Train schedule renfe vs trainline

[Bob008]

Could anyone explain why Renfe train schedules on Renfe website are completely different from the schedules shown on Trainline website? For example: the morning schedule (before 12 p.m. on March 3rd) from Madrid to Sarria on Renfe.com shows only one train leaving Madrid at 10:04 a.m. and arriving Sarria at 1:46 p.m. On the other hand, the trainline website shows 2 Renfe trains that are not shown on Renfe.com. One train leaves at 10:00 a.m and arrives at 9:15 p.m and the second one leaves at 10:04 a.m and arrives in Sarria at 5.53 p.m.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

I suspect that Trainline is being the Google Maps of train schedules and is putting together a way of getting from Madrid to Sarria using various intermediary journeys whereas the RENFE site is showing you the train(s) that start in Madrid and stop in Sarria.

 

[henrythedog]

Could anyone explain why Renfe train schedules on Renfe website are completely different from the schedules shown on Trainline website? For example: the morning schedule (before 12 p.m. on March 3rd) from Madrid to Sarria on Renfe.com shows only one train leaving Madrid at 10:04 a.m. and arriving Sarria at 1:46 p.m. On the other hand, the trainline website shows 2 Renfe trains that are not shown on Renfe.com. One train leaves at 10:00 a.m and arrives at 9:15 p.m and the second one leaves at 10:04 a.m and arrives in Sarria at 5.53 p.m.

RENFE shows direct trains only.

 

[J Willhaus]

Trainline also carries some of the discount trains like Ouigo, Iryo, etc although it isn't the case in your example and it sometimes shows a bus connections for companies are able to sell tickets for so you can compare prices and times. Not trying to convert anyone, but these are the reasons I like it. Lots of folks here are also Rome to Rio fans for similar reasons.

 

[peregrina2000]

RENFE shows direct trains only.

Not in my experience, if what you mean by direct is “no changes.” I am currently waiting to see April’s schedule for Sevilla to Ponferrada. It will be an AVE to Madrid and then an intercity to Ponferrada. When I plug in those two cities, I get the trains for March, but not April.

 

[Kathor1]

Could anyone explain why Renfe train schedules on Renfe website are completely different from the schedules shown on Trainline website? For example: the morning schedule (before 12 p.m. on March 3rd) from Madrid to Sarria on Renfe.com shows only one train leaving Madrid at 10:04 a.m. and arriving Sarria at 1:46 p.m. On the other hand, the trainline website shows 2 Renfe trains that are not shown on Renfe.com. One train leaves at 10:00 a.m and arrives at 9:15 p.m and the second one leaves at 10:04 a.m and arrives in Sarria at 5.53 p.m.

Hi Bob008! This is what I see for trains Madrid-Sarria on March 3rd leaving before 12 p.m, in addition to your info:

Trainline 10:00-19:15: This is a combination of a bus (AutoRes???) Madrid-Ourense and a Renfe MD train Ourense-Sarria. The bus part is the reason why it is not on the Renfe site. Also: a very long trip!

Trainline 10:04-17:53: These are two Renfe trains with a change in Ourense that lasts 2h3min. This is not shown on Renfe because Renfe shows a shorter trip (10:04-13:46).

Renfe 10:04-13:46. These are two Renfe trains with a change in Ourense that lasts 13min. It appears to be bookable on the Renfe site.

It is odd that the 10:04-13:46 is not listed on Trainline. It is listed on DeutscheBahn (another great site to find train connections) but there it says that the first leg Madrid-Ourense 10:04-12:17 is "currently not bookable" without further explanation. My guess is that Trainline is fed the same info and that is why it does not show this connection.

This was a long explanation but I think it is the correct one ;-). Are you planning to travel tomorrow morning?

 

[henrythedog]

Not in my experience, if what you mean by direct is “no changes.” I am currently waiting to see April’s schedule for Sevilla to Ponferrada. It will be an AVE to Madrid and then an intercity to Ponferrada. When I plug in those two cities, I get the trains for March, but not April.

