On this route
There are only two train legs in a Seville, Cordoba and Granada week, and they behave differently. Seville to Cordoba is a busy high-speed corridor: 39 departures on a November weekday, three operators' worth of trains, 40 to 44 minutes, fares from 7 euros. Cordoba to Granada is a branch: nine trains a day, 1 hour 37 to 1 hour 56, fixed Avant fares of 32.10 euros, and two holes in the timetable that decide when you leave Cordoba. This article makes the four decisions those facts force: the order of the cities, which train and fare to buy on each leg, when to buy, and how to get from Granada to an airport at the end. The numbers are Renfe's own for 17 to 21 November and 10 to 12 December 2026, read on 22 September 2026, and one limitation applies to all of them: Renfe had not yet loaded timetables beyond 12 December when we checked, so January and February trains must be rechecked once the December timetable is published.
The week these legs belong to, with the days and monuments, is the 7-Day Andalusia Itinerary by Train.
Decision 1: which order, and why the direct Seville to Granada train is the one to avoid
Seville, Cordoba and Granada lie on one line with Cordoba in the middle, so the only real choice is which end you start at, and that is set by the airports. Seville (SVQ) has 88 destinations served by 34 airlines in Aena's list, Malaga (AGP) 159 destinations, Granada (GRX) 10, of which only Amsterdam and Nantes are outside Spain. Start in Seville if you land there; start in Granada if you land in Malaga or Granada. Both directions have the same trains.
| Airport | Destinations listed | Link to the route |
|---|---|---|
| Seville (SVQ) | 88, 34 airlines | EA bus to Santa Justa and the centre, 6 euros, 04:30 to 00:05 into town |
| Malaga (AGP) | 159, 60 airlines | Cercanias C1 to Maria Zambrano in 8 minutes, then Avant to Granada 1 h 29 to 1 h 34 (three a day) or to Seville (four Avants a day in the Seville to Malaga direction we checked, 2 h 04 to 2 h 13) |
| Granada (GRX) | 10, 7 airlines | Airport bus to the centre, about 45 minutes |
What you should not do is book Seville to Granada as one train and treat Cordoba as a stop on the way. The direct Seville to Granada service is four Avants a day (07:40, 09:55, 12:17 and 19:15 on 17 November 2026) taking 2 hours 37 to 2 hours 45 at a fixed 47.20 euros; the connecting itineraries via Cordoba that Renfe offers alongside them take 3 hours 37 to 4 hours 20. Splitting the journey with a Cordoba night costs about 42 euros on the two cheapest tickets (10.40 plus 32.10) against 47.20 direct, and gives you the Mosque-Cathedral and the Roman bridge at dusk for the difference. Even without the night, a stopover is cheap: the 09:55 Avant to Cordoba (arriving 10:39) and the 13:06 Avant on to Granada give you two and a half hours for the Mosque-Cathedral for 7.20 euros more than the direct fare (22.30 plus 32.10 against 47.20), or less than the direct fare if the first half is the 09:34 AVE in Basico.
Decision 2: Seville to Cordoba, which train and which fare
On Tuesday 17 November 2026 Renfe listed 39 departures from Santa Justa to Cordoba-Julio Anguita between 06:05 and 21:36. They fall into five kinds, and the table groups them by what they cost and what the ticket lets you do. The lowest fares are those shown on 22 September, eight weeks ahead; AVE and Avlo prices move, Avant and Media Distancia prices do not.
