Hi all,
We’ll be visiting Spain this June and are looking at train tickets from Barcelona to Seville. The price for the direct high-speed train seems quite high — around €130 per person for the basic class — so I’m wondering if this is typical or if prices might drop later.
We’re a family of four, and would appreciate hearing about others’ experiences. Would you recommend booking now, or is it better to wait?
Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
That is very high. You should be able to find tix for about $55 to $70 per person Monday-Thursday. Weekends—as you might expect— are more. Check into what www.TheTrainline.com shows ticket prices are for all the four train companies on your date and then buy directly from one of them. Usually, the earlier you buy tickets the less expensive they will be. The websites are: www.IRYO.eu/en (for IRYO); www.SNCF-connect.com ( for Ouigo Espana); and www.Renfe.com ( for Renfe and Avlo trains).
That is pretty much the longest trip you can make on high speed rail in Spain. All the way across the country. This is a trip of more than a 1000 km. For such a distance 130,- Euro is not unreasonable.
When I look however for direct trains two weeks from now I see prices around 70,- on both RENFE and Iryo. I also see these prices in June. So this tells you that you do not need to jump the gun on train tickets.
Train tickets in Spain are subject to dynamic pricing. They fluctuate in the same way airline tix do—subject to the prevailing algorithms of the hour. I’ve bought high-speed train tix from Barcelona to Madrid for less than €18. Madrid to Seville can cost more than that, but generally, if bought well in advance, you can easily find tickets for less than €40– particularly if you’re willing to rise early and take a train departing before 9am.
So, a ticket from Barcelona to Seville can be found for as little as €55. It all depends on what train with what company, during which day and also when the ticket is purchased.
While €130 may be reasonable— particularly compared with Swiss train ticket prices which, mile-per-mile, are the highest-priced train tix in the world— I think you easily can find your Spanish train tix for much less,
Have a great trip!
If you look at the pricing calendar on the RENFE website for the direct train (as opposed to changing in Madrid) then prices currently start from as low as €45 on 1,3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23 and 29 June.
So it is very much a case of choosing your date of travel, and maybe even which of the up to 4 direct trains a day you choose.
Looking at many of the dates in June €130 on the direct services must be on an extremely very high demand day, so are unlikely to go lower.
Thank you everyone for your helpful responses and suggestions.
Our travel date is set for a Sunday in June. After checking Trainline and a few other ticket sites, we decided to book a train that departs later in the day, which saves us about $50 per person.
Thanks again for all the advice — it was very helpful!
