We are traveling around Spain in July and I bought rail passes. I'm trying to make reservations for 3 trips, but nothing is available. Will I be able to make reservations from Spain just a few days ahead? I'm afraid I just wasted $$ on a rail pass if I can't make reservations to use it!
Thanks!
I would contact the company that sold you the rail pass. As you have discovered, rail passes aren't typically the best/easiest way to travel by train in Europe.
Is the schedule for July available? Most train schedules are update around June 1 to the 15th so if the schedule is not available that would explain your problem.
Yeah, I shopped around plane prices, train prices, etc and a pass seemed to be the best deal money-wise, but I guess that doesn't mean much if you can't actually use them!
True about the schedule. The first trip I tried to reserve should have been available, but the others might not be yet.
I have rarely heard of a pass beating out point to point tickets on price. Where did you search for your fares?
What kind of pass is it? I just book my tickets, for substantial savings, about 30-40 days out on Renfe.com.
Kids travel free with a pass, so that seems to save a bunch. One-way from Barcelona to Madrid comes to 200 or so Euros (for four people) on renfe's website. Our pass for four people and four days of travel was just under $400.
Interesting because fares between Barcelona and Madrid are typically 40 Euro per ticket.
For the day I'm traveling, they were 40 euros each f I wanted to leave at 6AM. 50 for 10AM.
Anyway...how likely is it I will be able to make reservations once in Spain? Has anyone had any recent experience doing so with a eurail pass?
Yes, the cheap fares go fast, so best to buy early. Again, I would contact the agency which sold you the pass - that is part of what you pay for, service.
Thought I'd update for anyone with the same question. RailEurope was beyond helpful :) and made all of the reservations for me. Don't know if I'd have been able to do it at all from the US by myself...
