Madrid to Barcelona

Best way to book? Try the Renfe website: http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/
It's a bit confusing but not impossible. You can also book on the Rail Europe website.

From Madrid airport you need to get to the Atocha train station for the AVE to Barcelona. Mthe Madrid Aerobus will do that nicely--pickmyounupmright outside the terminal. The last stop is the Atocha railway station. Booking your Madrid to Barcelona well in advance on Renfe will save you lots of money. Look for advice on how to booking the Madrid forum on Tripadvisor.

If you are over 60 years old, you can buy the Tarjeta Dorada (Gold Card) for 5.15Euro at the train station before buying your ticket to Barcelona. If you are traveling on Mon-Thur, you get a 40% discount. 25% discount if you are traveling Fri-Sun.

As noted above, take the Airport Express bus from the airport to the Atocha trains station. It will let you off at the entrance. You can purchase tickets in advance and save a considerable amount. Be aware that the plane might be late for whatever reason, and allow sufficient time to make the connection. It will take one hour+ to get out of the airport (usual for me at least), n then to get to the airport express bus. The bus leaves every 1/2 hour or so I think.. Check their web site. To get the senior discount pass noted in a prior posting you will need to present your passport to establish your age. The pass is issued on the spot and you can then proceed to purchase your ticket.

Many thanks for the input. It is greatly appreciated. TC