| Type | Departures | Time | Lowest fare seen | Ticket conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AVE (Madrid-bound high speed) | 06:05, 06:30, 07:18, 08:32, 08:37, 09:34, 10:52, 11:32, 14:30, 15:52, 16:17, 16:31, 16:44, 17:53, 19:32 | 40 to 42 min | 10.40 to 12.45 euros on most; 16.60 to 29.05 on four afternoon trains | Basico: one change up to 24 h before for 10 euros plus difference, no refund; Elige from 11.60: one free change, 70 percent refund; Premium 38.85: unlimited changes, full refund to 7 days |
| Avlo (low cost) | 13:15, 18:54, 20:52 | 42 min | 7.00 to 9.00 euros | One hand bag and one cabin case; seat choice 8 euros; changes and cancellations 8 euros |
| Avant (regional high speed) | 06:20, 07:40, 07:51, 09:55, 12:17, 13:08, 15:20, 17:22, 19:15, 20:16, 21:36 | 42 to 48 min | 22.30 euros on every train | Single fare: first change free, later changes 10 percent, cancellation 15 percent; the 15:20 was already sold out except the wheelchair seat |
| Alvia and Intercity | 08:00, 14:53 (Alvia); 19:25 (Intercity) | 55 min to 1 h 05 | 36.60 euros (Alvia); 10.30 (Intercity) | Long-distance trains with dynamic fares; conditions were not opened for these trains |
| Media Distancia (conventional) | 07:33, 08:34, 13:00, 14:30, 17:30, 19:20, 20:34 | 1 h 34 to 1 h 43 | 14.00 euros | Fixed fare; bicycle space; the slow scenic option through the valley |
Two other operators sell this segment. OUIGO's double-deck trains on the Madrid to Andalusia line stop at Cordoba and end at Seville or Malaga, and its route page quotes Seville to Cordoba from 9 euros in about 42 minutes with departures between 07:40 and 17:37; iryo's Madrid, Cordoba and Seville trains can also be bought for the segment. Neither serves Granada, and neither is needed unless Renfe's cheap fares are gone; the Seville to Cordoba leg is rarely the problem.
The choice comes down to conditions. If your Cordoba night is booked and the date will not move, the 09:34 AVE at 10.40 euros in Basico is the right ticket; the 1.20 euro step up to Elige buys one free change and a 70 percent refund, which is worth it if a strike or a late night might move you. If you want to decide on the morning, buy the Avant: 22.30 euros on any train, and the first change is free, so a 07:40 ticket becomes a 09:55 ticket at no cost. Avlo is for one-bag travellers who are sure of the date.
Decision 3: Cordoba to Granada, the leg with gaps
This is the decision the whole week hangs on. On Thursday 19 November, Sunday 22 November and Saturday 12 December 2026 the timetable was the same nine trains.
| Train | Departs | Arrives | Time | Lowest fare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avant 08275 | 08:29 | 10:25 | 1 h 56 | 32.10 euros |
| AVE 02076 | 09:07 | 10:54 | 1 h 47 | 44.00 euros |
| Avant 08295 | 10:44 | 12:35 | 1 h 51 | 32.10 euros |
| Avant 08335 | 13:06 | 14:55 | 1 h 49 | 32.10 euros |
| AVE 02136 | 15:21 | 16:58 | 1 h 37 | 44.00 euros |
| Alvia 02366 | 18:35 | 20:21 | 1 h 46 | 38.80 euros |
| Avant 08395 | 20:04 | 21:52 | 1 h 48 | 32.10 euros |
| AVE 03932 | 21:25 | 23:13 | 1 h 48 | 33.00 euros |
| AVE 02196 | 21:36 | 23:20 | 1 h 44 | 49.50 euros |
Read the gaps: nothing between 10:44 and 13:06, nothing between 15:21 and 18:35. In winter the arrival time matters because sunset in Granada is 17:58 in mid-December and 18:21 in mid-January, and the first thing to do in Granada is the Albaicin viewpoint at that hour. So the 13:06 Avant is the train: it leaves after the Mosque-Cathedral's free 08:30 to 09:30 slot and a last walk over the bridge, and lands you at 14:55 with time to drop bags and climb. The 15:21 AVE is the fallback, faster and 12 euros dearer, and it arrives at 16:58: in daylight in November, in the dark in December. The 08:29 Avant is for anyone whose Alhambra ticket is on the arrival afternoon. Everything after 18:35 is for people who do not mind arriving in a cold city at ten at night.
The Avant is a fixed 32.10 euros on all four departures, with the first change free; the AVEs are dynamic and were 44 euros on the two daytime trains when we looked. Unless the 15:21 is the only train that fits, the Avant is the better ticket on this leg for both price and flexibility.
Decision 4: when to book, and the timetable horizon
Renfe's dynamic fares reward early booking on AVE and Avlo (the 10.40 and 7 euro fares above were eight weeks out) and do not care on Avant and Media Distancia, which cost the same on the day. The catch for winter travellers is the timetable horizon: on 22 September 2026 Renfe's timetable service showed trains through 12 December and nothing from 13 December onwards. December to February journeys could not be checked. Until Renfe loads the December timetable, plan with the November pattern above and book the trains as soon as your dates open. Book the Alhambra first, then the trains, because the Nasrid Palaces time is the one thing that cannot be changed.
