Renfe Tickets

[Urban Trekker]

Help! I have been trying to book train tickets from Madrid to Pamplona for the morning of 12 April. Yesterday the site was showing results through 10 April . Today there's no schedule for April at all. Is Renfe going out of business at the end of March? Does anyone have a suggestion on how I can book train tickets from Madrid to Pamplona for the morning of 12 April? Buen Camino

 

[jcat]

Renfe is strange. I was having the same problem for a train reservation for this weekend. For the longest time, it was showing nothing available after Feb 10th and I was getting worried. Then a couple of weeks ago future dates opened and I was able to book my ticket.
I would say hang in there, the Madrid - Pamplona trip isn't going away. Good luck!

 

[jirit]

try petrabax.com if you continue to experience issues

 

[scruffy1]

Type into Google "Train from Madrid to Pamplona" and you will receive the timetable and the itinerary-can't book but will give you an idea. With both Google and Renfe watch closely, there are often several options by different routes, should take around 3 1/2 hours direct but if you book the wrong time, you may find yourself waiting another two hours in some unknown train station along the way.

 

[NualaOC]

Help! I have been trying to book train tickets from Madrid to Pamplona for the morning of 12 April. Yesterday the site was showing results through 10 April . Today there's no schedule for April at all. Is Renfe going out of business at the end of March? Does anyone have a suggestion on how I can book train tickets from Madrid to Pamplona for the morning of 12 April? Buen Camino

This happens regularly with the Renfe site. In theory, the tickets should be available for purchase about 3 months before your travel date. In practice, it can be two months or less in advance, especially if Renfe is updating a schedule for a new season. Just keep checking every few days and your dates will hopefully appear soon!

 

[Kanga]

This is a good resource - some of the mystery explained, and certainly some tips.

 

[david malta]

I booked my 6 March trip from Madrid to Pamplona on 5 January. That makes it 2 months before travel date. Before I managed to book my trip, I used to check the Renfe site every single day for about a month previously. Urban Trekker my advice is to keep on trying everyday.

 

[whariwharangi]

The Renfe Schedule usually is not fully reliable and sometimes not accessible more than 30 days in advance. The cusp times for updates are holidays such as Easter ... which this year is just prior to the dates for which you are seeking information.

The Renfe website has a link to a list of international sales points at the bottom of the 'Horarios y Precios' page, the link to which is found in the center of the Renfe home page.

US residents are advised to purchase Renfe tickets from their international sales point, Petrabax.

Petrabax
http://www.petrabax.com/

We have seen schedules for trains not listed even three weeks in advance. I don't pretend to know what the issue is; the schedule doesn't usually change. You can plan ahead using tomorrows schedule because it will likely still be running when you want to travel.

If you think the Renfe website is nuts try the AMTRAK site.

 

[GreatDane]

Do I need to purchase my Renfe tickets in advance? I'll have a tight connection between my plane, shuttle T1 to T4, buying my Tarjeta Dorada and my train ticket and getting to Madrid-Chamartin. I'm hoping to make the 10:15a train from a 9:00a arriving flight. No problem last time when I took the 10:15a-ish ALSA but i didn't have the commuter train part of the trip to add to the equation.

 

[Urban Trekker]

Thank You Whirwharangi. Went to the petranax site and got my tickets. Now I can work on there to stay when we get to Pamplona Buen Camiono

Happy Trails

P.S. Can I refer to you as Whirligig, I can pronounce that .

 

[Bradypus]

Do I need to purchase my Renfe tickets in advance?

Depends what type of train and how important it is for you to travel at that specific time. For most long-distance trains reservations are now mandatory. Will you be at the station before the reservation list for your train closes? If the train is fully booked are you prepared to wait for the next train with free spaces? I have waited in a queue for more than 45 minutes at a Madrid station just to make a reservation. Will you have time to do that if necessary? Provided you are happy to go with the flow and accept possible disappointment on the day then you could wait and buy your ticket at the station. Personally I wouldn't take the risk. There is also the incentive of substantial savings for booking in advance for many journeys.

 

[Anniesantiago]

This is a good resource - some of the mystery explained, and certainly some tips.

Wow! That's a great website.
I haven't seen it before.

 

[NualaOC]

Do I need to purchase my Renfe tickets in advance? I'll have a tight connection between my plane, shuttle T1 to T4, buying my Tarjeta Dorada and my train ticket and getting to Madrid-Chamartin. I'm hoping to make the 10:15a train from a 9:00a arriving flight. No problem last time when I took the 10:15a-ish ALSA but i didn't have the commuter train part of the trip to add to the equation.

