Spain, Trains and Airplanes!

Our daughter's study abroad was in Granada so we offer the following comments:
1) "No" for purchasing a train or bus pass. Public transport is widely available, convenient, safe, clean and quite comfortable.
2) Figuring out money is simple and often via a credit card purchase. Have your daughter pend some time checking out fees for your credit card. ATM's are widely available.
3) "Kids" do travel everywhere on the spur of the moment and somehow figure out cheap rates for traveling. I think it has something to do with the internet ;)
As a Dad I am going to intrude and provide guidance Wife/Mom provided................. Let go. Mom said, "Leigh (our daughter) needs to learn how to figure out travel issues (which she did)." I, Dad, suggest handing your daughter a copy of your post and telling her to start investing in figuring out how to plan for travel.
I am NOT trying to be harsh, unkind or judgmental. Just offering experience.
BTW: Leigh fell down a flight of stairs and ended up in the Granada hospital.................where kind people provided wonderful care and helped meet every need. She quickly bounced back and enjoying a slightly reduced travel schedule. ZERO cost for any medical expense. INVALUABLE caring by all folks involved.
Wish I was still a kid.

A couple of years ago we had a report here from someone who had bought a Spanish rail pass and found it to be a royal pain in the neck to use. Individual reservations had to be made (perhaps that was just for trips on the express trains), and they required a visit to a staffed counter at a rail station. It was much, much less convenient than being able to buy the tickets online or from a vending machine.

I believe Renfe (the main Spanish rail company) has a card for young people that provides rail discounts: https://www.renfe.com/es/en/viajar/prepara-tu-viaje/descuentos/Jovenes

It costs €50, so it's not a given that it would save money in the end. There are huge discounts on express trains if tickets are purchased far in advance. For a trip to the Basque Country or Galicia, flying would probably be better, as would also be the case for just about any international trip. For some short and medium-distance trips a bus may work better than the train.

If your daughter ends up needing (for reasons of schedule or cost) to fly into Madrid and then take the train down to Seville (a trip of less than 2-3/4 hours), she should definitely not plan to buy the Madrid-Seville train ticket at a staffed counter at Atocha Station in Madrid. Lines at that station are horrendously long. I've used Spanish ticket-vending machines often, but some others had their US credit cards rejected; perhaps their transactions were for more money than mine. The answer is to buy the train ticket to Seville either online in advance (saves a lot of money, but it's impossible to be sure the flight will be on time, which creates serious schedule risk) or at the airport train station.

Seat61.com is a great website with voluminous detail about trains all over Europe and beyond.

A big NO, on the rail pass. It is complicated and will not be worth it. She will probably do lots of travel and even walking up to the ticket machine the day of travel, prices are reasonable. Buses are also very convenient and comfortable and reasonable. No need to buy a pass. She can check to see if the Sevilla public bus lines offer some kind of a student pass if she needs to take bus back and forth to school. Her school or friends there can advise her on that but my guess is that she will be doing a lot of walking within Sevilla. And yes, flights to other countries can still be very cheap on discount airlines, those she can buy in advance as needed. Just pay attention to the baggage allowances and ticket requirements.

A bus/metro pass may be useful and help save money if she will be there for a few months, depending on what daughter's daily schedule would be like? You could consider even a short term multi-use ticket like the T-10 we have in Barcelona, I'm sure there is a comparable version in Sevilla.

Best that your daughter reaches out to her study abroad institution in Sevilla, see what they recommend.

Cissy,

I agree wholeheartedly with above advice.
My daughter studied abroad a few years ago (2016), and I can truly say that it was a wonderful experience that changed her life. She became a more confident and independent young woman. She traveled with her new friends, booking inexpensive flights and staying in hostels. [Some universities/study abroad programs will also offer great weekend trips]
She and her friends walked everywhere, in “her city”, despite having reliable, inexpensive public transportation.
Her city (Edinburgh) became her new home and she was an amazing tour guide when I visited her.

At the end of her trip, one of her knees started bothering her, and her friends carried her up and down the stairs to a favorite park they used to frequent.

And... She’s stayed in touch with her friends to this day.

Here are a few tips:

• Avoid packing a monster suitcase and avoid overpacking. Keep in mind that she will most likely buy some clothes/shoes there. My daughter took a 24 inch suitcase, a book backpack which she used for short weekend trips, and a small crossbody purse.

• If you plan to visit her, do so at the end of her study abroad experience, but don’t be surprised if she wants to continue traveling with her friends, or she’s ready to go home.

• Pack a lock to lock her valuables while staying in hostels.

• Make sure she reads tips on keeping valuables (passport, credit/ debit cards. cell phone) safe while traveling.

