So my hubby and I (early 40s) are going to Spain for the first time in early October. 2 days in Barcelona, 2 days in San Sebastian (fying from BCN), 1 night in Zaragoza then 3 more partial days in Barcelona before flying home to US. Using trains and blahblah car. We've never been - any tips and/or recommendations?
Should we buy train tix ahead of time? What's the difference between AVE trains and RENFE?
Thanks so much!!!!!
Renfe is Spain's Railway company. AVE are high speed trains that travel long distances in Spain (some travel to France too).
Yes, if you want to save money, you can book your train tickets in advance here
Is that better booking through Renfe vs. Rail Europe?
Vivavida,
Here are a couple of helpful websites you may want to read before buying train tickets on the Renfe site.
It's best to pay with PayPal when booking on the Renfe site.
I enjoyed a day-trip by public bus from San Sebastian to Hondarribia, a coastal town to the east that has a picturesque fishermen's quarter (lots of restaurants) as well as a separate medieval quarter up on a hill. Hondarribia's very near the airport.
When I visited San Sebastian in June, a couple of art-related sites were closed. Check with the tourist office before trying to see the Chillida Museum (expected to remain closed for the forseeable future) and the Wind Comb sculpture on the promontory to the west of the city. The latter may be accessible by now, but the road was closed for construction when I was there.
In Zaragoza I recommend visiting the Aljaferia Palace. There's an English audio guide available. The old quarter is very attractive. This city tends to be very hot, so be prepared, though you may get lucky with the fall weather pattern arriving before you do. I found no attractive food options out near the combo train/bus station, which is a good distance from the center of the city but well-served by city buses.
Barcelona has enough sights to keep a tourist busy for months. A few of them are so popular that you'll stand in line for an hour or more if you don't buy tickets in advance. Consult a good, recent-edition guidebook or ask here about the sites you want to see.
RailEurope is a third party company, so their prices may be more expensive than those found on Renfe.
I've always booked on the Renfe site.
Some here on this forum prefer to book their tickets on this website
Can you start your trip flying into Bilbao? It's only an hour bus ride into San Sebastian.
I would want to consolidate my time in Barcelona at the end of the trip.
Bilbao/San Sebastián
Pamplona
Zaragoza
Barcelona
I wouldn't bother with a car over this route where motorway tolls are quite high.
