The RETURN of Renfe AVE in France - Marseille to Madrid at 300km/h for JUST €29!

[@reggytwobit]

As a Spaniard I'm so happy you review Spanish trains 🥰🥰 Greetings from Madrid!

[@bobolebien]

Spain can very proud of its rail network.

[@reggytwobit]

@@bobolebien Sadly it's only a fake ilusion. Renfe and Adif are closing hundreds of km of conventional rail

[@diegomatamoros3940]

@@bobolebienproud of high speed but after building those lines they close the conventional lines and the ave only stops at the capital cities so not good for everyone

[@akbk2505]

​@@bobolebienVery proud of this high-speed insanity, yes. Smaller lines closed down, night-trains goodbye. This is the wrong way.

[@Villarreal863]

That's a lie​@reggytwobit

[@AL5520]

Great Video and I'm glad to see more Spanish train reviews. There are reviews but for a country with the second largest high speed rail network and a very competitive one there are very few of them. As for the video itself, I have to clarify a few things about the France Spain rail connection. Unfortunately there are a few countries in Europe that tries to block, or at least postponed competition and France is one of the major ones. While Spain completely separated infrastructure (done by Adif) and embraced open access rail operation France (and others, like Germany) just created two subsidiaries within the same company so SNCF is responsible for both. The cooperation between Renfe and SNCF ended by SNCF, not Renfe and while SNCF was able to continue operation in Spain France refused to let Renfe operate in France, even though they did it for years. They insisted on an intentionally long approval process with many delays, which is why it took so long for Renfe to come back to France. The other way France prevents competition is the lack of full high speed connection between the two countries. The fill HSR connection was suppose to be finished years ago but they deliberately refuse to do it here, and on the Atlantic side with the HSR connection to Irún in Basque Country. A few months ago they stated that the two connections will only happen in 2045 and after a complaint by Spain to the EU they said that it might not be that long. BTW, they are obligated to finish that until 2032, as stated by the EU corridor plan. As for the number if trains. Renfe is a bit stretched right now with high speed rolling stock as the new Talgo AVRIl sets is long overdue and should be delivered in November. For France, they only agreed to approve the current sets (as they are basically TGV) but an AVRIL oset is undergoing tests in France (for a very very long time) so once approved they will use it to operate the rout to PAris (planned for now to spring/summer 2024). Once the AVRIL sets enter regular service they will be able to add trains on all their routs, in Spain and in France. There is also a plan to operate a more local high speed service between Southern France and Catalunya and the Catalan rail company FGC wants to operate this line. Another connection, under construction from the Spanish side but delayed on the French side, is the return of the old standard gauge line through the Pyrenees from Canfranc.

[@BlackHoleSpain]

The Mid-Pyrenees project (Zaragoza-Toulouse) is also cancelled due to lack of interest in the french side to construct a €400M tunnel

[@Sayitlikitiz101]

​@@BlackHoleSpain My guess is that France, as a net contributor to the EU budget, doesn't have the extra EU cash to throw at vanity projects that don't yield a net profit for their taxpayers. Spain doesn't have that problem seeing that all its beautiful high-speed service came courtesy of the European taxpayer, which is why Spain can't be as protective as FRA or GER. Otherwise, Spain still has the best ham in the world.

[@kenw7287]

A high speed railway on the Basque coastline would allow for a more direct and faster service from Paris to Madrid. This would also allow for service to Galicia and by extension Porto (if not Lisbon) as there are less mountains compared to the old night train between Madrid and Lisbon

[@mariadelmarjimenezarroyo]

This is what I've been waiting for months. Well done

[@SegundoHectorAlvarezMari-jh3pc]

Hermoso tren

[@mariadelmarjimenezarroyo]

I've got to say your video style has improved sice a while 😊😊😊😊😊

[@MattNav]

Great job with the review and this was fun to watch as I'll be trying out the full length this route in October as I also snagged one of the €29 tickets from Marseille to Madrid. This was a great sneak peek😎

[@anthonywarrener1881]

Thank you for this excellent video. I completely agree about the RENFE. S100 trains, for they are superb. Your unit was 27 years old, but you would never believe that ! The fare was amazing, and glad the onboard service was good. I have ridden in these trains between Madrid and Seville, and just like yours, they were excellent in every way, being spotlessly clean, and very fast ! The Siemens Class 103s are also good to ride in, and are also used between Madrid Atocha, and Barcelona, and Seville. Well worth a ride !😊

[@downonthestour]

Never thought I'd see a Mr Bean Reference in a Midland London video lol! excellent once again!!

