Renfe has sold more than 120,000 tickets for its routes to France, Barcelona-Lyon and Madrid-Marseille, obtaining an average occupancy rate on AVE trains of more than 80%. In periods of high demand, this figure has reached 100%.
For its part, the rail services between Madrid and Marseille started up a month ago, on July 28, and were added to the operations between Barcelona and Lyon that began fifteen days earlier. During this period, more than 68,000 passengers have opted for these new services, which mark Renfe’s debut in independent international connections.
Driven by the good performance observed during this first month, Renfe will expand its operations in France. As of September 1, the route to Lyon will run daily. In addition, on October 1, daily operations will begin on the route to Marseille.
The cheapest prices to travel to France.
Renfe put its international offer on sale on June 21 to travel until October 31 with an introductory offer to travel between 10 French cities for 9 euros and two prices on offer for international routes: 19 euros to travel from Mont pellier or Narbonne to Barcelona, Zaragoza or Madrid, and 29 euros for the complete route, the connection from Marseille and Lyon with Spain.
The AVE service between Barcelona and Lyon connects the Barcelona Sants, Girona, Figueres Vilafant, Perpignan, Narbonne, Béziers, Montpellier-St-Roch, Nîmes, Valence TGV and Lyon Part Dieu stations, leaving Barcelona at 8:22 a.m. in the morning and return from Lyon at 2:30 p.m. and a travel time for the entire route of five hours.
The AVE service of the Madrid-Marseille route connects the intermediate stations of Guadalajara Yebes, Zaragoza Delicias, Camp de Tarragona, Barcelona Sants, Girona, Figueres Vilafant, Perpignan, Narbonne, Béziers, Montpellier-St-Roch, Nîmes, Avignon-TGV, Aix-enProvence TGV and Marseille-Saint Charles.
