To Buy Train Tickets in Advance or Not?

Hi Jo - Are you in Austin, TX? That's where I am.

I'm one of those people who likes to buy train tickets as soon as they are available online. I'm not as worried about the cost as I am about availability. Reasonable minds differ on this issue, but after purchasing the train tickets for an upcoming trip, I officially have one less thing to worry about.

Some helpful reading.
https://www.seat61.com/Spain-trains.htm#Spain_by_train,_in_a_nutshell
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g187514-c80518/Madrid:Spain:Buying.Renfe.Tickets.Online.html

Unless you are traveling at an unusual time, trains rarely if ever sell out. Availability is really not a concern. Second, train are frequent. So if the 9am is sold there will be room on the the 10 or 1030. The Dorado Card gives a 25% discount on weekends and 40% weekdays off the walk up fare. The advance sales are sometimes better but then you are locked into a fixed schedule. We always go with the card and generally buy tickets one to two days ahead. But you should not overlook the buses for shorter trips. Because the train system in Spain is not as extensive as the rest of Europe, an excellent bus system has developed. Cheaper and sometimes faster. Sometimes the bus depot is in the center of town while the train station is on the edge. See what works best for your schedule.

I think tickets to Segovia and some of the tickets to Toledo are priced the same whether you buy then 1 hour ahead or 3 months ahead. It's the longer trips where the savings potential can be significant.

** Always price out round trips; I've seen them actually be a bit cheaper than a one-way, so even if you're not sure when you'll head back from Toledo and Segovia, you might as well make your best guess and opt for the round-trip ticket at no extra cost (if they're still priced that way).

I was able to use the Renfe ticket machines with my US chip-and-signature card. Especially at Atocha Station in Madrid, lines can be long (though more for the long-distance trains than for Toledo and Segovia), so I would arrive plenty early if planning to buy tickets and then travel right way if you especially want to buy from a human being. Also, Atocha is a large and somewhat confusing station. Allow time for finding the right platform. There are often uniformed Renfe employees in the ticket lobby to assist travelers.

Although I have sometimes seen trains for the current or next day marked as sold out when checking schedules to respond to questions on this forum, I don't think it's generally a big issue except for:

• Late trains back from Toledo (Rick warns about this in his guide book)
• Trains around holidays. (How close is your trip to Easter?)

I haven't checked, but Granada to Ronda might be a trip for which a bus would be simpler. The others I think are better by train, though if you should run into a problem getting back from Toledo by train, you may be able to grab a bus. The bus will take longer and drop you off at a place in Madrid that isn't very close to Atocha Station and might well be farther from your hotel, but that would just mean a subway or taxi ride.

Here's the Renfe website for researching schedules and fares: http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/index.html . It's possible you will not find full schedules for at least part of your trip; you may need to check earlier dates. Be sure you're looking at the correct day of the week, and be mindful of Spanish holidays.

You know, I had not even thought to price a roundtrip ticket as opposed to a one way ticket. I will definitely give this a shot. Thanks!

Davebarnes, thanks for the links. The one regarding general info on Spanish trains is great! They both are.

Having done all these recently, I booked some ahead for price savings, others because my apartment hosts wanted confirmed arrival and departure times. As mentioned, some pricing doesn't change regardless of purchase dates.
I have heard that Renfe will have train running to Granada by April, but who knows? No guarantees with Spanish promises...it is already several years late on completion date. Therefore, I suggest bus to Ronda, and bus to Sevilla. Train to the others....however, Segovia tourism recommends busing over train as closer to city centre and runs more frequently. Read Rick's recommendations about this in his guide book.
Madrid-Toledo, and Segovia routes all have set prices, and I found Toledo trains were not listed well in advance so get those just a few days ahead, or day of. There is a savings on return tickets, and if you decide to leave Toledo earlier than anticipated, it seems easy to exchange at the train station...if seats available.
Depending when in April, Sevilla may be popular for Feria and Easter activities, so I would considering firming up plans around that location. Even busing has rising prices closer to date, and you want the direct buses if you can.
April may have more options, but I found in November, I needed to plan around direct buses or trains.