Hi
We are travelling in October we have 3 nights booked in Madrid and then would like to take the train to Granada but not sure if there is a service as Renfe.com have no info at moment. Has anybody used that route ?
Also when down south we have allocated 6 nights for Granada Cordoba and Sevilla How is best to allocate our night stays. I was thinking 2 in Granada and 4 in Sevilla with day trip to Cordoba
We are flying out of Sevilla so need to be there on our last night
What is best way ti spend our tiñe in this region
Many Thanks
Posted by
Sevilla
1308 posts
Renfe have a somewhat baffling approach to when they post timetables. But a direct Madrid to Granada service does exist. If you search for next week that will give you an idea of times - there are three fast ( "AVE") services each day. Almost certainly the timetable will be the same for October. At this point I'd keep checking every few days to see when tickets are available for October. It could be any time now, or might not be for a few weeks. But don't worry, the service exists and eventually it will be posted.
Your 2/4 split seems fine to me. Obviously there are alternatives,including 1 night in Cordoba, but I don't think there is any perfect combination. Nevertheless, you could consider visiting Cordoba on the day you travel between Granada and Sevilla, since (currently) the fast service from Granada stops or changes at Cordoba. And from Cordoba to Sevilla there are regular trains until late in the evening. Thus instead of going to Sevilla and then doubling back for a day-trip to Cordoba, you would visit "en route" between your two main cities. Does that make sense?
Posted by
stevens point, wi, usa
1194 posts
Hello from Wisconsin,
If you search Rick Steves Spain section for trains in Spain, well oh my, a lot of people have a lot of similar experiences booking.
The national rail systems posts when trains run and when you can buy tickets 60 days(maybe it is 90, I don't recall exactly) in advance of the trip, WHEN they have time to post the information. While their website says 60, it is more like when they get around to it.
What can you do about this? Go to The Man in seat 61. Scroll down to Spain. read about it. Then go to Loco2.com and ask that they let you know when tickets for your dates become available. They will send you a message. And the real beauty is this. You can buy your tickets through them with NO mark up. No handling fees. You can print out your tickets in advance if you are a Luddite. Or I think you can down load onto your phone or tablet.
When selecting tickets you can select the wagon you want to ride in and your seat number. I recommend doing a dry run. Pick a current date that is available, select a departure and destination and a time, then find how you can do the wagon and seat selection. But don't push the pay for this button. Practice will make the actual purchase less stressful.
Loco2 is MUCH more user friendly than Renfe.
wayne iNWI
Posted by
California 🦋
5294 posts
Jazz,
I agree with Nick's recommendation to visit Córdoba en-route when you travel from Granada to Sevilla.
When you arrive to Córdoba, you can store your luggage at the bus station which is across the street from the train station.
Another option would be to take the train from Madrid to Córdoba, spend the night, or visit en-route to Granada.
Do consider taking the ALSA BUS from Madrid to Granada [or from Córdoba to Granada, and from Granada to Sevilla] The bus offers more time options than the train on these routes.
Do book you Alhambra Tickets NOW! I just checked the Alhambra website and there are very few tickets left for October.
Enjoy your trip!