What Is Iryo? The Basics You Need to Know for Riding These High-Speed Trains in Spain

Your Train Guide

Kyle Harris

UK-based Wanderer

Iryo is one of Spain’s very affordable and reputable train services. It is a private competitor to the national Renfe operator and it offers comfortable, quick connections between an expanding list of key cities in Spain and Catalonia.

Iryo currently runs trains between Madrid and Barcelona more than a dozen times per day in each direction. It also runs South and East from Madrid, serving Seville, Malaga, Valencia, and more. The pricing is excellent, likely because Iryo faces high competition in Spain, the only spot in Europe with four high-speed rail brands fighting for your euros.

When travelling on Iryo’s high-speed trains, you can expect to reach your destination safely and without much hassle while taking in the gorgeous Spanish countryside. We’ve found the Iryo experience smooth and just as good as on Renfe, and in a few ways even a bit better.

In this handy guide you’ll discover what riding an Iryo train is like and how to buy a ticket for your next great adventure, whatever your language, home country, or destination plans in Spain.

We also have a review of Iryo with our take on the pros and cons of choosing this operator over the other options.

Iryo is Spain’s first private high-speed rail operator; the company is jointly owned by Trenitalia, Air Nostrum and Globalvia. It made its inaugural journey in November 2022. 

Iryo’s fleet, known as “red arrows”, are high-speed Hitachi-Bombardier ETR 1000 trains that reach speeds of 360 km per hour.

Tickets on Iryo’s Madrid-to-Barcelona line (which only takes 2 hours 30 minutes) cost as little as €28, though travelling during peak times could set you back as much as €48—which we still think is incredibly reasonable and is cheaper than typical prices from the government operator Renfe, whose prices for the same route can be as much as €200.

That said, there are also even cheaper options for high-speed travel in Spain and Catalonia; see our comparison of all train services in Spain that you might take. We have ridden them all and shared our experiences: the Frenchy budget train Ougio, the national Spanish operator’s budget option Avlo, and the national Spanish operator’s more traditional Ave. In a nutshell we like all of them and generally just go with whichever is cheapest—the key to doing that is discussed next.

How To Purchase Iryo Tickets—And Find the Best Deals

Trainline is the easiest way to both buy Iryo tickets and to compare Iryo with all the budget train operators within Spain and Catalonia for a particular trip you want to take. Trainline will show all the budget train operators side-by-side for your chosen route, as well as the national operator Renfe, buses, and bus-plus-train options.

For example, if you want to go with Iryo for the most of your trip but need to change to a Renfe train to get someplace that Iryo doesn’t cover (Valladolid? Tarragona? etc.) Trainline will give you seamless connection options for using Iryo along with Renfe for the same trip.

As opposed to the Renfe, Trainline has few payment errors and website issues, and it allows you to pay with major credit cards from anywhere in the world, Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal. Trainline is a better bet for travellers who are not based in Spain, as the site is user-friendly, comes in many languages, and can deal with a variety of world addresses and payment methods.

If you’re not interested in comparing different train operators for the best prices and only want to go Iryo, tickets can also be bought directly from the Iryo website. And it is possible to purchase in Iryo offices in major train stations (look for the “Casa Iryo / Iryo House”).

What To Expect on an Iryo Train

Iryo offers a tiered system of tickets with different prices. The type of ticket you purchase determines the experience and amenities you can expect to enjoy. We have updated this section based on our own experiences riding Iryo in 2024 and with information from Iryo’s Spanish site (their English version is incomplete and has not been updated).

Iryo’s WiFi Service

Iryo trains have free WiFi access (supposedly with a 5G connection) for all passengers.

On our recent trip from Barcelona to Zaragoza, we found that the WiFi was mostly very slow throughout the trip, and cut out completely as the train went through the many tunnels. We had the same experience going from Madrid to Barcelona.

The service was good enough for sending some messages and reading a news website, but not fast enough to make watching videos worthwhile.

If you need to be sure of connecting as you travel in Spain (for maps, gathering info while traveling, connecting with those you meet…), you’d do better using the internet connection on your phone. If you have an EU phone plan it should work fine in Spain, and if not I recommend unlocking your phone and picking up a local SIM card. Americans can also use Google Fi; it works the same around the world so it’s great for international travel.

