Unable to buy train tix...HELP!

[lrisvold]

I need to buy a train ticket from Terminal4 of Madrid-Barajas to Avila for June 15, as in 12 days from now. I know such ticket exists for 7-10 days in the future, but for the date I want it won't come up on RENFE as a possibility. I'm very confused and concerned...will it only let me purchase a given number of days in advance? One option I thought of was getting a ticket from Chamartin to Avila since I would need to change trains there anyway. Then I'd just need to get from the airport to Chamartin which I'm not exactly sure how to do. Sorry for seeming freaked out, but its been 10 years since I've been to Spain and I find the whole public transportation/train system rather daunting with all its options and different lines. Anyone have any advice about RENFE?

 

[edandjoan]

Last year we used a USA web site to buy our ticket as it took our charge card. www.petrabax.com
You can get a local train from the airport to the main train station. Hope that helps.

 

[Tincatinker]

@Irisvold as the proud holder of a ticket from Chamartin to Avila you would be entitled to a free ticket on the Cercanias from T4 to Chamartin. Obtainable from the Renfe Ticket booth. Otherwise fritter €1.40 on a Cercanias ticket from the Ticket Machines and buy your Avila ticket at Chamartin. It is unlikely that you actually need to purchase a ticket in advance and bear in mind that flight delays and airport events might impact on your plans. There are frequent trains on your proposed date of travel with tickets available at €12.25. There seems little point in adding Agent and Credit Card charges to your costs.

Buen Camino

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Irisvold,

If you do a search on this thread or on any travel thread, you'll find lots of posts with lots of frustrated people trying to buy RENFE tickets from the US. I remember that a few years ago they supposedly changed their computer system and things got easier. But in many years of caminos, I was only able to complete a transaction once online from the US. If you want the peace of mind of having the ticket, I'd suggest biting the bullet and paying the booking fees that petrabax.com or raileurope.com charge (the former may be cheaper, not sure).

If you're not traveling at a peak time, I'd go ahead and buy the ticket at the airport like tinca suggests. There is a RENFE office right at T4 at the entrance to the Cercanias trains. Those are the commuter trains that include stops at a lot of central in-town sites, like Chamartin, Puerta del Sol and Atocha. The ride from the airport to Chamartin is about 12 minutes, and trains leave at 28 and 58 after every hour. The advantage of buying the ticket at the airport is that you will miss the long lines at Chamartin, though there is a special line at the station for buying tickets that leave in less than a half hour.

Make sure you know which terminal you're arriving in at Barajas. T4 is the new fancy terminal, where the train station is. It's used by Iberia and its partners (American/US, British, etc.). All other US airlines fly into T1, 2, or 3 and you'll need to get a bus over to T4, which adds a layer of complication and more time.

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Felipe]

Look for the option "Madrid (*)" as departing point. But anyway, if you can't but your ticket online, don't worry too much. There are many daily trains from Madrid to Avila. Just go to Barajas T4 and buy there your ticket to Chamartin, then Avila. Besides some active holidays, this would not be a problem.

 

[LauraK]

And if you are nervous about buying your ticket at the airport - you don't need to worry because there are several information booths in the airport. They speak English and are very helpful. They will be able to direct you to the T4 terminal and/or provide information on how to get your tickets.

 

[John Sikora]

RENFE, while a pretty good railway can't seem to get their Ecommerce act working for the US. I haven't tried this year but the three or four times that I've tried in the past I've always ended up using one of the booking companies (petrabax or raileurope) to do the transaction. Really irritating. Also, can someone who has been their recently comment on whether the RENFE ticket terminals work with US credit cards (i.e. no pin). They hadn't a couple of years ago but was wondering what the current experience is.

 

[whariwharangi]

I need to buy a train ticket from Terminal4 of Madrid-Barajas to Avila for June 15, as in 12 days from now. I know such ticket exists for 7-10 days in the future, but for the date I want it won't come up on RENFE as a possibility. I'm very confused and concerned...will it only let me purchase a given number of days in advance? One option I thought of was getting a ticket from Chamartin to Avila since I would need to change trains there anyway. Then I'd just need to get from the airport to Chamartin which I'm not exactly sure how to do. Sorry for seeming freaked out, but its been 10 years since I've been to Spain and I find the whole public transportation/train system rather daunting with all its options and different lines. Anyone have any advice about RENFE?

2002 Madrid Airport

The airport in Madrid is called Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD). There are 4 terminals. T1, T2, and T3 are in one building while T4 is connected via shuttle. Terminal 4S is connected to Terminal 4 by Automatic People Mover (APM) and has a shuttle stop.

Madrid Airport (MAD)
http://www.aena-aeropuertos.es/csee/Satellite/Aeropuerto-Madrid-Barajas/en/

2007 Madrid Airport to train station Chamartin

a. Chamartin is reached by Metro. Take line 8 from airport T1-T2-T3 or T4 to Nuevos Ministerios; and, line 10 to Chamartin.

b. Chamartin is reached by Renfe Cercanias direct from Madrid Airport T4.

Madrid Metro
http://www.metromadrid.es/en/index.html

Madrid Metro Map
http://www.metromadrid.es/export/sites/metro/comun/documentos/planos/Planomayo2013.pdf

Madrid Cercanias (operated by Renfe)
http://www.renfe.com/viajeros/cercanias/madrid/index.html

Chamartin Renfe Station Madrid
http://www.adif.es/es_ES/infraestructuras/estaciones/17000/informacion_000295.shtml

 

[lrisvold]

@Irisvold as the proud holder of a ticket from Chamartin to Avila you would be entitled to a free ticket on the Cercanias from T4 to Chamartin. Obtainable from the Renfe Ticket booth. Otherwise fritter €1.40 on a Cercanias ticket from the Ticket Machines and buy your Avila ticket at Chamartin. It is unlikely that you actually need to purchase a ticket in advance and bear in mind that flight delays and airport events might impact on your plans. There are frequent trains on your proposed date of travel with tickets available at €12.25. There seems little point in adding Agent and Credit Card charges to your costs.

