{"id":144328,"date":"2023-11-12T11:59:47","date_gmt":"2023-11-12T16:59:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/train-vocabulary-spanish\/"},"modified":"2025-01-31T00:54:22","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T05:54:22","slug":"train-vocabulary-spanish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/spanish\/train-vocabulary-spanish\/","title":{"rendered":"Important Train Vocabulary in Spanish"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether I’m rolling along the Costa Brava on a small cercan\u00edas<\/em> (local suburban train), or hurtling between Barcelona and Madrid on an AVE<\/em> (high-speed train), I can’t get enough of train travel.<\/p>\n

It’s much more comfortable than an airplane, and for Spanish learners there’s another bonus\u2014something about being on the rails makes people more talkative, and so this is a great way to practice your language skills.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

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Buying Tickets for Spanish Trains<\/h2>\n

In Spain, tickets can be bought in person at ventanillas<\/em>\u00a0(ticket windows) at train stations, at the official train site of Renfe<\/a>\u00a0or via private portals that are more functional but may have fewer options (like seat selection):\u00a0Trainline<\/a> and Rail Europe<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Some complex route information can also be found on the German train company’s website, Bahn.de<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If you’re not ready to try Renfe’s full Spanish site, you can change the language to English.\u00a0The train-geek hero at Seat 61 has a guide to the quirks of Renfe<\/a>\u00a0and provides more info like seat comfort and options.<\/p>\n

However you buy your tickets, here’s some of the essential vocabulary to know:<\/p>\n

billete<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 ticket<\/p>\n

localizador<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 reference number<\/p>\n

todas (estaciones)<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 all (stations)<\/p>\n

You’ll see the term todas<\/em> after some city names, like Madrid (todas).<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>This option is usually preferable. It allows you to see options for all trains going to Madrid, and not just to a specific station in Madrid.<\/p>\n

City names on the Renfe site aren’t translated, so you have to enter Sevilla<\/em> instead of Seville, for example.<\/p>\n

salida<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 departure city<\/p>\n

llegada<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 arrival city<\/p>\n

The tickets available on trains can depend on the route, but are generally:<\/p>\n

b\u00e1sico<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 basic<\/p>\n

elige<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 “pick & mix” (lit. “choose”)<\/p>\n

pr\u00e9mium<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 premium<\/p>\n

You can see more information about the types of seats available with these tickets here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There are various tarifas<\/em>, or\u00a0fare rates, for each class and route. These allow for different options with respect to exchanges, refunds and ticket selection.<\/p>\n

Once selected on the website, you can find the conditions of the ticket. Some of the most important conditions to understand are:<\/p>\n

elecci\u00f3n de asiento<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 choice of seat<\/p>\n

sin elecci\u00f3n de asiento<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 without seat choice<\/p>\n

cambios<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 changes<\/p>\n

anulaciones<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 cancellations<\/p>\n

indemnizaci\u00f3n por retraso<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 refund in case of delay<\/p>\n

If you’re purchasing from a ticket window, forget the yo quisiera <\/em>(I would like) that you may have learned from a textbook or phrasebook. The simplest way to buy something is to just say the name of the thing and tack on a por favor<\/em>\u00a0(please) at the end.<\/p>\n

Spanish people are likely to communicate this way themselves (often leaving off the please, but if you’re a fumbling foreigner it never hurts to be extra polite).<\/p>\n

Un billete para Madrid, por favor.<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 A ticket to Madrid, please.<\/p>\n

ida<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 outbound journey<\/p>\n

vuelta<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 return journey<\/p>\n

ida y vuelta<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 ticket with return<\/p>\n

el pr\u00f3ximo tren<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 the next train<\/p>\n

Voy a pagar en efectivo.<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 I’m going to pay with cash.<\/p>\n

Voy a pagar con tarjeta de cr\u00e9dito.<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 I’m going to pay with a credit card.<\/p>\n

Gracias.<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 Thank you.<\/p>\n

Note that foreign credit cards and especially American cards may not work at Spanish train stations. However, you’ll be able to find a cash machine at many larger stations.<\/p>\n

Finding Your Train and Your Seat<\/h2>\n

Got your ticket in hand and ready to board the train? Here’s the signage vocabulary and some of the words and phrases you might need in order to get there.<\/p>\n

estaci\u00f3n<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 train station<\/p>\n

salidas<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 departures<\/p>\n

llegadas<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 arrivals<\/p>\n

and\u00e9n<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 platform<\/p>\n

v\u00eda<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 track<\/p>\n

coche<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 car<\/p>\n

plaza<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 seat (followed on the ticket by your seat number\/letter combination)<\/p>\n

\u00bfD\u00f3nde est\u00e1 … ?<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 Where is… ?<\/p>\n

You may see the following warning printed on your ticket. Be there a bit ahead of time!<\/p>\n

Cierre del acceso al tren dos minutos antes de la salida.<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 Access to the train closes two minutes before departure.<\/p>\n

sala de espera<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 waiting room<\/p>\n

\u00bfCu\u00e1ndo sale el tren a Sevilla?<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 When does the train to Seville leave?<\/p>\n

In a crowded area like a train station, it’s vital to know what to vocalize in order to clear a path and let people know that you’d like to get through.<\/p>\n

Permiso<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 Excuse me\/watch out\/coming through<\/p>\n

Words and Phrases for a Smooth Ride<\/h2>\n

Plopped into your seat and ready to enjoy the ride? Don’t do it in silence! Spaniards are, to put it mildly, a talkative bunch, and this is all the better for your language skills. Feel free to chat to your neighbors.<\/p>\n

Hola, \u00bfqu\u00e9 tal?<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 Hello, how is it going?<\/p>\n

Bien, gracias.<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 Well, thanks.<\/p>\n

\u00bfDe d\u00f3nde vienes?<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 Where are you from?<\/p>\n

\u00bfAd\u00f3nde vas?<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 Where are you headed?<\/p>\n

Voy a Barcelona.<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 I’m going to Barcelona.<\/p>\n

Soy de Francia.<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 I’m from France.<\/p>\n

\u00a1Qu\u00e9 guay!<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 Awesome!
\n(As in English, you can and should employ this liberally, especially if you don’t understand a conversation but it seems vaguely enjoyable and you would like it to continue.)<\/p>\n

If you don’t want to risk starting a rambling conversation that you’ll never be able to escape from, wander down to the caf\u00e9\/bar car for a snack and try your Spanish out there. Here’s some useful vocabulary:<\/p>\n

cafeter\u00eda<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 caf\u00e9\/bar car<\/p>\n

bar m\u00f3vil<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 “mobile” bar, an employee who comes through the cars on some long distance trains with a more limited selection of food and drinks<\/p>\n

la carta<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 the menu<\/p>\n

el men\u00fa<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 a food\/drink combo deal, often a packaged sandwich and a drink<\/p>\n

un caf\u00e9 solo<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 espresso<\/p>\n

un vino<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 wine<\/p>\n

un agua<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 water<\/p>\n

una cerveza<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 beer<\/p>\n

una tortilla<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 omelette with potatoes<\/p>\n

un plato caliente<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 a hot dish<\/p>\n

un plato fr\u00edo<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 a cold dish<\/p>\n

One of the most useful ways to learn Spanish train vocabulary is by hearing it used in context. Espa\u00f1a Total<\/em> has an informative video guide<\/a> about high-speed train travel in Spain. You could also try searching for some of the terms listed in this post on FluentU<\/a> to hear how they are used by native speakers.

FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app<\/a> or Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\n

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month)<\/a><\/i>\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n \"FluentU\r\n

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