AVE Train Barcelona to Madrid questions...

Our cruise disembarks in Barcelona on Thursday, July 14...

We have plans to head immediately for Madrid...figure the best way to get there is on the AVE train--approximately 2:45 trip between the two.

I have yet to book tickets (Not yet available?)...

My questions:

1) About what time should we book? I'm thinking the 11:00 am train sounds about right. Enough time to disembark, collect our luggage and get to the Train Station?

2) When should tickets become available? RENFE website, correct?

3) With four of us travelling, is it preferable to book a "4Mesa"? Are these available in all classes? What are the advantages to First Class over Business or Tourist?

4) Where is luggage stored during the trip? Above the seats or a separate luggage compartment?

5) What services are available on these trains?

Thanks...

We are going to do the same train trip in October so I'm very interested in any replays you get .Good luck for your holiday :)

1) About what time should we book? I'm thinking the 11:00 am train sounds about right. Enough time to disembark, collect our luggage and get to the Train Station?

It takes about 20 min to cab to Sants station and may be there 30-40 min before departure so it all depends when you get of the ship. Can make as early as 9am

2) When should tickets become available? RENFE website, correct?

Yes, buy them as soon as they come out. Anytime between 90 to 60 days depending on route. They go up from there. Use Spanish page as English one sometimes declines transactions for no good reason. Info asked is name, passport # (which is optional, can put anything there). Final ticket has no names, just car and seat #s

3) With four of us travelling, is it preferable to book a "4Mesa"? Are these available in all classes? What are the advantages to First Class over Business or Tourist?

When you see price you'll decide. Sometimes Mesa is cheaper, sometimes - not and in some case not available or sold out. Mesa guarantees 4 seats together (2+2+table). If I'd stick with Tourist. Tourist Plus is same thing with better ticket return conditions. Preferente has slightly better seat and sometimes access to lounge if full price is paid.

4) Where is luggage stored during the trip? Above the seats or a separate luggage compartment?

Both. Big luggage goes on the storage in front of the car, small - overhead the seat.

5) What services are available on these trains?

Snack bar

Thank for this info :)

Okay...to bring this full circle, here is what happened:

I kept checking the RENFE website for the availability to show up...and it did YESTERDAY...almost three months prior to the date...

I went on the Spanish Language site, being forewarned about difficulties with the English version.

Every time I went through the entire menu of forms and got to the final button, the screen went to "Connecting with your bank"...after which it gave me an error message telling me to call my bank...I called Capital One and they were extremely patient and tried to be helpful...going as far as to call RENFE in Spain and conversing with them in Spanish...only to find out nothing could be done. The website, as it stands now, is incapable of processing North American credit cards. They recommend buying through an agent here--which would have almost tripled our price. If I had to do that, I'd switch plans and fly...

Then, on some webpage or another, I read a note that said US credit cards don't work--but try the PayPal option...

So, I went to that option...and, the first couple of dozen times I tried it (yes, I am very patient...or bullheaded), I got a similar but different error message...

Finally, at about midnight, almost 12 hours after first attempting to buy the tickets, I actually broke through and was able to purchase the tickets...

11:00 am AVE train, makes the trip to Madrid in 2 hours, 45 minutes...We purchased four tickets -- 4Mesa, Tourist...So, four seats-two facing two with a table inbetween...42.70€ per person--a little less than $50 US at the current rate...We have assigned seats in "Car #7"--2AB and 3AB...

"The website, as it stands now, is incapable of processing North American credit cards"

Just to clarify I have 2 branded Chase cards (Visa and MC) and both were successfully used in purchasing RENFE tickets last month. I think their site is just buggy. I always had failed transactions on English page and 2 min later Spanish page took the same card. Trenitalia used to be the same but now much better with most CCs. I don't have good explanation but it probably has something to do with fraud monitoring. That Chase MC was declined on SNCF French rail site but worked fine after I called them.

