Trains from Seville to Cordoba

If you're looking to get from Seville to Cordoba in Spain, the train is by far the best option. The route is served by frequent trains from early morning to late at night, and there are several different options to choose from depending on your budget. Renfe, Spain's national train operator, gives you the option of travelling on three different services along this route – AVE (high speed trains with several different classes and onboard catering options available), AV City (travels at the same speeds as the AVE trains – 200 to 250 km/h, but has no onboard catering facilities or Executive/Business Class), or Media Distancia (stopping service for smaller towns between Seville and Cordoba).

I was travelling with friends on a budget and were heading to La Feria de Cordoba (The Fair of Cordoba), an annual event popular with locals and Spanish tourists filled with endless amounts of local cuisine, festivities and amusement rides. We had some free time up our sleeves, so we chose the cheaper option and travelled on the Media Distancia train. The journey itself took 1h 22m, and although it took a bit longer than the high-speed trains, we still rocketed from Seville to Cordoba at speeds up to 160 km/h, according to the screens mounted to the roof in our carriage.

The train left from Sevilla Santa Justa Estacion (Seville Santa Justa Station), which is Seville's main train station located about a 25-minute walk from the city centre. The station is huge and modern and has loads of shops, cafes, car hire kiosks, a pharmacy and much more. There are also toilets, a staffed ticket office, cash machines, a taxi rank and connections to local bus services. There's also an airport shuttle bus stop directly outside the main entrance next to the ticket office, which is great if you're connecting to or from the airport to a train service (€4 flat fare to and from the airport in about 15-20 minutes, paid to the driver).

The train hits the jets almost immediately as you leave the station, leaving behind the hustle and bustle of Seville and out into the vast fields and farms in no time. On the right-hand side just after the city limits, you'll sweep past a huge field filled with yellow daffodils, followed by endless rows of orange and lemon trees that make you want to ask the driver to stop so you can get out and pick some yourself. In the second half of the trip, you'll stop at about 4 or 5 small towns/stations along the way to Cordoba (you'll breeze past these if you're on an AVE or AV City train). You'll shortly arrive at Cordoba Central Station, which is about 15-20 minute walk from the tourist centre and town plaza.

The Media Distancia train was modern, air-conditioned, and had comfy reclining seats with two power sockets at each. There were toilets in every carriage and overhead baggage racks to store your small bags, and there were also luggage racks at the end of the carriage to store your suitcases.

About Michael

Michael is one of our trusted, hand-picked travel writers. The information for this article was recorded first-hand, based on his own genuine experience of the journey.