- Is there a Renfe pass discount for seniors? I know the point-to-point tickets are cheaper with the TC card, but is there also a discount on the pass?
- Does anyone know if you can actually make the reservation ahead and then buy the TD card there like it says in the book? On this forum people say you need to have the card number before the system lets you book the ticket.
- If I am able to buy a discounted ticket ahead, can I make changes to the reservation or is it nonchangeable?
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23626 posts
I have only used the Senior card to purchase tickets just prior to travel -- never on line. My experience with discount tickets other than TC card is that discount ticket are neither refundable or changeable.
Posted by
Australia
1072 posts
I have recently finished booking most of our trains for our trip to Spain in February to April 2023. One of us is a senior but does not yet have a Tarjeta Dorada. We will get that when we arrive and use it for any train journeys that we haven't booked yet (eg. day trips).
We found that by booking well ahead we have bought tickets at around a 30% discount compared with buying them on the day. The TD card would have given only one of us a 25% discount, so the advance purchase discount was the better option for us.
Quite a few of our train tickets are refundable for 70 or 85% of the ticket price up to 5 minutes before travel as we booked mainly Elige Estander or Elige Confort class tickets. Basico class tickets are not refundable.
Renfe also now has competitors on some popular routes who offer much better prices eg. Ouigo, Iryo. We are catching an Iryo train from Madrid to Zaragoza and two tickets have cost us around US$20- compared with US$60- if we had chosen Renfe. Travel times and departure/arrival stations are identical. I used the Trainline website/app to compare prices.
We have registered our senior in the Alsa Plus program for long distance bus discounts and have been able to book senior rate bus tickets. The discount seems to vary from 50% to around 20%, depending on the bus route.