We all learn from our mistakes...
She and a friend flew to London, to visit another friend, and they missed the return flight because they were waiting at the wrong gate (there were two flights to Edinburgh, departing at the same time, by two different carriers)
She called home and was very frustrated about the whole situation.
They had to buy new, last minute (expensive) tickets, but they didn’t miss any other flights afterwards!

Wishing your daughter a wonderful study abroad experience!

Edited to add...

Forgot to answer your question!

• As others have mentioned, booking train tickets in advance will save money.
  No need for a rail pass in Spain.

• Trains and buses are very reliable.

• My mom and I spent 3 weeks in Spain and traveled solely by public transportation.

• There is a multi-day bus pass for city buses in Sevilla.

• Here’s a useful website with more detailed information: Andalucia.com

• Make sure she books tickets to the Alhambra (Granada), way in advance (used to be 3 months in advance pre-pandemic)

Bus / train fares from Seville to places south (Cádiz), west (Portugal) and north (Extremadura) are really quite low even on a student budget (e.g., €30 round-trip to Cádiz), so little planning is needed for those.
Going east on the high-speed train towards Córdoba, Granada, Madrid gets quite expensive at the last minute, so it requires forward planning. If this is impossible, then bus alternatives do exist (or local trains in the case of Córdoba).
Passes will not help at all.
There is plenty to fill 3 months' worth of weekends without flying from Seville, but if she ends up flying, remind her to pay attention to the very strict luggage rules of the budget airlines that fly out of Seville: non-compliance is very costly, especially with otherwise dirt-cheap Ryanair.

Priscilla's point about not overpacking is a very good one. More than once we've had a poster ask how to return excess luggage to the US after their child's study-abroad experience. There is no reasonably-priced solution. The less your daughter takes with her, the less stuff she'll have to worry about three months later.

I will note that it will be getting quite hot in Seville by the end of the spring quarter.

A few small tips:
Cards for money are becoming universal. I carry debit/ATM cards and credit cards from two different banks so I have back-up in case one gets lost. I never carry all of them in the same wallet or pocket.
One parent should have access to a card to provide infusions of cash.
Never use a credit card to extract money from an ATM. The charges will be whopping. Avoid those private "grey" ATMs in the back of a cafe or store; their fees are higher
Skyscanner is the on-line agency I use to find European flights. It seems to cover budget lines that may not appear on the American-oriented agencies.
The richest source of advice will be her fellow students gossiping over espresso, and the school services.
Don't tip, except in exceptional circumstances. It is not the Spanish way.
A local cellphone chip should cover most of the European countries (maybe not Britain, now).

I knew asking here would be a good idea!! Thank you so very much for all this good info. Lots to absorb and I’ll check into the links provided.

She will be in a dorm, not a home, so I am sure traveling with friends on the weekends will be something they will do. And the school may have some things planned for them as well…great point!

Good tip on bringing a small lock, too. Packing lightly is a must! She knows she will be doing laundry while she is there!! 😁😁😁

Thanks again!! As we get closer you will probably see me on here asking more questions.

Let go

Best advice right here ^^

Our daughter spent 2 terms- about 8 months- in Barcelona in her sophomore year. We traveled to Europe with her and did some touring as a family before dropping her in Barcelona.
We weren't home 48 hours til we got a text telling us she had booked a long weekend in Amsterdam with her new roommates. LOL
She was able to travel to at least 8 or 9 cities/countries while there- all organized by herself or with her new friends. They figure it out and the whole idea of study abroad is about learning to do that stuff ON YOUR OWN.

Heed all the advice above about credit cards/ATMs, locks, packing light etc. I assume her program will offer lots of help and advice as well.

Wish her luck and hope she has a fabulous time!

As a local Basque (on the other side of Spain from Seville, but it´s very similar all over Spain) and father of two 17 -soon 18- year old girl and boy...she´ll manage wonderfully. Public transport in Spain may be one of the best in the world considering quality, quantity and cost. Cheap, efficient, clean and safe. Very easy to get a week or month bus pass, valid for most other public transportation. AIRFARES: well, I just flew to La Coruña for 9 eur one way, currently it´s quite cheap to fly anywhere in Europe...but it was before too. I always give my kids for their birthday and Christmas the same present: a trip. Domestic for their birthday, Europe for Christmas. I think I´ve never paid more than 80eur for a return ticket (Budapest), flying out from Bilbao. So she´ll just need to stay alert for cheap tickets.

As long as she has a credit card and access to cash, she’ll figure it out and know what’s best for her. It’s nice to try and help, but I’m sure she’ll make a good decision based on her situation upon arrival. Before most people had credit cards and when ATMs and cell phones didn’t exist, my wife and I lived in Spain when we were in our very early twenties. We figured it out. You don’t need to do anything unless she asks for help.

