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Train vs plane in Spain, help before I go insane. :-)

Train vs plane in Spain, help before I go insane. :-)

Old Feb 24th, 2012, 05:07 PM
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P_M
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Train vs plane in Spain, help before I go insane. :-)

Hello all, we are debating between flying vs the AVE from Barcelona to Madrid. Flying is about $36 cheaper but I'm still leaning toward the train since it leaves from downtown Barcelona and stops in downtown Madrid. So for those of you who have taken the train please answer a few questions:

1. If the train leaves at 7:25 am, what time should we arrive at the station for departure? I'm thinking at least 30 minutes early but if we need to be there sooner please advise.

2. I plan to buy our tickets on Rail Europe on line and print out the tickets, so when we get to the station will we have to wait in any lines, or do we just go straight to the platform?

3. (Sorry, this one might be really stupid but I have to ask) Will we have to go through any type of security like we do at the airport? I've used trains in Europe before and there was no security but I remember the bombing at the Madrid airport a few years ago and I wonder if that changed anything.

4. If there is a reason flying is better please tell me why.

Other advice is welcome.

Thanks.
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Old Feb 24th, 2012, 06:29 PM
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Does the $36 "savings" include taxi fare to and from the two airports?
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Old Feb 24th, 2012, 06:53 PM
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1. Thirty minutes is more than adequate. You will be restricted from entering the platform until just before the train arrives. You go through a light security - nothing like current airlines.

2. I would NOT tickets from Europe since they are a travel agency and do not sell cheap tickets. Go to the Spanish rail site. Deep discount tickets are available if you are willing to commit to a schedule and you are early enough.

3. See 1.

4. In my opinion the only reason to fly is if the train travel is over 5 or 6 hours. Trains are so hassle free and comfortable.
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Old Feb 24th, 2012, 06:58 PM
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We booked through renfr.com and took the train from Barcelona to Madrid, in 2010. The journey lasted 2 hours 30 minutes. There were no lines or check-in challenges. We watched a movie and were served breakfast. While the scenery wasn't particularly interesting, it was a much more relaxing experience than flying. And way more convenient, city to city.
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Old Feb 24th, 2012, 07:02 PM
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The Spanish rail site is RENFE. I generally buy my tickets from that site.

I also prefer taking the train to flying, since as bardo mentions, the fare to and from the airports is expensive, unless you take the metro. It's also much simpler.
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Old Feb 24th, 2012, 07:29 PM
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I thought you were a hiker?
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Old Feb 24th, 2012, 11:02 PM
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Buy in advance at renfe.com and save more than 50%. No need to be at the station more than 5-10 min before departure.
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Old Feb 25th, 2012, 05:15 AM
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God morning all, and this kind of advice is exactly what I needed. I will check renfe today, I did not realize Rail Europe wasn't the best source for train tix.

Bardo, the $36 does not include taxi fare so the overall cost is probably the same when you factor that in.

cold, yes I'm a hiker but when I suggested hiking from Barcelona to Madrid my friend threatened to cancel the trip.

Many thanks to all of you, I'm off to check renfe now.
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Old Feb 25th, 2012, 06:17 AM
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You can buy at www.renfe.com, OR at www.raileurope-world.com with a 4 euro fee.

BOTH sites now offer the SAME prices as Rail Europe has a link to Renfe's ticketing system. This INCLUDES the cheap 'web' and 'Estrella' fares from around 48 euros.

True, you'll save the 4 euros fee by booking direct with Renfe, although the odd translation quirk and payment glitch on Renfe.com can sometimes make the Rail Europe option worth the extra 4 euros for its simplicity.

The onky other thing is that Rail Europe's site has been built on the (mistaken) notion that European trains only ever have two classes, first and second, so it can only book Turista and Preferente classes, it cannot book AVE's 'Club' premium first class.
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Old Feb 25th, 2012, 07:15 AM
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As impden said, 30 minutes is very much adequate.

Sants station is easy to navigate, simply follow signs for "AVE Sortides/ Sortidas/ Departures" and you will get into the special boarding area of the station for the highspeed trains.

