A few of the most popular train stations in spain include madrid atocha, barcelona sants, valencia nord, and sevilla santa justa. Train travel in spain the renfe train spain rail pass. Bbc travel top sites for booking european rail tickets. Travel in spain by train ave guide for a renfe rail. Trains that ask for reservations normally save you time and have lots of extra features, like wifi and power sockets or sleeping facilities, plus you can bag a. With your purchase you support all the free information on. Looking for train tickets from madrid to seville, seville to barcelona, and barcelona to provencenice. Seat reservations arent included in your eurail pass, but for a small fee they guarantee you a comfy seat on busy routes across europe. The issue with long distance train travel in spain is that seat reservation is compulsory. The highspeed train between spain s two biggest cities makes this one of the quickest and easiest journeys to make in spain, but it is expensive. Paris, strasbourg, bordeaux, nice, lyon, marseille, london, amsterdam, and more. While spain s transport infrastructure overall is well established, did you know spain is the second country in the world with the most amount of highspeed tracks after china.
To save money, buy your tickets online through renfe, the government entity that controls train travel in spain. Bullet trains of this type are operated by renfe and connect many destinations in the country, including cities like madrid, barcelona, valencia, seville, malaga, bilbao, and san sebastian. Even though there is no additional charge for reservations with the renfe spain pass, it would still be required that you make reservations on each of your trains. Confused with reservation fee for eurail spain pass. Renfe and loco2 dont sell passholder reservations online.
Many of spain s old, slow trains have been replaced with faster. Please be aware that due to the current circumstances, it may take us longer than usual to respond to any queries you send us. Its an economical way to travel throughout japans extensive rail network, considered to be one of the most efficient in the world. How to book train tickets in spain without using renfe. We include it in the price of your ticket, especially for trains operating in france, italy, spain, uk and sweden, making it simpler for you to take the train. So whilst it pays to book ahead to get the cheapest fares, it doesnt pay to be too impatient, you cant book before reservations open, but nor can anyone else. How to buy interrail reservations for trains in spain. China trains tickets, best rail booking service, realtime. Train travel in spain is extremely easy, comfortable and safe. And while japan holds the title for the fastest highspeed rail, spain still comes in 5th. Select the country where the journey you want to book starts. The highspeed train is on average 17 and the md is 11, when booking spain train reservations, its up to the traveler to decide how much to spend, both for the ticket and the time on the train.
With great weather and a stellar highspeed railway network, spain is a great country to explore by train. Train tickets europe travel by train rail europe train. Rail europe sells both online, but seats are assigned by the computer. Effortlessly find deals and information on train tickets, rail passes, activities, and more. Its as simple as choosing your origin and destination from the most popular spanish cities, seat reservation included. The main international routes for the trains in spain usually depart and arrive from madrid and barcelona. China train system boasts over 9,000 km 86,370 mi long railway, including the worlds largest high speed train network connecting more than 500 cities across the country, and the highest speed can reach 350 kmh 217 mph. For trains operating in popular countries like france, italy, spain, uk and sweden, we include the seat reservation in the train ticket price, so you dont have to worry about it. In 3 simple steps and with the best customer service. Whether you want to travel to a longdistance destination or somewhere nearby, renfe offers you several options. About reservations train reservations, reservations faq. Eurostar charges a 30 passholder fare from london to paris or. Internet access costs a few euros for other passengers.
The main train providers in spain are renfe and renfe ave, although the company has also partnered with sncf france to create direct routes into france. Well discuss all of ways that you can book renfe tickets below. I think it would require a live agent to seat you together with one ticket and one passholder reservation, either in a train station or if booking by phone with rail europe but hold times can be quite long. How do i make a reservation using my renfe spain pass. You will then be able to select, if offered, print at the station eticket. Trains that ask for reservations normally save you time and have lots of extra features, like wifi and power sockets or sleeping facilities, plus you can bag a space next to your friends. Please note that this website utilizes its own and thirdparty cookies to improve its services, facilitate browsing and display information related to your preferences. Some, but not all train tickets can be printed at a train station in europe. In that case, you could try to book all travelers onto one ticket. When you book through our selfservice this is 2 euros per traveler, per train. I have my interrail pass but cannot for the life of me get the website to play ball when all i want is a seat reservation on top. A seat reservation is a guaranteed seat onboard a train. You cant just hop on whichever train you feel like, however.
