Traveling from Madrid to Barcelona- plane and train questions

Posted by jill (Philadelphia) on 05/19/19 08:41 PM

We have flights in and out of Madrid mid-July. We are traveling with teens. Was originally planning on training to Seville for four days and then returning to Madrid to spend four days there. Posts about the heat have made me re-think the trip and now I am planning to change to four days in Barcelona instead of Seville. Here are my questions:

Travel by plane: Our round trip flights from US to Madrid were booked weeks ago. If I now book a separate flight to Barcelona from Madrid, and our US flight is late enough to cause us to miss the connection, could our ticket still be used on a later flight?

Travel by train: I see a lot of talk about booking the train early from Madrid to Barcelona because it sells out. I am nervous about a possible flight delay and then our tickets would be worthless. Is it just the low fare that sells out or does the whole train actually sell out? I would not mind paying the higher fair that day so that we don't risk missing the train all together, but we need to be able to get on a train.

Posted by jill OP

Philadelphia

05/19/19 08:49 PM

35 posts

We are spending the last four days of our trip in Madrid. We will take the train back since we will be able to make sure we can get to the train station on time.

Posted by Frank

Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA

05/19/19 09:22 PM

23267 posts

.....could our ticket still be used on a later flight?..... Probably not since it is a separate ticket not linked to your original flight. No difference than if you were late getting to the airport and missed a flight. And especially if it is on a discount airline.

I cannot specifically address the question of train travel between Madrid and Barcelona BUT it is extremely rare for any train to completely sell out. The capacity is high and trains are frequent. The discount fares are limited in number and they will sell out but not full fare. I would not hesitate to buy a train ticket on the day of travel.

For other readers, this is a classic example when an open jaw -- into Barcelona and home from Madrid probably would have saved time and money.

Posted by Nick

Sevilla

05/20/19 04:37 PM

1296 posts

Trains do sell out - you can check this by looking at tickets for tomorrow. However, you'll also see it's only a few trains at the morning and evening peaks when business travellers are using them most (and so not at weekends). There are plenty of other services available, a small number still with Promo fares. You are right that what you most risk by leaving until you arrive is a higher cost. But, in the scheme of things, that may not be so huge (though I recognise it adds up with a family). Have a look at fares tomorrow and in mid-July, often the difference is only about €20 per ticket. The differences aren't as exaggerated as they are on some routes, let alone what you get in some systems such as England's.

If your plans aren't fixed, you might think about reconsidering Sevilla as that was your first choice. There's no denying it will be hot - but so will be Madrid and Barcelona. Sevilla will be hotter than Madrid, but once it's over 90°F, I'm not convinced a few extra degrees make that much difference. Basically, it's scorchio. And Sevilla has one advantage over Barcelona - the humidity is much lower and, for most, it's the humidity that makes one feel uncomfortably like a damp rag.