Sorry - I was too catagoric. RENFE shows direct trains and simple connections.

in the OP’s example RENFE show one train at <4 hours. Clearly direct. One of Trainline’s ‘trains’ has an elapsed time of 11 1/4 hours. I’ve had Trainline suggestions which basically involve spending the night on a station.

There is only one original source of train times for Spain; that’s RENFE. How they might then be configured into journeys for anything but direct trains is down to the site’s algorithms.

 

[Kathor1]

PS: I forgot to mention that there is a notice on the Renfe website for the 10:04-13:46 connection. The second train (MD 12694 Ourense to Lugo) will be replaced by a substitution bus for Ourense-Lugo due to engineering work to improve the infrastructure. This may have caused a hiccup on Trainline and DB.

Anyway if you don't want to know all this and just want to book a ticket for the 3rd, I'd recommend to book the connection that is available on the Renfe site and not on a third party site, namely Renfe 10:04-13:46.

 

[Bob008]

This was a long explanation but I think it is the correct one ;-). Are you planning to travel tomorrow morning

Fortunately, at the moment I am only looking at various train schedules for the upcoming Camino walk in the near future. To add even more confusion, Omio is showing no morning train from Madrid to Sarria on that date. I guess people need to check all 3 websites rather than just relying on only one, which I think is really odd.

 

[Kathor1]

Fortunately, at the moment I am only looking at various train schedules for the upcoming Camino walk in the near future. To add even more confusion, Omio is showing no morning train from Madrid to Sarria on that date. I guess people need to check all 3 websites rather than just relying on only one, which I think is really odd.

Trainline and DB appear to have smarter algorithms for train connections than the Renfe website, and in some cases they produce a combination of two trains that is not shown on Renfe but you then can always book those two trains separately on Renfe.

In any case, by the time you actually need to book a ticket the engineering works may be finished and all websites will display the 10:04-13:46 from Madrid to Sarria in unison. Buen Camino!

 

[NZDianne]

I suspect that Trainline is being the Google Maps of train schedules and is putting together a way of getting from Madrid to Sarria using various intermediary journeys whereas the RENFE site is showing you the train(s) that start in Madrid and stop in Sarria.

Hi Doughnut. I’m coming from NZ on 1 April and trying to get by train from Madrid to Leon on April 3rd. I can only find late afternoon trains atm but I want to get to Leon earlier. Is the full timetable out yet?

 

[Felice]

Hi Doughnut. I’m coming from NZ on 1 April and trying to get by train from Madrid to Leon on April 3rd. I can only find late afternoon trains atm but I want to get to Leon earlier. Is the full timetable out yet?

Why not try the bus? Alsa does a direct route from Madrid to Leon numerous times a day. Their buses are comfortable and not expensive.

 

[NZDianne]

Why not try the bus? Alsa does a direct route from Madrid to Leon numerous times a day. Their buses are comfortable and not expensive.

Thanks Felice. Just occurred to me to check the timetable for this week and there are morning trains. The full timetable can’t be up yet for April. I’m staying right next to the train station the night before so keen to use it if possible. There do seem to be lots of buses.

 

[J Willhaus]

Thanks Felice. Just occurred to me to check the timetable for this week and there are morning trains. The full timetable can’t be up yet for April. I’m staying right next to the train station the night before so keen to use it if possible. There do seem to be lots of buses.

They have been quite slow to get the April schedule out it seems.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Hi Doughnut. I’m coming from NZ on 1 April and trying to get by train from Madrid to Leon on April 3rd. I can only find late afternoon trains atm but I want to get to Leon earlier. Is the full timetable out yet?

If travelling by train then you will go through Valladolid which is the home of rugby in Spain and one of my favourite Spanish cities. In addition to rugby, Valladolid is also famous for its tapas and the highly innovative Universidad Europes Miguel de Cervantes.

