Hola: My husband and I are taking the RS May 2012 Spain/Morocco trip, which ends in Seville 5/27, then travel north to San Sebastien for a few days before catching our flight home from Madrid. Questions: 1) Anyone who can give a heads up about the sleeper train from Madrid to San Sebastian? 2) Any words of wisdom about the train from San Sebastien back to Madrid? 3) Off topic: Any words of wisdom catching the train from Paris to Lyon, Lyon to Avignon, Avignon to Barcelona (front end of our trip.)
Cheers!
Posted by
Seattle, WA
16789 posts
Lyn, the regular Alvia train between Madrid and Sebastian/Donastia only takes a bit over 5 hours, so there is no need for a night train. There are 2 trains a day in each direction, one in the morning and one departing in early afternoon. If you book 62 days in advance on the Spanigh train site, Renfe.com, you may be able to score the web fare of 21,50 in 2d class or 33,40 is Preferente (1st class) for these tickets. I don't even see a direct night train on Renfe; bahn.de says you have to change someplace in the middle of the night, so it's not a true night train.
Posted by
Whittington
984 posts
1. Yes, as above, what sleeper train? If you want to travel overnight, you change trains in the early hours. Not my idea of comfort and you will not be fresh for San Sebastian.
Posted by
OP
Seattle, WA
22 posts
Ok - our flight from Madrid is at 9 pm 5/30 - so sounds like we will be able to leave on 5/30 am and still make it. Please - we pre-purchased our France-Train pass through Rick Steves - sounds like we still need to purchase tickets again?!
Thanks so much for input~L
Posted by
Oak Park, Illinois
4535 posts
The TGV trains in France require a supplemental fee or seat reservation for passholders. It costs much less than a ticket, but is one of the reasons passes are no longer much of a value. And SNCF also reportedly limits the number of seats it sells to passholders. So try to reserve your seats now, or, if possible, return your pass for a refund and just buy the tickets. You can also see if any of the trains on those routes are not TGV, just local (slow) trains. If so, those do not usually require reservations.
Posted by
OP
Seattle, WA
22 posts
Sweet. Thanks for the inside scoop!