Zaragoza-Delicias (Zaragoza)

Zaragoza-Delicias, in common with many other stations purpose-built to be served by high speed trains, is an architectural wonder, but from a passenger perspective, it can be confusing.
In effect the station has three sets of entrances / exits and using the most appropriate of these can eliminate much about what can be perplexing about navigating the station and its surroundings.
Though the relative lack of signage at the station doesn't make this clear.

Also despite the vias (tracks / platforms) at the station being at ground /street level, there are two sets of bridges above the trains; And a passage below them - and these provide the routes between the trains and each of the sets of entrances / exits.

There is an upper level one-way road, which in effect surrounds the station, and this road is used by the local buses and taxis - so the bridges provide the access between the vias (tracks / platforms) and both the taxi ranks and the local buses.
The ground level street, which can be seen to the north of the station, is used by regional and longer-distance buses travelling to and from the city's main bus station - which in effect shares the building with the railway station.
This ground level street does not provide access to the city.

The three sets of entrances /exits in Zaragoza-Delicias station, in effect are

1. The arrival hall - by a bridge
2. The departure hall - by a bridge
3. The access with the bus station - by a passage under the tracks.

The Arrivals Hall is closer to the rear of the trains which arrive from Madrid - and is by the front of trains arriving from Barcelona.

Moving walkways lead up to this hall from each of the vias (tracks / platforms). - behind the walkways there are elevators /lifts for use by travellers who require mobility assistance.
The arrival hall houses the station's tourist information office, so following the signs which point towards it will take you in the right direction.
The car hire desks at Zaragoza-Delicias are also logically located here.

On the other side of the street exits are the taxi rank and the most easily found bus stop for the local buses - Zaragoza doesn't have a metro and its tram route/line also doesn't serve the station.

The taxi drop off zone is logically by the entrance to this departure hall.
Though the local buses will make three stops at the station, the third of which is by the entrance to this departure hall.

This departure hall is closer to the front of the trains which arrive from Madrid and is by the rear of trains arriving from Barcelona.
The main travel /info desks for the AVE trains, at which rail pass users can make reservations etc are logically found on this concourse.
There are also seating areas in which to wait for departures on both sides of the ticket gates.

Security checks are carried out at the entrance to the ticket gates which lead to the larga-distancia trains, hence it's best to be at Zaragoza-Delicias at least 15 mins prior to departure.

Around 10 to 15 mins pre-departure, the number of the via (platform / track) that a train will be leaving from, will appear on the departure screen.
This is the signal to move to the ticket gate - one set of gates leads to all the vias (platforms / tracks) that the larga-distancia trains depart from.
Each of the train operators, Renfe for avlo and AVE trains, plus iryo and Ouigo will have their own dedicated check-in staff, so short queues can form for each departure.

Mirroring the arrivals hall at the opposite end of the stations, there are sloped moving walkways which lead down to each set of vias (tracks / platforms) - Elevators / lifts are also available for those requiring mobility assistance.

Purchase any food /drink etc prior to entering the ticket gate area , neither it or the vias, have any vending machines etc.

Boarding a train

By the ticket gates there will be an easy to miss poster.
It looks something from a science class and has different columns - On the top of each of them are the names of each of the types of larga-distancia trains services which depart from Zaragoza-Delicias.
There are direction of travel arrows, those at the top point towards Barcelona and those at the bottom point in the other direction, towards Madrid (and Burgos).
The vertical rows of small squares are the trains and the numbers are the coach numbers on each service.

On the right, on the larger green squares, are letters which represent areas of the vias (platforms / tracks)
So the idea is that you

1. find the name of the train service you will be travelling by, AVE, iryo or Ouigo
2. find the number of the coach in which your reserved seat is located - so check your ticket booking info.
3. look across to see in which zone your coach will be located when the train arrives.
4. head to that area when you're down on the via / platform.

However, there are no signs to mark the locations of each 'zone' on the vias / platforms.
So the zones on the poster are very much a guide.

• A and B = wait in the area under the departure hall
• C to D = these are in front of the moving walkways, which leads down to the vias, with C being closest to the moving walkway
• E to F = the middle of each via
• G to H, by the walkway which leads up the arrivals hall
• I to K are at the far end of the vias / platforms, under the arrivals hall
  Not that it will take at least a couple of minutes to walk down down to zones H to K.

The main long-distance and regional bus station which serves Zaragoza, can be accessed by a passage way under the tracks which is in the middle of each via / platform in the train station.
The passage way is can be accessed by a slope and stairs on each via and an escalator links it to the bus station.

Though if you want to take a bus to the city centre, don't head to the bus station.

From the bus station to the trains

When arriving at the bus station the access to this passage is by an escalator, on what looks like a via (platform / track), but it isn't used by trains.
There are also ticket desks here so if you use them, taking the passage way under the tracks is then a shorter route to the trains, than using the departure hall.

If you need to change trains at Zaragoza--Delicias, including in and out of the local Cercanias trains, using this passage way under the tracks is the shortest route.

Zaragoza-Delicias is on the northern outskirts of the city, so the station is some distance from the Zaragoza's most visited attractions.

Of the three local bus routes which serve Zaragoza-Delicias, bus line /route 34 gets closest to the city centre.
It typically departs every 6 to 10 mins from a stop, which is on the street outside the Arrivals hall, on the other side of the road used by the taxis.
It's closest stop to the heart of the city, is on the edge of the old town, by the Mercado Central, indoor market.

Back to the station

Bus line / route 34 goes from the stop named Conde de Aranda Nº2 / Colegio - the 34 should be heading to Estacion Delicias, but don't board the 33, which will be going to 'Delicias'.
The bus will make three stops at the station and the third of these is by the departure hall - where a footbridge snakes down between the bus stop and the station, which you will then see on the other side of the taxi drop off area.