When you get to León be sure to go check out
Panadería La Masera-Confitería Asturias
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ay43tuBK82NacDHY9

They serve the best pastries and the young woman who works there really likes Kiwi pilgrims












I would go in to buy one or two items and then when I opened the paper bag to eat them I would discover three other items to try that I had neither ordered or paid for

Also if you have time check out the Gaudi museum in León. It was eye opening for me.

You may already have your accommodation in León sorted out but if not then I recommend Albergue San Francisco de Asis which is very reasonably priced, has single rooms and lets you stay more than one night and (most importantly) is just around the corner from the panaderia.

Getting back to trains, there is a small town called Palencia between Madrid and León which is where the train line has a major junction and the RENFE site sometimes isn't so good at showing options for train journeys that require changing train and so it is worth doing a search for Madrid to Palencia and then Palencia to León to pick up some of the other options.

I love travelling on the train in Spain because it is relatively cheap, fast and so much more comfortable because I can get up and walk around the carriages plus the seats have more room and are more comfortable. I also quite like talking to strangers when I travel and this seems to be more acceptable on a train where people have the space to move away if they don't want to engage whereas in a bus you are jammed in with the person next to you and if you don't want to talk back for some reason then it is hard to avoid them.

One more thing, I don't know your age (and don't need to) but if you are over 60 then you can get a seniors discount card called Tarjeta Dorada that gives you up to 40% discount on some train fares. See https://www.renfe.com/es/en/travel/prepare-your-trip/descuentos/mayores-de-60

 

[NZDianne]

If travelling by train then you will go through Valladolid which is the home of rugby in Spain and one of my favourite Spanish cities. In addition to rugby, Valladolid is also famous for its tapas and the highly innovative Universidad Europes Miguel de Cervantes.

When you get to León be sure to go check out
Panadería La Masera-Confitería Asturias
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ay43tuBK82NacDHY9

They serve the best pastries and the young woman who works there really likes Kiwi pilgrims

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I would go in to buy one or two items and then when I opened the paper bag to eat them I would discover three other items to try that I had neither ordered or paid for

Also if you have time check out the Gaudi museum in León. It was eye opening for me.

You may already have your accommodation in León sorted out but if not then I recommend Albergue San Francisco de Asis which is very reasonably priced, has single rooms and let's you stay more than one night and (most importantly) is just around the corner from the panaderia.

That’s such wonderful information. I’m getting those pastries for sure. One of the reasons I want to leave Madrid in the morning is to get time to explore Leon in the afternoon. I’m staying near the Cathedral

If travelling by train then you will go through Valladolid which is the home of rugby in Spain and one of my favourite Spanish cities. In addition to rugby, Valladolid is also famous for its tapas and the highly innovative Universidad Europes Miguel de Cervantes.

When you get to León be sure to go check out
Panadería La Masera-Confitería Asturias
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ay43tuBK82NacDHY9

They serve the best pastries and the young woman who works there really likes Kiwi pilgrims

View attachment 165532

View attachment 165533


View attachment 165534


View attachment 165535


I would go in to buy one or two items and then when I opened the paper bag to eat them I would discover three other items to try that I had neither ordered or paid for

Also if you have time check out the Gaudi museum in León. It was eye opening for me.

You may already have your accommodation in León sorted out but if not then I recommend Albergue San Francisco de Asis which is very reasonably priced, has single rooms and let's you stay more than one night and (most importantly) is just around the corner from the panaderia.

Thanks so much. I’m getting those pastries for sure. I’m staying at Hostal Albany near the Cathedral. One of the reasons I want to leave Madrid in the morning is to have the afternoon to explore Leon.

 

[Steven Dwyer]

I always book direct with Renfe for the simple reason they then can contact me in case there is a change to the schedule. On the occasions this has happened, I have advance notice and I am able to rebook ahead of those unfortunate souls who bought from other vendors who are finding out on arrival at the station that they need to rebook. In peak season, this may mean that trains sell out so I am happy to have the advance warning.

With Comboios Portugal, because I bought direct, I still get advance notice of changes.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I can feel myself getting fatter just looking at those photos!

