collage

Hello,

I will be in spain from May 29 - June 5th

I have researched on teh EU rail pass for 4 days. I will be using that you travel between Madrid, Barcelona and probably Seville

My questions is that can we use the same pass within Barcelona or any other city?

Thanks

PalenQ

You are talking about the Eurail Spain Pass - good only within Spain? If you are not doing more train travel then buying regular tickets, especially if traveling in 2nd class may be cheaper.

Go to www.renfe.es the Spanish Railways web site to check regular fares and also see if any discount tickets are available for your days of travel - these tickets however may have restrictions about changing or refunds so you should be sure of your travel date and time. The railpass does allow for fully flexible travel on any train anytime in Spain - at least on RENFE trains which run nearly all trains and all the ones you are taking.

I may note that there have been scores of frustrations with Fodorites actually booking tickets on line at renfe.se so it may not always be possible to snag those attractive discounts. But there are some veteran renfe.es users here who will try to help you out if you have problems.

For lots on Spanish train travel and railpasses check out these IMO fantastic info-laden sites - www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

PalenQ

a note about railpasses in Spain - they pay for the basic train fare but not the usually mandatory seat reservations on the faster trains and these may cost $10-15 or more so factor that into any calculations. Seat reservations are included I believe in pricing you see on renfe.es.

collage

Can I purchase the pass at any statiion?

PalenQ

Nope not sold in Spain since Spaniards are not eligible to use it - nor are European residents so you must buy it in your home country. Prices are universal but some may add on mailing or handling fees. I have bought various railpasses for years from Byron at www.budgeteuropetravel.com and can attest to great personal service over phone if you have questions. But again go to www.renfe.es to see what fares cost once in Spain - fares in euros and then compare to the pass - in first class the pass probably stacks up well and in my years of travel on trains in Spain and Europe I heartily recommend going first class for the average tourist - especially with luggage.

GeoffHamer

Rail passes are generally not very useful for Spain. On all long distance trains, seats need to be reserved. RENFE doesn't sell long-distance tickets without a seat reservation. Therefore, if you have a rail pass, you'll still need to book each journey and possibly pay a supplement. Fares for local commuter trains are very cheap, so a rail pass is of little benefit on these.

PalenQ

The broad generlization that railpasses are ALWAYS a waste of money in Spain is IMO pure misifnormation, regardless of well-meaning intent. I can come up with several very typical itineraries where such a pass may well be a boon - and the more days of travel the longer. And also first-class passes are even a better deal and my decades of incessant European rail travel admonishes me to exhort anyone, save those on starvation budgets, to definitely and especially if laden with cumbersome luggage, to go first class. Thus Geoff's probably well=meaning comments even hold less water in light of the cost of a first-class Spanish Railpass vs regular first class fares. Take to heart the words I quote of none other than Man in Seat 51, an online guru of European rail travel, "I too an an aficionado of first class".