The train from Madrid to Gijón takes between three and a half and four hours. Renfe AVE, Alvia and Avlo trains leave from Chamartín-Clara Campoamor, run through the Pajares Bypass, call at León and Oviedo and arrive at Gijón-Sanz Crespo station, where the C-5 leaves for the Nalón Valley.
Since the Pajares Bypass opened, getting from Madrid to Gijón by train takes a morning rather than a whole day. Here is how long it really takes, which trains run, where you arrive and how to carry on to the Nalón Valley without a car.
How long it takes
According to Renfe, since 30 November 2023 trains between Madrid and Asturias have used the Pajares Bypass, and every one of them cut at least an hour off the journey. The bypass, opened on 29 November 2023, is 49.7 kilometres long and includes a 24.6-kilometre tunnel, one of the longest in the world, according to Wikipedia.
When the line opened, Renfe gave 3h12' between Madrid and Oviedo and 2h49' between Madrid and Pola de Lena, the new gateway into Asturias. For the S106 AVE trains, Renfe talks of just over three hours to Oviedo and half an hour more to Gijón.
The timetables Renfe published in summer 2026 give a closer idea: Alvia 4071 left Madrid at 7:32 and reached Gijón at 11:24, and Avlo 4121 left at 11:23 and arrived at 15:21. In practice, between three and a half and four hours, depending on the train and its stops.
Which trains run and where they leave from
Three kinds of Renfe train cover the route: AVE, Alvia and Avlo. All three appear in the notices Renfe published about the line in 2026. In Madrid they leave from Chamartín-Clara Campoamor station, according to Renfe's Madrid–Gijón route page, and on the way they call at León and Oviedo.
Watch the destination on your ticket: not every train ends in Gijón. In October 2026 Renfe mentioned a Madrid–Avilés Alvia calling at Lugo de Llanera, so check that the train you pick actually reaches Gijón rather than branching off to Avilés.
Timetables change with the season and with engineering works. For the 12 October 2026 bank holiday weekend, Renfe added trains and reached around 22,400 seats between Asturias and Madrid. In August 2026 there was one weekend with a bus transfer between León and Valladolid because of works on the high-speed line to Cantabria. Before booking, the safe bet is Renfe's journey planner at Renfe.
How much the ticket costs
On the Renfe pages checked in October 2026, the only prices shown belong to promotions that have already ended, such as the 2023 launch offer for the line. There is no fixed published fare: the price appears in the journey planner once you choose date, train and fare type, and it changes with how far ahead you book. Checked in October 2026.
Arriving: Gijón-Sanz Crespo
Trains from Madrid arrive at Gijón-Sanz Crespo station, on Calle Sanz Crespo. According to Renfe, it has long-distance and medium-distance services and a connection with the Cercanías commuter network. On Renfe's January 2026 Cercanías Asturias map, the station is the starting point of lines C-1, C-4, C-5 and C-5a: the C-1 runs towards Oviedo, Mieres and Pola de Lena, and the C-4 towards Avilés and Cudillero.
If you end up flying instead, the route from the airport is covered in how to get from Asturias Airport to Gijón.
Carrying on to the Nalón Valley
The C-5 leaves from the same station. On Renfe's map it links Gijón with Laviana, calling at La Felguera Nuevo Langreo, Sama Los Llerones, El Entrego-La Oscura, Sotrondio and Blimea, among others. You only need to change platform.
The line is undergoing works by Adif, and Renfe's Cercanías Asturias timetable page warns of alternative road transport on the C-5 Gijón–Laviana. Check on the day whether any section runs by bus and when the last service back leaves. Stops, history and tips for this line are in the Gijón–Laviana train guide.
There is another route worth comparing: get off earlier, in Oviedo, where the Madrid train also stops, and take the C-2 there, which on the same map runs from Oviedo to El Entrego via La Felguera, Sama and Ciaño. For Langreo or El Entrego it can be shorter than going all the way to Gijón and doubling back inland; Renfe's Cercanías planner will show which fits your train best.
Before you set off
Three things that save trouble: check that your ticket ends in Gijón and not Avilés, look for engineering notices on the high-speed line in the week you travel and, if you are going on to the Nalón, find your Cercanías connection before you arrive, because the C-5 may have sections by bus.
The journey itself deserves a window seat. The Pajares tunnel goes by in darkness, but once out the train drops towards Pola de Lena, Mieres and Oviedo, and that descent from the plateau is the welcome to Asturias.
Checked
Facts checked in October 2026 in: Renfe press releases on the opening of the high-speed line to Asturias (November 2023), the S106 AVE trains, the alternative transport plan for August 2026 and the extra services for the 12 October 2026 bank holiday; Renfe's Madrid–Gijón route page and its Gijón-Sanz Crespo station page; Renfe's Cercanías Asturias map (January 2026); Renfe's Cercanías Asturias timetable page; and Wikipedia (Pajares Bypass) for the length of the bypass and the tunnel.
Quick questions
Which Madrid station does the train to Gijón leave from?
Chamartín-Clara Campoamor, according to Renfe's Madrid–Gijón route page.
Do all Madrid trains end in Gijón?
No. Some Alvia trains go to Avilés, so check the destination on your ticket.
How do you get from Gijón to the Nalón Valley without a car?
On the C-5 Cercanías line, which leaves Gijón-Sanz Crespo for Laviana. It is undergoing works by Adif and may have sections by bus, so check on the day. Another option is to get off in Oviedo and take the C-2 to El Entrego.