Help Needed Train passes and reservations in Spain

[Bruce Pollock]

We are in the detailed planning stages for a month in Spain in May 2018. We are considering purchasing two Eurail passes which are on sale at a reduced price until Dec 31.

Some of our train travel days will be on regional trains, some will be on direct high-speed trains. Many/most will require a reservation which I know will be an added cost, over and above the rail pass.

My specific question is whether anyone can advise on the best website for making a reservation without having to buy a ticket as well. This does not seem to be an option on the Renfe site. It is possible to make a reservation on the (for example) Rail Europe site (who also sell the passes), however, they only cover the major high-speed routes and not the regional trains. Thus, my dilemma.

One option, I suppose, would be to buy the rail pass and then physically visit a travel agent in Spain after arrival and get them to make the reservations. But this is a bit of a hassle.

On a more general topic, I'm wondering if anyone has done a cost/benefit analysis of the rail passes. If you break down the daily cost of, say, an 8 day train pass, it seems to me that on some train travel days you can save some money, while on others you may end up paying a little more. Then, when you add in the need for a compulsory reservation on many trips, I've wondered if the overall savings with the rail pass are all that great.

Any and all advice appreciated, thanks.

 

[Dennis]

Hello Bruce:
I was hesitant to reply since we have not taken a rail trip recently. However the times we did, one time, we reserved through the travel department at the Cortes Ingles; at other times we visited the station the day before and had no problem in Barcelona and Madrid. They at that time had a dedicated desk for tourists who spoke English.

We have found that for trips within regions, it is wise to check bus schedules. They are often more frequent and quicker than train. the price was marginally lower in most cases.

From my point of view the benefit of a rail pass is the ability to jump on a train with no notice. The need for reservations nullifies this benefit. Please note I speak from a Eurail experience when I was a student 50 years ago.
Dennis

 

[veronicafrance]

I agree about checking bus schedules. There's a large network of long-distance bus travel in Spain. It's always cheaper than the train, and for certain itineraries it's quicker. All the buses I've taken have been modern and comfortable, with free wifi (allegedly, I've never got it to work well enough to be usable!). Have a look at alsa.es for routes and prices; you can book online and print your own tickets.

 

[Shannon]

I would not get a rail pass. You can book the longer journeys on renfe.com in advance and get discounts, and the shorter trips just do on regional trains and buses. There is also the low cost airline Vueling.

 

[Bruce Pollock]

Thanks to everyone for their replies. I had also come to the conclusion that a rail pass is not particularly good value. I will also investigate the bus option for a few of our connections. One of my big challenges was making sense of the Renfe web site which seems to be written in sort of Spanglish way in some sections.

However, I also came across this quite detailed (albeit a bit dated, perhaps) article on TripAdvisor which gives a good explanation on how the Renfe system works and how to find/make reservations. The main thing I took away from it was that the train schedules aren't really posted until about 62 days in advance. The author walks through the entire booking process. I found it helpful.

 

[veronicafrance]

However, I also came across this quite detailed (albeit a bit dated, perhaps) article on TripAdvisor which gives a good explanation on how the Renfe system works and how to find/make reservations. The main thing I took away from it was that the train schedules aren't really posted until about 62 days in advance. The author walks through the entire booking process. I found it helpful.

The Renfe website is so horrible (and I say that as someone who speaks reasonable Spanish) that I always book via trainline.eu. Same prices and much easier to use.

 

[Bruce Pollock]

Thanks, Veronica - I'll check out trainline.eu.

 

[karenb]

We traveled around Spain in November 2017 and for a part of the trip we used Renfe train...it was great. If you are over 60, be sure to purchase the Tarjeta Dorada card when you get there & before you purchase your train ticket...it will save you at least 40%. Here is link to info: http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/tarifas/tarjeta_dorada.html

We loved Spain...especially Granada& Seville!