Tens of millions of tourists, including those from the UK, travel to Spain each year to explore its iconic coastlines and beautiful cities. But with the country around twice as big as the UK, hopping between the popular regions of the southern European country can really eat into your time and budget.

However, travelling between Catalonia and Andalusia is set to become much faster and easier thanks to a new direct rail service. The high-speed train will not involve the customary train swap in Madrid, slashing passenger travel times. The new service is set to begin later this month. 

Spain’s public rail operator, Renfe, has launched a new direct high-speed AVE train service between the stunning, and incredibly popular, cities of Barcelona and Seville, without having to stop in the capital. 

This means that travellers will no longer be required to change trains at Madrid’s Atocha station if they want to travel between the two regional capitals, making for a quicker and easier journey overall. 

Trains will depart daily from Seville-Santa Justa station at 6am and arrive in Barcelona-Sants at 12:41pm, before continuing to Figueres near the French border, ending its journey at 1:44pm. 

Other stops en route include Córdoba, Puertollano, Ciudad Real, Zaragoza, Lérida, Tarragona and Girona.

In the opposite direction, trains will depart daily - expect on Saturdays - at 4:58pm from Barcelona and arrive at 10:49pm in Seville, having stopped in Zaragoza, Madrid, and Córdoba.

The quickest journey takes five hours and 48 minutes, with ticket prices for the direct option starting from around €100 (£87) each way, according to The Local. The new service will begin on April 23 this year. 

This new direct service will run alongside six daily services between Seville and Barcelona, which will continue to operate. These services take six to seven hours and offer a range of prices and travel times.

Renfe will also continue to offer connections through a single integrated ticket. This allows passengers to combine routes without needing to buy multiple tickets.

In 2024, Barcelona, the Catalonian capital, received over 11.7 million tourists between January and November, a 5% increase compared to 2023. The Port of Barcelona reported the city saw 1.6 million cruise ship passengers, while its airport handled a record 55 million in 2024. 

In Seville, over three million tourists descended on the Andalusian capital, making it the third most visited city in Spain. In total, Spain experienced a record-breaking year for tourism in 2024, with 94 million foreign vistors, who spent an eyewatering €122 billion, according to SUR in English.