I am traveling from Barcelona to Madrid with 3 teenagers and 2 other adults. wondered if i buy a rail pass can we all use it, or does there have to be a pass for each person, we are only taking the train that route? driving the rest.
Also wondered which site is the best/cheapest to buy tickets from in advance? There are a few to choose from.
Thank you!!
Each person needs a pass:
http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/viajes_internacionales/spainpass/index.html
But if you are just going from Barcelona to Madrid you really do not a pass.
You can by tickets on https://loco2.com/en-us/destinations/trains-spain
Many find more user friendly than the Spanish National railway site http://www.renfe.com/
But you may have a different experience
A beginner's guide to train travel in Spain: https://www.seat61.com/Spain-trains.htm
If you are just taking one train ride, you do not want a "rail pass," any more than you would want an "air pass" for only one flight. Just buy train tickets.
You can try using the official site - Renfe http://www.renfe.com/ - but it's not easy. Much easier is to buy from Trainline https://www.thetrainline.com/ or Loco2 https://loco2.com/. These sights work much better with English speakers and US credit cards, and do not add any markup.
You will want to buy as soon as you know your plans, as prices go up closer to travel, and some trains on this route can even sell out a busy times.
More details about Spanish trains here: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g187514-c80518/Madrid:Spain:Buying.Renfe.Tickets.Online.html and here: https://www.seat61.com/Spain-trains.htm