Advance train tickets at Madrid Atocha

[Prentiss Riddle]

Just a minor report from the road...

If you're at Atocha train station in Madrid trying to buy advance train tickets, you're going to need a lot of patience or luck or both. There's only one ticket window in all of Madrid able to sell advance tickets. You have to take a number and when you do, there will be literally 100+ people ahead of you.

The ticket machines are a better option but they have a terrible interface with no "back" button and it may take you several tries to get the right ticket in your cart, at which point your transaction may be canceled because a lot of the printers aren't working. So look around for someone making a successful purchase and use the same machine.

I'm told that your best bet is to buy online using bahn.com (which has a better user interface than the Renfe site). But some trains apparently fall into a limbo where the system doesn't know if they're sold out, which is why I tried to buy in person.

The good news is that I hear that seats to Pamplona are plentiful (except during festivals) so advance purchases to Pamplona aren't really necessary.

Good luck and buen camino!

 

[trecile]

I used the Renfe app on my phone to buy tickets last year. It was pretty easy to use.

 

[peregrina2000]

For years renfe.com created headaches for people from the US, but I think it has gotten better recently. Downloading their app as Trecile suggests is probably a way to enhance the likelihood of success.

If you like in-person transactions,though, one option is to buy your ticket at the Madrid airport. RENFE has a small office at the entrance to the Cercanías train at T4 and there is never anyone there.

 

[Telelama]

We bought our tickets ahead of time on renfe.com site. It worked great, and includes the train fee from the airport to the Atocha train station. We found several people at the Renfe office at the T4 station and they were very, very helpful when these two very tired pilgrims could not figure out how to get our ticket to the Atocha train station. You had to do something at the ticket machine with your printed ticket from Atocha to Pamplona. We couldn't figuure it out, and some kind Renfe woman came out from behind the desk, walked over, took our Atocha tickets, did the thing we could not do, and handed us our tickets to the Atocha station. She even pointed out where we needed to go and what platform The Camino kindness was upon us before we ever left the Madrid airport.

 

[joeandmiki]

We bought our tickets ahead of time on renfe.com site. It worked great, and includes the train fee from the airport to the Atocha train station. We found several people at the Renfe office at the T4 station and they were very, very helpful when these two very tired pilgrims could not figure out how to get our ticket to the Atocha train station. You had to do something at the ticket machine with your printed ticket from Atocha to Pamplona. We couldn't figuure it out, and some kind Renfe woman came out from behind the desk, walked over, took our Atocha tickets, did the thing we could not do, and handed us our tickets to the Atocha station. She even pointed out where we needed to go and what platform The Camino kindness was upon us before we ever left the Madrid airport.

My wife and I will be Madrid airport on September 19 and take a train to Leon. Can we buy the train tickets at the airport or buy them in advance before flying to Spain?

 

[joeandmiki]

My wife and I will be Madrid airport on September 19 and take a train to Leon. Can we buy the train tickets at the airport or buy them in advance before flying to Spain?

I tried to buy train tickets in advance at Renfe.com but couldn't find its homepage in English, except in Spanish. moreover no reservation. is it too early? (no train schedule). when is the best time to reserve?

 

[peregrina2000]

My wife and I will be Madrid airport on September 19 and take a train to Leon. Can we buy the train tickets at the airport or buy them in advance before flying to Spain?

Hi, joeandmiki, welcome to the forum. I think the RENFE website only allows you to buy tickets 3 months out, or maybe it's four. But if they are not showing trains, you are too early.

I think you can probably buy your tickets at the airport when you arrive, but some people like to have things all arranged beforehand. If you want to arrive with your tickets in hand, you can use renfe.com or also petrabax.com, which is a broker, but I think their fees are less than RailEurope's.

Are you arriving in T4 (on Iberia or a partner airline)? That will make the whole thing easier. If not, you will have to get an intra-airport bus to T4, which will add 20 minutes or so.

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[trecile]

Hi, joeandmiki, welcome to the forum. I think the RENFE website only allows you to buy tickets 3 months out, or maybe it's four. But if they are not showing trains, you are too early.

I think you can probably buy your tickets at the airport when you arrive, but some people like to have things all arranged beforehand. If you want to arrive with your tickets in hand, you can use renfe.com or also petrabax.com, which is a broker, but I think their fees are less than RailEurope's.

Are you arriving in T4 (on Iberia or a partner airline)? That will make the whole thing easier. If not, you will have to get an intra-airport bus to T4, which will add 20 minutes or so.

Buen camino, Laurie

I think it's more like 60 days. There's no availability yet for the first week of July.

 

[whariwharangi]

I tried to buy train tickets in advance at Renfe.com but couldn't find its homepage in English, except in Spanish. moreover no reservation. is it too early? (no train schedule). when is the best time to reserve?

Its too early.

I can't get the Renfe website to show any trains past mid June. Its like that every year. Try again mid July and if not then try 30 days out.

