This is how public transport should be - affordable, reliable, efficient (quick) and with comfort. You'd be hard pressed to travel that distance in a car for a similar price just on the fuel leaving maintenance to one side (and that's not to mention it would take twice as long). Lovely.

Really liking the Frecciarossa - its a fine design and high tech

For a Canadian that looks like a space craft. Our trains are from the 50's I think. We are getting new trains for VIA but they go a lot slower and that makes Canada feel even bigger. Wish we could get trains like IRYO some day.

did the same journey pre Iryo and I must admit I can't imagine how the trip we did would be improived. - their trains are a completely different form of transport compared to what we laughingly call rail transport here in Australia.

Please try the Executive class in a Frecciarossa 1000 in Italy one day, trust me, you will be amazed😉😉

The best trains from every manufacturer are running in the best high speed infrastructure In Europe. Well done Spain 🇪🇸 (Hitachi, Talgo, CAF, Siemens and Alstom)

The liberalisation of Spanish rail was a good thing, I live in Zaragoza and train travel used to be, as you said, 70€ of more for standard class, since the liberalisation I’ve travelled for less than 15€, which is what the average (4h bus trip) from Madrid costs. By the way Requena-Utiel in the Madrid-Valencia high speed line gets 30-40 passengers a day, and Tardienta, which is on an upgraded line (Zaragoza-Huesca), but gets full service AVE service got around 2 passengers a day in 2020, with 2015 data saying 8 passengers a day.

wow, what fun. Here in Queensland, Australia, our "high speed" tilt train runs at a massive 100kph - if you're lucky - on the odd straight stretch. (marketing quotes 'top speed' of 160. LOL)

Nice to see the Frecciarossa spreading its wings. I live in Turin and regularly see Frecciarossas, Italos and TGVs passing through Porta Susa. I have had the opportunity to ride the Frecciarossa and it's a great train. Still yet to try out the Italo, perhaps on my next trip to Milano.

Fantastic train ride! Congratulations to Spain for making such a great investment!!

€59 for 600km is less than 10 cents per km. And that for a first class product. I have to try this some day!

Thank you for a great video. I will have to try this service ! The trains look stunning, and the whole ambience looks really up to date and modern.

10:40 A small comment on those carriages on the outskirts of Zaragoza: AFAIK they belong to the local friends of rail association (AZAFT). That means that while Renfe has indeed mistreated them, they are in line for an eventual renovation and refurbishment as museum pieces or tourist trains, if money is ever available. You won't see most Renfe coaches like this, they're either sold or scrapped!

It looks interesting. I will definitely try this train the next time I am in Spain.

2:45h for 626km is crazy fast wow

Awesome review of an absolutely beautiful train! Thanks for sharing.

Frecciarossa 1000, or ETR 400, the trainsets which are used on the Iryo, are amazing even in Italy (I rode on them a few times), and besides also operate the Milan Centrale-Paris high speed service, which is one hour shorter than the TGV from Porta Garibaldi

I wish something like this was possible in Germany and southeast Europe. If somebody is ready to build a railroad just for the fast passenger trains, DB would finally get its monopoly a.. Whooped. So that customer service gets better too.

Fantastic value on such a quality service, open access has brought about a monumental change in high speed travel in spain.

I took a lot of different high speed trains in Europe and the iryo is by far my favorite. The cabin is sooo beautiful and even in the normal class, the seats are extremely spacious

I traveled from Barcelona to Zaragoza on AVE a few months ago. I had a very nice experience and paid 45 euros roundtrip (but just because I had a pretty tight schedule, otherwise there would have been even cheaper options). Spain is having quite a similar trend to Italy: fares dropped, and high-speed trains are gaining momentum mostly thanks to competition on the busiest lines and both private and public carriers operating there. In Italy, competition has also made it possible for some high-speed trains to travel to Calabria or Apulia where there are no high-speed lines (it must be pretty inefficient for Frecciarossa and Italo to travel there, but I guess they can partially make up for it thanks to the revenues they get from Northern Italy's high-speed lines and from the Milan-Rome high-speed line). The Milan-Rome high-speed line even contributed to Alitalia's downfall! And Frecciarossa is faring pretty well on the Paris-Lyon/Lyon-Milan line too.

