Went from Madrid to Barcelona. Took about 3 hrs with 3 stops enroute. We purchased their version of First Class which was definitely worth it! More leg room,quiet coach car,comfortable seating and hot meal with beverage service all included. You also get access to their Club Room in the train station which we were not aware of until it was too late. Train travel in Spain is definitely a fun experience and a lot different than in the US. read more

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No me han dejado pasar con mí Scooter eléctrico de una semana! Me han dicho que no podía pasar por más que estuviera doblado y sin utilizar. Le pregunté si había alguna alternativa porque tenía que ir de Atocha a Aranjuez y era prácticamente nuevo (había ido a recogerlo), me dijo de manera sarcástica que me monte y tal vez llegaba antes que fuera de noche. Me escoltó fuera de la estación y tuve que dejar mí Scooter para poder volverme a casa. Unos dirán Por qué lo dejaste! Pero irme en scooter a mi casa serían unas tres horas o más. Es una situación desagradable que viví con Renfe. read more

Last year, I flew from Dallas to Newark and then onward to Madrid and after arriving in Madrid the following morning, I was not looking forward to hopping on another grueling flight to Malaga. This year, I opted to take the high speed rail, Renfe, to Malaga and let me tell you, it was worth it. My flight from Newark arrived in Madrid around 9 a.m., customs and immigration was swift and immediately after, I hailed a taxi and headed on over to the Madrid Atocha Train Station. Before arriving in Spain, I wanted to buy a train ticket  but I didn't have the Tarjeta Dorada, the senior rail card that had to be purchased at the rail station in Madrid in Euros, and I couldn't pay for it with a debit or credit card.  I found an ATM to get the Euros, did all of the necessary transactions to get my Premium ticket which included a lite snack and beverages with authority, basically wine, served to you at your seat on the train, and I was able to take the train that left at 1130 to arrive at the Málaga María Zambrano Train Station two and a half hours later. The ride was very scenic and therapeutic. A week later, I was able to book my return Premium ticket online and also learn that my Premium ticket include access to the Premium lounge. Let me just add that you can buy a Comfort ticket that allows you to sit in a Premium seat without the lite snack and beverages and no lounge access. On my next journey to Spain, I will most definitely be using Renfe as an option to get around Spain. read more

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Taking the train between cities in Spain is easy, inexpensive and very convenient. Most times there's plenty of departure times to choose from and you can pick from express to local trains. The express usually are very modern, nicely upholstered, good AC and restaurant bar car. Renfe is the name of the train company in Spain. The name "Renfe" (acronym of Red Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Españoles) is derived from that of the former Spanish National Railway Network created on 24 January 1941 with the nationalisation of Spain's railways. The company operates some 12,000 km (7,500 mi) of railways, 7,000 km (4,300 mi) of them electrified. The Spanish high-speed system is called AVE (Alta Velocidad Española, meaning "Spanish High Speed"). The logo incorporates a feature which resembles a bird (ave in Spanish). One of the advantages of taking the train is that most stations are very close to downtowns or Old Towns, so it's quicker to get to your final destination than flying in/out of airports that can be miles away from the city. read more

Renfe - Public Transportation Near Me - Madrid, M

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Train officials need to make teenage boys sit in their seats and keep their voices down. Very loud obnoxious 16 yo boys Malaga to Barcelona. 6 hours! Noise cancelling head phones can't drown out their shouting. Very rude! The one adult man with them did nothing to control his group. read more

