REVIEW | Renfe AVE in Premium from Barcelona-Sants to Córdoba

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.

At first we booked tickets to travel from Barcelona-Sants in Catalonia to Córdoba in Andalusia via Madrid Puerta de Atocha in Madrid (Castile). But at one point tickets became available on the 7:32 AM direct train so we changed. Surely, it meant two reviews less to blog (one lounge, one train), but a direct, long-journey train is so much more pleasant.

Boarding

After security – and in our case the Sala Club – you wait in line to board, where you ticket is checked. As in an airport. Then it’s on your way to your seat. We sat in the first coach, which is a Premium (first class) coach.

The train

In 2001 Siemens won one half of Renfe’s tender to supply 32 high-speed trains for the Madrid – Barcelona high-speed rail line, offering a modified version of the ICE 3 high-speed train used by Deutsche Bahn for its InterCityExpress service. Changes involved an up-rate to higher power (8,800 kW or 11,800 hp) for higher acceleration and top speed to cover the 651 km (405 mi) between Barcelona and Madrid in 2h30m, the ability to operate in a high range of temperatures, and a different interior.

The ICE 3 trains were a joint production with other Germany-based train manufacturers, who refused to supply parts or sell licenses to Siemens for the AVE Class 103. This caused a delay, for which Siemens eventually paid €21 million, during which Siemens had to re-develop the missing components.

However, at the end of this development, Siemens had a complete high-speed train platform, which it named Velaro. The AVE Class or Serie 103 was intended as only the second member of a whole family after ICE 3, therefore, it was named by Siemens as the Velaro E.

The AVE S103 has been certified to run at 350 km/h (217 mph). During testing between Madrid and Zaragoza, on 16 July 2006, train 005 reached 403.7 km/h (250.8 mph).

This is both the current national rail speed record for Spain, and also the current speed record for a normal series train in standard configuration.

In 2005, Renfe ordered a further ten identical trains (Siemens designation Velaro E2). Currently, all 26 trains from both orders have been delivered and are in service.

Life on board

Premium or first class resembles the Deutsche Bahn ICE first class, with the same hard but ergonomic seats. As per usual, we sat at a table. Roomy overhead racks, two (!) power outlets per passenger, a large window. The cabin is not revolutionary but is very fit for purpose.

There is WiFi and a few in-train entertainment options. Overhead screens showed films, which you can listen to via an audio output as in airplanes. That will keep us busy for the long journey. Not that we actually did follow the films.

Danny is also adamant the English voice of the automated announcements is that of actress Lesley-Ann Brandt (‘Captain Fall‘ on Netflix), from South Africa. Her accent and voice is distinctive.

Catering

A full meal was included in our fare. First, the attended distributed hot towels. A very North American thing to do.

Then we received a paper menu in four languages: Castillan, Catalan, something else (Galician?) and English. The meals are designed by Ramón Freixa, a two-Michelin-stars, three-Repsol-suns chef.

Our breakfast meal consisted of “manchego cheese and basil fritter accompanied by creamed spinach with nutmeg, roast pumpkin and grilled ham and basil oil”. Of course there was bread and as a dessert Greek yoghurt with raisins and apple sauce.

Add to that butter, jam, tea or coffee…

Pretty to the eye and tasty indeed. A nice portion as well.

We were impressed. Unfortunately that was it. The attendant did offer some extra water after the meal, but for the rest of the journey, food or drinks weren’t included. We even felt the extra water wasn’t really official policy.

That’s a bit stingy. Coming back for non-alcoholic drinks would have been nice.