A fantastic video! Thanks a lot!

Being used to the notorious delayed German Deutsche Bahn and the not so impressive speed on most German high speed railways, I am literally flashed. And jealous.

I really enjoyed this video. You took care of mentioning every necessary detail. The train looks beautiful and comfortable. I might take a journey by plane from London to Barcelona and take that train to Madrid and back (or fly to Madrid and vice-versa). Thank you!

Yes, Canada definitely needs high speed rail!

Really nice video about a really nice train! And the price is awesome as well.

I love your videos, i love your voice. Nothing calms me down and helps me unwind like your videos. It also helps that I adore trains

I live in Barcelona and I use to go to Madrid every two weeks, some times every week. Tested all companies in all classes. Iryo is my new favorite friend too. They are the best.

Magnificant ride inside the train from Barcelona to Madrid, i liked it 5 stars, keep up the great work, my friend, Greetings from Portugal to the UK.

Great video! Only a tiny thing: Zaragoza is the 5th city in Spain, not the 10th. It has 750.000 people.

I love your videos. Thanks!

I rode these trains last month from Madrid to Seville and back. Fantastic. Comfortable. Smooth. On time. Couldn't ask for more.

About Sants Estació: It also has a Metro Station in building, wich means that transfering from or to the train from Metro is possible and quite easy. And you have 2 metro lines, blue line and green line which goes straight to the city center. Plus on the back of the train station there is a small bus station also if you want to go somewhere outside the city. You can do so by using Rodalies Renfe trains also. Let's say it's a small hub as you can use the train, arrive to the station head to the airport by bus/train or metro (or taxi) and fly away also.

Loved this video 🫶🏻. I really want to travel on this train 🚂 from Madrid to Malaga 👏🏻. Thanks for posting.

My God that looks amazing!

The northeast United States needs high speed trains that hold speeds higher than 300mph. I can't believe how far behind the world we are.

I always feel so excited everytime that I go from my city Penafiel to Pocinho by the Douro Line

This appears to be rather nice and comfortable. Not as pricey as I thought it might be..... ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I feel like a lot of the quality of this service is down to the Frecciarossa rolling stock which is arguably just the best trainset in europe. Outstanding stuff.

Great video. Just a few more details. 1. Sants is Ok but as you said, it 's almost 50 years old so it's about to go through a huge renovation that includes additional space above (instead of the parking), adding green spaces around the station and opening path through for pedestrians. 2. Open access is not just for selected touts (it applies to all long distance lines) but the private competitors choose what they believe will be profitable But if successful I'm sure they will add more routs. Some routs are still with Iberian gauge which is problematic. Most high speed lines are standard gauge but there are a few are with Iberian gauge but there is a plan (supported by the EU) to change this and the high speed line to Galicia is about to be converted to standard gauge and will become more attractive for other operators. The new line to Basque country (AKA Basque Y) should be open in 2023 and would also be a candidate for Iryo and OuiGo. 3. This train does have an official speed of 400k ph but there are no lines that permit those speeds. The Barcelona Madrid line officially supports 350kph but the allowed speed is currently 300 kph and up to 310 kph in specific cases.

Frecciarossa is soooo good, traveled with it in Italy in first class. My best train experience in Europe.

That is an amazing deal! I imagine that would beat prices for flying. Not to mention it’s always nice to see the countryside. Cheers

13:47 wrong, it is actually Tardienta station, on the high speed branch from Zaragoza to Huesca. It’s a big regional railway station, as it is a major junction, but only serves about 1000 passengers per year. A few other lesser used stations are Puente Genil-Herrera, A Gudiña-Porta de Galicia, Villanueva de Córdoba-Los Pedroches, Requena-Utiel and Orihuela-Miguel Hernández (which is very used now but I predict passenger figures will drop once the AVE reaches Murcia next Tuesday, about 20km away, which is also my home town)

Looking forward to taking the train with Iryo next week.

