Train stations in León

León station, on Avenida de Palencia, is served by every Renfe AVE, Alvia, Avlo, Intercity and regional train to the city. It is open daily from 06:30 to midnight, on the west bank of the River Bernesga. The narrow-gauge trains to Cistierna, Guardo and Bilbao use a separate station, La Asunción/Universidad.

From the station to the centre

On foot the way to the old town runs over the river and along Avenida de Ordoño II to Plaza de Santo Domingo, and the Cathedral is 450 m from that square. Alesa runs the city buses. Line 10 stops at Avenida de Palencia (ADIF), by the station, once an hour every day, then calls at Independencia and Santo Domingo (BBVA). Line 4 uses the same stop every 30 minutes on weekdays and hourly at weekends and on holidays. A single ticket costs €1.20, paid to the driver on boarding. Have the exact fare ready: drivers do not have to change notes above €10.

Trains to Madrid

Fast trains from León end at Madrid Chamartín-Clara Campoamor, not Atocha. All stop at Valladolid-Campo Grande, 60 to 76 minutes from León. Times are as of October 2026.

• Monday to Friday from León: AVE 06:43 (arrives 08:39, 1 hour 56 minutes), AVE 07:36 (09:37), Intercity 08:14 (10:31), Alvia 10:32 (12:52), AVE 12:46 (15:00), AVE 15:08 (17:12), Alvia 17:09 (19:24), AVE 17:51 (20:00), Alvia 18:53 (21:12) and Avlo 20:10 (22:25).
• Weekends: the first fast train is the 08:14 Intercity on Saturdays and the 09:48 AVE (11:45) on Sundays. The last is the 20:10 Avlo on both days.
• To León: the first is the Alvia leaving Madrid at 07:04 on weekdays (arrives 09:25), 07:32 on Saturdays and 09:15 on Sundays. The last, the 20:30 AVE, arrives at 22:30, 2 hours after leaving.

Oviedo, Gijón and Asturias

Fast trains run through the Pajares tunnels to Oviedo in 1 hour 1 minute to 1 hour 8 minutes and to Gijón-Sanz Crespo in 1 hour 31 minutes to 1 hour 38 minutes. On weekdays they leave León at 09:27, 11:38, 13:43 (Avlo), 17:12, 18:45 and 21:14. Saturdays start with the 09:50 Alvia and Sundays with the 11:38.

Burgos and Barcelona

One Alvia a day leaves León at 13:35 for Burgos-Rosa Manzano (14:53), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Pamplona and Barcelona-Sants (21:40). No train from León station goes to Bilbao; the one direct train uses the narrow-gauge line described below.

Ponferrada, Astorga and Galicia

The Alvia from Barcelona leaves León at 16:58 every day for Astorga (17:38), Ponferrada (18:37), Ourense (20:59), Santiago de Compostela-Daniel Castelao (21:48) and Vigo Urzaiz (22:57). Regional Exprés trains leave at 07:05 and 12:30 (and 17:58 on Fridays) for Astorga (45 to 51 minutes) and Ponferrada (about 2 hours). The last train of the day is the 19:54 Intercity, reaching Ponferrada at 21:48, every day except Saturdays, when the last is the 16:58 Alvia.

La Asunción/Universidad and the line to Bilbao

The narrow-gauge trains run on Renfe's Cercanías line C1 from La Asunción/Universidad, in the university district north of the old town. There are 15 a day on weekdays and 9 at weekends, mostly to Matallana or Cistierna, and two a day run on to Guardo. City bus 4 from the main station ends at the university campus.

Renfe's shuttle bus to the trains starts at the León Feve stop, by the old Feve station on Avenida Padre Isla, about 600 m from Plaza de Santo Domingo. No train calls there. The bus takes 15 to 18 minutes and leaves about 15 times a day on weekdays (06:48 to 21:26) and 9 times at weekends. One train a day goes to Bilbao-La Concordia: shuttle at 13:40, train at 13:55, arrival at 21:47. The return leaves Bilbao-La Concordia at 14:25.

Dated changes

• Sunday 1 November: no 15:08 or 17:51 AVE to Madrid.
• Mondays 2 and 9 November: no 07:36 AVE or 10:32 Alvia to Madrid; a 10:34 AVE runs instead (arrives 12:40), plus a late AVE at 21:39 on 2 November or 21:26 on 9 November. From Madrid there is no 07:04 Alvia or 09:56 AVE.
• Tuesdays 3 and 10 November: the 12:46 AVE leaves at 13:44, and the 07:04 Alvia from Madrid becomes an AVE at 07:10.
• Sunday 6 December: no 11:38 Alvia to Oviedo, and no 17:51 AVE or 18:53 Alvia to Madrid.
• Monday 7 December: no 07:36, 08:14, 10:32 or 15:08 to Madrid (the 10:34 AVE runs); from Madrid, no 07:04 Alvia or 17:30 Intercity.
• 24 and 31 December: no 18:53 Alvia and no 20:10 Avlo, so the last train to Madrid is the 17:51 AVE. The last train from Madrid is the 17:30 Intercity, which arrives at 19:48 and does not continue to Ponferrada.
• 25 December and 1 January: the first train to Madrid is the 08:14 Intercity, and the first from Madrid is the 09:56 AVE. The 09:27, 11:38 and 13:43 to Oviedo and Gijón do not run, so the first fast train to Asturias is the 17:12 AVE.
• 5 January 2027: the 15:08 AVE and 18:53 Alvia to Madrid do not run.
• 6 January 2027: no 07:36 or 10:32 to Madrid (the 10:34 AVE runs instead); the first train from Madrid is the 11:23 Avlo.

Tickets

Buy before boarding on renfe.com, in the Renfe app, at the ticket office or at the station machines.

Rail passes and reservations

As of October 2026, Interrail passes need a paid reservation on Renfe's long-distance trains: €10 for the AVE in second class, €6.50 for Alvia and Intercity and €4 for Media Distancia. Regional Exprés also has a €4 fee, though a reservation is not always mandatory. Slower regional trains, including the former Feve ones, need no reservation. Avlo is not on Interrail's list, so pass holders should take the AVE, Alvia or Intercity.