For data privacy, we always use a VPN when connecting to WiFi in trains such as Iryo.

A Good Travel VPN

In our experience, Nord VPN is blazing fast on a good connection and doesn’t further slow us down when on crappy train, hotel, etc. WiFi.

It also provides a needed extra layer of security on such connections. We use it worldwide while scribbling our travel notes on this site, as well as for actual work.

There are no guarantees, but for us it has also worked great in circumventing geographical restrictions while abroad to use our home-country versions Netflix, Paramount Plus, HBO Max, and others. It’s super easy to pick and connect as if visiting from just about any country.

Nord VPN

We have used Nord VPN while connected to Iryo’s WiFi for added security, and it didn’t make the (already poor) connection noticeably worse.

In-Seat Device Charging

All Iryo seats have a European power socket and USB connection for charging your devices; be sure to have a universal travel plug adapter if your devices don’t have two round pins in their plug and/or if you want to charge more than one device at once. A good adapter also allows you to charge more than one device at a time with various USB-C out points; Iryo trains do have conventional USB charging outlets though.

Iryo Food and Drink Service

There is a bar car with snacks and drinks: the Haizea bar in car 3. The menu includes lots of typical Spanish tapas, as well as sandwiches and chips and other packaged snacks. There is coffee, water, soft drinks, wine, beer, and hard liquors. The menu is available online.

We have had some of the Iryo food and it’s better than what you get served in an airplane but nothing particularly special either. You’re better off packing a lunch for your trip or eating when you get to your destination (anywhere you’re going with Iryo will have fabulous food). That said, in a pinch, the train food is fine for staving off hunger until then.

There is also a Haizea Mobile Bar, that is, an attendant with a trolley who roves up and down the train offering coffee, drinks, and snacks. We only saw them once on our recent trip in the cheap seats (Inicial) but they were much more attentive and the small lunch was included when we took first class (Infinita Bistró).

Our preference in any case is to get up and go to the bar car. It’s more fun and you get to stretch your legs and practice your Catalan and Spanish.

Iryo Restrooms

Iryo trains are quite new and on our recent trips we found them to be very clean too; this carries over to the restrooms, which were clean and in better shape than what we’ve experienced on, for example, Renfe.

The pictured restroom from our car in Inicial class (the cheap seats) was accessible, had lots of space, and was in good working order. The restrooms were the same in Infinita Bistró (first class).

Iryo Classes

Iryo’s naming for its service classes is a bit confusing.

• Basic service is called Inicial with four seats to a row and only a carry-on suitcase and personal item.
• Basic service with a bit more flexibility and a large-suitcase allowance: Singular and Singular Only YOU.
• First class is Infinita Bistró and offers more space with only three seats to a row, a small meal, and a large-suitcase allowance.

There is not a huge difference between these; we have ridden in all of them and find that all are comfortable. More details on each are below.

Inicial Class

The cheapest Iryo option is their Inicial class. You can still expect comfy seats, four to a row. The seats have fold-out tables, are able to recline, and have individual armrests.

Some flexibility is offered with Inicial but it will cost you extra:

• Changes to tickets are permitted to a different time on the same day of travel by paying the difference in ticket price.
• Date changes are possible when made more than 24 hours before departure. You will have to pay 15% of the ticket price plus the fare difference.
• Cancellation is possible as well; if you cancel your ticket more than seven days before travel you’ll get an 80% reimbursement, later than this and it’ll be 70%.
• Changing the name on the ticket costs €40.

Singular Class

This is essentially the same as the Inicial class, but offers:

• Free changes to the time of travel on the same day.
• You can change the date of travel by paying the fare difference (if changed 24 hours prior to travel)
• Cancellation is possible; if you cancel your ticket more than seven days before travel you’ll get an 85% reimbursement, later than this and it’ll be 75%.
• Changing the name on your ticket costs €20.
• If you miss your train you can take the next available train by paying €30, as long as the change is made within two hours of departure.