 

[Masou]

If travelling by train then you will go through Valladolid which is the home of rugby in Spain and one of my favourite Spanish cities. In addition to rugby, Valladolid is also famous for its tapas and the highly innovative Universidad Europes Miguel de Cervantes.

When you get to León be sure to go check out
Panadería La Masera-Confitería Asturias
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ay43tuBK82NacDHY9

They serve the best pastries and the young woman who works there really likes Kiwi pilgrims

View attachment 165532

View attachment 165533


View attachment 165534


View attachment 165535


I would go in to buy one or two items and then when I opened the paper bag to eat them I would discover three other items to try that I had neither ordered or paid for

Also if you have time check out the Gaudi museum in León. It was eye opening for me.

You may already have your accommodation in León sorted out but if not then I recommend Albergue San Francisco de Asis which is very reasonably priced, has single rooms and lets you stay more than one night and (most importantly) is just around the corner from the panaderia.

Getting back to trains, there is a small town called Palencia between Madrid and León which is where the train line has a major junction and the RENFE site sometimes isn't so good at showing options for train journeys that require changing train and so it is worth doing a search for Madrid to Palencia and then Palencia to León to pick up some of the other options.

I love travelling on the train in Spain because it is relatively cheap, fast and so much more comfortable because I can get up and walk around the carriages plus the seats have more room and are more comfortable. I also quite like talking to strangers when I travel and this seems to be more acceptable on a train where people have the space to move away if they don't want to engage whereas in a bus you are jammed in with the person next to you and if you don't want to talk back for some reason then it is hard to avoid them.

One more thing, I don't know your age (and don't need to) but if you are over 60 then you can get a seniors discount card called Tarjeta Dorada that gives you up to 40% discount on some train fares. See https://www.renfe.com/es/en/travel/prepare-your-trip/descuentos/mayores-de-60

Yum

 

[kkmcaninch]

Not in my experience, if what you mean by direct is “no changes.” I am currently waiting to see April’s schedule for Sevilla to Ponferrada. It will be an AVE to Madrid and then an intercity to Ponferrada. When I plug in those two cities, I get the trains for March, but not April.

I am having same trouble-- no April

 

[Felice]

I've just tried using my laptop and got plenty of choices for Sevilla Santa Justa to Madrid todos for April.
A suggestion - when using Spanish websites, I have found that it is very important that the page is in Spanish not English. Using google translate can mean that the page just does not function properly.

 

[Kathor1]

the morning schedule (before 12 p.m. on March 3rd) from Madrid to Sarria on Renfe.com shows only one train leaving Madrid at 10:04 a.m. and arriving Sarria at 1:46 p.m. On the other hand, the trainline website shows [...] one leaves at 10:04 a.m and arrives in Sarria at 5.53 p.m.

Returning to the original question: The Renfe.com website does show the same connection as Trainline (departure in Madrid and arrival in Sarria at 17:53), it is just not so easy to find. This may be helpful to know for travellers with patience on the website and plenty of time for travel:

When you go to the horarios section (and not the section for booking tickets) on Renfe.com and search for non-direct train journeys (in Spanish con transbordo) a large number of options is displayed. As we are already past March 3rd, here is the list on Renfe.com for March 7th for Madrid to Sarria leaving at 10:04:​

​

 

[peregrina2000]

I've just tried using my laptop and got plenty of choices for Sevilla Santa Justa to Madrid todos for April.
A suggestion - when using Spanish websites, I have found that it is very important that the page is in Spanish not English. Using google translate can mean that the page just does not function properly.

Based on only my anecdotal searching, my impressions are twofold:

Only AVE and ALVIA (faster trains) show up for April. If you’re looking for an intercity train, which I am, it is not yet showing on either Trainline or Renfe.

Trainline has better search function than Renfe. I see on Trainline that there is an AVE plus two Alvias that will get me to Ponferrada from Sevilla. On Renfe, there is nothing listed when you plug in Sevilla to Ponferrada, but if you break down the segments, I can get an AVE from Sevilla to Madrid, and then a two-stop journey from Madrid to Ponferrada, involving two Alvia trains.