Out of traveling by train in so many countries generally in first class, Renfe is THE worst. FROM the booking process to the travel experience, we have seen nothing that compares to how awful it is. I opted to book directly despite reading how awful the Renfe site was and went against the advice of blogs and other reviews I read. I did this so I could choose my own seats for our family in first class seats for two separate journeys-- one from Madrid Atocha to Malaga and one from Malaga to Barcelona Sants. Both would be relatively long journeys and again, we wanted premium seating and the ability to change the ticket if need be. I attempted to book the tickets before leaving the US. I had to do this MULITIPLE times due to the fact that the website is incredibly, painstakingly tech wanky. It refuses to allow for the US country code of 01 to be placed in where the credit card information goes and therefore the credit card declines over and over again! So booking 4 tickets, which requires ALL the information of passports and phone and addresses and the like along with choosing the seats and one of our adult daughters doesn't eat pork, SO I placed that for one of her meal options.. to then get to a screen and have the site go down. The first buying experience took me two days. The second part of the journey took me even longer. That time we again bought the same type of ticket because our journey was from Malaga to Barcelona Sants and we wanted the best possible experience we could have and again the ability to choose suites in a quiet car. It took me hours upon hours with the Renfe site crashing and not being able to recognize the country code with my phone again. Finally I was able to do it on my phone via the app which was not easy on day 3 of attempting it. On the journey the attendant moved two passengers from another car into our car across from us and would not serve us. We asked her if we could get drinks and she said we could go to the cafeteria car for our drinks/food and I tried to show her our premiere ticket; the app crashed on me again. She became super rude to us. We also didn't really appreciate her moving the guests from the other car next to us, as we had purchased the quiet car so one of our daughters could work quietly while on our almost 6 hour journey and these two guests wanted to chat and be on their speaker phones almost the entire trip. We asked the attendant who would not stop being rude after we had asked her to serve us and tried to show the premiere ticket we had and she seemingly then would go out of her way to ignore us and told us that WE could move! She would not take the trash from our table and we placed it into an empty little bin on an empty seat and she picked it out of the bin and slammed it back on to our table and wagged her finger at us and said , 'next time you tell me! I take it!' and proceeded to not take that , (it was two water bottles and one cava split bottle). So when she came back, I asked her to take it and the trash from our bin and she said she would take the bottles. This lady was so rude. This was our 600E ticket and the lack of service. Awful.The service from Madrid was only once at our seat on a 3 hour journey and we were up looking for water! So my advice is to go through another site because you will get super frustrated and you won't get the service either way or just try and book from your app. The lavatory in our first class area was disgusting two hours into the journey and it's not as though our gem of an attendant was going to clean it. I still love train travel in Europe, and the Spanish countryside is beautiful; I just wish that Renfe was better with its booking and service. That said, once you get to the stations if you know train travel in Europe, it runs pretty seamlessly and efficiently. Don't be late; get through security and wait for your platform to be shown and board your coach and enjoy. To me, unlike in the US, where I avoid the disgust of train travel, I rather enjoy it in Europe because I find it relaxing and scenic. Renfe just makes it harder than it needs to be and the rude attendant in first class is showing all kinds of job dissatisfaction. Do better. We also tried to call to get assistance with our ticket booking, as a side note.. that was a joke. The agent on the line stated we had to get our telephone and credit card via email all aligned. YES; she actually refused to book it for us. Face.PALM. read more

Average, at best. Does get you from Point A to Point B but 2 of my trains were late, silent carriage is apparently optional, and they need to add a feature so I can purchase air conditioning--feels like I'm riding in a sauna, even after I asked one of the on board staff to lower the temperature in my car. Horrible ventilation, would hate to take this train in July and August. Not all their trains have built in phone recharging outlets. Don't even offer water to customers sitting in Elige Comfort seats. Much prefer the high speed trains in Italy. read more

From Madrid to Barcelona The entire experience was very good. We arrived early, so we were instructed to wait in the station (Atocha). Despite the pandemic-related restrictions, the station was clean and reasonably comfortable. When the time arrived to check in, we made our way through the entire process in under ten minutes. Our Spanish leaves a lot to be desired, but the staff members were patient, helpful, and friendly. Our preference class tickets allowed us access to the lounge, which was decent. It was quiet and comfortable, and there were free bathrooms and free snacks! The only disappointment was the non-functioning wi-fi. The boarding process was straightforward, and we were seated and ready to go in a matter of minutes. On the train, the seats were comfortable and the ride was smooth. It would have been nice to have a quieter cabin, but it was nothing that noise cancellation couldn't handle. We pre-ordered meal service, since we were going to be sitting for a few hours. The service was prompt and the food was good. Disembarking in Barcelona went smoothly, allowing us to connect with our ride about 15 minutes after arrival. When it was all said and done, we got from point A (Madrid) to point B (Barcelona) on schedule. Everything else was a bonus. Note: we made this trip in May, 2022 read more

