Trenhotel as its name suggests, is a long distance, high quality overnight train

Train

A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...

 service which uses Talgo

Talgo

Talgo is a Spanish manufacturer of railway vehicles. It is best known for a design of articulated railway passenger cars in which the wheels are mounted in pairs, but not joined by an axle, and being between rather than underneath the individual coaches...

 tilting train

Tilting train

A tilting train is a train that has a mechanism enabling increased speed on regular rail tracks. As a train rounds a curve at speed, objects inside the train experience centrifugal force. This can cause packages to slide about or seated passengers to feel squashed by the outboard armrest due to...

s technology and sleeping car

Sleeping car

The sleeping car or sleeper is a railway/railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another, primarily for the purpose of making nighttime travel more restful. The first such cars saw sporadic use on American railroads in the 1830s and could be configured...

s developed by the Spanish rail network operator Renfe that operates within the Iberian Peninsula

Iberian Peninsula

The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...

 (when travelling entirely in Spain or Portugal). Trenhotel can offer special facilities for disabled passengers

International services are operated by the RENFE subsidiary Elipsos

Elipsos

Elipsos ELIPSOS INTERNACIONAL, S.A. is a company governed by Spanish law which was set up in 2001 by Spanish RENFE and French SNCF on a 50-50 basis. It was created in 2001 to handle the logistics of Trenhotel night railway services between Spain and France, Spain and Switzerland, and Spain and Italy...

 (i.e. when they operate in France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

 and Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

).

The Talgo

Talgo

Talgo is a Spanish manufacturer of railway vehicles. It is best known for a design of articulated railway passenger cars in which the wheels are mounted in pairs, but not joined by an axle, and being between rather than underneath the individual coaches...

 carriages are sometimes used by other railway companies, although usually in other livery

Livery

A livery is a uniform, insignia or symbol adorning, in a non-military context, a person, an object or a vehicle that denotes a relationship between the wearer of the livery and an individual or corporate body. Often, elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or corporate body feature in...

.

There are three other long-distance services in Spain:

• Altaria
  Altaria (rail service)
  Altaria is the brand name of a group of fast long-distance passenger railway services operated by Spanish national railway company Renfe Operadora and connecting Madrid to Algeciras, Alicante, Barcelona, Cádiz, Cartagena, Granada, Irún, Logroño, Murcia, Pamplona, and San Sebastián.Altaria trains...
  
   The Talgo day service operating consortium (without sleeping facilities)
• Tren Estrella
  Tren Estrella
  El tren Estrella is a conventional over-night railway service provided in Spain by the national rail network operator RENFE. Services leave most major Spanish cities in the evening and usually arrive at their destination the following morning....
  
   or Star Train sleeper service uses traditional (not tilting) carriages on conventional tracks
• AVE
  AVE
  Alta Velocidad Española is a service of high-speed rail in Spain operated by Renfe, the Spanish national railway company, at speeds of up to . The name is literally translated from Spanish as "Spanish High Speed", but also a play on the word , meaning "bird".AVE trains run on a network of...
  
   the high speed domestic and international service Alta Velocidad Española which runs special trains on special tracks up to 300Kmh (c. 200 mph)

Composition and services

Each Talgo train is composed of several interchangeable carriage types, permitting flexible composition depending on the mission. Tilting train technology is used with the series IV, V, VI and VII carriages.

The series IV do not have gauge change required for cross-border routes and high speed lines, consequently being restricted to operate within the Iberian Peninsula

Iberian Peninsula

The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...

 standard network.
The series VI are approved for circulation in France, Switzerland and Italy.

A typical Trenhotel composition has:

• Tourist Seats (asientos turistas): similar to the first class (aircraft style) seats on regular trains. On Series VII and international carriages these can be reclined until they are completely horizontal.
• Tourist Cabins: These have washing facilities and four beds which are sold either as as a family unit (the cabin is reserved as a whole) or alternatively individual beds may be sold separately so that male and female passengers who may be strangers are not mixed
• Preferred Cabins: Equipped with a sink
  Sink
  A sink is a bowl-shaped plumbing fixture used for washing hands, for dishwashing or other purposes. Sinks generally have taps that supply hot and cold water and may include a spray feature to be used for faster rinsing...
  
   flush toilet
  Flush toilet
  A flush toilet is a toilet that disposes of human waste by using water to flush it through a drainpipe to another location. Flushing mechanisms are found more often on western toilets , but many squat toilets also are made for automated flushing...
  
   closet these have two beds, which are sold as single a unit for one or two occupants.
• High-class cabins, feature a shower
  Shower
  A shower is an area in which one bathes underneath a spray of water.- History :...
  
  , toilet and two beds, which are also sold as single a unit for one or two occupants.
• Cafeteria service units usually with seating and often some limited cabin service.
• Dining car
  Dining car
  A dining car or restaurant carriage , also diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant....
  
   providing full European style meals of different types, depending on the time of the day, and some limited service outside of usual working-hours.

Trenhotel units ordinarily travel at between 180kph (112 mph) and 250kph (155mph) with an average speed of around 200kph (125 mph)

Traction

Trenhotel units are trailers so all need to incorporate a tractor locomotive. On international routes the locomotive unit is changed at the border.
Within Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 Trenhotel usually uses a Renfe series 252 tractor in electrified areas and Renfe series 334 diesel tractor in non-electrified areas.