It is also interesting to me that the Sevilla to Ponferrada schedule for this month, while it does show the Sevilla to Madrid (ave) and Madrid to Ponferrada (intercity), it does not bring up the route that I described above from Trainline. Not even if I go to “horarios” as @Kathar1na suggests.

 

[Bob008]

PS: I forgot to mention that there is a notice on the Renfe website for the 10:04-13:46 connection. The second train (MD 12694 Ourense to Lugo) will be replaced by a substitution bus for Ourense-Lugo due to engineering work to improve the infrastructure. This may have caused a hiccup on Trainline and DB.

When you go to the horarios section (and not the section for booking tickets) on Renfe.com and search for non-direct train journeys (in Spanish con transbordo) a large number of options is displayed.​

Kathar1na, I don't see an option to go to notice or horarios section when I visit renfe.com. Could you explain how you navigated to notice and horarios sections? Do you need to register and log in?

 

[Molly Cassidy]

If you click the first down arrow in the top menu (travel in English, viajar in Spanish) horarios/timetables are at the top of the third list of menu items.

 

[tmharvey]

Not in my experience, if what you mean by direct is “no changes.” I am currently waiting to see April’s schedule for Sevilla to Ponferrada. It will be an AVE to Madrid and then an intercity to Ponferrada. When I plug in those two cities, I get the trains for March, but not April.

Hello, sorry for jumping into this tread. I am trying to get from Madrid to Sarria on 12 April - but there are no train times available. Is this a common occurrence and should I wait or consider getting the bus. TIA

 

[tomwins]

PS: I forgot to mention that there is a notice on the Renfe website for the 10:04-13:46 connection. The second train (MD 12694 Ourense to Lugo) will be replaced by a substitution bus for Ourense-Lugo due to engineering work to improve the infrastructure. This may have caused a hiccup on Trainline and DB.

Anyway if you don't want to know all this and just want to book a ticket for the 3rd, I'd recommend to book the connection that is available on the Renfe site and not on a third party site, namely Renfe 10:04-13:46.

I agree that the best thing to do is book on the provider's website -NOT a 3rd party's.

 

[Herbst]

Could anyone explain why Renfe train schedules on Renfe website are completely different from the schedules shown on Trainline website? For example: the morning schedule (before 12 p.m. on March 3rd) from Madrid to Sarria on Renfe.com shows only one train leaving Madrid at 10:04 a.m. and arriving Sarria at 1:46 p.m. On the other hand, the trainline website shows 2 Renfe trains that are not shown on Renfe.com. One train leaves at 10:00 a.m and arrives at 9:15 p.m and the second one leaves at 10:04 a.m and arrives in Sarria at 5.53 p.m.

And fyi… I bought tickets on Trainline. Received a confirmation with no ticket attached. Tried to contact Trainlibe was impossible, so I had to buy the exact train ticket on Renfe and then go through the vary long process of getting a refund from Trainline.
May just have been a one time problem? Just telling my experience…
The trains were great!!!

 

[henrythedog]

Hello, sorry for jumping into this tread. I am trying to get from Madrid to Sarria on 12 April - but there are no train times available. Is this a common occurrence and should I wait or consider getting the bus. TIA

There will be trains, and it’s almost certain they’ll be the same trains as always. RENFE hasn’t released the bookings yet. It’s becoming a national issue in Spain.

 

[henrythedog]

Actually there is one (of the usual 5 or 6) listed on RENFE, but it’s probably not the one you want. 2032, change in Ourense, gets in at 00.18; just in time for dinner!

 

[tmharvey]

There will be trains, and it’s almost certain they’ll be the same trains as always. RENFE hasn’t released the bookings yet. It’s becoming a national issue in Spain.

Thanks @henrythedog i appreciate your response. I wonder what the issues are that delay a train timetable. I will keep searching