[@John-qq8he]

There are some great rail deals available in Spain. Last week I travelled on Iryo ( new independent operator) from Madrid to Malaga for 32€. In a fantastic Italian train!

[@cesarchoya6961]

The train is actually is Hitachi so Japan brand, the company Iryo is no just Italian as also Spanish 50/50, and actually the trains were manufactured new in Zaragoza so Spanish manufacturing. You may still may branded as Italian …

[@the_train3530]

Great video mate, looks like a great service!

[@mohammedmay]

I think it looks amazing in the white colours.

[@marioluxrodriguez5048]

Hi! What app do you use to mesure speed?

[@mariadelmarjimenezarroyo]

Please do a lot of reviews on Spanish trains

[@BlackHoleSpain]

Figueres is the Catalan name, where the last "e" is just a schwa "ə" instead. In Spanish, the name is Figueras, but the stress is in the middle syllable "gue" (pronounced ge, the u is silent).

[@maxeany]

12:28. Really cool app, what’s it’s name?

[@budapestkeletistationvoices]

it's an okay legroom for Standard class

[@MediSpring]

oh, very clean train station in Marseille. I was there in august and it was a total mess.

[@andalusrise]

Hi Is there any police checking passport?

[@claramente8087]

5:00 hours from Marselle to Barcelona and....2:45 hours from Barcelona to Madrid?

[@jorgyjojo3581]

That is what happens when France doesn't want to upgrade their tracks heading to Spain to high speed rails

[@javiermartingonzalez4759]

The first line in all Europ is in 1992 MADRID-SEVILLA

[@ferenc6677]

Pas du tout, la première LGV a été Paris Lyon en 1981

[@maybeonastick]

What speed app do you use? It looks better than the one I’ve got

[@ringo7561]

What would a first class reservation cost with a first class Eurail pass?

[@lukekingsland4813]

Years ago I often travelled on cross border renfe services and they used to give out headphones for the entertainment that never played in france. Copyright issues?

[@markvogel5872]

Any high speed sleeper services?

[@BlackHoleSpain]

Nope, none of the operating companies in Spain (Renfe, Ouigo, Iryo) have such a service. In fact, sleepers over conventional lines were also cancelled many years ago.

[@budapestkeletistationvoices]

@@BlackHoleSpain que pasó con los coches de trenes de noche? Estan aparcado en un depot?

[@titteryenot4524]

Lol. Why would you want a ‘high speed sleeper’? 🥴 You’re asleep! 🤣

[@markvogel5872]

@@titteryenot4524 Because maybe I'd want a late night service that gets me where I need to go and doesn't take 36 hours. You ever try sleeping on a long distance flight? It sucks.

[@titteryenot4524]

@@markvogel5872 If you need to get there quicker, don’t take a sleeper! 🤣👍

[@fatwalletboy2]

You really dont get any sense youre doing 300kmh from the passenger seat but look how quick each catenary mast whips by........ Wonder how long the same trip would take by car?

[@lucasresno2076]

29€? I took a look for a train ticket in 10 days the cheapest one was over 300€ ... One way... most days can't even find a train on their website

[@aferre]

That basically means that the train is full. It has been a successful service so starting from October there will be a daily service (rather than only during weekends). You cannot find the 29€ tickets anymore as the promotion ended, but now there are 59€ tickets. If you book around 2 weeks ahead.

[@williamkettle8666]

Agree about white trains and trams. Shows lack of imagination

[@jamesgoodman1733]

3rd

[@taxi134-y1q]

Ziffit do NOT,as they claim turn books into money fast.They are way too particular about which books they buy.As for the amounts they pay....a pittance.You need A LOT of books to make any sort of money...seller beware.

[@WalterHopevalleyrailwayenthusi]

Nothing worse than screaming bratz

[@joelimbergamo639]

The closer you get to the border the more people get on. This is bc no other trains go through the border and taking the TGV closer to the border is cheaper.