This may or may not work - depending on the timing of the train from T4 to Chamartin. Although it's a short ride (about 11 mins), as far as I can recall, the trains are at 30 minute intervals. You could be lucky and jump on one when you arrive in T4 - or you might have just missed one!

The Tarjeta Dorada discount is probably about the same as the early booking (Promo) discount - so if you're determined to catch that train, you might want to book online to save time at the station. However, you still have to get your ticket for the local train to Chamartin (which is free when you show your Renfe booking) - so that means going to a machine or to the information desk.
As @arthur1218 suggests, a taxi to Chamartin might be your best option if you're determined to catch the 10.15am train.

I have a similar dilemma for travelling to Leon in September. Our flight arrives at 9.55am and there's a train at 11.05 from Chamartin. I'm thinking of taking a chance and booking the tickets, even though it's a big risk. There's also a bus at around 12 noon, so that will be our Plan B - especially if I can bag one of the €5 promotional tickets!

Good luck and happy planning!

 

[NualaOC]

This is a good resource - some of the mystery explained, and certainly some tips.

Wow! That's a great website.
I haven't seen it before.

This one has some useful information too: https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Travel-g187514-c80518/Madrid:Spain:Buying.Renfe.Tickets.Online.html

 

[david malta]

Do I need to purchase my Renfe tickets in advance? I'll have a tight connection between my plane, shuttle T1 to T4, buying my Tarjeta Dorada and my train ticket and getting to Madrid-Chamartin. I'm hoping to make the 10:15a train from a 9:00a arriving flight. No problem last time when I took the 10:15a-ish ALSA but i didn't have the commuter train part of the trip to add to the equation.

1) Your schedule is too tight. Perhaps a taxi from T1 (if available) could help. I would prefer to take the next train.
2) Buy your tickets in advance because train might be full and tickets are far more cheaper (Promo+) if bought as soon as available on the Renfe website.

 

[GreatDane]

1) Your schedule is too tight. Perhaps a taxi from T1 (if available) could help. I would prefer to take the next train.
2) Buy your tickets in advance because train might be full and tickets are far more cheaper (Promo+) if bought as soon as available on the Renfe website.

I forgot to mention I am headed to Burgos.... 1) I was wondering if buying tickets in advance is cheaper - and it appears it is (Promo+??) and 2) if I were to miss the train can the tickets be transferred to another departure that day or to my Leon to Madrid ticket later on? I prefer as early as possible because I want as much time on the ground in Burgos as I can before heading out the next morning.

 

[Tincatinker]

@GreatDane Promo+ tickets are not transferable as the RENFE T&C's explain. Nor can you purchase a Tarjeta Dorada in advance as you need to present your passport as proof-of-age. In any event you have no, zero, zilch, nada chance of making a 10:15 train from Chamartin from a 9:00 landing at Barajas unless you can teleport, in which case why bother. There is a train at 12:20, which you have a reasonable chance of hitting. Be aware that trains to Burgos from Madrid go to Burgos- Rose de Lima which is out on the northern outskirts and will involve a bus / taxi ride to the centre.

Buses direct from T4 will take you to Burgos centro have a similar journey time and half or less cost. Check www.alsa.es

 

[ranthr]

Do I need to purchase my Renfe tickets in advance? I'll have a tight connection between my plane, shuttle T1 to T4, buying my Tarjeta Dorada and my train ticket and getting to Madrid-Chamartin. I'm hoping to make the 10:15a train from a 9:00a arriving flight. No problem last time when I took the 10:15a-ish ALSA but i didn't have the commuter train part of the trip to add to the equation.

You cannot buy a tarjeta dorada ticket without writing in the number of your tarjeta, so if you want that reduction you cannot purchase it in advance. If you are short of time there is a fixed taxiprice from Barajas to Chamartin, 10 min drive, then you can get your tarjeta from the big ticketoffice there. You do not need to buy a ticket in advance, but if the train is full you have to wait for the next. Besides there are a lot of different prices, the cheap tickets often go first so your doradaticket might be much more expensive in the last hour than a promticket without doradareduction.

