Six days. Five overnight stays in five cities in Spain. Lunch in Paris. Stopover in Barcelona. Then Córdoba, Seville, Granada and Málaga. An Andalusia Whirlwind Tour where we visit the Mezquita and the Alhambra. We’re touring Andalusia in October 2023 to follow the trend of travelling to hot spots outside summer, as we did with Italy in 2022. 

Before boarding our AVE from Barcelona-Sants to Córdoba Central, we had an early breakfast at the Sala Club or Club Lounge by Renfe. Renfe, or Renfe-Operadora is Spain’s main and national train operator. It succeeded the previous Red nacional de los ferrocarriles españoles (Renfe). Infrastructure is managed by Administrador de infraestructuras ferroviarias (Adif). 

Adif also runs (most of) the railway stations and sometimes also does the ticketing. Not unlike an airport managing company. 

Airport style

Large and modern stations in Spain look like airport. There aren’t that many trains departing and Spain having a history of / with bombings, you must go through a light for form of airport security. Especially your bags. 

So, take this into account and don’t show up last minute to catch your train.

Sala Club at Barcelona Sants

Railway stations lounges are not as elaborate or luxurious as business class or first class lounges at airports. Usually they’re quite sparce. And so is or was the Sala Club at Barcelona-Sants.

Still, there are some seats, chairs and tables. You can have warm drinks, fresh drinks and some packaged breakfast items. There were also apples. 

There’s not much more to say about the Sala Club. It’s a calm place to wait before boarding your train, which also is organised airport-style. 

List of Salas Club

Click here for the list of Salas Club. Click here to see if you’re eligible.

Railway station lounges

• FrecciaCLUB at Firenze Santa Maria Novella.
• PHOTOS | Salon Grand Voyageur lounge at Paris Gare de Lyon.
• REVIEW | Thalys Lounge at Brussels South/Midi station.
• GWR First Class Lounge at London Paddington.
• REVIEW | Avanti West Coast Lounge London Euston station.

2023 Andalusia Whirlwind Tour

1. Visiting Gibraltar in 2013.
2. REVIEW | Eurostar Amsterdam – Antwerp – Brussels – Paris in 2023.
3. PARIS | Restaurant Le Train Bleu at the Gare de Lyon.
4. REVIEW | SNCF TGV inOui from Paris-Gare-de-Lyon to Barcelona-Sants.
5. REVIEW | Hotel Barcelo Sants.
6. Intermezzo: Spain saw a surge of Belgians visiting in the first quarter of 2024.