Meanwhile you can use today's schedule to plan. Despite the hangups at change of season, (Summer start, summer end, Christmas, Easter) the schedule doesn't change much.

 

[Scary]

I also found trains to leon from the charmartin train station.

 

[Lance Chambers]

I also found trains to leon from the charmartin train station.

Good to know. Thanks.

 

[Telelama]

I tried to buy train tickets in advance at Renfe.com but couldn't find its homepage in English, except in Spanish. moreover no reservation. is it too early? (no train schedule). when is the best time to reserve?

Hi JoeandMiki; My opinion, I would buy ahead of time. It'll reduce your stress upon arrival to Spain and ensures you get the train you want. On our Portuguese last year, we tried to buy tickets from Lisbon to Porto online, but we couldn't print them off, they only would mail them to us. We didn't have enough time for mail, so we decided to purchase at the train station. Well, the high-speed train we wanted was booked solid. The next train was 45 min later and was an IC or inter city train. That meant it stopped many times on its way to Porto. The result was that we were nearly two hours late to arrive in Porto. We had planed to use that time to walk from the Cathedral to Matosinhos, AFTER we got our passport and walking poles. We only had time for those two, so we didn't walk that section.

 

[whariwharangi]

My wife and I will be Madrid airport on September 19 and take a train to Leon. Can we buy the train tickets at the airport or buy them in advance before flying to Spain?

Yes you can buy them in advance before flying to Spain. See Renfe website for a salespoint in your home country or buy online from Renfe. Petrabax is USA salespoint.

Yes you can buy tickets at the airport at terminal 4. Note the train at the airport is a commuter train called Cercanias. Cercanias will connect you to Chamartin station. Trains to Leon typically leave from Chamartin.

 

[trecile]

Tickets just became available today for my early July travel. I got Preferente tickets for 24€.

 

[geno610]

when you purchase your renfe train ticket from the atocha train station to pamplona, how would you get to the atocha train station from madrid airport?

 

[henrythedog]

when you purchase your renfe train ticket from the atocha train station to pamplona, how would you get to the atocha train station from madrid airport?

Yellow ‘aerobus’ every 20 minutes, takes about 30 minutes; €5 cash only.

 

[Marbe2]

The easiest way is to take a taxi…especially if time is an issue. Costs €30 and takes abt 20-25 minutes.

 

[geno610]

I saw another forum earlier talking about check-ins taking forever at the renfe station. I arrive in Madrid on a Wednesday 8:45 and booked a renfe for 11:35 at Atocha station, do you guys think I'll be okay? Just incase I got the upgraded seats so I could change tickets if I happened to miss the train.

 

[geno610]

Yellow ‘aerobus’ every 20 minutes, takes about 30 minutes; €5 cash only.

thank you, this was informative. seems pretty straight forward, would this be okay from either T1 or T4? my flight hasn't shown which terminal ill land at as of yet, just booked today.

 

[henrythedog]

thank you, this was informative. seems pretty straight forward, would this be okay from either T1 or T4? my flight hasn't shown which terminal ill land at as of yet, just booked today.

Yes. T1, T2 and T4. Still wearing masks on public transport in Spain I think. I’ve not been there for a couple of months.

Airport Express Shuttle

The airport express service links Barajas with the city centre in 40 minutes for five euros. It runs 24 hours a day and accepts card payment.

www.esmadrid.com

 

[henrythedog]

I saw another forum earlier talking about check-ins taking forever at the renfe station. I arrive in Madrid on a Wednesday 8:45 and booked a renfe for 11:35 at Atocha station, do you guys think I'll be okay? Just incase I got the upgraded seats so I could change tickets if I happened to miss the train.

If you’re flying with hand luggage only, it’ll be fine. But don’t hang around. Get straight to the bus and get straight to the departure area at Atocha. They sell coffee and snacks there snd have a washroom. You actually go through a security scan and into a departure area then you’re allowed through to the platform only when the train’s ready and waiting. Doesn’t take long.

Even with checked luggage you’ve plenty of time but if flight’s delayed or baggage takes forever you might resort to taxi so as to not wait for bus; although it’ll only save you 10-15 minutes. Fixed price fare, €30 or thereabouts.

 

[Marbe2]

If you’re flying with hand luggage only, it’ll be fine. But don’t hang around. Get straight to the bus and get straight to the departure area at Atocha. They sell coffee and snacks there snd have a washroom. You actually go through a security scan and into a departure area then you’re allowed through to the platform only when the train’s ready and waiting. Doesn’t take long.

Even with checked luggage you’ve plenty of time but if flight’s delayed or baggage takes forever you might resort to taxi so as to not wait for bus; although it’ll only save you 10-15 minutes. Fixed price fare, €30 or thereabouts.

Take a taxi to Atocha. It is quicker! 20 -25 minutes. €30.