 

[Deleted member 34316]

Great Dane, if you are going to Burgos, it probably makes more sense to take an Alsa bus directly from the airport (T4), you will be there actually faster than by train, the bus price is lower, and you will arrive right in the center of Burgos (while the train station is outside of Burgos)
I was checking all the options of getting to Burgos lately as I am heading there ...soon.
http://www.alsa.es

oooops, it seems like I unintentionally duplicated Tincatinker's post, sorry about it! (it is just the Camino fever)

 

[GreatDane]

Great Dane, if you are going to Burgos, it probably makes more sense to take an Alsa bus directly from the airport (T4), you will be actually faster than by train, the bus price is lower, and you will arrive right in the center of Burgos (while the train station is outside of Burgos)
I was checking all the options of getting to Burgos lately as I am heading there ...soon.
http://www.alsa.es

oooops, it seems like I unintentionally duplicated Tincatinker's post, sorry about it! (it is just the Camino fever)

Yes it does make more sense... but I like train travel and wanted to treat myself. Last time I took ALSA from T4 to Pamplona and then Burgos back to Madrid. Both times I got -luck of the draw - the oldest dirty broken down dusty sticky no-restroom buses in the fleet. I do know the Rose de Lima station is NE well away from the Burgos cathedral area, already had that part figured out!!! (and know that the bus station is only a hop skip and a jump across the river from my hostel). Oh and if it really matters I'll have no luggage to pick up, I carry on my pack.

 

[Deleted member 34316]

I like trains much more than buses too! it is just your short connection time that can be a problem. From my experience, if the flight is listed to arrive at 9:00 usually it means this is the "touchdown" time and you are out of the terminal around 9:30. Then the t4 is 5 km from t123... and the cercanias leave once every 30 minutes as NualaOC mentioned. Thats... just too much, at least for me. But you might be lucky, who knows!

 

[GreatDane]

I like trains much more than buses too! it is just your short connection time that can be a problem. From my experience, if the flight is listed to arrive at 9:00 usually it means this is the "touchdown" time and you are out of the terminal around 9:30. Then the t4 is 5 km from t123... and the cercanias leave once every 30 minutes as NualaOC mentioned. Thats... just too much, at least for me. But you might be lucky, who knows!

I got lucky last time , flight arrived a little early, no lines at customs, my checked box with trekking poles came right away as did the T4 shuttle. Bought bus ticket and had enough time to wait and wait and wait for the bus.

 

[jirit]

Great Dane, if you are going to Burgos, it probably makes more sense to take an Alsa bus directly from the airport (T4), you will be there actually faster than by train, the bus price is lower, and you will arrive right in the center of Burgos (while the train station is outside of Burgos)
I was checking all the options of getting to Burgos lately as I am heading there ...soon.
http://www.alsa.es

oooops, it seems like I unintentionally duplicated Tincatinker's post, sorry about it! (it is just the Camino fever)

Good point about the train station in Burgos - forgot it is about five miles outside the city center

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I like trains much more than buses too! it is just your short connection time that can be a problem.

I just did it in January with a checked bag, and it was nearly two hours before I was in Chamartin. Fifty minutes was waiting for my bag, the rest was Cercanias and buying the ticket. It all is convenient, but not necessarily fast. If you had a ticket (you have to get your Cerancias free ticket from the clerk if you bought your Renfe ticket on line) and perfect timing, you might get from the gate to Chamartin in 45 minutes. It will depend on whether the Cercanias is about to leave or has just left!

 

[Deleted member 34316]

Well, there is the Cercanias schedule available online
http://www.renfe.com/viajeros/cercanias/madrid/index.html
the trains from the terminal T4 to Chamartin are leaving at 9:27 and 9:57 .
If you can get on the 9:27, you are fine.
If I missed it, I'd just walk upstairs and take the "dusty bus" to Burgos from the Alsa T4 stop.
So another reason not to buy the tickets ahead of time and see what the Camino has in store for us.

By the way, 10:15 From Madrid to Burgos is not a direct train. Those are actually 2 trains with half an hour connection time in Valladolid.

 

[whariwharangi]

Do I need to purchase my Renfe tickets in advance? I'll have a tight connection between my plane, shuttle T1 to T4, buying my Tarjeta Dorada and my train ticket and getting to Madrid-Chamartin. I'm hoping to make the 10:15a train from a 9:00a arriving flight. No problem last time when I took the 10:15a-ish ALSA but i didn't have the commuter train part of the trip to add to the equation.

If you look at tomorrow's train schedule you will find that several trains are 'completo'. Further, there have been anecdotal reports of long lines at the ticket window (while automatic machines go unused)

As for catching 1015 train from 0900 flight ... you have zero chance of making it using public transport.

 

[whariwharangi]

I got lucky last time , flight arrived a little early, no lines at customs, my checked box with trekking poles came right away as did the T4 shuttle. Bought bus ticket and had enough time to wait and wait and wait for the bus.

