61106TRA
Alta Velocidad Española (AVE) is a service of high-speed rail in Spain operated by Renfe. Pax may never have travelled on a train before and are likely to be excited at the prospect.
The AVE travels at speeds up to around 320 km/h or 195 mph
· Ticket seat assignments are often not in numerical order on the ticket it is strongly recommended that you check through in advance to make sure that you know exactly which seats belong to the group
Set down Check-in area Set down as close to the AVE terminal as possible. Make sure all pax know the train number, destination, departure time, carriage number and their individual seat number (knowing their seat number in advance will help make boarding the train much smoother) in case they get separated form the group in the train station. Ensure that nothing has been left behind on the bus and lead group into the station. Double-check the number and departure time of your AVE train. The platform number is normally posted 20 minutes before departure. You should always inform RENFE personnel on arrival that you are traveling with a large group, and they will facilitate that information earlier and will usually tell you which area of the platform your particular coach will be positioned. CHECKING IN THE GROUP’S LUGGAGE There is no standard policy on the AVE whether groups are allowed to check their luggage into a baggage hold on the train. Call in advance or ask RENFE staff upon arrival, explaining that you are travelling in a large group. Sometimes the last wagon on the AVE is reserved for luggage. This is usually only possible if your destination is the last stop on the line and providing another tour group has not booked it. If the hold is not available your group will need to store all their luggage in the carriage with them. If your group is lucky enough to be able to use the luggage hold you will need to ensure that you are at the station AT LEAST an hour before the train departs. · ACIS will pay for porterage with adult groups only – please confirm this with the Araque Office. · Encore groups – please confirm this with Ole Spain. · If boarding the AVE in Madrid after a visit to Suarez sword factory, any swords or knives must be declared
Boarding Luggage chains for large groups! to security staff at the x-ray machine and receipts showing purchase within the previous 24 hour window must be presented. Locate the check-in area (Madrid Atocha – first floor above the botanical garden) Lead the group to the check-in area. Identify yourself with the AVE staff and let them know you are a large group. Organise the group into a line with their bags – the AVE staff will sometimes allow you to be the first on to the platform ahead of individual travellers if you are organized in this way. If you can use the luggage hold on the, train the luggage check-in will be done as a group, and you will get one receipt. If there are other groups travelling, you will be given stickers for the luggage to identify it. It would be worth mentioning the size of your group when checking in as there may be staff on the platform willing to help. Otherwise, once you have all passed your bags through security check / x-ray machine, lead the group carrying their own luggage/carry-on bags onto the platform. You have to show your tickets before you descend onto the platform. Lead the group to the number on the platform edge that corresponds with your carriage number. BOARDING THE TRAIN If you are boarding the train at the beginning of the line you will be able to do so in relative calm as you will have 15 – 20 mins. However, it is usually wise to organize a luggage chain to get the heavy bags onto the train quickly before the group boards so as not to block individual travelers’ access for too long. Get the group to work as a team and ask particularly tall/strong pax to help out with the lifting. If you are boarding the train at a stop midway along the line it is ESSENTIAL THAT YOU PREPARE YOUR GROUP IN ADVANCE – as you will only have about 3 minutes to board the train – the train will not wait for you! MAKE SURE THEY KNOW THERE CAN BE NO DILLY-DALLYING! Be sure to have all the very large and extra HUGE bags lined up on the platform close to where the coach door will be. Get tall / strong pax to load them in a chain onto the train. You will need to have a few of said strong/tall pax inside the carriage to help lift and organise the bags inside the train. It can be a good idea to get all other pax to board with their carry on bags using the door of an adjacent carriage and then walk through into your reserved carriage as the loading of the large bags can take a long time and can block the doorway for some time. (You may need to explain to a train attendant that this is what you plan to do) Using the door of
Arrival at Destination the adjacent carriage gives you more chance of ensuring all pax board the train! On boarding the train utter chaos may greet you – be calm and direct the group to their reserved seats and help them store their luggage. There is space for the very large bags and extra huge suitcases at each end of the carriage. Make sure all the normal-ish sized suitcases and small carry-on luggage/small suitcases are on the overhead racks. Ensure that no luggage is blocking the aisles. There is a buffet car on the train. A film will play during the journey – usually dubbed in Spanish, headphones are available on request. Madrid – Cordoba = 1hr 40mins to 2hrs depending on departure time. Madrid – Sevilla = 2hrs to 2hrs 40mins depending on departure time. Madrid – Tarragona = 2hrs 40mins. Madrid – Barcelona = 2hrs to 3hrs 30mins depending on the departure time. Madrid – Valencia = 1hr 50mins ALIGHTING THE TRAIN If you are departing the train at a stop that is not the final destination, you will have only 3 mins to leave the train. You will need to employ military precision to get your group off the train. PREPARE THEM WELL IN ADVANCE. 15 mins before your time of arrival wake up all pax and take down / arrange all the large suitcases in the doorway and aisle. On arrival, set up a chain to quickly throw the large bags out of the door and have two pax on the platform to pull them out of the way and line them up along the platform. Again it can be a good idea to ask the rest of your group to alight the train using the door of an adjacent carriage. Ask everyone to identify their baggage as soon as they are off the train to help ensure that bags are not left on board and end up at a completely different destination to the group. If you have checked in luggage: on arrival, lead the group to baggage reclaim or alternatively ask the guard if the luggage can be picked up on the platform. Arrival Your driver number for the arrival pick up will usually be texted to
you – if it hasn’t been sent please call the Area Office so they can facilitate it. Buses are often not within sight of the exit, and it is helpful for you to call the driver to clarify their whereabouts and therefore streamline the process of arrival for your group. If you are unfamiliar with your arrival station locate the bus yourself before leading your group out to meet it. It is perfectly acceptable to leave them as a group together in the station for a few mins whilst you head off and scout for the bus. For arrivals in Atocha, Be aware you have to cross the whole station to meet the bus at the other end -let the group know they will be walking with their cases for about 5-10 minutes through the station and make sure you stop regularly with them so that stragglers can catch up. Follow signs to the metro then continue down the escalators and through the station concourse towards the shops and restaurants on ground floor level. At this point, check if still unsure where you are going before leading the group the wrong way! At the end of the corridor with shops there are glass doors on your right which will bring you out to the botanical garden if your group wish to see it. Alternatively, the end of the corridor also has an exit which brings you to the taxi rank and the road leading out to where the buses are. Walk across the taxi rank and turn left on to Calle Mendez Alvaro and your bus should be waiting for you, return to group and lead them to the bus. –