Please sign in to post.

Spain Eurail Pass

I bought the Spain Eurail pass and now am regretting it since I just realized that we cannot make any seat reservations til we are in Spain. I should have done more research so it is my own fault. We will be traveling in Sept and I wonder how difficult it is to get reservations when we are there. We will arrive in Barcelona on 9/6 and will need trains from Barcelona to Seville on 9/10 , Seville to Granada on 9/16 and Granada to Madrid on 9/18, plus a day trip to Cordoba on 9/13 from Seville. Anyone who has had experience reserving tickets in Spain?

Posted by
52 posts

I have the app on my phone but it says all my tickets cannot be reserved through the online system. I believe Spain train system does not support reserving online through this app.

Posted by
6783 posts

No direct experience, but Eurail's own website confirms this situation and spending part of your vacation queuing at train stations is no fun! Eurail pass is cancellable - they refund 85% of pass cost, leaving you with a relatively minor loss.

Posted by
26834 posts

I'd ditch the pass if you can--doing so may also save you money--but is that possible? In the past the get-85%-back deal was only available if you had paid full price for the pass.

Whatever happens, do anything within your power to avoid standing in line at the staffed ticket counter at Madrid's Atocha Station. I spent 3 hours in line there a few years ago, and it wasn't an anomaly. Get all your reservations in Barcelona. The ticket-vending machines are easy to use for regular ticket purchases. I have no idea whether rail-pass holders can use them just to get reservations.

Posted by
11294 posts

To expand on what others have said, if you buy tickets in advance, you should be able to get highly discounted fares that will beat the price of your rail pass.

So, before even attempting to refund your pass, see what it would cost to buy advance tickets now. Since you know your travel dates, the fact that these tickets will be non-refundable should not be an issue for you. The tickets will come with any necessary reservations included.

One tip: if you're not seeing the times you want for your trip from Barcelona to Seville, check the schedules on Bahn (German rail) https://www.bahn.com/en. Here is Rick's tutorial for how to use it: https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/online-schedules

When I went from Toledo to Barcelona (requires changing in Madrid), Renfe only showed two trips for the day, when I knew there were many more. I found trains I wanted on Bahn, then bought the tickets as two separate segments. For Barcelona to Seville, some runs will be direct and some will have a change in Madrid Atocha.

Another tip: if you have to change AVE trains in Madrid Atocha, sometimes you have to change levels as well. If you do, there's an elevator connecting the upper and lower level lounges, so you don't have to go through security again and won't get lost in that massive maze of a station. The elevator is outside the lounge in the track area, near the high-numbered tracks. If you need it and don't see it, ask for it. With this elevator, 30 minutes is more than enough time to make a connection in Atocha.

Posted by
52 posts

Thank you for all the feedback. I got very busy and did not revisit this issue til few days ago. I am happy to report that I was able to figure out how to deactivate my pass so all 3 of us were able to get the refund, and the refund was 100%! Now I will proceed to buy tickets online individually.

Posted by
32519 posts

thanks for the update... I hope it all works out well for you