Flying by Rail to Valencia
There are some aspects in which the United States is pathetically behind Europe. One notable example is train transportation. Spain has high speed train service from Madrid to Barcelona, Seville, Málaga, Toledo, Segovia, and Valencia. The high speed trains, known as AVE, are extremely efficient. I've read that if your train arrives to its destination more than fifteen minutes late, your fare is refunded.
Today we took the AVE from Madrid's Atocha station to Spain's third largest city, Valencia, a distance of 220 miles.
We left Madrid promptly at 10:40 AM and arrived in Valencia ahead of schedule around noon. The train reached a peak speed of 300 kilometers per hour (186 mph!). Although we were in a tourist coach, it was extremely comfortable and pleasant. What a wonderful way to travel!
Ah yes. High speed trains. I seriously miss those. The KTX in Korea was incredible. So much better than flying or taking the bus.
ReplyDelete¡Hola, Catalina! Do you think that we will EVER get high speed trains in the U.S.?
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