We're going to Spain in June and are traveling by train from
1 -Madrid to Toledo for a day trip
2 -Madrid to Cordoba & then on to Seville in one day
3 -Seville to Granada in one day
4 -Overnight train from Granada to Barcelona
5 -Barcelona to Figueres (Dali Museum) for a day trip
I'm having a hard time getting train schedules & prices from RailEurope.com or Renfe.es (it's all in Spanish) so I can't figure out whether I should get a Spain RailPass or individual point to point tickets.
Also RailEurope seems to say there is a $17 charge even if you have a RailPass.
Help, please!
Sandy
Posted by
Newburyport, MA
683 posts
Tix for most big city lines are available from machines in Spain (there will be an English language option) and can also be purchased from RENFE ticket centers in major stations. Buying tix there beats buying them thru RailEurope or like agencies, thru which you will pay hefty premiums. As you will not be taking many train rides, a pass is a needless waste of money
Posted by
Ottawa, Canada
4555 posts
Renfe's website is available in English...go down the left side to "seleccione su idioma" and choose English. You can purchase tickets there as well..Click on "Buy Tickets" in the upper right. Purchasing ahead is a good idea for Madrid-Toledo-Madrid, if only so you can get an early train out and a late train back to maximize your day.....and to ensure accommodations on the overnight train from Granada to Barcelona, a very popular run. Right now, there doesn't appear to be any sleeping acccommodations left on trains up to 15 June, and the new schedule from 16 June onwards hasn't been posted yet. A Railpass isn't effective, since you'll have to pay supplements for the AVE and overnight trains....and you're only making 5 trips.
Posted by
SF Bay Area, CA, USA
508 posts
I'd skip the railpass and just buy the point to point tickets. Some friends go the railpass last year and still had to pay the equivalent of the full fare as the supplement or reservation fee on some of the trains. We did point to point tickets and spent less than 1/2 of what they did on the same trips. Also, the train from Granada to Barcelona is quite long - consider flying. We took Vueling last year and it was much easier than the train and took less time even factoring in the transportation to and from the airports...
Posted by
SF Bay Area, CA, USA
508 posts
One more thing... We couldn't buy tickets from the machines for certain high speed trains. We had to go to the ticket office and spend at least an hour in line. Next time we will buy those tickets online, in advance at the ticket office (the advance purchase line was much shorter), or a travel agency.
Posted by
Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
324 posts
Others have responded to the transportation part of your question, so I'll just remind you to book your visit to the museum ahead of time: https://www.salvador-dali.org/serveis/en_entrades.html
The last time I tried to visit the museum in Cadaqués they were sold out for some days.