Starting today, Renfe has made tickets available for the two new AVE (high-speed) routes that sees the company start its solo operations in France, linking 17 destinations on both sides of the border, connecting Lyon to Barcelona and Marseille to Barcelona and Madrid. Tickets, for travel until the end of October, can be purchased on Renfe's website (www.renfe.com), sales app, travel agencies and over the phone.
Ticket sales have been launched with campaign to make the company competitive on the French market, with AVE (high-speed) tickets for travel within France available for just 9 euros. This means that passengers can experience Spanish high-speed between destinations including Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Avignon, Béziers, Aix-en-Provence and Narbonne.
The Barcelona-Lyon AVE (high-speed) route will be launched on 13 July to coincide with one of the most important bank holidays in France, celebrated the day after its National Day. The Madrid-Barcelona-Marseille route will be launched two weeks later, on 28 July.
To celebrate the restoration of the direct train connection between Lyon and Marseille to Spain, now with AVE (high-speed) services, there will be two launch prices for international routes: 19 euros for travel from Montpellier or Narbonne to Barcelona, Zaragoza or Madrid and 29 euros for the complete route, connecting Marseille and Lyon with Spain.
Details of the service
The AVE (high-speed) service between Barcelona and Lyon will connect Barcelona Sants, Girona, Figueres Vilafant, Perpignan, Narbonne, Béziers, Montpellier-St-Roch, Nîmes, Valence TGV and Lyon Part Dieu, departing Barcelona at 8.22 a.m. and returning from Lyon at 2.30 p.m. The travel time from the start of the route to the end will be five hours.
The AVE (high-speed) service on the Madrid-Marseille route will be launched on 28 July and connect Guadalajara Yebes, Zaragoza Delicias, Camp de Tarragona, Barcelona Sants, Girona, Figueres Vilafant, Perpignan, Narbonne, Béziers, Montpellier-St-Roch, Nîmes, Avignon-TGV, Aix-en-Provence TGV and Marseille-St Charles.
STATION |
BARCELONA-LYON9736 |
MADRID-MARSEILLE9724 |
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ESTACIÓN |
LYON - BARCELONA 9743 |
MARSEILLE - MADRID 9731 |
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Progressive roll-out
Renfe will progressively roll out its AVE (high-speed) services in France starting on 13 July. The service will start with journeys from Friday to Monday on the Lyon-Barcelona corridor (except for the first day of service, which will be a Thursday).
The Madrid-Barcelona-Marseille AVE (high-speed) service, which launches on 28 July, will also initially run from Friday to Monday. During August, the Spain-France AVE (high-speed) route will see 16 weekly services.
From September, Renfe will start operating its AVE (high-speed) trains from Monday to Sunday on the Lyon route and from October on the Marseille route, offering 28 weekly services.
Between Barcelona and Nimes, a route shared by the two lines, Renfe will offer four daily trains with a combination of schedules and travel times, making AVE (high-speed) trains particularly appealing to passengers on both sides of the border.
The international connection will reduce travel times via AVE (high-speed), meaning it is possible to travel from Barcelona to Nimes in 3 hours, Figueres to Montpellier in 2 hours, Barcelona to Avignon in 4 hours, Girona to Marseille in 4 hours, Madrid to Perpignan in 4 hours 30 minutes and Zaragoza to Nimes in 5 hours and 25 minutes.