Singular Only YOU Class

This disastrous word jumble is Iryo’s attempt to market to business travelers in partnership with Only YOU Hotels. It is approximately the same as the Infinita Bistró class but without the included “meal” (really just a small snack) and drinks.

• Seats are “extra-large” and three-to-a-row.
• Change and cancellation policies are the same as for the Singular class above.
• You get 10% off accommodation at all Only YOU hotels.

Infinita Bistró Class

This is Iryo’s version of first class. It offers:

• Seats are “extra-large” and three-to-a-row
• A welcome drink
• Hazeia food service at your seat
• Personalized attention from Iryo attendants while on board and before boarding
• Access to Casa Iryo lounges/work spaces in Only YOU Hotels
• The same change and cancellation policies as the Singular class above, but with a more generous cancellation reimbursement of 95% if cancelled more than 7 days in advance and 90% otherwise. The fee for catching a later train if you miss your train is reduced to €10.

Baggage Limits on Iryo Trains and Their (Now-Tighter) Enforcement

Iryo’s luggage limits depend on the fare class you purchase. These limits are now enforced.

With the Inicial (cheap, basic) fare, you can take:

• One piece of hand luggage (like an “under-seat carry-on” or “personal item” on an airline measuring no more than 36 x 27 x 15 cm. (14 x 10 x 5 in.)—this is supposed to go under the seat in front of you but in practice can generally be placed in the racks above the seats where there is plenty of room
• One cabin bag (like an airline carry-on suitcase) measuring no more than 55 x 35 x 25 cm (21.7 x 13.8 x 9.8 in.)—they use the word “bag” but small suitcases are fine and pass without further scrutiny; this should be placed in the racks above the seats and not in the larger racks at the ends of the aisles

Moving up to the fancy seats, in Singular / Singular Only You / Singular Only You Abierta you can take those two items plus:

• One large suitcase with a maximum size of 85 x 55 x 35 cm (33 x 21 x 13 inches)—these go in the racks at the end of the aisles

Finally, in Infinity Bistró / Infinita Bistró Abierta you can take the above three items plus:

• A pet in a carrier

On our most recent trip, we witnessed Iryo staff stopping people with large luggage who had not paid for a ticket or supplement that included a large suitcase. They were checking by eyeballing people’s luggage as they passed the ticket check and pulling aside those who had obviously gone over the limits and charging them extra for the large suitcases. On our most recent trip, this appeared to cause a small delay in the train departure.

As always urge you to pack as lightly as possible.

In terms of the security checks, in Spain and Catalonia, passengers on high-speed trains go through a luggage check that is much simpler and faster than what you experience in an airport. You simply place your backpack or suitcase on a belt and it goes through a scanner; you receive it at the other end. I have never seen any nonsense about removing liquids, laptops, etc. from bags. This check is performed by train station staff, not Iryo.

Arriving at the Train Station

Unlike slow, conventional trains, Iryo and other high-speed services in Spain ask you to be at the boarding gate at least 30 minutes prior to the departure time. Electronic or printed tickets are accepted when boarding the train.

Those with reduced mobility or a disability may seek assistance before their journey, upon arrival at the station, or after they’ve reached their destination. 

Where Can Iryo Trains Take You?

These are the current destinations you can travel to on the Iryo network.

• Albacete
• Alicante
• Antequera
• Barcelona
• Cuenca
• Córdoba
• Madrid
• Málaga
• Seville
• Tarragona
• Valencia
• Zaragoza

Iryo Customer Service

Iryo customer services can be reached on +34 910 150 000 or [email protected].

All Aboard: Let Us Know Your Experiences

Iryo is a a cheap, smooth, reliable way to travel around Spain—though so are the competing budget operators Ouigo and Avlo. And even the national operator Renfe’s Ave service is often competitive in price to the budget options. We like all of them and tend to just go with the best prices.

If you’re still undecided, our recommended platform for comparing all of the options (times, prices) at once is Trainline.

We will continue to travel on Iryo and other trains covering the Iberian peninsula and will update this guide as things change. We also very much appreciate hearing about your Iryo experiences in the comments, which can be useful for other travelers and to alert us when we should update or make corrections.

budget trains, Catalonia, France, Iryo, Spain, Trainline, trains