valjohnson2
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- Time of past OR future Camino
- April 22,2024
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Some people prefer travelling by train above flying for reasons of durabilityIt may actually be cheaper and easier for them to fly to Santiago from Madrid. It is a very short flight and tickets are quite often cheaper than the train.
Agree, but the plane tickets may be available now if the OP is anxious to get this settled. Just mentioning options.Some people prefer travelling by train above flying for reasons of durability
The Renfe site has an option to change the language to English or French as well as other commonly spoken languages in Spain. I have never had a problem with navigating their site. Renfe however does not like my US credit/debit cards so I just process the transaction through Paypal. Easy peasy!!You might find it easier to navigate the Spanish rail system through trainline.com, in English. That won't help if the tickets haven't been released yet, but it is less confusing!
That’s interesting and it is the first time that I see this info. Does it apply to all tickets or only to long-distance trips or high-speed train trips? On the Renfe website I see this list of fees, with a surcharge of 5,5% of the ticket price when purchasing train tickets at the counter in a railway station:There is a surcharge if you purchase at the station usually.
Of that I am not sure. I don't think it applies to commuter rail like Cercanías and I have only bought a few tickets in the station after I learned of the surcharge a few years ago. I tend to use Trainline which I know also adds a small fee as well. I don't use PayPal (which also adds a fee to purchase tickets) and my US credit card is usually not accepted on the Renfe site although I have not tried it in the last two years. It all costs a little extra it seems unless your card works with the Renfe site. I should try mine again next year I suppose.That’s interesting and it is the first time that I see this info. Does it apply to all tickets or only to long-distance trips or high-speed train trips? On the Renfe website I see this list of fees, with a surcharge of 5,5% of the ticket price when purchasing train tickets at the counter in a railway station:
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They will be traveling from Madrid to Santiago on May 25th. Thank you!When? When is the question. No one can help you if you don’t tell us when.
Tickets on RENFE are typically made available about 1 month in advance. Madrid is a great city to spend a few months so perhaps they could just wait until you could meet them there
They will spend 2 nights in Madrid, we have one night together in a place they reserved in Santiago and then go to a place in Villanova de Arousa for 4 nights. Pretty amazing for me to be imagining-I’ve never been out of the country before!They will be traveling from Madrid to Santiago on May 25th. Thank you!
Thank you! I’ve been holding off purchasing mine to pamplona not knowing how long after landing it will take me to get from airport on train to train station. The logistics of getting there gives me just a bit anxiety but doesn’t scare me off!Hi @valjohnson2 there are a lot of train track construction works going on right now in the stretch between Madrid and Santiago so it has delayed the sale of tickets. I was looking and it appears that train tickets are currently available only until May 6. If you are trying to purchase for a date after that, you will just need to keep checking back. You can purchase tickets online, however, some people (like me) have difficulty purchasing through the Renfe site. It is cheaper to purchase online and as early as possible. There is a surcharge if you purchase at the station usually. If it happens that the Renfe site is unfriendly to you (like it is to me and won't accept my credit card), try an alternate site. I use Trainline which is in English and works better for me.
I really appreciate the helpful comments I’m getting on here!It may actually be cheaper and easier for them to fly to Santiago from Madrid. It is a very short flight and tickets are quite often cheaper than the train.
If your plane comes to T4 you just need to go to the basement after you exit the secure area and take the C1 or C10 to the Atocha station. From any of the other terminals (and fromT4) you can also take the Express Bus directly to Atocha. The train may be fastest depending on the time of day. An alternative that is a bit more expensive and maybe not any faster is a taxi, but if you are not familiar with public transportation, it may seem more comfortable for you.Thank you! I’ve been holding off purchasing mine to pamplona not knowing how long after landing it will take me to get from airport on train to train station. The logistics of getting there gives me just a bit anxiety but doesn’t scare me off!
I will check out times from Atocha, it hadn’t even been clear to me what station is what so I appreciate that! I have bed in pamplona since there is only that 1 bus a day, as far as I can find, and I will have missed it. Do ticket the next day already. I certainly appreciate the kindness in helping me out with this!If your plane comes to T4 you just need to go to the basement after you exit the secure area and take the C1 or C10 to the Atocha station. From any of the other terminals (and fromT4) you can also take the Express Bus directly to Atocha. The train may be fastest depending on the time of day. An alternative that is a bit more expensive and maybe not any faster is a taxi, but if you are not familiar with public transportation, it may seem more comfortable for you.
Sometimes getting out of security is very fast, particularly of you have a transfer in another country and already have been through passport control And are arriving in at T1, 2, or 3.
On bus time per day from Pamplona to SJPDP. You'll have an opportunity to catch up on jet lag and see a bit of the town.I will check out times from Atocha, it hadn’t even been clear to me what station is what so I appreciate that! I have bed in pamplona since there is only that 1 bus a day, as far as I can find, and I will have missed it. Do ticket the next day already. I certainly appreciate the kindness in helping me out with this!
If they will be in Madrid for two days they'll have time to go to Atocha and buy tickets over the counter a day in advance if on-line booking proves too difficult.They will spend 2 nights in Madrid, we have one night together in a place they reserved in Santiago and then go to a place in Villanova de Arousa for 4 nights. Pretty amazing for me to be imagining-I’ve never been out of the country before!
I purchased my ticket from Madrid to Pamplona for the 22nd this morning on trainline.com. I had tried renfe again and weren’t available and took your advice. Very simple! Thanks!You might find it easier to navigate the Spanish rail system through trainline.com, in English. That won't help if the tickets haven't been released yet, but it is less confusing!
Search on Skyscanner, but please only book directly with the airline, not one of the third party sites that pay to be on Skyscanner.If you are looking for flights, try the search engine skyscanner (flights within Europe, including Spain). I have found it useful for pricing and comparing flights.
Beware, one issue with Trainline... we were having a mild struggle with the Renfe site, so switched to Trainline. Then we got to the station earlier than I expected and wanted to swap the tickets for an earlier train. The counter staff were very ready to do this until they realized we'd purchased thru Trainline. Their system does not allow adjustments to third party-purchased tickets. And the Trainline site offered only the option to exchange for a LATER train, not the earlier one. So it might be worth struggling a bit with Renfe's site, if you can make it work. Just our experience.You might find it easier to navigate the Spanish rail system through trainline.com, in English. That won't help if the tickets haven't been released yet, but it is less confusing!
I just cant make it workBeware, one issue with Trainline... we were having a mild struggle with the Renfe site, so switched to Trainline. Then we got to the station earlier than I expected and wanted to swap the tickets for an earlier train. The counter staff were very ready to do this until they realized we'd purchased thru Trainline. Their system does not allow adjustments to third party-purchased tickets. And the Trainline site offered only the option to exchange for a LATER train, not the earlier one. So it might be worth struggling a bit with Renfe's site, if you can make it work. Just our experience.
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