She hasn’t asked for help but we were thinking Xmas gift of prepaid train pass. I think we will just get her a new piece of luggage, nice backpack and new walking shoes!!

I really appreciate all the great advice. Thank you!!!

Backpack and walking shoes sounds like a great idea!

I agree with everyone that said you should let her discover things on her own way. A train pass will lock her into certain dates and might just be a waste of money. It is probably be a better idea for her to buy single tickets, bought in advance they are pretty cheap and the Spanish high speed trains (Ave) are great. A local bus/metro pass might be a good idea, but on the other hand depending on where she is staying a bike might be a better mode of transportation.

but if she ends up flying, remind her to pay attention to the very
strict luggage rules of the budget airlines that fly out of Seville:
non-compliance is very costly, especially with otherwise dirt-cheap
Ryanair.

Not just luggage rules, every rule! Read the terms and conditions carefully and follow them to the letter. On the other hand, flag carriers can be pretty cheap if bought in advance.

Be very, very careful about buying luggage for this trip. The European budget carriers, in particular, have very restrictive size and weight limits for baggage. It's important that the suitcase itself (or backpack if she prefers) be lightweight so she put the necessities in it without triggering a painful extra charge.

The transatlantic flight will probably have a more-generous baggage allowance, but will she want to take luggage that won't work when she flies within Europe?

Maybe a late gift would be in order for after she’s there and knows what she could use. She might appreciate that. I’m sure she’ll have a great time.

Similar to the original poster, my daughter is studying abroad (in Barcelona) in Spring 2022 and we were thinking of getting her a train pass for Christmas. Based upon the responses, I am also going to look into a good quality anti-theft backpack for school and a carry-on bag instead of the train pass. Several posts mentioned luggage restrictions on the smaller european airlines, does anyone have any specific recommendations for a carry-on bag that would fit the bill for the smaller airlines?

Thank you!

I think we will pack her a very small, foldable duffle for those small plane trips. Won’t need much for a three day trip.

I’m sure my daughter just traveled with her book bag sized back pack

I am currently studying abroad in Madrid so thought I would offer some of my advice :) Agree w others on the no for the train pass. Renfe is great but is not actually that cheap, I have only used it a few times. No need for a bus pass either. There is definitely cheap airfare for those three day weekends, that's what I've been doing ... Mostly on Ryanair, Iberia, AirEuropa, TapAir Portugal, and Easyjet. For traveling, I have a great camper-like backpack from OG sack that fits under the seat. Frankly better than a duffel IMO bc I can wear it on my back. I expect from Sevilla she'll visit a lot of Andalucia, which is beautiful. Would also encourage the Algarve in south Portugal, amazing beach caves there even if it is really touristy. Definitely get a no-fee credit card and exchange cash for euros at the airport, most places take both but always good to have cash on hand. Pickpocketing is definitely still a thing, my wallet was stolen here in Madrid while out at a club, so my advice would be to only bring out what she is actually going to use while she is out - ie, while I was at the club, did I need 50 euros, two credit cards, my license, my vax card, my student ID?? No - just cash! Lol. I would also recommend blabla car for her and her friends, cheap way to get around. Hopefully her school takes her on some trips - take advantage of the free stuff - and try and meet some Spanish people!

It will be a lot cheaper to get cash (euros) by sticking an ATM card in an ATM than by using a currency-exchange booth at the airport. It's best if the ATM card is linked to an account that doesn't charge fees for ATM withdrawals. Capital One 360 accounts, which can be set up online, are one example, but a local credit union might have a similar policy.

Every year from 2015 to 2019 I found during my European travels that more ATMs were charging their own fees, though the prevalence of that varies by country. An ATM that is going to assess a fee of its own will display that information early enough in the transaction that the user can cancel the withdrawal and try a different machine. Your daughter should be able to find out from other students where there is a no-fee ATM. Usually, all ATMs belonging to the same bank have the same fee policy.

All ATM withdrawals and all credit-card charges should be denominated in euros (or the local currency if she travels outside the euro zone). Choosing to have the withdrawal or charge recorded in US dollars (which will often be an option) is a license for the bank, hotel, restaurant or shop to choose whatever horrendous exchange rate it likes.

Great info. We will check on her bank and maybe change for this trip. Thank you!

This is an item I swear by - it's a theft-proof backpack/duffel that can be locked to a stationary object. I use it when I travel if the hotel does not have a safe/lockbox and when I go to the beach alone to secure my valuables. I think there are some other items that do the same thing, but this was the first and I've had it for a while.

https://loctote.com/collections/all

If thieves want your backpack, they will get it, or what’s in it if it’s locked to something. In my opinion, an antitheft backpack will just slow them down a little. Like hotel safes, they provide a false sense of security.