I asked madrid based tpg contributor lori zaino to delve into spanish train travel. Tickets for frecce trains, the highspeed trains that run between italys major cities, can usually be bought within four months of your travel date. How far in advance to book tickets, seville and barcelona. Discounts are often available on fast trains for advance purchases, sameday return, or for groups of three or more. For trenhotel international night trains you can start booking your seat or accommodation up to 3 months in advance. And railpass holders who still need tickets andor seat reservations on certain trains most notably the eurostar, thalys, and any tgv are smart to get their passholderfare tickets through a usbased site, as these fares can sell out quite far in advance and arent available elsewhere online. Spain to france 11 ways to travel via train, plane, bus. For the majority of trains in spain, you have to book a seat reservation ahead of time. Its best to book early if you want to save money on your. At the ticket desk of a long distance railway station not commuter stations.
You can simply buy a ticket to coimbra, take a walk around the city, and return to the train station and buy another. Use the trainline journey planner tool to plan and book your next trip or check our train timetables to ensure you catch your chosen train on the day of travel. The country benefits from a wide railway network, especially in terms of highspeed trains. For example trains with 5 digits and regional trains.
I dont concern myself with trying to nail down the best deal. If you want to book online tickets by yourself, you need to register into irctc, which is quite hectic and it takes some time if one is trying from overseas and without an indian mobile number. The sooner the merrier, youll be finding better deals the sooner you look, specially for high speed ave trains. Book in advance for the greatest savings on train tickets. Renfes highspeed ave trains can reach speeds of up to 350kmh, making travel between major cities very efficient. Tips for traveling through spain by train the points guy. Advance train tickets get an email when they become. You risk not finding seats, you will end up paying for the full more expensive. You can make some of those at the same time that you buy the pass, or book on shorter notice in stations, but note that its possible for trains to sell out, especially around weekdays, holidays, and. Renfesncf operates trains between france and spain. For the best deals, purchase your train tickets three months in advance, if possible. The opening of sales for the christmas holidays will take place on the 3rd of october for the following travel dates.
Ideally, the city night line night trains can be booked 90 to 180 days in advance of a departure. When buying at the station ticket office, renfe applies a service fee of 5. France to germany and vice versa on tgv or thalys trains 120 days. A rail pass doesnt provide much hopon convenience in spain, since many trains. Eurostar tickets journeys between francebelgium and london become available for booking between 150 and 280 days in advance, depending on the departurearrival stations and the date that you book.
I find it hard to confirm accommodation and car hire until i. How far in advance do you have to book your train tickets. You can book your trains as you go or in advance of your trip. How far in advance can i reserve a night train from. European trains seldom get full so youll have no problem getting a place, the only issue is getting the cheapest price as most european longdistance train fares have dynamic pricing. Sep 20, 2017 should you book train tickets in advance in spain. Advance train tickets are available from train operators up to 12 weeks before the date of travel. For every ticket that is available, early booking promotions exist that can allow a few select people to get up to 60% off the price of a ticket. You cant just hop on whichever train you feel like, however. So in high demand trains, overnight journeys and longdistance journeys, advance booking is a must thing here in india. Choose your dates and destinations and well provide you with the most price options and discounts available. The most popular routes usually have a train each hour, which really increases your travel options.
The advance booking times are called booking horizons. For certain trips you can book your tickets up to 6 months in advance whereas with others you will have to wait 90 days before departure. Hotels in spain should be booked the furthest in advance 47 weeks, followed by italy 36 weeks, germany 34 weeks and finally france 25 weeks, where hotels can be booked just a fortnight. Jul, 2016 in actual fact, if you can book your european train tickets well in advance, fares are likely to be less expensive than you think. Children under the age of 4 travel free of charge but require a free ticket obtained from the ticket office.
Faq rail europe rail travel planner europe train travel. A complete guide to train travel in spain spain traveller. Please note that some operators can be slow to open reservations as far in advance as they claim. This does not include the ave highspeed trains, which should open 90 days in advance. I had heard that one can t buy renfe train tickets online more than 62 days in advance. You can make your reservations on the day of travel or for up to 3 months in advance. The booking horizon for some trains particularly those in spain and italy can vary depending on the type of train, route and season. Beebould, you should definitely purchase in advance. You can buy high speed train tickets from renfes website, if you happen to find the web in a cooperative mood, thats it. Please keep in mind that all highspeed and night trains in and between france and spain require an advance reservation. With how much anticipation do i have to arrive to the station before the departure of.
