There are discounts for some tickets if you are a handicap. What proof do you need with your ticket? I will be purchasing some tickets online. For example, an Alhambra General ticket offers a discount for a handicap person. It is not asking for any proof to purchase the ticket online but I believe at the entrance they may ask.
Do you get a discount on train tickets?
Thank you for your help.
I'm afraid -as far as I know!- that you are not eligible for those discounts as you're not a resident of Spain.
In most instances, you need to be in possession of a "Tarjeta de Discapacitado" that officially backs your degree of disability. In Spain, you are entitled to a range of preferential treatments and discounts --both in public and also in private organisations/companies that have signed agreements with the government-- depending on your 'degree' of disability, which is officially recognised by the Health authority on each Autonomous Community (sort of your "states") by issuing this "tarjeta" (card) after a medical examination. This card is used as a form of official ID, so to speak, when applying for these "discounts" and in the card the degree of disability is indicated (in the form of a %, ie. over 66% is a severe (or total) disability). Diferent degrees might have different "advantages" -if I may use this word. Source: http://www.discapnet.es/Castellano/areastematicas/derechos/Tusderechosafondo/Paginas/grado-discapacidad-tarjeta-acreditacion.aspx
This is not to say that if you're a tourist on a wheelchair and you go to certain museums or other attractions, maybe you could also enjoy these discounts, yet other forms of disability are harder to "prove", so the card above mentioned would be necessary. Again, note that on private sites rules are set by the management so foreign visitors that obviously wouldn't have the "tarjeta de discapacitado" might not necessarily be offered these discounts. Your best bet is to email them and ask. Same goes with trains... in principle I believe you need the "tarjeta de discapacitado" to apply for certain discounts.
Something else for trains is the Tarjeta Dorada which is sold (for now!) to anyone over 60, resident or not, and that entitles to certain discounts on certain trains at certain times. I don't know if this would apply to you. I've recently read though that the Tarjeta Dorada is under review to be restricted to residents-only for the reason I explain hereafter.
Without willing to sound disrespectful, if you think about it, it's quite normal... you're not a resident therefore you don't pay your taxes here, so it's only natural that you are not allowed to enjoy those benefits... which are financed and paid for with the government budget (=taxes).
Thank you Enric for your prompt.
I am planning to travel to the following places in the following sequence by train Starting jJne 21-July 3 :
Madrid-Toledo-Cordobo-Seville-Arcos-Ronda-Granada-Madrid
Is there a train service between all this cities/towns? Is there a difference between Spain's own train system and the European train system? Where should I purchase the tickets?
Thank you
YES, but not all are high-speed trains --btw, the name of the town is "Arcos de la Frontera", not just "arcos"... there are other "Arcos" out there (ie. Arcos del Jalón) so don't shorten :))
Don't understand your second question... what difference you refer to? besides, which "European" train system are you talking about... Europe is 50+ different countries, each with their own train authority.
As per where to purchase the tickets, for the high-speed train and long distance you can purchase online, and although the site is quite crappy, I'd go to the train operator's site, RENFE, which is the most direct way -without intermediaries, thus cheaper. For a few regional journeys, ie. Ronda to Malaga which is served by regular trains, also operated by RENFE, you can also purchase online in their website, but note that's not so for some other regional journeys.
For going from Seville to Arcos de la Frontera I wouldn't know, sorry.... is there even a train?
There's a site, www.seat61.com, run by a former British railway worker and enthusiast, that has become a sort of "bible" for everything "train" in Europe. While you can't book thru this site, there are tonnes of useful information and tips.
There is only a "European train system" in the sense that there is a "North American flight system."
Trains in Europe are operated by national carriers (like Renfe, Spain's national rail company) or regional companies (like EuskoTren in the Basque country or FGC in Catalunya). There are also trains that cross borders that are operated by multi-national groups, like Eurostar that connects London to either Brussels or Paris, or Thalys that connects Brussels with Amsterdam, Paris, or Cologne. And in Italy, there is a company (Italo) that competes with the national company (Trenitalia) on the same routes; in other European countries, there isn't this kind of direct competition, although there can be a choice between a slow train and fast train on a route (for instance, from Barcelona to Girona you can take a fast train in 40 minutes or a slow local train in about 80 minutes).
Eurail and Rail Europe sell passes and (often overly marked up) tickets, but do not operate any trains.
To look up train routes for most of Europe, it's often easiest to use the Bahn (German Rail) website http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en, following Rick's tutorial: http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/online-schedules
To actually buy tickets, you'll want to use the Renfe site: http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/index.html You'll need to use Paypal, and you will need this tutorial from Tripadvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g187514-c80518/Madrid:Spain:Buying.Renfe.Tickets.Online.html
Renfe's site can be tricky to use, but most of us have been able to get it to work. However, on some routes there's no need to buy ahead; you can just buy tickets at the station.
Note that in Spain, buses are more useful than in some other countries in Europe, due to the train network not being as developed. Rick's Spain book has details of how to get to and from each place, including whether a certain route is better by bus.
You start with some good guide books. Rick Steves' Spain book is excellent but there are others. Then hit your local library from travel DVDs on Spain includes those from the Steves' programs. They you can call yourself So-so savvy traveler. You need to do a fair amount of homework.
In Spain our experience is that it is the only European country that gives a discount, if available, to anyone over 62. You do need to show passport. To get the discount in other countries you need to be an EU citizen. You can buy a train discount card for seniors that gives a 25% weekend, 40% weekday, to walk up fares. Our last card was 6 euro, probably 7 or 8 now.
What is the degree of your handicap? In earlier postings you indicated that you were two active couples in your 60s with no mention of a handicap. Or are you just trying to secure any type of discount? Don't cheat. If you are handicapped then realize that most European tourist site are not as handicap friendly as you find in the US.
If you have government issued ID that indicates a disability and that is accepted in Spain (check the individual conditions at purchase) then I would proceed. If you have doubts then don't.
From my experience the word "handicap" is not a word used by people living with a disability.
