Is it true there is a fee to reserve my train ticket and then also a purchase fee? Also, I'll be traveling over the summer but the online train site won't let me book yet. Do the times and number of trains per train change much from one season to another?
Posted by
LaGrange, Ga, USA
1178 posts
If you are on the RENFE site, there is only the charge for the ticket. I understand from other posts here that if you use the rambo (?) site there is a charge. The tickets are availabel and posted 62 1/2 days before the departure date. I think they are fairly consistent in the schedule from what I have observed. You can get a substantial discount by purchasing on line and early. Also, the trains run on time!! Almost to the minute for the AVEs that I have been on.
Posted by
OP
Flowery Branch
35 posts
Awesome. Thank you!
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23626 posts
Were you asking about using a rail pass?
Posted by
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, USA
62 posts
If you are using the Eurail pass you'll need to make a reservation and secure a seat before boarding the train, typically this is five Euros. On heavily traveled corridors like Madrid-Barcelona no reservation means no seat, even in first class. On the less traveled routes I got tried of ponying up five Euros for a seat reservation in order to sit in what was usually a nearly empty first class car (plenty of vacant seats) so I decided to hop on with no reservation and just show the conductor my pass. He huffed and puffed and told me in that I was supposed to have had a reservation but did not toss me off the train! I don't suggest doing this, but.....
Posted by
OP
Flowery Branch
35 posts
From what I read, the Europass is great if we're traveling between countries but we are traveling to a few places just in Spain. All the usual places like Madrid to Toledo, Madrid to Sevilla, Madrid to Segovia, Sevilla to Cordoba, etc. I went out on the Renfe web site and was able to map out all my time and costs but it's just too soon to book.