train tickets cheaper when booking in advance?

Yes, the price on a ticket from Barcelona to Madrid will go up as the capacity decreases; and I would book it with Iryo instead of RENFE.

But discount tickets come with restrictions so be sure to understand the restrictions. Why Iryo? Renfe is the national rail line of Spain. Lryo may not offer the same frequency of travel that Renfe does.

We checked RENFE but they are more expensive. Leaning towards Ouigo (not Iryo )because they have the best price and times.

Why Iryo? Renfe is the national rail line of Spain. Lryo may not offer the same frequency of travel that Renfe does.

Because Iryo RENFE's new competitor along with Ouigo actually have the tickets on sale now for October. RENFE has not been following any clear standard of when tickets are available.

Leaning towards Ouigo (not Iryo )because they have the best price and times.

We were happy with Ouigo in 2023. We were in Spain for two months and used Renfe, Iryo and Ouigo trains. They all seemed pretty much the same to us.

We used Trainline in 2022. Some (but not all) tickets might be a few € more, but the booking site was not as glitchy as Renfe. Plus Trainline has all of the competing train companies on one site which makes it easy to compare prices and times. Good luck.

We had problems with Trainline. Our train was cancelled and Trainline wouldn't refund, said we had to work with SNCF and then SNCF said to work with Trainline. Much like any other broker/3rd party situations. I've never had a problem with RENFE, I used to have some problems with SNCF, which was the reason I had resorted to Trainline.

Why Iryo? Renfe is the national rail line of Spain.

Because Iryo's website is much easier to use and they release tickets in a more predictable way.

Leaning towards Ouigo (not Iryo )because they have the best price and
times.

Just keep in mind that Ouigo is a low cost option and charges extra for luggage and has a 30 min check in requirement etc.

You can first check www.TheTrainline.com for ALL companies train schedules and ticket prices so you can get the big picture. ( Renfe, Iryo and Ouigo are not going to show you their competition’s prices).
You can then check for the best price on each train
company’s website. For late October, The Trainline currently shows high-speed train tix for as little as $8-$12.

Renfe, often does not even sell tickets online until 30-60 days before the train’s departure date and by then the least expensive tickets have often all been bought up by residents living in Spain directly at train stations.
www.TheTrainline.com
www.IRYO.eu
www.Ouigo.com
www.Renfe.com

Hello, i am also booking train tickets for our family of 5 for end of August

Barcelona to Madrid
Madrid to Seville
Seville to Barcelona

could you please advise if we need to pick any specific stations for Departure and Arrival stations for these cities.
thanks

Barcelona Sants to Madrid Atocha
Madrid Atocha to Sevilla Santa Justa
To reach Barcelona from Seville you need to return to Madrid and then continue to Barcelona.
www.TheTrainline.com has train schedules for all high-speed train operators in Spain— Iryo, Renfe, Avlo and Ouigo Espana.

Generally speaking, both train and aeroplane ticket prices continue to follow a U-shape curve pattern, as they did 40 years ago, that is, too far from the travel date tickets will most likely be expensive, then progressively come down and then, from a certain point, the closer it gets to the date the more expensive they become. While this is not necessarily "a rule", that's how pricing for transportation usually behaves.

Finding the sweet spot is not easy because it depends on two factors: (1) the company, each one has its algorithm so to speak and (2) the proximity of special dates in either the origin or the destination on the day we travel (festivities, big events, etc).

Unless you know for certain that there's going to be a big event at the destination, in which case book asap, I personally think it's best to check far in advance -without purchasing- and then keep an eye until you see the difference is, say, 20 or 30% from the original price... from there, I tend to make a reservation. Sometimes they get even lower but more often than not, they start climbing again.