hola todos los "mm" ers....
i am trying to figure out travel to valencia and have heard two rumors that i can't seem to find the answers too. i've called the tourist offices in valencia and SURPRISE....they have a 200-person staff, but they don't know the answer and can't find anyone to help!!!

one, i heard a new AutoPista toll way has opened between Madrid and Valencia to alleviate traffic on the A-3. True? Anyone have details? Searching the traffic consortium's website has only left me more confused.

two, the tourism office did say...well, there is a new AVE...what?? i called Renfe and they know nothing about it. well, the cust. svc woman. anyone know if an AVE to valencia is in the works?

thanks so much!!!!!!!

well... a friend just sent me this, so here is half of the answer...(i'm sorry, i am too tired to translate)

fíjate, acabo de volver a madrid después de las vacas, hace 5 minutos he entrado por la puerta de casa.
veamos: la nueva autovía, que se llama AP-36, sale de ocaña (kilómetro 60 aprox de la A-4 -carretera de andalucía-) y va hasta la Roda, en la provincia de Albacete, que es donde vuelve a conectar con la A-3, para llevar hasta valencia. El peaje (toll) es de unos 18 euros si no recuerdo mal, y la verdad es que el mejor consejo que puedes dar a tus lectores es que no la cojan: en condiciones normales la A-3 va bien y la nueva te obliga a hacer 60 kilómetros de más, además de pagar el peaje. Si estamos en un día difícil (entrada o salida de puente) puede ser más interesante cogerla, aunque el mismo problema o parecido se van a encontrar a la entrada o la salida, porque cuando hay tráfico para valencia también lo hay para andalucía, y hay que coger los 60 primeros kilómetros de la R-4. Así que lo mejor para valencia es la R-3 y luego A-3, y solo en condiciones de mucho tráfico (puente, fin de semana difícil, semana santa, 1 de agosto etc) merece la pena la AP-36. Espero que con esto te sirva....

ok....so it sucks! what about the supposssed AVE though???

hey Candy.

not sure how reliable it is but see http://www.railway-technology.com/projects/spain/

if you have little time to spend (and i know you do these days), skip to the "THE FUTURE" section.

for up-to-date (i think) info on the AVE, watch www.renfe.es/ave .

saludos,
jer...

Hey Candy--
No idea when it is opening, but I remember reading in El Pais that when it does open Madrid-->Valencia will take under three hours!

Just wrote my good friend who commutes weekly back and forth (for the last 8 years) from Madrid to visit his girlfriend in Valencia; hopefully he'll have the real scoop. Will post ASAP.

J.

Ok, from Dario, the weekly commuter:

"There is indeed a toll 'autopista' R3, that runs parallel to A3, all the way from Madrid to Arganda --a total of 35 km-- though well worth taking when outbound traffic gets dense.

There is an AVE in the works, which hopefully will be finished by 2008 if the ongoing political feud Madrid-Barcelona-Valencia doesn't dictate otherwise."