Great & very informative video. It’s great that Europe, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, China and some of the North African and Middle Eastern countries are investing in and building high speed train lines.

As person who lives in Barcelona. I have recently tested Iryo and NOT GOING BACK to renfe. So if you have any doubt tried. I am even willing to pay than renfe.

Used the Frecciarossa from Milan to Naples in 2019, fantastic journey, loved it, beats a uk cl153 hands down 🤣

Up until 2019, I had been travelling from London to Girona and vice versa twice a year by train since 1988. Never have I got bored with the trip in either direction but for actual excitement then I suppose my first TGV experience [Rouen-Montpellier] in June 1988 was pretty much up there.

Frecciarossa was also to me a stunning positive experience. Prior to the pandemic we took the train Naples to Rome. Such a smooth ride, and the Italian design seems to be true to its reputation: Simply the best, function and beauty in form and shape. Every time I rode one of these trains, everything was spotless clean and worked.

Wonderful review.

Marvelous train ride. I can only wish.

Awesome 😎😎😎

I've watched a fair few of your videos (and subscribed) and this is without any doubt the best looking and most stylish of all I've seen so far. Last time I was in Spain Franco was still in power so everything looks much better.

Looks great!

Thank u for sharing😍 Another useful content besides European rail offer video😌 Hope everyone enjoy their travel to Europe 🚂

Nice Video as Always. At 10:42 yes its so sad to see how Renfe takes cares of the Estrella coaches not doing Sleeper service since 2015 . And what trip reports you will do in Spain Next? . You to try the Talgo VII its verry rare onlly serving the Valencia to Barcelona intercty route this train problably is Best you could get .Here a Tip on Journeys you should do Next on Spain Zaragoza to Canfranc aboard the Renfe 594 TDR a simple train but facitating history and The Canfranc Station will leave you speachless

Can't wait to try it soon.

I've travelled the first class standard some few years back from Barcelona to Madrid. An excellent service and quaily of train.

I've traveled with Iryo from Valencia to Madrid and the ticket was 9€, incredible service and seating even for the most basic ticket. Then I've used Renfe from Madrid to Santander for 55€. Pricey knowing it's slower but Talgo trains are something else, even when it's an older car.

thanks for this, now i know what i will use any time i am in spain. public transport and high speed rail is the way.

Great video

What a nice train and what a great video! By the way Superalbs, if you get annoyed by abandoned sleeper coaches, DON'T check out the Talgo high-speed capable sleeper carriages that are being converted to regular passenger coaches for Avril trainsets or simply scraped because Renfe, when everybody else is embracing night trains again, can see no use for them, as it is not even going to resume the night services to Lisboa that where cancelled with the pretext of the pandemic. They are at Talgo's base in Pancorbo, you can see them covered with graffiti on Street View as the AP 1 goes by the Fertiberia silo.

The train looks great, with interior and design topping everything I've seen so far on a high speed train. The price was fantastic as well. It seems "too cheap" actually. I find it hard to believe that they would actually turn a profit, given the investment in rolling stock, the cost of catering and the amount of staff that seemed to be present. But I guess that is on them to calculate :D I just hope this goes well and they can establish themselves long term. Can they use the rail for free? Or do they have to pay a fee for every mile run and every station they stop at, plus win a bidding war for the "timeslots" of line occupation they want to run. (Like they have to in Germany for example, where competition for DB on long distance trains is struggling a lot).

That looks not bad at all. I will add it to my must-do list whenever I go to Spain.

Superb job

Very, very excited for my first IRYO ride, Malaga to Cordoba, on 3rd July.

Great video.

looks great

I wish Trenitalia would retrofit their seats to Iryo colours in Italy. The Spanish version is much more elegant than the Italian one, especially in standard class.

Looks like a nice journey. I watched it in the departures lounge at Heathrow T5; train travel is so much more enjoyable than flying, but sadly Eurostar and the TGV would have been prohibitively expensive.

Love your videos

I really enjoyed my second high speed train trip from Naples to Ancona in the FrecciaRossa service, my first one was in the Eurostar(i believe) from London to Paris but did not enjoy it as much basically because i was a child and didn’t appreciated it yet.

