Background
I was looking to book a train from Madrid to Malaga. Originally, I was going to book a Renfe Train since I previously had taken one from Madrid to Barcelona, but ended up booking an Iryo train for this trip. Renfe and Iryo are both Spanish high-speed train operators. However, Renfe is the state-owned national railway company, and Iryo is a private company.
Renfe was almost booked for this leg, but the website glitches made me frustrated at the checkout screen. Then, I saw an ad for Iryo, so I decided to check it out. The prices were actually better on Iryo, so I’m glad that Renfe was glitching out.
Fare Types and Seating
Iryo has four different types of fares: two for the second-class seating cars and two for the first-class seating cars.
2nd Class Seating
Inicial
- The lowest priced option with 2nd class seats in cars 4-8, with a 2-2 configuration. A trolley will come by with snacks and beverages.
Singular
- This one is sold as an upgrade to Inicial. It offers the same 2nd class seats in cars 4-8, but the tickets are more flexible, there is an extra luggage allowance, and you can pre-order meals.
1st Class Seating
Singular Only You
- The most economical 1st class seats. It’s in a 1-2 configuration 1-2 across the car width, either in car 2 or car 3 (the cafe car). Meals & drinks can be served at your table at an extra cost, and you can pre-order meals online if you want.
Infinita Bistro
- These are 1st-class seats in car 1 or (if demand requires it) part of car 2, arranged in a 1-2 configuration. A light meal & drinks are included in your ticket, and it is served at your seat.
Booking & Same Day Change
I ended up booking the Singular Only You ticket to get a first-class seat, and it was only a few euros more than the 2nd class seating options. I booked 2 months in advance, and my ticket was 20 EUR. A friend booked 3 weeks in advance, and the same ticket went up slightly to 30 EUR.
They automatically assign you a seat, and if you want to change it, you have to pay 4 EUR.
I booked the same ticket on the return train for 20 EUR as well.
On my outbound train, I wanted to take an earlier train, and the Singular Only You fare allows for a free change to another train on the travel day which is a nice perk to have! I was able to do it on the app and switch to the earlier train. I heard their app can be a bit wonky, so I made sure to create an account & register when purchasing the ticket since that is the only way you’ll be able to change on the app, or else you’ll have to call customer service or visit a station office. A rule to keep in mind is that changes need to be made at least 30 minutes before the train is scheduled to depart.
The Train Experience
From Madrid Puerta De Atocha to Malaga Maria Zambrano, the train’s scheduled duration is 2 hours and 47 minutes on the outbound and 2 hours and 49 minutes on the return, and the distance is approximately 320 miles. Both times they left right on time, and they also arrived about 10 minutes early as well, which was nice. An Iryo train can reach speeds up to 223 mph (360 km/hr), though our journey was more in the 155 mph (250 km/h) speed when cruising.
We were in carriage 2 on the way there and carriage 3 on the return. The seats are in a 1-2 configuration and were quite spacious. The leather seats were comfortable, and they had power plugs and USBs at each seat.
A drink/snack trolley rolled by shortly after we left the station.
The Cafe Car is also located in Carriage 3 and features some hot dishes, drinks & snacks. Some of my friends travelling with me tried the food. One of them gave the pizza a 7/10, stating that it wasn’t too bad for a train & microwavable pizza.
Free Wi-Fi was available, and it did work when I was connected to it, though I often just used the data from the SIM card I got. Also, they have the Yo Portal, which offers movies, music, and newspapers for free.
I went to visit the bathroom and found it to be pretty decently maintained! The end of each car has the bathrooms.
I promised myself I would finish a book on this trip, so most of my train ride was spent reading, and the almost 3-hour trip went by quite quickly.
The Verdict
Overall, I truly enjoyed my Iryo train experience from Madrid to Malaga. I loved the extra space in the 1st class cabin and found the Singular Only You fare option to be a great deal for only 20 EUR each way.
Have you taken an Iryo train before? How was it? Share your experience below!
Cheers,
Ty
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