Barcelona to Alicante by train

Direct Euromed trains run from Barcelona Sants to Alicante in a little under five and a half hours, calling at Camp de Tarragona, Castelló and Valencia.

Book the direct Euromed

The direct Renfe Euromed is the default choice. Three or four leave Barcelona Sants each day, from morning to early evening, and take 5 hours 18 minutes to 5 hours 25 minutes. You keep the same seat all the way.

Heading south, the train calls at Camp de Tarragona, Castelló de la Plana and Valencia Estació del Nord, where it waits about ten minutes before the final leg.

Watch the evening departures. The last direct train to Alicante leaves Sants in the early evening and arrives close to midnight. The later evening Euromed runs only as far as Valencia, so it is no use unless you plan to stay the night there.

These times cover the timetable to 12 December 2026. The new timetable starts on 13 December, and its early planning data shows a similar pattern that is not yet final, so recheck your train if you travel after that.

The Intercity alternative

Renfe also sells an Intercity journey with one change at Valencia Estació del Nord. The connection there is around half an hour, and the whole trip takes about 6 hours 30 minutes. On Fridays until 11 December 2026 there is also a direct Intercity, slower than the Euromed at a little over six hours. Reservations are compulsory on these trains as well. It is a fallback for when the Euromed is full or its times do not suit you.

Stations at each end

You leave from Barcelona Sants, which Rodalies local trains and the metro both serve, and arrive at Alicante/Alacant Terminal. Both stations are in the city centre, and Alacant Terminal has its own bus connections and a taxi rank.

If a booking site offers another Barcelona station, it is not where the Euromed starts. Choose Sants and you avoid an extra change before you set off.

Tickets, fares and Interrail passes

Renfe uses dynamic pricing, so the earlier you book, the better your chance of a low fare. Each ticket is for one specific train, in one of three fare types:

These conditions apply to travel up to 24 January 2027; for journeys from 25 January 2027 Renfe's new conditions let Básico holders make changes at €10 each and give Elige unlimited free changes.

On top of that, Prémium gives you an XL Confort seat, seat choice and food served at your seat. Every fare includes up to three pieces of luggage.

Interrail pass holders still need a reservation, which is compulsory on the Euromed. It costs €10 in Elige Estándar (second class), €13 in Elige Confort and €23.50 in Prémium with a meal. Reserve through the Interrail reservation service, or at a ticket desk in a Spanish long-distance station from up to three months before you travel.