Getting out: Granada to the airports
| Exit | Departures | Time and fare | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avant to Malaga Maria Zambrano | 07:36, 13:25, 18:29 | 1 h 29 to 1 h 34; 23.10 euros | Cercanias C1 from Maria Zambrano to the airport, 8 minutes; the 07:36 suits flights from about 12:00 |
| ALSA coach to Malaga airport | Several a day; search your date on alsa.com | About two hours (reseller figure; ALSA does not publish it on the airport page) | Direct to the terminal; be at Granada bus station an hour before; free change to the next service if a flight delay is the cause |
| Avant to Seville Santa Justa | 06:22, 13:12, 16:22, 18:17 | 2 h 45 to 2 h 52; 47.20 euros in the Seville to Granada direction, which we checked | Add the 35-minute EA bus to the airport; the 06:22 suits flights from about 13:00 |
| Granada airport bus | See the transport consortium timetable | About 45 minutes from the centre | Stops on Gran Via, at the bus station and by the Palacio de Congresos |
If the arithmetic leaves you with a 06:22 train for a morning flight, the better answer is usually a different night count; that is the subject of Seville or Granada: Where Should You Spend the Extra Night?
Stations and the last mile
Sevilla Santa Justa opens at 04:30 on weekdays and 05:15 at weekends, Cordoba-Julio Anguita (the station was renamed in September 2025; older guides still say Cordoba Central) at 05:30, and Granada at 05:35. All three are outside the old centres: Santa Justa is a 25-minute walk or a short taxi from Santa Cruz and is served by city buses 21, 28, 32, C1 and C2 as well as the EA airport bus; Cordoba's station adjoins the bus station and is 20 to 25 minutes on foot from the Juderia; Granada's has a Metro stop (Estacion de Ferrocarril, on the Albolote to Armilla line) and city buses 4 and 9 at the door.
None of the three stations lists a left-luggage service on Adif's station pages. Plan the two train days so that bags go straight from one hotel to the next, or use a private luggage-storage shop near the station; do not count on lockers.
Luggage rules by train type
- AVE, Alvia, Intercity: up to three pieces per passenger, each up to 25 kg, on all fare classes from Basico up.
- Avlo: one hand bag (36 x 27 x 25 cm) and one cabin case (55 x 35 x 25 cm) per passenger in the base fare; a seat choice or a change costs 8 euros each.
- Avant and Media Distancia: the standard Renfe allowance; the Media Distancia trains also carry bicycles.
- At the station: allow 20 minutes before departure for the platform access checks at the high-speed platforms.
The mistakes this leg produces
- Booking Seville to Granada direct and losing Cordoba to a five-minute platform view. Split it, sleep in Cordoba, and pay less.
- Assuming a train "around two" from Cordoba. There is nothing between 13:06 and 15:21, and nothing after 15:21 until 18:35.
- Buying Basico when the Alhambra slot is not yet confirmed. Buy the Alhambra first, or buy the Avant.
- Booking January trains in October from a third-party site that shows "estimated" times. If Renfe's own site has no trains loaded for your date, nobody has confirmed times.
- Arriving in Granada at 16:58 in December expecting a sunset from San Nicolas. Sunset is 17:58 and the walk up takes half an hour.
- Trusting station lockers for a bag-free afternoon in Cordoba. Adif lists none.
The winter side of these decisions, including daylight and holiday closures, is in Andalusia in Winter.
Frequently asked questions
Should I go Seville, Cordoba, Granada or the reverse?
How long is the train from Seville to Cordoba and what does it cost?
How many trains run from Cordoba to Granada?
What is the difference between AVE, Avant and Avlo?
Can I book January trains now?
Do OUIGO or iryo run to Granada?
Is there luggage storage at the stations?
Photo credits
Hero and inline: AVE at Sevilla Santa Justa by Carlos Teixidor Cadenas, CC BY-SA 4.0. Granada station by El Pantera, CC BY-SA 4.0. All via Wikimedia Commons, resized.