Too expensive compared with the other companies. Sometimes they charge more than double the others' prices

We had three excellent rides in southern Spain with Renfe. Our last trip, from Granada to Madrid 24 hours before we flew home to the U.S. was nearly a disaster when our third-party tickets wouldn't scan and showed on the system as invalid. Owing to a huge influx of travelers for a festival that weekend, every seat on every mode of transportation seemed to be taken. Luckily for us, the Customer Service gentleman was amazing. He worked very hard to help us figure out how to get back to Madrid. He was kind and thoughtful, and worked with his colleague, the train manager, to help us. Eventually they found four seats on the train and made sure we were on it before it pulled out of the station. Kudos to the staff at Refe Granada! We wish we had a way to thank them in person! read more

Train travel in Spain always a pleasant experience. I guess I am lucky as I am yet to be faced with strikes, delays and missed train rides. My trip from Madrid to Serville was pleasant. Though I got a little confused where to board the train as the Station at Madrid is huge. Make sure to give yourself a lot of time as there are still security control you needs to go through before boarding the train. There are also some sort of entertainment and you will be given a headphone but I won't waste my time since the TV so small and all of them in Spanish. read more

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200 euros for a trip from Barcelona to GranadaTrain is late into Madrid leaving 4 minutes to find platform 5. Doors close as soon as I embark. 2 second later I would have missed train. Staff don't care. cabin is noisy, and tartly. read more

We arrived way to early so we went to the ticket office to see if we could get on an earlier train. The gentleman said they were fully booked and no seats were available. We looked online and there were seats available so we went back and showed him. He begrudgingly rebooked us. I'm not sure why he lied to us? Otherwise the trains are well run and enjoyable to travel on. read more

My sister and I bought tickets from Madrid to Barcelona at the counter in the train station. We waited more than hour for tickets. We ended up having to pay 250 pounds for a ONE WAY trip for both of us and we had to wait at the station all day for the train to leave at night. We asked for a refund since we had initially thought it was a round trip ticket and they refused. Horrible! Will never be buying from here again. Mi hermana y yo compramos billetes de Madrid a Barcelona en la ventanilla en la estación de trenes. Esperamos más de una hora para billetes. Tuvimos que pagar 250 euros por un billete SIN vuelta por las dos. Además tuvimos que esperar todo un día en la estación hasta la noche para que llegara nuestro tren. Pedimos un reembolsó ya que el billete no era ida y vuelta como habíamos pensado y no quisieron. Horrible! Jamás volvemos a comprar de aquí otra vez. read more

I know I shouldn't complain about Spanish train service especially coming from a country where our public transportation is sorely lacking however I can see where things could be so much better. I have to say that the times that I have taken the trains here they've been on time unlike French trains which always go on strike! However today prompted me to write. I bought two one-way tickets from Sevilla to Granada online. The website did the trick and it was my bank which stopped the transaction even though I told them I was overseas! Anyway what was not explained was that one had to take a bus midway. No reason given. Sitting on the train no advance warning was given about the stops. Daughter had to use the WC and thankfully realized that we had indeed stopped and had to get on a bus. Other puzzled travelers didn't know if it was the right town nor was there an announcement. Walking to the exit with our suitcase, I felt light rain on my hair and the faint smell of the ocean. Realizing that we are miles from the coast, the moisture dripping down my hair and into my face was that of a seagull dropping. The fella had a nice meal of fish. The Spanish say it's good luck, I say I hope I don't throw up as some bird's intestinal aftermath had dribbled onto my face. Rushing to catch a bus (which one? Where is it going?) a driver grabbed my bag and stowed it in the underbelly of a coach. "Granada?!?" I shouted. "Sí." While the bus service isn't technically Renfe in my opinion it's their responsibility to get me from point A to point B. I hope the driver realizes that he is not the only passenger on this thing as he tended to cut people off and pass up other cars a bit too close for comfort. The view of the Sierra Nevadas looms in the foreground as we wind our way to Granada. Should this get posted it means I made it safely in one piece. read more

traveling long distance, you are forced to transfer in Madrid, where no place is offered to sit unless your train is basically about to leave. If you need to work while traveling, flying is a better option. The staff is extremely bad mannered and care for no passenger. The lines to file a complain tell you something about their service. The recycling bins have one shared bag for all sorts of waste... Awful experience read more

