Madrid - how to schedule train from airport
Oct 5th, 2015, 03:34 PM
#1
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Madrid - how to schedule train from airport
Hi all,
We will be flying into Madrid next February, and plan on taking a train to Seville the day that we arrive. I've read that train tickets should be purchased in advance. We'll land at around 9:00 am in Madrid; what would be a "safe" time for a train departure to Seville? If we missed the train, how difficult would it be to reschedule?
Thank you.
We will be flying into Madrid next February, and plan on taking a train to Seville the day that we arrive. I've read that train tickets should be purchased in advance. We'll land at around 9:00 am in Madrid; what would be a "safe" time for a train departure to Seville? If we missed the train, how difficult would it be to reschedule?
Thank you.
Oct 6th, 2015, 04:04 AM
#2
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Tickets can be purchased in advance ( possibility / cost of exchange depends on the type of ticket)
Ther is a special lineup for tickets for the same day travellers at Atocha.
How much time you need to get to the station depends on : wait for luggage,
passport control lineup, taxi or public transit ....
Ther is a special lineup for tickets for the same day travellers at Atocha.
How much time you need to get to the station depends on : wait for luggage,
passport control lineup, taxi or public transit ....
Oct 6th, 2015, 06:03 AM
#3
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Thank you danon. I would rather not buy tickets in advance, due to all the reasons that you mentioned...it seems hard to predict what time we'd be able to get to the train. So it would be possible to buy tickets when we arrive at the train station, and not purchase them in advance?
Oct 6th, 2015, 07:07 AM
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I don't know which terminal you will be arriving at but I would buy tickets at the airport rather than Atocha which can be overwhelming.I know there's a RENFE counter in terminal 4.They would be able to tell you which train you would easily be able to catch.From T4 take the airport bus to Atocha.
Oct 6th, 2015, 07:18 AM
#5
You can purchase when you arrive but the price will have gone up from the advance promo price of 60euros to maybe double that. If you are 60 or older, it won't matter because you can still get the Senior fare. You will have to show your passport at the station and purchase a "Tarjeta Dorada" first, to get the senior discount.
Oct 6th, 2015, 07:51 AM
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The senior discount is not available on all trains, and the amount of the discount will depend on the day of the week you're traveling.
I would not wait to buy my tickets. I would purchase them as soon as they become available.
If you are scheduled to arrive at the gate at 09:00, you should be able to make it to Atocha in time to take the noon train to Sevilla (if you take a taxi to the train station). If you want to play it safe, then go for the 13:00 (1:00 pm) train.
The difference in cost of the online Preferente Flexible fare and Preferente Plus fare is currently 42€ on the noon train departing Monday-Saturday, a little less on Sunday. Buying tickets at the station will cost you a lot more. The savings will pay for a decent lunch.
If you were to purchase tickets for 13:00, the Preferente Plus ticket will allow you to relax in the lounge at Atocha for up to two hours before departure.
Remember, how quickly you get off the plane will depend on where you are sitting. Getting through passport control will depend on how many other flights are landing at the same time. There will also be fewer people working passport control in February, so the wait could be a little longer if you are not a EU passport holder.
I would not wait to buy my tickets. I would purchase them as soon as they become available.
If you are scheduled to arrive at the gate at 09:00, you should be able to make it to Atocha in time to take the noon train to Sevilla (if you take a taxi to the train station). If you want to play it safe, then go for the 13:00 (1:00 pm) train.
The difference in cost of the online Preferente Flexible fare and Preferente Plus fare is currently 42€ on the noon train departing Monday-Saturday, a little less on Sunday. Buying tickets at the station will cost you a lot more. The savings will pay for a decent lunch.
If you were to purchase tickets for 13:00, the Preferente Plus ticket will allow you to relax in the lounge at Atocha for up to two hours before departure.
Remember, how quickly you get off the plane will depend on where you are sitting. Getting through passport control will depend on how many other flights are landing at the same time. There will also be fewer people working passport control in February, so the wait could be a little longer if you are not a EU passport holder.
Oct 6th, 2015, 08:35 AM
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You don't say if you're checking bags? My last two times arriving Madrid at Terminal 4, by the time I arrive baggage claim, the suitcases are starting to come out and I'm out of there in 5 minutes. There's always plenty of taxis outside. I agree that 1:00 pm train should work , unless of course your flight was severely delayed.
Oct 6th, 2015, 01:43 PM
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I did this last week and didn't purchase my ticket ahead of time - with an overseas flight and not knowing exactly how long it would take me to get through the airport, I didn't want to chance missing my train or having to wait around for a later train - I just went to the train station and bought a ticket for the next available train. I was traveling for work, so time was more important than money.
I got lucky and the fare was only about 50 euro for Turista class. If all of the Turista class tickets are sold out, Preferente class can be as high as 127 euro. But, if you buy ahead, you can get this route for about 30 euro, sometimes a even less than that.
If you DO end up having to wait around for your train, Atocha station is quite nice. You can go to the cafe in the old section of the station and have a coffee and snack while you wait.
I got lucky and the fare was only about 50 euro for Turista class. If all of the Turista class tickets are sold out, Preferente class can be as high as 127 euro. But, if you buy ahead, you can get this route for about 30 euro, sometimes a even less than that.
