Reading54

I am planning on taking trains from Barcelona to Carcassonne on a weekday, leaving at 09:05 from Barcelona-Sants. There will be a train change at FIGUERES VILAFANT and a train change at NARBONNE.

The question is, where may I purchase such train tickets starting in Spain and ending in France? On RENFE site or on SNCF site?
Thanks in advance.

historytraveler

Try www.captainetrain.com/en. I was very pleased with how easy it was to purchase tickets and with their quick response to my emails.

Reading54

Unfortunately, www.capitainetrain.com cannot sell me a ticket starting from Barcelona, and http://www.petrabax.com/renfe cannot sell me a ticket into France.

Man_in_seat_61

You need to book Barcelona to Figueres at www.renfe.com (or if any problems, www.raileurope-world.com or www.petrabax.com/renfe) as it's a Spanish train and you need to use a website connected to Spanish system to get a print-at-home ticket.

You then need to book the Figueres to Carcassone trains at www.capitainetrain.com as these are French trains, and if you book them on the FRENCH system you'll get a print-at-home e-ticket for those too.

HOWEVER, booking for dates after the timetable change on 15 December 2013 isn't yet open. If we're lucky enough to see the new direct Barcelona-France TGV service finally start on 15 Dec (it may or may be put back AGAIN, this time to early 2014) you'll find at least one or two DIRECT TGVs from Barcelona to Carcassone, which it should then be possible to book as one e-ticketable transaction on either the Spanish OR French websites.

Reading54

Thanks a lot, Man(_in_seat_61).
Two more questions:
1) Where you refer to "Figueres" in your response, do you mean the Figueras—Vilafant station?
2) I put in a test date of Nov. 28 at 10am and tried on www.capitainetrain.com, it only showed me the train schedule, but said these tickets were unsellable. Thus they could not sell these tickets. Why?

Reading54

Sorry, I need to be more clear on my question #2 above.

2) I put in a test date of Nov. 28 at 10am and tried on www.capitainetrain.com (attempting to purchase tickets from Figueras—Vilafant to Carcassonne), it only showed me the train schedule, but said these tickets were unsellable. Thus they could not sell these tickets. Why?

Christina

first, yes, the transfer station would be Figueras-Vilafant. Don't worry about the timing, the two trains (arriving and departing) will probably be directly across from each other on the same platform, they were when I did that a few months ago (I was going to Perpignan, but I think it maybe the same train that goes on to Narbonne).

YOu can buy this ticket both on SNCF and on RENFE, I just looked and had no problem on either one with getting a ticket or the pricing. THe only issue was SNCF said it couldn't guarantee you a seat on the first leg, which is an AVE--I'm not sure about RENFE giving you seats on the last train, which is the only one that is totally French, it seems to me (the one from Narbonne to Carcassonne). The one from Figueras to Narbonne is a combo RENFE/SNCF.

I did see what you saw on capitainetrain and have no idea, but there isn't any reason you have to use that website, I use RENFE and SNCF and buy tickets from them. I bought the one from Barcelona to Perpignan on RENFE, even though I think SNCF sold it also. I used RENFE as it originated in Spain, just seemed like the best idea and I think it was a bit cheaper on RENFE than SNCF, also.

Both RENFE and SNCF have that train available on that date, Barcelona to Figueras 9:05-9:58, then Figueras to Narbonne 10:20 to 11:24 and then Narbonne to Carcassonne at 12 to 12:26. I think price was around 40 euro total.

Capitainetrain has a bit of a clunky interface IMO as you have to be very careful to select the right time in the right-hand box. But in your case, you can't start at 10 am, so you'll have to put in 8 am, as the first train is at 9:05. But even if you do that, it claims it can't sell it, as I recall. But putting in 10 am you aren't going to get there.

Man_in_seat_61

1) The reason Capitainetrain doesn't do Figueres to Carcassone, is that it comes up on voayges-sncf as 'Tickets by post' and they only do e-ticketable trains.

2) The solution is simply to split the booking, Figueres Vilafant to Narbonne and Narbonne to Carcassone, those work fine with e-tickets.

For a similar reason, I wouldn't use French system to book a Spanish train as it will be 'Ticket by post', if you use Renfe.com to book a Spanish train it becomes an e-ticket.

Similarly, I wouldn't use Renfe.com to book a French train.

Reading54

Thanks a lot! Now everything is clear.

PalenQ

Hopefully by the time you go the Barcelona to France train will be ruuning negating the nagging change of trains at Figueras-V! Vuyt don't bet the bank on that - scheduled service commencement has been delayed many times on this route - as it was on Barcelona to Madrid thru AVE trains - seems endemic with Renfe (Spanish Railways).

PalenQ

To check status on when the new route will open for real check www.seat61.com for "News" - he covers this continually.

ValerieSoetens

If you use the RENFE website, please note for some strange reason it will not process your confirmation if the required phone-number is not SPanish. Even if you clearly state you are not Spanish, at our Bed and Breakfast in Valencia we have noted that guests trying to book a train ticket at Renfe get bounced with non-SPanish phone numbers.. The site is a bit difficult to navigate but it´s worth it as you will get better deals on line, also lines can get long and trains get full so good luck! Kind regards, Dany @ http://www.valenciamindfulnessretreat.org .