If you know where youre going and when, booking train tickets in advance can really help you to save money. I agree with advance purchase for 2 reasons, 1 they fill up and you need to confirm your spot and 2 high speed train is more expensive as you approach your travel date. So how far in advance can you book trains in europe. Passholders seat reservation guide rail europe train. In the lower left area, you can see the search results. We recommend you make your reservations as far in advance as possible. Jun 26, 2014 in europe, trains can easily be the best way to get around, especially in spain. How far in advance should i book things for a europe trip. Many of spains old, slow trains have been replaced with faster. Here are some generic tips on when tickets usually go on sale. We did renfe train, the alsa bus and the high speed ave train. Spains excellent and extensive rail system connects cities across spain and into neighbouring countries. So whilst it pays to book ahead to get the cheapest fares, it doesnt pay to be too impatient, you can t book before reservations open, but nor can anyone else.
Eurail passes work on all renfe trains, including highspeed ave trains, media distancia, regional and cercanias public transport. Spain by train from 148 spain train routes and map of spain. All long distance trains in spain and even some shorter distance regional ones require. In spain, should i book train and bus tickets in advance.
I would like to book train tickets, and i understood that i could book tickets online through trenitalia 4 months in advance. If you book a train and the timetable does not come up please wait a few days and try again as not all trains are open exactly as per the day ranges below. Advance purchase a week to several months in advance can save you significant money in many countries most notably austria, britain, finland, france, germany, italy, spain, and sweden, especially for faster or longer rides. You can always book you seat reservation once you are in europe, but remember that premium trains sell fast. How far in advance to book tickets, seville and barcelona spain forum. In the upper left area, you can choose to display the cheapest tickets, which have strict cancellation rules, or the more flexible but more expensive ones. As the title suggests, i want to know how far in advance do i need to buy train tickets to get a good rate. Spain s rail network is huge, and you can travel to even the smallest of towns by train.
I plan to be in spain from us in june and july and would like to travel from madrid to barcelona and france on a couple of weekends. As a matter of fact, this network covers the main tourist destinations in spain and is used by millions of travellers each year. Train ticket advance booking opening times vary between train types, countries and rail or bus operators, but three months is a good estimate for most services. Eurostar tickets to paris, lille, brussels and amsterdam can usually be booked up to 180 days before your return travel date, however this can vary for instance if theres engineering work on one of the lines and there are a few exceptions. Here is a helpful guide to let you know when bookings become available on rome2rio. This is a stepbystep tutorial that will guide through all the steps you need. How far in advance can you book tickets with trenitalia. Your eurail spain pass is your ticket to amazing rail adventures, from the sierra nevada mountain range in andalusia to the unspoilt beaches of the costa brava.
Granada to seville seville to madrid madrid to girona. You can make some of those at the same time that you buy the pass, or book on shorter notice in stations, but note that its possible for trains to sell out, especially around weekdays, holidays, and special events. How far in advance do renfe train tickets go on sale. Trains in spain buy train tickets for spain online trainline. Help booking trains in advance in spain fodors travel talk. We know how important it is to book your tickets in advance. French highspeed and night trains often have limited seat allocation for interrail pass holders. Ive heard that it is best to purchase train tickets in advance. I plan on taking a night train from copenhagen to geneva in august 2016. In theory, renfe tickets should be released 60 days ahead for all trains. My wife and i are going to andalusia in late aprilearly may and doing most of our travel by train. Train travel in portugal portugal lonely planet forum.
I agree with advance purchase for 2 reasons, 1 they fill up and you need to confirm your spot and 2 high speed train is. But always book as far in advance as you can to assure the best price and to avoid your class of service being sold out especially during peak travel season on high speed trains. So its always good to find out what the specifics are for each operator and country. How far in advance of travel can i book seats on the glacier express train. Seat reservations can sell out well in advance of the trains departure. Like walking out the hotel door and being somewhere cool. Trying to book online for travel in spain june th to june 22nd without any luck. The renfe spain pass gives you the flexibility of choosing 4, 6, 8 or 10 within a month period. Advance booking on renfe trains spain message board. To avoid unpleasant situations, when all seats all already reserved, we strongly recommend that you book your seat reservation in advance and online. I wonder if tickets are available for buying in the station or the tickets are usually sold out and how many hours earlier i should buy the tickets from the station can i buy them about 1 hour before the departure time. How far in advance should you book your hotel room. Booking trains in spain and to international destinations such as paris and lisbon as easy as 123. Our handy ticket alert tool can also be used to notify you when advance tickets become available, so.