If you DO end up having to wait around for your train, Atocha station is quite nice. You can go to the cafe in the old section of the station and have a coffee and snack while you wait.
Oct 6th, 2015, 02:47 PM
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The Cercanías is a commuter train, Line C1. You go from T4 to Atocha in 25 minutes.
You are also entitled to a free train ticket from/to Madrid airport using line C1 departing from Terminal 4 when traveling on the AVE, or other long distance trains, but you will need to purchase your AVE in advance.
You are also entitled to a free train ticket from/to Madrid airport using line C1 departing from Terminal 4 when traveling on the AVE, or other long distance trains, but you will need to purchase your AVE in advance.
Oct 6th, 2015, 05:27 PM
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Thank you everyone for the detailed responses.
I didn't realize there was such a price difference between tickets purchased in advance and those purchased on the day of travel. Given that there are 4 of us (and none are seniors), the difference between advance purchase and "last minute" can really add up.
And thanks for the reminder that we need to make it work with carry-on luggage only. I had forgotten that it's even more important when train travel is involved. My husband is the last that we need to convince...
I didn't realize there was such a price difference between tickets purchased in advance and those purchased on the day of travel. Given that there are 4 of us (and none are seniors), the difference between advance purchase and "last minute" can really add up.
And thanks for the reminder that we need to make it work with carry-on luggage only. I had forgotten that it's even more important when train travel is involved. My husband is the last that we need to convince...
Oct 6th, 2015, 05:57 PM
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cmm6797,
what terminal are you arriving at? Before you make decision about luggage, if its not feasible to travel with carry-on only I wouldn't worry too much as you still need to walk to and go through passport control. If you land at terminal 4, by the time you exit passport control your luggage should be coming out.
what terminal are you arriving at? Before you make decision about luggage, if its not feasible to travel with carry-on only I wouldn't worry too much as you still need to walk to and go through passport control. If you land at terminal 4, by the time you exit passport control your luggage should be coming out.
Oct 7th, 2015, 08:35 AM
#15
"If you miss the train, is the value of the tickets lost?"
If you buy the "Promo" ticket from renfe, yes.
However, hopefully also available is the "Promo Plus" ticket which is somewhat flexible, and still much cheaper than full fare if you purchase well in advance.
If you CANCEL completely, you get 70% of the fare refunded.
If you CHANGE your plans, the value of your ticket is not lost, it is applied to the new (probably higher) fare. There is a 20% "change fee" as well.
If you MISS your train and want to take the next train, (which is the most probable scenario for CMM if the flight is delayed), they will accept your promo+ ticket on the next available train...and as a penalty charge you 20% of the last-minute fare. The information is available on your cellphone, should you need to look it up last-minute, at renfe.mobi
If you buy the "Promo" ticket from renfe, yes.
However, hopefully also available is the "Promo Plus" ticket which is somewhat flexible, and still much cheaper than full fare if you purchase well in advance.
If you CANCEL completely, you get 70% of the fare refunded.
If you CHANGE your plans, the value of your ticket is not lost, it is applied to the new (probably higher) fare. There is a 20% "change fee" as well.
If you MISS your train and want to take the next train, (which is the most probable scenario for CMM if the flight is delayed), they will accept your promo+ ticket on the next available train...and as a penalty charge you 20% of the last-minute fare. The information is available on your cellphone, should you need to look it up last-minute, at renfe.mobi
Oct 7th, 2015, 10:21 AM
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That should read "30 minutes".
www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/tarifas/index.html
Changes
Both the outward and return tickets can be changed independently and – provided that the departure and destination stations remain the same and the journey is made within the period of validity – without extra charge.
If there is a price difference for the new ticket, the customer must pay the corresponding amount.
Cancellations
The outward and return journey may be cancelled individually, at a cost of 40% of the price of the ticket cancelled.
Missed Trains
In case of Ave or Larga Distancia trains that are missed for causes not attributable to Renfe, those customers who have arrived at the departure station at least 30 minutes before the scheduled train departure time will be given the option to travel on the next train with available seats, under the terms and conditions specified by Renfe. This will be at no extra cost to customers, as long they travel in the same – or a lower – class as that of the original ticket.
www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/tarifas/index.html
Changes
Both the outward and return tickets can be changed independently and – provided that the departure and destination stations remain the same and the journey is made within the period of validity – without extra charge.
If there is a price difference for the new ticket, the customer must pay the corresponding amount.
Cancellations
The outward and return journey may be cancelled individually, at a cost of 40% of the price of the ticket cancelled.
Missed Trains
In case of Ave or Larga Distancia trains that are missed for causes not attributable to Renfe, those customers who have arrived at the departure station at least 30 minutes before the scheduled train departure time will be given the option to travel on the next train with available seats, under the terms and conditions specified by Renfe. This will be at no extra cost to customers, as long they travel in the same – or a lower – class as that of the original ticket.
Oct 7th, 2015, 01:51 PM
#19
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If you are from North America, you can purchase your tickets at: www.petrabax.com/renfe/
Oct 7th, 2015, 01:57 PM
#20
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Yes, I think the Renfe site is the way to go, unless you have trouble using it , which some people have. After I registered for the site I never had problems, have used it about 4 different times in the last year with no problem.
