Looking to buy train tickets on the overnight trail from Madrid to Lisbon for a trip in November. There are a few on line sellers -- rail Europe, acp rail, and enrail. Any suggestions on which I should use? Or should I simply wait until I get to Madrid to order tickets?
Thanks!
Always buy from the company operating the trains, not some reseller in another continent. For Spain, that is RENFE: http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/index.html
For all the information you need about trains in Spain, see the guru of all things trains, the man in Seat 61: http://seat61.com/Spain-trains.htm
Why not just fly? Cheap, quick, simple, and you'll actually get a decent night's rest (as opposed to feeling like a zombie the next day after spending a night trying to sleep on a train).
Night trains sound romantic and clever. In my experience, they are neither. Never again.
I agree with David & vote for flying from Madrid to Lisbon.
You may check flights here:
https://www.skyscanner.com
Enjoy your trip!
If you do want to take this train and buy from Renfe, you'll need this invaluable TripAdvisor tutorial: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g187514-c80518/Madrid:Spain:Buying.Renfe.Tickets.Online.html
And don't waste time trying your credit card - it won't work. Use Paypal instead, which works.
If you want to take the train, I wouldn't wait until getting to Madrid - it could be sold out. And if you want to fly, the sooner you book, the lower the price. So, whatever you want to do, book now.