Take a train at least once if you are visiting Spain. The trains are comfortable, clean and safe. You will pay less comparing to planes most of the time. Very often you will spend less time too because the stations are located in the cities' central areas, boarding is faster etc. There's a security control prior to boarding but it takes less time than in airports. Liquids and sharp objects like scissors are allowed. You can take more of heavy baggage with you comparing to low cost airlines where your bag's ticket is often more expensive than your own ticket. Get your tickets on renfe.com. The site is not fully translated to English. Some features are in Spanish only but you will be able buy tickets even if you don't speak Spanish at all. Tickets are cheaper if you buy them in advance. The prices depend on the train's speed and comfort. Food and drinks are included on some trains. Cards are accepted. There used to be a system when you had to get the tickets from the machine at the station. Now you can print them at home or use an app (I haven't tried them yet). Enjoy the beautiful views from the train, señores viajeros! read more

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What an interesting experience! This was the first overnight train that I took. It took about 11 hours or so from Paris and dropped us off to Chamartin where we happened to be staying! Getting on the train was a task, especially when traveling with a large group. Pack lightly!! Nothing screams American than two large suitcases trying to squeeze yourself through the tight aisles of the train. (Oh wait, that WAS me, lol!) Now I've learned my lesson. The train ride was pleasant. There is a nice cafe/bar area to relax in and a nicer sit-down restaurant. The cabins were tight! We stayed in a two-person cabin. You place your suitcases above the door, just make sure you someone helps you. There is a small sink to brush your teeth and it converts to a tiny table to rest your stuff. Around 9PM, they put down the beds for you to catch your ZzzzZzzzzz's. Though my bed was small, it was comfortable for the long journey to Madrid. My favorite part was the view of they countryside as we traveled from France to Spain. The washroom doesn't have a shower and gets a little gross after many uses. Think airplane bathroom. Make sure you set your alarm and get your belongings in order to leave the train! And don't forget about your bagged breakfast too! read more

Renfe - Our cabin with seating. - Public Transportation Near Me - Madrid, M

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Our train from Sevilla was scheduled 9:12am - 10:06am. Actual departure time 11:30am with estimated arrival 12:20pm. No notification of late departure until arrival at train station. The train wifi is so slow that I can not read my email. I'm sorely disappointed. read more

In the past, the AVE service was incredible. I used to do the Madrid - Malaga route very often. For some months now prices have risen disproportionately, they won't let you change the date of your ticket, not even the time... It's a disgraceful service, in my opinion it's no longer worth it, since you can take the bus and although it takes some more time is literally 10 times cheaper, you can choose a movie... Huge disappointment with Renfe. Those who have participated in these changes in the company do not know the great discomfort they have caused to those of us who were regular customers. I will try to avoid traveling with the AVE at all costs until they offer the quality that had before. read more

We took the six hour train ride from Madrid to Sarria in comfort on Holy Saturday, 2017. Lots of leg room, clean toilets, complimentary headphones, and wonderful views of the Spanish countryside were all part of our trip. A crew member also appeared several times in our car with his mobile cart serving drinks and snacks if you didn't want to go to the refreshment car. We stopped a few times along the way but only one stop was long enough for passengers to get out and stretch their legs, maybe ten minutes. The trip was smooth, relaxing, and a fabulous way to travel through Spain. read more

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Took the high speed (almost express) from Gerona to Madrid. it was just about three hours. Comfortable seating. Clean restrooms. Club car for snacks. A spanish movie for fun. 110E Highly recommended read more

We booked online (not an easy task for a non-Spanish reader) for peak dates. Prices were over 450 Euros round trip for three, Madrid to Seville. Seemed pricey. Arrived and watched the departure table revealing no information for our train. We waited and waited and finally found someone who directed us to security. There, we found a massive line. It took 20+ minutes to get through. Finally, our train platform was announced (10 minutes before departure). The train was clean and comfy. WIFI did not work. Everything was on time. read more