Yummy Ginger & Lemon Tea. Thank you for your review.

That’s impressive.

Sweet looking!!!

Arriving 8 min earlier ! wow that is great

I’d book Infinita Class as well. Looks luxurious as well as the meal service … although I would have chosen a different meal option if offered. 😉👍🏻

That looks like amazing value for money!

Italian Red Arrow 👌🏻💪

Damn, send some to Chicago and the rest of the USA please!!!

Nice!

I want to go on that beauty!

With the liberalisation of the railways, you are no longer free to choose your level of comfort. I booked a train trip from Brussels to Nice with SNCF. The only option at a decent hour of the day included an Ouigo between CDG and Marseille, with minimal comfort. No meals on board, limited luggage or you have to pay extra, cycles had to be packed,... The return trip turned out to be an Inoui. So, you book a round trip, and you discover that the return trip is 50% more expensive than the outbound journey, just because they use different trains.

From all the comments and regardless of how good or bad may be some of the features/services of high speed rail in Spain, I wished we had high speed rail on the US West Coast. Three weeks ago I had a chance to take the Renfe high speed rail from Madrid to Barcelona. The economy class was great, onboard food service was good and most of all it was a smooth fast ride all the way. The train left on time and arrived on time. The Estacion Madrid Atocha and Barcelona Sants stations were nice and clean.

Asia and Europe have beautiful modern high speed trains. We in the US have - uh, Amtrak. :(

Wow, this is great value for money. Awesome train! I take it an earlier ride on a more frequented connection would have been more expensive?

very good video

Great trip, Great lounge, and Great food. Looks like Iryo becoming most favourite High Speed Train in Europe by Trip Reporter.

It's a beautiful train (I just hope the HS2 version is as nice) and it's good to see a new operator that isn't going for the bottom of the market. But do they really need so many fare classes?

Food looks great, a bit like what you could get on a Long-Haul flight in Business Class!

I knew you will do this train

3:04 Please do a review on AVLO Also, very good and convenient video. I am going to travel in Iryo to Málaga in August, so thank you for sharing it

Try the S103 Velaro from Renfe in Preferente class before declaring Iryo the winner. IMHO they are even better than DB's ICE3

Apart from the questionable lounge at Barcelona, this train, line and service looks really impressive. This is what the UK needs if we want to draw people back to the railways and compete with domestic flights between London and Scotland. Albie, I'd be interested to know, now that you've sampled so many open access operator services, what is your opinion on them as a concept? I've heard many positives about them but also some negatives. There's a guy on KZfaq called Gareth Dennis who is a UK permanent way engineer who has said several times that he doesn't think true competition on the railways really possible and he feels like open access operators just suck profits out of the system where state owned operators could run the same service just as well and cheaper. Yet your comments here about Renfe seem to indicate the opposite. Do you think it varies by country due to local differences in policy and structure? Do you think the UK should do it more or should scrap it?

I frequently travel between Madrid and Barcelona and I must admit it is the best highspeed train service in Spain. By far better than the OuiGo one offered by SNCF

My wife and I did the same run using Renfe in 2019. I don't remember the exact cost (we took the standard class, which was all you need for a few hours' trip), but it was more than the airfare - maybe close if airport-city taxi fares were included. But the city centre-to-city centre convenience made it the only way to go. It's great to see some competition puling down the cost and pulling up the quality.

Pretty excited for my thalys trip from adam to paris

Booked Malaga to Madrid for next May on Iryo

I did a few train rides during my travels in Spain. Iryo was definitely an awesome trip. Beautiful comfortable seats. I rode Madrid to Valencia with zero stops for 39 euros. We were MOVING! It was a nice smooth ride and we were arrived a little early. I did have another trip on Renfe from Cadiz to Valencia that was pretty awful. It was 8 hours of bumping side to side. Not sure why. I don't get motion sick. But I felt scrambled afterward.

I have never been excited FOR a train journey (or anyTHING else) although I have been excited BY many things. You are excited FOR a person, never a thing. Once upon a time, people used to know simple things like this.