Buen Camino

Thank you so much everyone for your responses! I'm glad to know its easy to get a ticket upon arrival in Madrid. I'm fighting my overplanning urges as it is with the camino and am hoping to have one in hand before leaving as I'm concerned about being tired after jetlag, but may just go and figure it out when I get there.

John Sikora, I have already bought a ticket from Avila to Pamplona for the 17th of June (when I head east to start the Camino) and had to use paypal. I needed to buy this ticket in advance because I'm staying at Corazon Puro and they needed to know my arrival time since they'll come get me at the Pamplona train station. That's how I got around the chip issue of having a US card.

 

[lrisvold]

Hi, Irisvold,

If you do a search on this thread or on any travel thread, you'll find lots of posts with lots of frustrated people trying to buy RENFE tickets from the US. I remember that a few years ago they supposedly changed their computer system and things got easier. But in many years of caminos, I was only able to complete a transaction once online from the US. If you want the peace of mind of having the ticket, I'd suggest biting the bullet and paying the booking fees that petrabax.com or raileurope.com charge (the former may be cheaper, not sure).

If you're not traveling at a peak time, I'd go ahead and buy the ticket at the airport like tinca suggests. There is a RENFE office right at T4 at the entrance to the Cercanias trains. Those are the commuter trains that include stops at a lot of central in-town sites, like Chamartin, Puerta del Sol and Atocha. The ride from the airport to Chamartin is about 12 minutes, and trains leave at 28 and 58 after every hour. The advantage of buying the ticket at the airport is that you will miss the long lines at Chamartin, though there is a special line at the station for buying tickets that leave in less than a half hour.

Make sure you know which terminal you're arriving in at Barajas. T4 is the new fancy terminal, where the train station is. It's used by Iberia and its partners (American/US, British, etc.). All other US airlines fly into T1, 2, or 3 and you'll need to get a bus over to T4, which adds a layer of complication and more time.

Buen camino, Laurie

Hi, Irisvold,

If you do a search on this thread or on any travel thread, you'll find lots of posts with lots of frustrated people trying to buy RENFE tickets from the US. I remember that a few years ago they supposedly changed their computer system and things got easier. But in many years of caminos, I was only able to complete a transaction once online from the US. If you want the peace of mind of having the ticket, I'd suggest biting the bullet and paying the booking fees that petrabax.com or raileurope.com charge (the former may be cheaper, not sure).

If you're not traveling at a peak time, I'd go ahead and buy the ticket at the airport like tinca suggests. There is a RENFE office right at T4 at the entrance to the Cercanias trains. Those are the commuter trains that include stops at a lot of central in-town sites, like Chamartin, Puerta del Sol and Atocha. The ride from the airport to Chamartin is about 12 minutes, and trains leave at 28 and 58 after every hour. The advantage of buying the ticket at the airport is that you will miss the long lines at Chamartin, though there is a special line at the station for buying tickets that leave in less than a half hour.

Make sure you know which terminal you're arriving in at Barajas. T4 is the new fancy terminal, where the train station is. It's used by Iberia and its partners (American/US, British, etc.). All other US airlines fly into T1, 2, or 3 and you'll need to get a bus over to T4, which adds a layer of complication and more time.

Buen camino, Laurie

Laurie,
I'll be getting into Madrid at 11am at terminal 4S, the satelite terminal. I know I'll have to go from there to T4 but am not concerned about that at all. Is 11 considered a "peak time"?

 

[peregrina2000]

I don't think there'll be any problem. My Barajas tip-- take the elevator where possible, because there are some LONG escalator rides.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I need to buy a train ticket from Terminal4 of Madrid-Barajas to Avila for June 15

Renfe does not "code share" the Cercanias segment from the airport. As pointed out above, you can buy both tickets at the airport. If you need security, buy the Madrid to Avila ticket, which then gets you a ride on the Cercanias when you get to the airport.

 

[lrisvold]

I don't think there'll be any problem. My Barajas tip-- take the elevator where possible, because there are some LONG escalator rides.

Since I see there are trains leaving Chamartin for Avila every hour or so, I'll just wait till I get there and get a ticket at the airport. Thanks again for all your help.

 

[HalfDomeOrBust]

I found this USA site for Renfe that seems to be easy to wrangle your way thru although I have yet to do that. Anyone have experience with this site?
http://www.raileurope.com/european-...AD7FAF-9C12-46AB-9827-2BC06473C2C2csQ7wfO5wV#

 

[Castilian]

as the proud holder of a ticket from Chamartin to Avila you would be entitled to a free ticket on the Cercanias from T4 to Chamartin.

buy the Madrid to Avila ticket, which then gets you a ride on the Cercanias when you get to the airport.

To get a free ride on a Cercanías train you have to have a ticket for a high speed train (except, AFAIK, high speed medium haul trains; i.e. AVANT) or a long distance train departing from the arrival station of your Cercanías ride or arriving at the departure station of your Cercanías ride. Bearing in mind that most trains to Ávila are Medium haul trains is very unlikely the OP will get a free cercanías ride.

You can take a look at www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/larga_distancia/servicios/combinado_cercanias.html for more info, nuances and details.

P.S.: Tip: if you are entitled to a free cercanías ride, your high-speed (or long distance) train ticket should have a combinado cercanías code printed. That's the code you have to use in the machine (or in the ticket desk) to get your free cercanías ticket.