The first time I went to Madrid my flight left London 3 hours late ...

 

[Castilian]

I forgot to mention I am headed to Burgos.... 1) I was wondering if buying tickets in advance is cheaper - and it appears it is (Promo+??) and 2) if I were to miss the train can the tickets be transferred to another departure that day or to my Leon to Madrid ticket later on?

Your route, as it has already been pointed out, isn't direct. It means an AVANT train from Madrid to Valladolid plus a MD train from Valladolid to Burgos. AVANT trains, if nothing has changed, don't have discounts if you book them online (well) in advance. MD trains definitely don't have discounts if you book them online (well) in advance. So regardless where and when you buy them, you would pay the same (or almost the same because it might be a difference of few euros on administration fees depending on what channel you use to book them).

As your tickets will be full fare, you could transfer them to a later train for the same route if you make it minimum 5 minutes before the scheduled departure of your train (i.e.: you would need to make it before 10:10 a.m.). I'm not sure if the same applies to Tarjeta Dorada users though.

 

[whariwharangi]

Thank You Whirwharangi. Went to the petranax site and got my tickets. Now I can work on there to stay when we get to Pamplona Buen Camiono

Happy Trails

P.S. Can I refer to you as Whirligig, I can pronounce that .

Whariwharangi is a place name on the Abel Tasman Great Walk South Island New Zealand.

Think of it as two words. Whari is a Maori word for house. Wharangi is the name of a New Zealand shrub officially designated Melicope Ternata.

I am neither Maori nor do I live in New Zealand. I just prefer to take an unusual online name instead of calling myself pleb1234 or some such. I hiked the Abel Tasman track several years ago and camped at Whariwharangi hut.

You can mispronounce it any way you like. Just don't call me 'late for dinner'.

 

[Urban Trekker]

This may or may not work - depending on the timing of the train from T4 to Chamartin. Although it's a short ride (about 11 mins), as far as I can recall, the trains are at 30 minute intervals. You could be lucky and jump on one when you arrive in T4 - or you might have just missed one!

The Tarjeta Dorada discount is probably about the same as the early booking (Promo) discount - so if you're determined to catch that train, you might want to book online to save time at the station. However, you still have to get your ticket for the local train to Chamartin (which is free when you show your Renfe booking) - so that means going to a machine or to the information desk.
As @arthur1218 suggests, a taxi to Chamartin might be your best option if you're determined to catch the 10.15am train.

I have a similar dilemma for travelling to Leon in September. Our flight arrives at 9.55am and there's a train at 11.05 from Chamartin. I'm thinking of taking a chance and booking the tickets, even though it's a big risk. There's also a bus at around 12 noon, so that will be our Plan B - especially if I can bag one of the €5 promotional tickets!

Good luck and happy planning!

I'm flying in from the west coast. Arrival time is 0900. Booked a 1500 train from the Atocha station to Pamplona

Whariwharangi is a place name on the Abel Tasman Great Walk South Island New Zealand.

Think of it as two words. Whari is a Maori word for house. Wharangi is the name of a New Zealand shrub officially designated Melicope Ternata.

I am neither Maori nor do I live in New Zealand. I just prefer to take an unusual online name instead of calling myself pleb1234 or some such. I hiked the Abel Tasman track several years ago and camped at Whariwharangi hut.

You can mispronounce it any way you like. Just don't call me 'late for dinner'.

Me too!

 

[GreatDane]

Well, there is the Cercanias schedule available online
http://www.renfe.com/viajeros/cercanias/madrid/index.html
the trains from the terminal T4 to Chamartin are leaving at 9:27 and 9:57 .
If you can get on the 9:27, you are fine.
If I missed it, I'd just walk upstairs and take the "dusty bus" to Burgos from the Alsa T4 stop.
So another reason not to buy the tickets ahead of time and see what the Camino has in store for us.

By the way, 10:15 From Madrid to Burgos is not a direct train. Those are actually 2 trains with half an hour connection time in Valladolid.

Yes, saw all that in my research (the 2 trains, the Cercanias commuter - I talked to RENFE about that, etc) , thanks!!! Your last lines "If I missed it, I'd just walk upstairs and take the "dusty bus" to Burgos from the ALSA T4 stop" is my plan of attack. If I get the train it is icing on the cake, if I don't it won't break my heart because I'll still get to Burgos in time to wander some more.