Save money with a renfe spain pass madrid traveller. French highspeed and night trains often have limited seat allocation for interrail pass holders. Paper ticket reservations have to be booked at least 6 days before the trains departure. For travel with the rail pass, you would check reservation costs and purchase reservations for a train from antequera to barcelona by clicking the seat reservations tab on our homepage. Renfe is the excellent national train system that runs most of the services in spain. Travel between france and spain thanks to the european highspeed alliance renfe and sncf. They are usually open from about 6am to midnight and charge from 4 to 6 per. The renfe spain pass, however, is unique in that reservation costs are already included in the cost of the pass itself. Trains that ask for reservations normally save you time and have lots of extra features, like wifi and power sockets or sleeping facilities, plus. Buy your official eurail pass via the partner link. Make your booking online, at train stations, in travel agencies or by phone. Passport number for train reservation in spain travel. How to book reservations with renfe spain pass fodors. Madrid to barcelona ave, super fast connections between the major destinations.
We understand you may need to change your travel plans. You can buy tickets for spanish trains using our app and website. Travel by train in europe with rail europe, your travel planner. You can get more detailed information about train reservations in our reservation guide. Visit our site and book your renfe eticket to travel aboard spains high speed ave trains. Its important that you book these as far in advance as possible. Book your train tickets to europe cities with renfesncf. You can make your reservations on the day of travel or for up to 3 months in advance. Spains high speed ave trains spanish high speed ave trains alta velocidad espanola are famously known for transporting passengers to the most popular cities in record time. At the ticket desk of a long distance railway station not commuter stations. Take the opportunity to discover numerous great destinations. With renfes spain pass its all included, reservations are free and can be made online. Ave or alta velocidad espanola is spains frontrank highspeed train. Buy your high speed spanish train tickets renfe with up to 70% off.
Rail europe can book seat reservations for you or reservations can be made at a train station in spain. Seat reservations arent included in your interrail pass, but for a small fee they guarantee you a comfy seat on busy routes across europe. Rail europe rail travel planner europe train travel in. A handful of small private railway lines also operate. Trains in spain buy train tickets for spain online. Your booking will be processed and you receive your etickets by email. How to book trains in europe by rail expert the man in. Yes, reservations are mandatory for each train journey taken with the renfe spain pass. How to buy eurail reservations for trains in spain. Bullet trains of this type are operated by renfe and connect many destinations in the country, including cities like madrid, barcelona, valencia, seville, malaga, bilbao, and san sebastian, among others. Trains that ask for reservations normally save you time and have lots of extra features, like wifi and power sockets or sleeping facilities, plus you can bag a space next to your. A rail pass doesnt provide much hopon convenience in spain, since many trains require paid seat reservations, as indicated in train schedules see below for more spainspecific reservation advice.
Purchase with booking reference opens in a new window my invoices check your. Please keep in mind that all highspeed and night trains in and between france and spain require an advance reservation. Dec, 2017 the biggest transportation headache we faced in spain wasnt flying but rather trying to book train tickets with renfe, spains national rail operator. Hey guys, can anyone please advise how i book a seat reservation on. When you buy a rail pass, you will need to purchase a seat reservation before you board a premium train high speed, international or night trains. And on average, what is the cheapest time to buy 6 months out, etc report inappropriate content. For reservations that are only offered as a physical paper ticket there is also a shipping fee. Once those seats have sold out, only regular fullfare tickets can be bought for the train. How to make train reservations with eurail pass rick steves. Train reservations in spain with eurail pass train.
But it is notorious for rejecting a significant proportion of overseas credit cards. Roundtrip train tickets in spain are about 20 percent cheaper than two oneway fares. The interrail pass is not available for purchase in your selected country of residence usa. Trains in spain the fastest and best value routes omio. Book a seat reservation with rail europe and enjoy a hasslefree trip. The highspeed ave train is the most popular high speed train spain has to offer. Europe how to book reservations with renfe spain pass hi, im traveling to spain in early june. Whether youre traveling with a rail pass or not, its worth taking the time to figure out whether you need seat reservations on european trains depending on the route and type of train, reservations can be criticalor a pointless hassle and expense. You can escape for a week, a month, or more, while experiencing the nuances of new cultures at every stop. Or, there are md media distancia trains, which take 1 hour 37 minutes to travel the same distance. Travel at low price with tgv, tgv bruxelles france and intercites prems tickets and find low fares with eurostar, tgv lyria, thalys and izy. And while all of those countries official rail websites were pretty bad, spains is arguably the worst. At rail europe, our amazing network includes all the big train operators. The spanish state railway renfe was created in 1941 to run the nations rail network when it was nationalised.
