Expert: Víctor Díaz - 6/26/2009

Question
Hi, I saw your response to a Q and would like to know how long it takes to get to Alva where I can get the train to madrid.  I am then continuing to malaga and wanted to know if I could do it in a day.  Thanks for your help, Michele

Answer
Hello Michele


I don't know where is 'Alva'

Yes, can be done in a day.
From Biarritz take an early in the morning train to Irun (spain), you should be able to find Irun as destination in the SNCF site. Irun Hendaya are two nearby border stations, Irun in the spanish side and Hendaya in the french side. How it works?, spanish trains have stops at irun and hendaya, the same applies to french trains. You can purchase tickets in the renfe site with destination Hendaya and irun but only Irun is shown as origin. It seems to works the same way in the sncf site.

Once in Irun, take the morning train to Madrid
ALVIA 04086      08.25      14.00     50.80 €

arrives to Madrid-Chamartin at 14h. THen take a commuter train 'cercanias' to Madrid-Atocha train station, cost 1,20, takes 13minutes.

http://www.renfe.es/cercanias/madrid/index_horarios.html

In Atocha commuter station, walk to the side by side long distance station.

Take the high speed train to Malaga.

You could take the following, despite for the 14:32 train you will have very little time to move from Chamartin and Atocha, can be done but any delay in the train coming from Irun will result in loosing that train, i recommend the next train at 16:35h. You will arrive still soon in the afternoon, at 19:15.

AVE 02142      14.35   17.15     81.80 €
AVE 02162    16.35    19.15       81.80 €
AVE 02172    17.35    20.30  81.80 €
  
I hope this helps.