Train stations in Salamanca

Most trains from Madrid arrive at Salamanca station on Paseo de la Estación, a 20-minute walk from Plaza Mayor. Salamanca-La Alamedilla is a smaller second station where some regional trains finish their run.

Which station to use

Get off at Salamanca. It is the city's main station, at Paseo de la Estación 122, and every Alvia and Media Distancia train from Madrid calls here. Taxis and city buses connect it to the centre, and it is the only one of the two that Alvia trains serve.

Salamanca-La Alamedilla is a smaller station on Paseo del Ferrocarril. Media Distancia trains run on to it after the main station, and they start their return journeys at the main station. Unless your accommodation is close to it, there is little reason to ride the extra few minutes.

Trains from Madrid

Two kinds of train link Madrid and Salamanca, and they do not use the same Madrid station.

• Alvia (Renfe Larga Distancia). The long-distance service, with around four departures a day in each direction. Alvia trains run between Salamanca and Madrid Chamartín Clara Campoamor.
• Media Distancia (MD). The regional service, with roughly six to seven departures a day. These run between Salamanca and Madrid Príncipe Pío.

Pick whichever leaves at the better hour for you, and whichever suits your side of Madrid: Príncipe Pío is on the west side, Chamartín in the north.

The last direct trains back to Madrid leave in the early evening on the standard weekday pattern, so a day trip needs an early start and a planned return rather than a late dinner in the old town.

Which Madrid station

Madrid has more than one mainline station, and neither Salamanca service uses Atocha. Alvia trains use Chamartín Clara Campoamor in the north of the city. MD trains use Príncipe Pío, near the Royal Palace on the west side.

Chamartín is open from 4:30 in the morning to 00:30. It has metro and Cercanías connections and a car park. A Larga Distancia ticket, which covers the Alvia, includes a free onward Cercanías ride in Madrid (Cercanías Combinado), so you do not need a separate ticket to reach your hotel or a connecting station. The offer applies to AVE and Larga Distancia tickets, so do not assume a Media Distancia ticket includes it.

Check the Madrid station name before you pay: a ticket from Príncipe Pío when you expected Chamartín adds a cross-city transfer to your morning.

Other direct trains

Salamanca is a regional junction for Castilla y León, so a few destinations are within reach without changing:

• Valladolid Campo Grande. Several Media Distancia and regional trains a day.
• Palencia. A Media Distancia service on the same northern line.
• Zaragoza Delicias. A long-distance Intercity service leaves early in the morning, and one arrives late at night.

No international trains serve Salamanca. For Portugal, France or anywhere beyond Spain, go to Madrid first and connect there.

From the station into the city

Salamanca station to Plaza Mayor is about a 20-minute walk, which is a reasonable option if you are travelling light and the weather is fine. With wheeled luggage or in the heat of summer, take a taxi or a city bus.

The station is open from 5:15 to 00:30, Monday to Saturday, and from 6:30 to 00:30 on Sundays and public holidays. Plan for the later opening on Sundays if you are catching an early train.

Salamanca-La Alamedilla

Salamanca-La Alamedilla, on Paseo del Ferrocarril, is the smaller of the two stations. Media Distancia trains from Madrid Príncipe Pío, Valladolid Campo Grande and Palencia end their run here. Alvia trains from Madrid do not.

It matters for two reasons. First, it can appear as a separate destination name when you search, which can push you toward a ticket ending there when the main station would suit you better. Second, MD trains call at the main station first and reach La Alamedilla only a few minutes later, so with a ticket to Salamanca-La Alamedilla you can still get off at Salamanca and walk into the centre.

Choose it only if your accommodation is close by. Otherwise, treat Salamanca as your arrival station.

Tickets

Renfe sells Alvia, MD and Intercity tickets on its website and app. Fares are in euros and vary by train and date, so book the Alvia ahead if you want a choice of departures.

Pick the Madrid station in the search box to match the train you want: Madrid Chamartín Clara Campoamor for the Alvia, Madrid Príncipe Pío for MD.

Practical tips

• Day trips. Leave Madrid on an early Alvia and plan your return around the early-evening departures.
• Late arrivals. The last MD trains from Madrid reach Salamanca close to midnight, and the station closes at 00:30, so a long delay can leave little margin. Have a taxi option in mind before you travel.
• Onward travel. For Valladolid and the north, use the MD and regional trains from the same station.