Planes, Trains and Automobiles (well in the reverse order) and no Steve Martin or John Candy

One of the things I've discovered in Spain is the high speed rail network, my current employer did an M&A earlier this year (we started the whole process about a year ago, we announced it just before Christmas 2021 and the transaction closed the end of March 2022, on a side note M&As are something I've been involved with a lot over the years having worked for Sun Microsystems and Oracle, in fact the total of M&As I've been involved with including this latest one is 70).

As a result of the M&A I've been doing a lot of travelling to Madrid and beyond as well as Barcelona, although is abou the via Madrid part. Spain has a great high speed rail network, although it is radial primarily from Madrid. It also has good links from Madrid and Barcelona northwards into France and the rest of Europe as well. Sadly getting from Malaga to Barcelona by train is somewhat painful as you essentially have to go most of the way to Madrid, although the funding is now approved to complete the link from Barcelona to Malaga. Currently there is what is nicknamed the "Barcelona bus" which is the Vueling flight from Malaga to Barcelona, of which there are 6 a day each way.

What this does mean is that getting from Malaga to Madrid is just over 3 hours by high speed train, which is way less painful than flying, in so many ways, more comfortable and none of the associated airport hassles.

The Spanish government recently announced limited free rail travel from September until the end of the year funded by a windfall tax for all journeys less than 300km.

So today I was travelling from San Pedro to Toulouse, this started with the 0853 train from Malaga to Madrid, this meant leaving the house around 0700, this was the first part bit and was a drive from San Pedro to Malaga María Zambrano station, a 66km, 49 minute drive. Although the reality is a little longer than that, but you end up with about 40 minutes at Malaga station, time for a quick coffee.

Malaga station has a nice easy access car park underneath it. So this is automobile part done.

Next, Malaga station itself, it is in two sections the local trains (which are Spanish broad gauge) and the high speed stuff which is the more traditional gauge you see across Europe. Nice modern station, bunch of high speed platforms easy to access, with airportish style security (they x-ray your bag and pass a metal detector wand over you).

The seats are bigger than airplane seats with more legroom. Then of course you have the speed, very quickly after leaving Malaga you are going along at 271km/h. Plus you have good WiFi and cell connection all the way (mostly 5G).

By 1202 I'm at Madrid, Puerta de Atocha station which has the same modern look and feel as Malaga station.

So this is the train part of the journey done, now back in an automobile, a quick less than 30 minute taxi ride across Madrid to Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport, the bit of this trip that needs the most work is the ride across Madrid.

Quick checkin-in of bag at the Emerald / Gold desk and I'm in the Iberia lounge by 1300. Grab some lunch and then down to the gate.

Gate is just a 10 minute walk from the lounge and we are off at 1540. Then basically just over an hour later we are at Toulouse (the home of Airbus) so on the way in you always get to see some interesting planes.

So the plane part is done as well, in Toulouse until Friday and then do it all in reverse or is it the right order based on the film title?

Bottom line is I've become a serious fan of high speed rail.