Sometimes certain trains are also opened for booking much more in advance than. Receive your epass via email within 24 hours of purchase. How far in advance to book train tickets in france rick. Travel in spain by train ave guide for a renfe rail adventure. Advance booking on renfe trains spain forum tripadvisor. With over 2,000 stations and 2,270 kilometres of railways, train travel in spain means being presented with a lot of choices where you can mix countryside with cities and coastlines. You will avoid the hassle of long lines at the stations ticket offices, and you can buy your ticket whenever you like. Highspeed ave trains alta velocidad espanola link major cities at up to 186mph, and if you book in advance online you can find some great cheap fares at the official spanish rail website, this page will give you a headsup on how to travel cheaply around spain by train. For certain trips you can book your tickets up to 6 months in advance whereas. There is not much choice of companies since renfe manages all trains in spain its a public entity. Reservations on the trenhotel night trains are mandatory. If you are thinking to train travel in spain, the best way to organize your trip is purchasing your tickets online through trainlines website. Rail europe agent said the schedule is changing and can t book until schdeule goes up but she didnt say when. Onsale dates vary by country, route, and time of year, with most starting two to four months in advance of travel.
Help booking trains in advance in spain fodors travel. Exceptions include tickets for travel between france and spain and vice versa which can be booked between 119 and 143 days in advance. So i figure out which day the train can be booked and i set a calendar notification. Europe help booking trains in advance in spain well be in spain in march.
Not all trains throughout europe can be reserved from australianew zealand. Trains in spain buy train tickets for spain online. Seat reservations can sell out well in advance of the train s departure, especially for people traveling with a rail pass, so book your seats as soon as you feel comfortable committing to a certain time and date you can book up to 60 days out, though spanish train schedules may not be published all that far ahead of the seasonal adjustments to. You can make reservations on the day of travel or up to 3 months in advance. With us however, you can book your rail journey as far as 2 years in advance, and live your life with a peace of mind that your tickets will be issued on time once they are available. In theory, all renfe tickets should be available 60 days ahead of time. In the case of granada madrid, there arent that many trains daily so discounted tickets may be sold quickly and sometimes even full fare tickets may be sold out heres a link to the top question on buying renfe tickets online. My husband and i just returned from 3 weeks in spain. Travelers to italy often ask when they can buy their italian train tickets in advance of their trip to italy, or whether they even need to buy them ahead of their train travel date. Jan 18, 2019 we know how important it is to book your tickets in advance. When does the summer schedule go up for direct trains in spain for the following legs. From february 2020, reservations for domestic and longdistance trains in spain can only be made locally at the ticket desk of a spanish long distance railway station.
But on, i see that tickets are being sold already for most of the renfe trains we plan to take, even though the dates are more than 62 days away. Below is a list of trains that we can confirm along with their opening times. In europe, trains can easily be the best way to get around, especially in spain. Traveling by train in spain is a fast, convenient and comfortable way to visit major cities and also see the spanish countryside. But note that some discounted and advance tickets may be nonrefundable or nonchangeable. How far in advance of that can i reserve a first class sleeping berth. At the current moment in time, the city night line from goettingen to basel can only be booked for dates in november, december, and january.
In short, buying your renfe train tickets at the station is not a good idea. Russian trains previously opened 45 days ahead but rzd have now extended this to 60 or in some cases 90. I plan to travel from sicily to rome just before christmas as the first leg in a longer trip to the us. I want to go from madrid to malaga by train, from malaga to granada by bus, and from madrid to barcelona by train. Rail europe agent said the schedule is changing and cant book until schdeule goes up but she didnt say when. Its important that you book these as far in advance as possible. France and italy and vice versa on tgv services 110 days. How to purchase renfe train tickets online madrid traveller. If youre planning to book your tickets far in advance, you need to know that different european countries have different policies for when tickets go on sale.
Renfe often loads dates in large blocks and also sometimes significantly less than 60 days in advance. I find it hard to confirm accommodation and car hire until i know well be able to get the. You can also choose to only display the direct trains or fastest routes depending on the trip. Passes can get you a discount on some international ferries, but not tarifatangier routes.
A beginners guide to train travel in spain how to use. How far in advance can you book your train from australianew zealand. One of its defining features is the stunning cathedralbasilica of our lady of the pillar a roman catholic church right in the heart of the plaza del. Aside from the extra reservation fees required for most highspeed trains see above, rail passes for spain cover all travel on trains run by renfe, spains national railway which now includes the slow coastal trains between bilbao and ferrol. What we call sales opening is quite simply the moment from which you can reserve tickets for a given period of time. Save time and money getting your renfe train tickets in advance. Eurostar londonparisbrussels now opens up to 6 months ahead.
Travel in spain by train ave guide for a renfe rail. Seat reservations can sell out well in advance of the trains departure, especially for people traveling with a rail pass, so book your seats as soon as you feel comfortable committing to a certain time and date you can book up to 60 days out, though spanish train schedules may not be published all that far ahead of the seasonal adjustments to the schedules, which usually happen in midjune, september, and december. The best way to find a cheap fare is to book your ticket as far in advance as you can and to avoid traveling at rush hour. How far in advance can i book european train tickets.
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