Gayle and I took Renfe Trains from Madrid to Toledo (and Return) and from Girona to Barcelona (Gracia). The first was a High Speed (AVE) train and the other was slower commuter rail. The hardest thing to figure out was how the "Take a Number" system worked in the Atocha (Madrid) and Toledo Train Stations. There's also the Security systems in both stations to figure out. Past that, we experienced clean, safe, and comfortable ride that arrived on time. It was also interesting to watch the Spanish or Catalan countryside go by and observe what are fellow passengers were up to. read more

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Where I live public transportation is completely dysfunctional. Renfe is an example of how to do things properly. (Im talking to you Bart, Caltrain, Muni!). You can basically get across most of Spain on this thing with trains for commuter, mid and long distances. Even the diverse politics of Spain still allowed something to get them from distance places, why can't that happen in Norcal? read more

Renfe - Public Transportation Near Me - Madrid, M

Let's begin with this. Euskotren (operated by the Basque government) is way better. Renfe is: * More expensive per kilometer than Euskotren and/or Comboios Portugal. * Cars are dirty on the outside. One of the reasons to ride the train is to enjoy the view. But, you cannot if the window is filthy. * Has no Wi-Fi in the stations nor on the train (Alvia Preferente from Donastia). Comboios Portugal has Wi-Fi. * Unhelpful personnel. Euskotren has friendly, English-speaking people in major stations. Renfe, not so much. * A website that makes it difficult to buy advance tickets with a credit card. Thankfully, I am a nerd and figured it out. * First-class seats have a very thin amount of padding. Not comfortable after about 1/2 hour. read more

Absolutely terrible price-gauging company. They have a monopoly of all the trains in Spain as there are no other options for train travel between cities or even within cities. They force customers to miss trains for inter-city travel and force people to buy new, same day tickets ($$$) become they close the doors 2 minutes before departure and refuse to let anyone pass. This is a profit driving tactic, and it happened to me twice on a 2-week vacation. If you must use renfe and give this shitty company your money, get to your train AT LEAST 15 minutes early and spend the extra money on a flexible ticket so you can change it for a little money if you miss a train. They are not a flexible business at all and only care about making money. The only bad things that happened to me in Spain were because of this business. read more

Absolutely terrible, very few employees offer to help and you must know the president of Spain to get a wheel chair. Everyone says 'No-No' and walks away. Although most Spaniards are friendly Madrid Atocha is where the bottom dwellers work....very Sad!!! read more

This company should go out of business. I have never had a more miserable experience in my life. Why would they think it's a good idea to BLAST opera music, especially for those who don't have headphones to mask the noise? I am genuinely appalled. It was actually the most excruciating experience I've ever had. The must just kept getting louder. Just a woman basically screaming. I genuinely would not have been upset if the train went over a cliff. I think I would have rather listened to a baby scream cry for 15 hours then hear another second of this opera music. I would give this company 0 stars if it was an option read more

It's amazing how mercenary and dehumanized this company is. I will be traveling to Spain in September, wrongly when buying my basic ticket to go from Cadiz to Seville, I bought it for August although it is more than a month away, as their conditions are written in stone, there is nothing that can be done to correct it, there is no such option when you already made the purchase even if you are willing to pay a little more for it. I lost 60 Euros, but they will never get more money out of my pocket because I plan to take the bus trip, which lasts the same and is cheaper. They also lost a client who will tell the world about the bad experience of dealing with them. No wonder TripAdvisor and Google Reviews have such a bad reputation. STAY AWAY FROM RENFE there are plenity of better options to travel over Spain. read more

Im honestly impressed.The staff was really nice and professional,especially the man who attended me.Usually places in Europe don't speak much english,if any at all,but the staff had understandable English to the point I found my way.I was going from Madrid Atocha to Albacete-Los Llanos at 6:55 (Ave 5066 on December 11,2021).I put these details just in case because the man who attended me needs recognition,he treated me like family instead of a complete stranger.His son is studying in the same state I'm from (Atlanta,Georgia),so we had great mini conversations.It was a feeling of comfort,since I haven't been to Georgia for almost 2 years because I'm studying abroad.If you meet anyone who knows specifically where you're from you know the feeling of home and comfort,when you can relate.Great job Renfe! I hope more of your staff could be like this. read more

