We had planned to take a train from Seville to Malaga the morning of Dec. 28. I have tried three services Trainline, RailEurope and Renfe) with no success and cannot tell if this is because trains are sold out or if reservations not yet open. Does anyone know how I can confirm availability (ie are they really sold out) from here in US?
Another option would be car/driver. Any recommendations for that service would be appreciated.
Thank you.
Posted by
Rick Steves Europe
373 posts
Hi Trish,
It's because they are not yet available. Most Spanish train tickets go on sale 2-months ahead, so check again at the end of October. To get an idea of the schedule and price, you can look at a schedule a month or so from now on the same day of the week. For instance, Dec. 28th is a Sunday, so looking at Trainline on a random Sunday in mid-Sept, I see quite a few direct trains, starting as early as 07:01 a.m. Most of the trains on this route are Media Distancia trains, taking about 3.5 hours, but there are also some faster Avant trains, taking 2-2.5 hours.
Posted by
Wengen
3329 posts
28 december is half a year away. Probable not even the railways themselves know what will run on that day.
What you should do is look up that route or today, and a few weeks from now, to get a feel fro availability and prices.
For example: Looking for today I see that most trains still have tickeets available. There are q few direct "AVANT" type trains, and that is probably what you will be taking. AVANT trains are high speed commuter trains. They have fixed prices, flexible tickets, and you are expected to buy tickets for them close to, or on the day of departure, not half a year in advance.
This is high speed mass transit, not a ground level airline.