You will need to show your ticket to enter that area, and your luggage will go through an explosives detector. But that procedure is literally a "walk thru" activity that will hardly slow down your pace. By far nothing similar to airport x-ray security with lines waiting etc. You can take any amount of liquids (beverages etc) on board.

Not until 10 minutes or so before departure, you will be allowed from that boarding area down to the platform to the train after you showed your ticket another time.

One level down on the platform, staff will show you the way to the right car.

Eventually, you will have shown your ticket(s) 2 or 3 times, so you should keep them in easy reach (for you, not the pickpockets) until you got to your seat.

Even the cheapest class "Turista" offers good seats and enough space for the short hop to Madrid.
According to the class system of AVE, the cars are not designated by "1" or "2" for 1st or 2nd class, but by the letters T, P or C.

While I cannot say that I have used any highspeed rail system on this planet, Spain's AVE system is the best I have experienced so far.
AVE 2nd /T class is more spacious that TGV's 2nd class, you get free headphones and can watch a movie in T, you don't have that airport-style security checkpoint like for Eurostar, and the trains are much more on time that Germany's ICEs.
You can expect that the doors close at 10 seconds before 7.25am, and that the train will start to move at 7.25.00 sharp.

So, unless the price gap between train and plane was outrageously huge, I'd gladly pay €30-50 more for the AVE any time.
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Old Feb 25th, 2012, 07:51 AM
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The AVE train is great. Flying is always stressfull.
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Old Feb 25th, 2012, 08:40 AM
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Man in seat 61, thanks for posting that info. I'm getting ready to buy tickets on Renfe and if it gets too frustrating I'll switch to Rail Europe. 4 euros doesnt seem too high for the convenience. If I'm booking more than one seat in one reservation, is the 4 euros charge per person?
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Old Feb 25th, 2012, 08:55 AM
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Forgot to say that the one time I would recommend flying is if you're already at the airport, even if flying is slightly more expensive.

I answered my own question, the 4 euros is per person, regardless if all passengers are on the same reservation.
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Old Feb 25th, 2012, 05:15 PM
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Thanks again for all of the detailed info. We will be in Barcelona for a few days then we are going to Madrid. I have decided the train will be an easier and less stressful option since it will take us from downtown Barcelona to downtown Madrid.

I checked renfe.com and it's a little cheaper but the site is not as user friendly. However I managed to navigate it and we will buy tickets on renfe. Now it's just a question of which departure time works best.

You all are the best, thanks.
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Old Apr 11th, 2012, 04:11 AM
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******UPDATE*******

I'm back from my trip. The train was a pleasure, so much less stressful than flying. Aside from not having security hassles, I found the seats were bigger (even in tourist class) with more legroom and the bathrooms were much bigger and cleaner than the ones on an airplane. And of course the train stations in both Barcelona and Madrid were much closer to our hotel than the airport.

Thanks for your recommendations, I enjoyed the train and I would do it again.
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Old Apr 11th, 2012, 04:38 AM
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PM,

Were you able to buy your train tickets with Renfe online?
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Old Apr 11th, 2012, 10:10 AM
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In spite of my best efforts renfe.com just didn't work for me. I tried again and again and I could not get it to work. I thought it might be a glitch on my home computer so I tried it on my work computer and that didn't go either. I emailed renfe and they gave me some detailed instructions on what I might be doing wrong. It got really frustrating and I finally decided it's not worth so much time and effort just to save a few €'s so I bought from Rail Europe.
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Old Apr 11th, 2012, 10:14 AM
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P_M - Did they tell you to use a certain browser?
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Old Apr 11th, 2012, 10:19 AM
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ky, I don't remember all they said, it was so much info and I was already pretty frustrated for all of the time I had spent.

I didn't think of it at the time but I wonder if Firefox would have worked better than explorer. In any case it was only €5 more for Rail Europe, which IMO was worth it for making this process easy.
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Old Apr 11th, 2012, 10:55 AM
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P_M,
So you have never used long distance trains before?
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