The trains that go to Orihuela are run by RENFE that offers the following services: train tickets, train timetables, as well as some new connections thanks to the development of the high speed tracks of the so called Mediterranean Runner.
It is easy to get to Orihuela by train. You can take a local or regional train (a bit slower) that will get you to Orihuela from Alicante within the hour. The full route takes 1 hour and a half, ending in the Estación Del Carmen in the city of Murcia, so this is a way for you to get to Murcia too.
Once you arrive by train at the RENFE station in Alicante, if you need information about the connecting train to Orihuela, you have to walk straight ahead to the front door. The ticket booth and information desk can be found towards the left. In the case of the Murcia station, inside the station there are ticket desks for booking and buying tickets. Both cities have automatic ticket machines that you can use in various languages. You mustn?t loose your ticket as once on the train the ticket collector or inspector could ask you for it. If you can?t produce a ticket you will be fined.
If you arrive by plane to Alicante?s El Altet Airport, you need to make your way to the Torrellano train station, two km away, by taxi and buy your ticket at the station, you can get the local or regional train that does the Alicante-Murcia route, it will drop you off at the Orihuela bus and train station in about half an hour.
At present the Orihuela train track is being worked on, they are slowly finishing off the works on the AVE (high speed train) on the Mediterranean Runner that should be opening in 2014. RENFE, as the works are progressing the services have been improving, cutting distances and time with the high speed option. In 2000 a new train service called ?Civis? started to run. These trains are characterized by having a high speed and few stops, decreasing this way your normal travel time, but they are not quite as fast as the AVE.
The Orihuela station doesn?t just have regional trains stopping at it, long distance trains like the Talgo also stop here, and the route is Barcelona-Tarragona-Castellón de la Plana-Valencia-Alicante- Murcia-Cartagena. These long distance services are like train-hotels- with bunks, diners, bars?
When you arrive by train to the modern Orihuela bus and train station, there are many different services you can use like booking of tickets in advance, ticket sales, information about time tables, information about destinations, a relaxation and waiting area, a restaurant area, luggage storage, security?
