Train travel in Spain

These three cities are connected by high speed AVE trains which are amazing. If you buy tickets in advance ( starting 62 days ahead) on the Renfe website, you can get discounts of as much as 60% off. This is likely cheaper than a pass. If you wait to buy tickets in Spain, you will pay full price.

Depends a little bit on your age. There are discount cards for those over 60. Deep discount, advance purchase tickets are available but are non-refundable and lock you into specific schedules.

Jumping on Frank's comment, we did buy the Tarjeta Dorada (Gold Card) in Barcelona for 5.05Eu. It's for seniors over 60. If you travel Mon-Thurs, you get 40% off. If you travel Fri-Sun, you get 25% off. One quirk that we found on leaving Spain for France on the train is that the ticket agents at the Barcelona Sants train station would not accept credit cards for the ticket from Figueres (where you change to French trains) into France. Cash only. Our Gold Card did work to get us to Figureres.

We are over 60 but preferred the 60% discount we could get by purchasing in advance, instead of the Tarjeta Dorada discount. That way we had our choice of the best train that fit our schedule, as well as the deepest discount. The difference on the trip from Barcelona to Madrid, traveling on a weekend, was 23 euros each ticket, or 46 euros for the two of us. Had we traveled on a weekday, the difference would have been 80 euros. We didn't mind being "locked in" to a specific train as we were "locked in" to a specific itinerary anyway; we had all our hotel reservations made. We were traveling at a very heavy travel time (early May, with the Feria in Sevilla, Patio festival in Cordoba, and the run-up to San Isidro in Madrid, so it was good to be able to get the tickets in advance for the specific trains we wanted.

The train is an excellent transport mode in Spain. The AVE trains will favorably impress you. The ticket will have the car number and the seat number on them. The standard (touristia) class is very comfortable. The trains are clean and modern. You can attempt to purchase tickets on the REFFE site, but there are many postings here about the difficulty in doing so. I have been able to purchase tickets with minimal problems. But the senior discount is another good way and allows you to purchase them in person. You do purchase a 'membership' card or whatever for a nominal cost. Enjoy your trip!!