Renfe operates a wide variety of services ranging from regional rural lines and commuter links to the modern, highspeed ave intercity trains. This guide will show you how to book spanish train tickets, how to find the cheapest advance fares, whether you need an eurail pass, and how to understand your renfe ticket. A beginners guide to train travel in spain how to use. Reservation is compulsory, and all trains have a cafebar.
Seat reservations are compulsory for most high speed, international, and night trains. Domestic connections in spain here are approximate times between spain s most popular cities when taking direct highspeed trains. There are many cases when a reservation on a train is compulsory for all travelers, not just holders of a rail pass these are cases where you are on a highspeed train like our paris to bordeaux route, an overnight train with sleeper cabin, premium lines like our panoramic trains in switzerland, or other lowfrequency, highdemand routes. Cheap train tickets spain buy tickets online happyrail. Eticket reservations can be booked up to 3 hours before the trains departure. How to make eurail reservations with a europe train pass. Yes, a reservation can be canceled at a train station in spain up to 15 minutes before the train. Seniors 60 and older who buy a tarjeta dorada 5 can get a substantial discount on most train tickets 40 percent monthu, 25 percent frisun. In most cases, rail carriers set aside a limited number of seats for standalone reservations.
A complete guide to train travel in spain spain traveller. Eurail passes work on all renfe trains, including highspeed ave trains, media distancia, regional and cercanias public transport. If you wishing to visit spain from other countries around europe will find that the omio app and website is a useful and convenient tool for booking their tickets. Train reservations in spain with eurail pass train travel. Bus prices tend to be half the price of the train but take three times as long. Were a trusted partner of renfe, spains national train operating company, meaning every ticket. Look up the train and ill tell you if it can be booked online, if so where and how. Once youve selected a particular train ticket and begin checkout, all delivery options will be presented to you. Please read our daily advice to travellers concerned about the impacts of coronavirus. Rail passes book them directly with eurail partnership 3. Train seat reservations guide interrail seat reservations. Interrail pass guide 2020 how interrail passes work. Make a train reservation and buy train tickets online at the lowest fare. If you have a train ticket, you dont have to worry about booking a seat reservation.
Enjoy travelling around the world with international rail. Information about free train types and trains with compulsory reservation. Furthermore, many areas of spain arent well served by its train system for many trips, buses and even flights may be a better option. With every domestic destination available for booking, travel aboard spain s high speed ave trains to the likes of madrid, barcelona, seville, malaga, valencia and beyond.
The biggest transportation headache we faced in spain wasnt flying but rather trying to book train tickets with renfe, spain s national rail operator. Polrail service provides personalised rail ticket booking for poland and all of europe. For the majority of trains in spain, you have to book a seat reservation ahead of time. Book all train reservations in europe reservations are required for most high speed trains in europe reservations are required for all night trains in europe. If you dont make a reservation in advance, and wish to be flexible using your pass waiting until the last moment. When a train cant be booked through our selfservice, you can find alternative ways to book your reservations here.
Traveling by train in spain is a fast, convenient and comfortable way to visit major cities and also see the spanish countryside. You still need to pay reservation fees for many trains in addition to the pass. The renfe site is so confusing and doesnt seem to work half of the time. We can help with your travel arrangements warsaw, krakow, wroclaw, gdansk and more. As douglas mentioned, its usually not a problem to make these reservations once you are in spain, a day or two ahead at any train station or travel agency. Reaching speeds of up to 350 kmh, the ave train covers the distance between madrid and barcelona in just 2 hours and 30 minutes. Youll find consignas leftluggage facilities at all main train stations. Eurostar, ntv, renfe, sncf, thalys, and trenitalia to name a few. A guide to travelling around spain by train, including how to buy cheap spanish train tickets at. Seat reservations on renfe rick steves travel forum. With renfe etickets enjoy the ease of train travel in spain. To plan a budget, convenient and safe travel, china train is your best choice.