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IRYO: Europe’s NEWEST High-Speed Train is THE BEST – here’s why…



It’s time to try out Iryo, the newest high-speed train in Europe! I found this brand-new Frecciarossa train to be the best of Spain’s many trains, with great on-board service and a fancy interior – so join me on a luxurious ride from Barcelona to Madrid.

HAIZEA menu: https://iryo.eu/en/travel/haizea-gastronomy
Thanks to @NonstopEurotrip for assisting with the production of this video.

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Journey Details:
Origin: Barcelona-Sants
Destination: Madrid-Puerta de Atocha
Company: Iryo
Train: RENFE S109 (Frecciarossa 1000) ‘Zefiro’
Accommodation: Gran Confort XL Seat (1st)
Distance: 626 kilometres / 389 miles
Price: €59.38 (£52.10 / $59.50)
Time: 2h45 – 8 minutes early

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31 Comments

  1. Enrico Monti

    Frecciarossa 1000, or ETR 400, the trainsets which are used on the Iryo, are amazing even in Italy (I rode on them a few times), and besides also operate the Milan Centrale-Paris high speed service, which is one hour shorter than the TGV from Porta Garibaldi

  2. Severity One

    Very nice train, but what I'm wondering is how they plan to make a profit. Italy, although they excel in beautiful design, aren't known for efficiency in their state-run operations.

  6. steverd

    I traveled from Barcelona to Zaragoza on AVE a few months ago. I had a very nice experience and paid 45 euros roundtrip (but just because I had a pretty tight schedule, otherwise there would have been even cheaper options). Spain is having quite a similar trend to Italy: fares dropped, and high-speed trains are gaining momentum mostly thanks to competition on the busiest lines and both private and public carriers operating there. In Italy, competition has also made it possible for some high-speed trains to travel to Calabria or Apulia where there are no high-speed lines (it must be pretty inefficient for Frecciarossa and Italo to travel there, but I guess they can partially make up for it thanks to the revenues they get from Northern Italy's high-speed lines and from the Milan-Rome high-speed line). The Milan-Rome high-speed line even contributed to Alitalia's downfall! And Frecciarossa is faring pretty well on the Paris-Lyon/Lyon-Milan line too.

  9. K W

    Asia and Europe have beautiful modern high speed trains. We in the US have – uh, Amtrak. 🙁

  10. Lorenzo Pacho

    High speed trains kind of contributed to the slow demise of overnight sleeper trains. However, we are seeing a resurgence of overnight sleeper trains, thanks to the likes of ÖBB's Nightjet.

  12. Leonardo Pagani

    I wish Trenitalia would retrofit their seats to Iryo colours in Italy. The Spanish version is much more elegant than the Italian one, especially in standard class.

  14. El Nido

    Not a fan of the seat colours. Prefer bright Red.

    Looks exactly like those NEW ones in Italy from Trainitaila.

  15. cope dipper 1963

    That was an extremely low price compared to the United States, we're lucky in some cases to have a train a day on some routes, and it's government-owned.. if I book ahead on a peak period it is almost $100 to go just over 200 miles with the only amenity being a uncomfortable seat on a 40 year old train.

  16. Sam Jennings

    Why doesn't high speed line run through Zaragoza directly? Doesn't the spur add additional time to the journey?

  19. Reza Alan

    Great trip, Great lounge, and Great food. Looks like Iryo becoming most favourite High Speed Train in Europe by Trip Reporter.

  20. thomasm1964

    I have never been excited FOR a train journey (or anyTHING else) although I have been excited BY many things. You are excited FOR a person, never a thing. Once upon a time, people used to know simple things like this.

  22. David Arthur

    It's a beautiful train (I just hope the HS2 version is as nice) and it's good to see a new operator that isn't going for the bottom of the market. But do they really need so many fare classes?

  23. Rob Youngquist

    I’d book Infinita Class as well. Looks luxurious as well as the meal service … although I would have chosen a different meal option if offered. 😉👍🏻

  27. scottsworld

    wow, what fun. Here in Queensland, Australia, our "high speed" tilt train runs at a massive 100kph – if you're lucky – on the odd straight stretch. (marketing quotes 'top speed' of 160. LOL)

  30. Mark Hazeldine

    Apart from the questionable lounge at Barcelona, this train, line and service looks really impressive. This is what the UK needs if we want to draw people back to the railways and compete with domestic flights between London and Scotland. Albie, I'd be interested to know, now that you've sampled so many open access operator services, what is your opinion on them as a concept? I've heard many positives about them but also some negatives. There's a guy on YouTube called Gareth Dennis who is a UK permanent way engineer who has said several times that he doesn't think true competition on the railways really possible and he feels like open access operators just suck profits out of the system where state owned operators could run the same service just as well and cheaper. Yet your comments here about Renfe seem to indicate the opposite. Do you think it varies by country due to local differences in policy and structure? Do you think the UK should do it more or should scrap it?

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