in terms of establishing very fast passenger services. Unfortunately not a politically high priority as most domestic long distance travel is done by air.

[@XTREAMER5423]

I was never been in Spain, but it's way better than Romania.

[@harold6640]

Good vid!

[@DylansTravelReports]

Thanks!

[@harold6640]

@@DylansTravelReports your welcome: video suggestion can u do a travel report for the service that runs between Southampton Central and Portsmouth& Southsea on SWR it is a really good route runs every hour on a 4 car 450

[@UNAITXU401]

Me alegro que te haya gustado el viaje porque las lineas de tren de Extremadura suelen estar en malas condiciones y suele haber bastantes averias y retrasos de trenes

[@carlosevilla87]

Eeeeh Sevilla, the city I where live

[@CynLG]

I enjoy your content. Thank you for sharing.

[@charsbob]

The countryside for this trip. could comfortably double for coastal Southern California, where I live. Remarkable.

[@louisthetravelspotter]

amazing locomotive and great interia and toilets are amazing

[@antoniorojas3903]

Porque salio de Sevilla con 5 minutos más tarde alguna avería o cruce igual que en los rosales??

[@DavidTaylor-v6o]

Dylan Over seas They do not seem to be as greedy as they are here in the states Here nothing is frees I that my bike on ferry it costs 1250 unless it has gone up in price The trains they are much more Aero dynamic They just cut the wind no drag

[@steveignots8123]

Scorching hot? How hot?

[@BlackHoleSpain]

Seville and Extremadura in June 2021? 38-42 ºC (100-107 ºF)

[@mstrmren]

I mostly take the coach in Spain because trains there a so expensive.

[@alejandrayalanbowman367]

We usually take the car - so useful for two dogs, a wheelchair and baggage.

[@victoralon8660]

Can you make a video about Renfe Feve? In northern Spain?

[@sergiocastellano5985]

going to Extremadura by train is quite of a meme here in Spain 😂.

[@budapestkeletistationvoices]

What was your foreign language for A levels ? I guess, not Castellano

[@markcollinson5665]

This makes you realise how lucky we are with our train services in the UK. I know you were in Standard Class, but even First Class in most European countries is inferior to ours. Rarely a complimentary offer outside the UK. Also, the towns you passed through on this journey looked so poor and run down. I've noticed that in other European countries, many towns look soulless, especially in residential areas. The UK is far from perfect but I think we're lucky here.

[@CityWhisperer]

Traveling through the least developed region has its cons. In any case, I think that trains in Germany are generally better than those in the UK, specially in terms of price.

[@telemachus53]

=27 GBP, which doesn't seem that much for a 4 hour journey.

[@olrikm]

A very enjoyable ride. Quite nice scenery of small cities, especially with that particular Spanish sunlight. Thanks!

[@PreNeanderthal]

Trouble with the window blinds on this and most trains is when you want the blind up to see the scenery, and the person in the seat behind wants it down because they want to read a book (that's one of those antiquated things with paper pages) or sleep - or vicky vercky.

[@khalidmasood3367]

Dear Good video shoot but use HD camera for high resolution results.....

[@JKVisFX]

Spain just is not on top of my list of places to visit. Though the sights are pretty nice, the weather is not. Entirely too hot and dry (Or is it humid there?) for my tastes; I'm a cool and green climate kind of guy tbh.

[@andybarcia4827]

I think you'll like more the north of Spain then. Much greener, and not that hot.

[@BlackHoleSpain]

Spain has a wide range of climates, from humid atlantic to dry continental to warmer mediterranean, even a proper desert in Almeria. The center and south of Spain are good to be visited in autumn, but the north and east in summer. Northern celtic coasts in the Cantabrian Sea (Bay of Biscay in English) look like Ireland.

[@Routevisual42]

When back in the UK, you should film a video on the Vantage buses- V1 and V2 down the busway

[@jm77_josemanuel]

The scenery is beautiful. But, it is way too expensive. Nice to see a highspeed in construction. Much needed line in Spain.

[@sathyanarayanan1654]

First view First like First comment

[@jgsburnett9532]

Not sure that it is that expensive. £30 buys me under 1 hour on GWR! Though it is a faster service but still less than half the distance.

[@kimmaughan7384]

HAPPY day

[@vaughnwilliams1208]

Yes expensive , I expected it to be much cheaper than that, and so late.

[@seandavies3968]

£28 for a 4 hour journey sounds pretty good to me compared to what we pay in the UK.

[@harryelliott4310]

Trains Station 🚉

[@prettymiffedbrit]

Did you see any 🐖?

[@Lacasika345]

Lamentablemente en España es así, el tren sea cual fuere hasta este que es la línea más básica de calidad es caro. Por eso recomiendo para viajes baratos It en autobus

[@donpoIlo2982]

First!

[@garethsmith2250]

Great Video ..Shame another famous travel KZbinr is now dling trains thou I don't watch him as he told porky when travelling during COVID then blocked me n others when we called him out.. great video as always

[@pedrorubiotejero_aka_prt]

Video's score: 8.5

[@moestrei]

...out of 8 👍😀

[@DylansTravelReports]

Thanks Pedro!

[@pedrorubiotejero_aka_prt]

@@moestrei Out of 10

[@fferram]

Ese tren era un s-598, no un s-599. That train was an s-598, not an s-599.

[@albe6253]

No. De frente se parecen pero no. El 599 lleva puertas de una hoja y el coche central con acceso PMR. El 598 lleva puertas de doble hoja, y cómo mucho alguna unidad lleva elevador para PMR.

[@fferram]

¡ostras, es verdad, es un s-599, me confundí!👍

[@liamlikesmsm]

Second

[@mrelano65]

Great scenery. Still cheaper than the UK which is, quite frankly, a rip off. It just isn't value for money.

[@JimJohnsonPhotographer]

No t been to Spain but the countryside is sure ugly.