A Renfe AVE Class 100 train at Sevilla Santa Justa, opened in 1991 for Spain's first high-speed line.
Photo: Carlos Teixidor Cadenas / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)Madrid to Seville by Train
A domestic route within Spain.
Reviewed by Eurotraintrip on 2026-07-30
- Duration
- 2h 20m – 3h 00m
- Price from
- 13 EUR
- Distance
- 471 km
- Operators
- Renfe AVERenfe AvloiryoOuigo Espana
- Frequency
- Around 14 Renfe AVE departures per direction daily, plus additional Avlo, iryo and Ouigo services
Compare and book Madrid–Seville tickets
Check pricesWhat makes Madrid to Seville different
- This was Spain's first-ever high-speed line, opened 21 April 1992 — built in a rush (construction ordered in 1989, only about 24 months of build time) specifically to be ready for Expo '92 in Seville, 16 years before the Madrid-Barcelona AVE existed.
- Renfe's original 1992 marketing on this exact line promised a full ticket refund if the AVE arrived more than 5 minutes late — a guarantee unique to Madrid-Sevilla at the time, scrapped systemwide in July 2016 in favor of today's standard 50%/100% refund at 60/90 minutes delay.
- Ouigo only began running Madrid-Sevilla in December 2025, years after it launched on Madrid-Barcelona and Madrid-Valencia — one of the last major AVE corridors Ouigo entered, and its schedule here is still much thinner than its Barcelona service.
Madrid station
Departs from Madrid Atocha (Puerta de Atocha), reached via Atocha Renfe metro (Line 1); security screening is required before reaching the platforms, so allow at least 25-30 minutes after arriving at the station.
Seville station
Arrives at Sevilla Santa Justa, opened in 1991 specifically for this Madrid-Sevilla line and now Spain's third-busiest station (about 12.7 million passengers in 2024) after Madrid Atocha and Barcelona Sants. It is not on Seville's single metro line — the nearest stop, Nervion (Line 1), is about a 15-minute walk.
Train vs. other options
Flying takes about 1h10m in the air, but Seville airport has no metro or train link (bus or taxi only) and sits well outside the center, while Santa Justa is a 15-20 minute walk or short bus ride from the old town — so once transfers are counted, the roughly 2h30m train is frequently no slower door-to-door. Driving is around 530km via the A4 motorway, close to 5 hours.
Booking tips
- Book 2-3 months ahead for the cheapest AVE fares — as with all Spanish high-speed routes, prices climb as the departure date nears.
- iryo's very cheapest fares (from about 13 EUR) apply to a limited number of its daily departures, not all of them — check the specific train time, not just the headline price.
- Ouigo's Madrid-Sevilla service (launched December 2025) stops at Cordoba on every departure, so its cheap fares aren't the fastest option if you want a nonstop-style run.
Good to know: The three low-cost/challenger brands aren't interchangeable on this route the way they are on Madrid-Barcelona: iryo's cheapest fares cover only a handful of its daily trains, and Ouigo's Madrid-Sevilla trains all route via Cordoba, so comparing 'cheapest fare' across operators without checking the specific departure and stops can be misleading.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the train from Madrid to Seville?
The fastest AVE services take around 2 hours 20-30 minutes. Trains that stop at Cordoba and other intermediate stations, including all current Ouigo departures, take closer to 3 hours.
How much does the train from Madrid to Seville cost?
The cheapest advance fares (currently iryo's) start from around 13 EUR, though standard AVE fares typically run from about 23-25 EUR upward depending on how early you book.
Is Madrid-Sevilla the original AVE line?
Yes — it opened on 21 April 1992 as Spain's first-ever high-speed line, built to coincide with Expo '92 in Seville, 16 years before the Madrid-Barcelona AVE launched in 2008.