Routes

Trenhotel route

Route

Route may refer to:* Route or thoroughfare for transportation* Route number or road number*Trade route, a commonly used path for the passage of goods*Scenic route, a thoroughfare designated as scenic based on the scenery through which it passes...

s are named after famous Spanish places or people:

Domestic routes
Service Name	Spanish rail stations visited
Alhambra Madrid - east & south to Valencia & Granada	Barcelona-Sants · Tarragona · Salou · Castellón de la Plana · Valencia-Norte · Almansa · Albacete · Alcázar de San Juan · Linares-Baeza · Granada
Asturias / Pio Baroja Madrid - north to Oviedo via Burgos & Leon	Barcelona-Sants · Campo de Tarragona · Lérida-Pirineos · Zaragoza-Delicias · Tudela de Navarra · Castejón de Ebro · Calahorra · Logroño · Burgos-Rosa de Lima · Palencia · Sahagún · León · Oviedo · Gijón
Galicia ruta La Coruña Madrid - north to La Coruña via Zaragoza & Leon	Barcelona-Sants · Campo de Tarragona · Lérida-Pirineos · Zaragoza-Delicias · Tudela de Navarra · Castejón de Ebro · Logroño · Burgos-Rosa de Lima · Palencia · León · Astorga · Ponferrada · El Barco de Valdeorras · La Rua-Petín · San Claudio-Quiroga · Monforte de Lemos · Sarria · Lugo · Curtis · Betanzos-Infesta · La Coruña-San Cristóbal
Galicia ruta Vigo North to Vigo via Zaragoza & Leon	Barcelona-Sants · Campo de Tarragona · Lérida-Pirineos · Zaragoza-Delicias · Tudela de Navarra · Castejón de Ebro · Logroño · Burgos-Rosa de Lima · Palencia · León · Astorga · Ponferrada · El Barco de Valdeorras · La Rua-Petín · San Clodio-Quiroga · Monforte de Lemos · Orense-Empalme · Guillarrey · Porriño · Redondela de Galicia · Vigo
Rías Gallegas ruta La Coruña Madrid - North West to Vigo via Santiago de Compostela & La Coruña	Madrid-Chamartín · Ávila · Medina del Campo · Zamora · Puebla de Sanabria · La Gudiña · Orense-Empalme · Carballiño · Lalín · Santiago de Compostela · La Coruña-San Cristóbal
Rías Gallegas ruta Vigo Madrid - North West to Vigo via Ávila & Zamora	Madrid-Chamartín · Ávila· Medina del Campo · Zamora · Puebla de Sanabria · La Gudiña · Orense-Empalme · Ribadavia · Guillarrey · Porriño · Redondela· Vigo · Pontevedra
Atlántico Madrid - North West to Ferrol via Valdolid & Lugo	Madrid-Chamartín · Ávila · Medina del Campo · Valladolid-Campo Grande · León · Veguellina · Astorga · Bembibre · Ponferrada · O Barco de Valdeorras · A Rúa-Petín · San Clodio-Quiroga · Monforte de Lemos · Sarria · Lugo · Gutiriz · Curtis · Betanzos-Infesta · Betanzos-Cidade · Pontedeume · Ferrol
International routes
Service Name	European stations visited
Francisco de Goya Madrid - Paris via Poitiers	Madrid-Chamartín · Valladolid-Campo Grande · Burgos-Rosa de Lima · Vitoria · Poitiers · Blois · Orléans-Les Aubrais · Paris-Austerlitz
Pau Casals Barcelona - Zurich	Barcelona Estación de Francia · Gerona · Figueras· Perpignan · Geneva · Lausanne · Fribourg Fribourg Fribourg is the capital of the Swiss canton of Fribourg and the district of Sarine. It is located on both sides of the river Saane/Sarine, on the Swiss plateau, and is an important economic, administrative and educational center on the cultural border between German and French Switzerland...  · Berne Berne The city of Bern or Berne is the Bundesstadt of Switzerland, and, with a population of , the fourth most populous city in Switzerland. The Bern agglomeration, which includes 43 municipalities, has a population of 349,000. The metropolitan area had a population of 660,000 in 2000...  · Zurich-Central
Salvador Dalí Barcelona - Milan	Barcelona Estación de Francia · Gerona · Figueras · Perpignan · Bardonecchia · Turin-Porta Susa · Novara · Milano Centrale
Joan Miró Barcelona - Paris via Limoges	Barcelona Estación de Francia  · Gerona · Figueras · Limoges · Orléans-Les Aubrais · Paris-Austerlitz
Lusitania Madrid - Lisbon	Madrid-Chamartín · Talavera de la Reina · Navalmoral de la Mata · Cáceres · San Vicente de Alcántara · Valencia de Alcántara · Marvao · Abrantes · Entroncamento · Lisboa-Estación Oriente · Lisboa-Santa Apolónia
Surexpreso o Surex (North coast/French border) - Lisbon	Hendaya · Irún · San Sebastián · Vitoria · Miranda de Ebro · Burgos-Rosa de Lima · Valladolid-Campo Grande · Medina del Campo · Salamanca · Fuente de San Esteban-Boadilla · Ciudad Rodrigo · Fuentes de Oñoro · Villar-Formoso · Guarda · Vila Franca das Naves · Celorico da Beira · Mangualde · Nelas · Santa Comba-Dao · Pampilhosa · Coimbra · Pombal · Fátima · Entroncamento · Lisboa-Estación de Oriente · Lisboa-Santa Apolónia