Here's an update I hope helps every other poor Americano attempting to use the RENFE web site to purchase train tickets for traveling in Spain.
After approximately 6-hours of on-line dithering -- the RENFE web site is a true "designed-by-a-committee-of- idiots" success story, and three phone conversations w/RENFE customer service agents -- including one confrence call w/our credit card rep and a Renfe Manager we were told: We cannot purchase RENFE tickets on-line with a credit card from an American Bank. We tried, AMEX and VISA.
We were given two options:
1) Wait unrtil we get to Spain and purchase the tickets at the train station. Very risky and would cancil out any early purchase discounts available.
2) Purchase the tickets at a travel agency. The Manager couldn't provide the name of any American travel agencies RENFE works with. Yeah, right!
We went to Plan B.
We went to RAILEUROPE and purchased the desired tickets in 5-minutes.
No muss, no fuss and although the tickets cost a bit more, we've got 'em!
Hope this is of assistance to all of you frustrated Yanks who've attempted to run the RENFE guantlet without much success.
Tom S.