Where customer service is an unknown word - the worst customer service in the world! I had a problem with the baggage check at Malaga station and although I was there 30 minutes before the train departure; I missed my train and had to buy a new ticket. My complaint is ignored by Renfe and the behaviour is arrogant and terrible. With a few exceptions the Spanish customer service is super bad and Renfe is at the top. read more

We took RENFE from Sevilla to Granada and it was unbelievably easy. Despite all the warnings about RENFE's website, booking tickets took minutes, and we easily printed them in Santa Justa Station. The train was on time in both directions, exceedingly comfortable, and very pleasant. Note: the seats are assigned by coche number (car number) and seat number (plaza number). read more

Fast train from Madrid Chamartin to Segovia Guiomar kicked serious ass. What would normally take 1+ hours by car on the highway took 29 minutes on the Renfe Avant. Well-managed and on-time. Bravo. Overall, the train system in Spain is highly commendable. read more

Very bad service they can pay you for any additional luggages, they aren't respect the travelers. Very bad services.

We had a day trip scheduled to Sevilla on 11/14/13 & had to catch a 630am train. They ask that u arrive 30minutes early now in my experience there was no need am guessing because it was so early but hey everyone is different. Huge train station lots to keep u busy while waiting , bar area, shops & a few vending machines. When we boarded the train we had a small issue with our ticket, the ticket was for a 7am train it seems even tho we were told it was a 630am train no biggie all u need to do is head down to the ticket office & change your ticket. There was no hassle for this or charge we changed our tickets found our seats & were we on our way. Beautiful train , nice & comfy they provide head phones for the TV's so u can watch movies on my way to Sevilla I was out like a light !! Woke up 40 minutes before arriving & got to see a beautiful sunrise. We took the train twice & our way back to Madrid , although exhausted from the tour & walking around we decide to just hang out in the drinking / food car. This was fun , drinking hanging & just enjoying the scenery. The train was nice & easy no real hassle or problems when we needed to change times & it was a smooth ride coming & going. read more

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I like this station better than our arrival station, Madrid-Atocha, from Seville. Renfe information was very helpful & spoke some English. The restrooms are free unlike Madrid-Atocha which were coin operated(?). There's also a tourist information kiosk. Food choices are not varied but affordable - bocadillos (sandwiches), tostadas (toast), coffee, & cervesas (beer). We were planning to visit Segovia & the regular train ride was about 2hrs each way. Taking the bullet train from Madrid-Chamartín required a 25min subway ride on Line 1 from Puerta de Sol. 2€ for the subway & 10€ for the train each way. But the train ride from Madrid-Chamartín to Segovia is only 27mins (!). So about 2+hrs of travel time saved & more time to visit Segovia. read more

We recently traveled from San Sebastion to Madrid and I realize mechanical problems can not be avoided. That said, half way to Madrid the train was obviously having mechanical problems and finally came to a complete stop in a remote area. No announcements were made for over a hour and then only one in Spanish. The train was closed and all systems stopped working and no train people were visible except for an occasional mad dash from the rear to the cockpit. There was no car with beverage or food service and both vending machines were out of service. With the doors locked and no ventilation train workers did not pass out water for the four hour duration of the shutdown. The one announcement in Spanish was translated by passengers to say a train was being sent out from Valencia to push us back into a nearby station where we were to board another train to our Madrid destination. After the "push" we left the original train and still no Renfe train people were standing by telling us which car to enter on the new train. Again, passengers were able to get directions on their own and we continued on to our original Madrid destination four hours late. Not the best endorsement for Renfe. read more

We are not from Madrid and bought our tickets online. We had an early train to Valencia and we missed it. We didn't know where to go and the people who worked there were not helpful to us at all. Needless to say I missed the train and am out the money. No refunds or changing tickets. I was willing to pay the fee but since I bought them online for a promotion I was told no and in order to go to Valencia I would have had to pay full price. read more

Traveling Barcelona to Madrid today. 3182. The first class coach 1 smells strongly from urine and the bathroom could make a billy goat puke. Smells strongly from the lav tank. Toxic. Other than that the seats are comfy and clean. Rude purser who likes his cell phone. I would consider him ignorant. Much prefer the cleanliness and staff on the French SNCF trains. Really like that they don't smell like stale piss. read more