Madrid to Seville by Train

You can buy on the spot and chances are it won't be sold out and you'll be able to find a seat, if not in the very next train, maybe half hour later. Purchasing in advance, however, will give you a chance to save money on a discounted ticket. Those go fast, so it's a good idea to start looking into it, since late February is just around the corner. The only problem with discounted tickets is that you are locked in that specific train and if you decide to make last minute travel changes those tickets tend to be non changeable and non refundable. But if you pay the full fare, buying in advance is not really necessary. It's unlikely that a 500 seat train will sell out, and there is a train every 30 min. from Madrid to those main destinations like Seville or Barcelona.

You don't see what day you are going. I checked and there are still lots of 42,40 euro web fares left for Beb. 26, and some 33,90 fares for Feb. 27 and 28. Very few left for Feb. 25. This is from Mdrid to Seville. Regular fare is 84,80 so you might save some money if you act soon. Just watch out that you get the Web fare, marked with a "W" and not a Mesa fare, marked with an M. Those are for 4 people traveling together and sitting at a table.

If you end up paying full price to Seville, you can book a round trip ticket and get a 20% discount on both. But you must commit to a specific return train.

Thank you, all, for the advice. I plan to travel to Seville on February 27 after 3:00, and back to Madrid on March 4 at anytime. Sasha, where do I find the discount fares?

I am not Sasha but I can answer that. The Web fares and Estrella fares are offered by the Spanish train company. Renfe.com is their website. Many people have trouble getting it to take their credit card, but I did not. There are detailed instructions and tips on Tripadvisor, Madrid page, and on Man in Seat 61. Make sure you advise your credit card company you will be making a foreign purchase first. If you still have trouble, the agencies like Rumbo.es, Petrabax, and RailEurope offer the discounted fares too. Mthen add a handling fee but it is still better than paying full price.