 

[Sally Forester]

How do people feel about booking the Promo and Promo+ tickets with Renefe? They seem to be 1/3 of the full Flexible tickets but can't change - so if you miss your train you are out of luck. I arrive at 7:45 am on May 8th and am looking at a 11:35 train from Atocha. To risky? The next train isn't until 3pm.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

How do people feel about booking the Promo and Promo+ tickets with Renfe? They seem to be 1/3 of the full Flexible tickets but can't change - so if you miss your train you are out of luck. Barrie at 7:45 am on May 8th and am looking at a 11:35 train from Atocha. To risky? The next train isn't until 3pm.

I had to sacrifice a fare when British Airways/Iberia couldn't fly their schedule and I had allowed two hours. The Promo fare and the Dorado fare (often the same) are available at the counter as well sometimes, so reserving a seat on a tight transfer schedule can double the cost!

 

[Kanga]

I don't usually book ahead, but I have had to stay a night extra a couple of times, when I could not get an immediate seat. As I always build in a few extra days it has not been a problem - lesson learned when striking French train drivers nearly caused a missed flight home.

 

[Deleted member 34316]

Barrie at 7:45 am

Sally, what do mean by "Barrie at 7:45 am"? Is it the time of your landing in Madrid? In that case you would have neary 4 hours for the transfer to Atocha, seems like a very safe timeframe.

 

[Victoria_Peregrina]

However, you still have to get your ticket for the local train to Chamartin (which is free when you show your Renfe booking) - so that means going to a machine or to the information desk.

I already have a train ticket from Atocha to Pamplona. Does it mean that my ride from T4 to Atocha free?

 

[NualaOC]

I already have a train ticket from Atocha to Pamplona. Does it mean that my ride from T4 to Atocha free?

Hi Victoria, that's correct. If you show your Renfe ticket in the T4 information / ticket office, you'll be given a free ticket to Atocha. I think you can also get it from a machine, by putting in a code.

 

[whariwharangi]

How do people feel about booking the Promo and Promo+ tickets with Renefe? They seem to be 1/3 of the full Flexible tickets but can't change - so if you miss your train you are out of luck. I arrive at 7:45 am on May 8th and am looking at a 11:35 train from Atocha. To risky? The next train isn't until 3pm.

I would consider 4 hours to be enough time to get from the airport to Puerta de Atocha. (in my estimate, less than 2 hours is really problematic and 3 hours is reasonable) There is still a small risk ... but at one point you have to go with it. Si yo fuera tu ... make sure you review the airport map and know where and when to board your transport to Puerta de Atocha. Otherwise you can waste a lot of time getting oriented.

 

[lbpierce]

The three times I have arrived at the Madrid airport in the morning (8 or 9 am), I was always ready to leave within an hour of arrival. Not sure if I was just lucky or if this is typical.

 

[peregrina2000]

How do people feel about booking the Promo and Promo+ tickets with Renefe? They seem to be 1/3 of the full Flexible tickets but can't change - so if you miss your train you are out of luck. I arrive at 7:45 am on May 8th and am looking at a 11:35 train from Atocha. To risky? The next train isn't until 3pm.

Four hours seems like very ample time, but I have had the misfortune of arriving 5 or 6 hours late. But on average this seems like a safe connection.

A few things to consider:

-- what terminal are you arriving in? If you arrive in the new T4, which is for Iberia and its partners, the Cercanías train station is close. If you arrive in T 1,2, or 3, you have to take the free transfer bus to get to T4. That will add about 1/2 hour, I would estimate.

-- The Cercanías trains operate only every half hour, so that could mean a long wait if you are unlucky. (they leave a few minutes before the hour and before the half hour)

-- If you check luggage, you may be in for a wait of 45 minutes to an hour. International flights arrive a long way from the baggage claim, out in the satellite terminal, and it takes a very long time for bags to show up on the carrousel.

Here's a recent thread that has airport maps and more information.
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...-barajas-airport-mad-terminals-1-2-3-4.38450/

Good luck (and one last little thing -- your Cercanías ticket is free only if you are on a fast train, AVE or ALVIA for example).

 

[Sally Forester]

Thanks @peregrina2000 for the info. I was thinking I'd just take a taxi to Atocha to simplify things. I'm assuming I'll still have to get to the main terminal to catch a taxi. Will check out the map too. Thanks !!

 

[whariwharangi]

Thanks @peregrina2000 for the info. I was thinking I'd just take a taxi to Atocha to simplify things. I'm assuming I'll still have to get to the main terminal to catch a taxi. Will check out the map too. Thanks !!

See Aena Madrid website regarding taxis
http://www.aena.es/csee/Satellite/Aeropuerto-Madrid-Barajas/en/Page/1237554330997//Taxi.html