Sven4

Four of us are traveling in Spain and France in May. We will be traveling by train from Figueres, Spain to Nice, France. We do realize that we will have to make some transfers along the way. Do you recommend that we buy train tickets in advance or are we fairly safe in buying the tickets at the train station once we arrive? I have tried to figure out how to order these tickets online through Bahn.com but don't seem to be able to do that. We also wonder if we can buy them in Barcelona where we will be beforehand, or if we need to buy them from the Figueres train station, which is where we plan to depart? Do you have any tips?

Also, we have tried to buy tickets to a soccer/futbol game in Barcelona, but are unable to do that either. Any tips for how to do that in advance? Or the best way to do that once we arrive?

PalenQ

You ordinarily can buy train tickets at any station in that country and you should rarely have any problems with totally sold out trains IME. For Spanish tickets go to www.renfe.com -= Spanish Railways site that may offer some discounts or www.voyagfes-sncf.com - French railways but not sure they will sell ticket from Spain into France.

For lots about European trains in general check out these IMO fatastic sites - www.ricksteves.com; www.seat61.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

neckervd

Figueres Vilafant dp 10.20, change at Montpellier and Avignon and Nice ar 18.05.
http://www.voyages-sncf.com sells tickets for this connection (detour via Vaence, however) for 91 EUR. Up to Nimes only, they charge 22 EUR. The Nimes - Nice leg is offered for 34 EUR.

Robert2533

You can purchase the Figueres-Nice tickets through the French rail web site (www.voyages-sncf.com). You'll have to purchase the tickets in French, not English, or it will redirect you to Rail Europe. Only one train/day (10h20 departure) from what is shown on the schedule.

You can order the football tickets at FC Barcelona (www.barcelona-tickets-store.com).

StCirq

There is a problem currently with trains on that line in early-late spring, as they are introducing new service and I believe the schedules haven't been sorted out yet, so schedules/fares haven't been posted yet. Normally, you would book on www.renfe.com for the Spanish leg (and you may be able to do that) and with www.voyages-sncf.com or www.tgv-europe.com for the French leg. For French trains, you almost always get the best deals booking 3 months out from your travel date - I imagine something similar is true for Spanish trains. If you walk up to the counter the day of travel, you will pay the highest price.

The German train website is great for seeing all schedules and fares, but I don't think you can use it to actually make bookings in countries other than Germany (could be wrong - I haven't used it recently)

StCirq

<< You'll have to purchase the tickets in French, not English, or it will redirect you to Rail Europe>>

True, if you use that site, which I always do, but you can "fool the system" by using www.tgv-europe.com, clicking on Antarctica on the first screen, stay in English, and NOT be redirected to Rail Europe.

Pvoyageuse

"Normally, you would book on www.renfe.com for the Spanish leg (and you may be able to do that) and with www.voyages-sncf.com or www.tgv-europe.com for the French leg."

No, if your journey originates/ends in Spain, you book only one ticket. Ditto for France and Germany if you travel to neighboring countries. I've bought a ticket from Poland to Germany through the Bahn.de site and from France to Switzerland and Spain and back from the SNCF.com site.

You don't need to buy your ticket in Figueres. Tou can buy it at any station in Spain.

The new service i.e. direct AVE from Barcelona to Paris without changing train in Figueres should run as of April 29. I would keep on trying to see when they publish their timetable.