We took the train to Madrid from Barcelona after our cruise last year - we did self-embark so we were off the cruise ship by 7:30 - took a cab to the train station and was on the train by 9:00 - super easy and quick.

1) About what time should we book? I'm thinking the 11:00 am train sounds about right. Enough time to disembark, collect our luggage and get to the Train Station?

It takes about 20 min to cab to Sants station and may be there 30-40 min before departure so it all depends when you get of the ship. Can make as early as 9am

 

2) When should tickets become available? RENFE website, correct?

Yes, buy them as soon as they come out. Anytime between 90 to 60 days depending on route. They go up from there. Use Spanish page as English one sometimes declines transactions for no good reason. Info asked is name, passport # (which is optional, can put anything there). Final ticket has no names, just car and seat #s

 

3) With four of us travelling, is it preferable to book a "4Mesa"? Are these available in all classes? What are the advantages to First Class over Business or Tourist?

When you see price you'll decide. Sometimes Mesa is cheaper, sometimes - not and in some case not available or sold out. Mesa guarantees 4 seats together (2+2+table). If I'd stick with Tourist. Tourist Plus is same thing with better ticket return conditions. Preferente has slightly better seat and sometimes access to lounge if full price is paid.

 

4) Where is luggage stored during the trip? Above the seats or a separate luggage compartment?

Both. Big luggage goes on the storage in front of the car, small - overhead the seat.

 

5) What services are available on these trains?

Snack bar

Hi, we are looking at getting from Barcelona to Madrid as well post cruise. Additonally we want to go to Lisbon from Madrid. It doesn't look like there is a high speed train, has anyone travelled this leg?

There is overnight Madrid-Lisbon train, it has regular seats, 2 and 4 person compartments. RENFE is selling tickets. I always flew that route, 1 hr, lots of companies do it. Lisbon airport has metro now so door to door is 4-5 hrs vs 10+ for train.

You will LOVE this train!! Traveled the reverse (Madrid to BCN) with my son's sr trip in 2014. We were randomly handed tickets by our guide (was included in the cost of trip) & ended up in Tourist class. It was great....comfy seats that recline & have a footrest that pops up. No seat belts (not in 2014 anyway) so you can get up & move around. Very smooth ride. Even the cafe con leche was great. Enjoy!!

I have to agree that Tourist class is wonderful on Spanish trains. It is not always the cheapest way to travel - flights seem to cost less if you book ahead, but the time taken getting out to the airport can make them less convenient.

We went home from the Barcelona Sants train station last month. I had booked tourist class but wished I had booked Tourist Plus with the better ticket exchange conditions because I thought I may have been able to exchange if we were late arriving (who knows, it only takes a medical emergency the day before or running into a boat load of refugees, which has happened on a ship I have been on and you can be late).

We booked on an 8.30 train (sunday morning). We were due to dock at 6 am. We left the ship at 6.30 ish. We walked off with our own luggage, we had no queue for the taxi (just under 20 euro including the 'extras' of our luggage and possibly the early time) and we were in Sants station by 7 am. I suspect that if we had delayed our departure by 30 mins it may have taken a little longer to disembark. We really did not want to miss the train. The next train was not until midday and was not direct. I was back at work the next day so being home promptly was worth the early start.

The trains are super fast, super clean. They provide films and earphones, they offer food. You put luggage in racks around the train. I seem to recall when we travelled in July that there was good reason to get on the train promptly because everyone had luggage. They scan your luggage and let you onto the train about 30 minutes before the train is due to depart. It is very organised like an airport.

4 Seniors used the Mesa seats on a 6 hour journey from Barcelona to Malaga, and it was absolutely fine. We really enjoyed being able to sit facing each other, even played cards. The ride was interesting and comfortable. You will love it. Only thing, if one of you has long legs, you might want to sit opposite someone with short legs. You can get up and move around, go to dining car for coffee or drinks. Take snacks with you and enjoy!!