How to take the rail journey from Barcelona to Malaga

Final Destination: Malaga-Maria Zambrano

These trains also call at: Cordoba

These direct AVE trains are typically scheduled to depart at 08:35 and 15:15.

Boarding in Barcelona:

Aim to be at Barcelona Sants a minimum of 20 mins before departure, in order to allow time to pass through the security checks.

At Barcelona Sants station these trains depart from the part of the station used by the high speed trains - vias (platforms/tracks) 1 - 6.

So when you're in the station follow the signs that are pointing the way to the ' Alta-Velocidad' trains.

Book early and save: Yes

Online bookings open: up to 6  months ahead of the travel date - depending on the time of year.
The online booking window can be shorter between late July and early October.
When looking up journeys (not travelling) between late July and early October, it's likely you won't be able to book for journeys beyond the second Sunday in December.

Book ahead for this journey, these tend to be very popular trains, so can sell out days in advance, particularly in the summer.

Spanish national rail operator Renfe doesn't seemingly operate a 'Ticket Price From... €x' on this route, prices are set according to demand - hence the lack of price info below.

When looking up this journey, this direct trains is typically due to depart at 15:15, so focus on those times when looking up this journey.
Many other journey options will be available, which will involve making connections between trains in Madrid.

Rail Pass Users:

The mandatory reservations for for rail passes are not available on the Eurail/Interrail reservation service for journeys within Spain.
The only option, other than booking them at a station in Spain, is to pre-reserve seats by calling Renfe phone sales: +34 91 232 03 20.

Pre-reserving a seat is possible up to 24 hours before a train's departure. You will receive a PNR code which you must use to pick up and pay for your reservation at a local station ticket office, making sure to show your Interrail Pass. You must collect your reservation within 72 hours. After this time the pre-reservation will expire.
Please note that a pre-reservation is not the same as a reservation. It only holds a seat for you for 72 hours.

Seats on these trains call sell out in 1st/Preferente and 2nd/Turista class, days in advance, so if you wait until you arrive at a Spanish station to make the reservation, there's a chance that no seats will be available.

Aim to be at Sants station a minimum of 20 mins before departure, in order to allow time to pass through the security checks.

Final Destination: Malaga

These newly added service is typically scheduled to depart at 11:50 and arrive into Malaga before 17:45.

Book early and save: Yes

Online bookings open: 2 months ahead

Note that if you look up this journey more than two months ahead, you will only see the faster AVE trains listed for sale.

Also this particular Talgo train seems to be 2nd class (Turista) Class only.

If you're new to booking tickets for train journeys in Spain, we recommend taking a look at our guide to Spanish train tickets - it should help you save time and money and confusion.

If you'll be booking a Barcelona to Malaga train journey less than a couple of weeks ahead of your travel date, then this Talgo train can be around half of the price of taking an AVE train.

However, note that the journey is also around twice as long.

Rail Pass Users:

You'll save €4 if you have a 2nd class pass and take this Talgo train and not the AVE train, but think twice, is it worth spending an additional 5 hours(ish) to make this journey for a €4 saving?

If you have a 1st class you can your pass to travel 2nd class by this train - at the 2nd class reservation rate, as this train does not convey 1st class.

Do that and you'll save €19 compared to the cost of taking the AVE train.