Anyone familair with the RENFE website?
Apr 3rd, 2013, 01:43 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 6,144
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Anyone familair with the RENFE website?
Anyone used RENFE to book rail tickets for travel in Spain recently?
I'm repeatedly getting a message that the overnight train for the return leg of my journey (Sat 15th June) is 'unavailable' 'please check back later'.
Does this mean seats haven't been released yet, or they've all sold out already?
It's baffling because the days either side and the previous and following Saturdays have availability.
It's been like this for about 4-5 days now and I can't work out what's going on.
And all the time my flight option increases in price too.....
I'm repeatedly getting a message that the overnight train for the return leg of my journey (Sat 15th June) is 'unavailable' 'please check back later'.
Does this mean seats haven't been released yet, or they've all sold out already?
It's baffling because the days either side and the previous and following Saturdays have availability.
It's been like this for about 4-5 days now and I can't work out what's going on.
And all the time my flight option increases in price too.....
Apr 3rd, 2013, 02:04 PM
#4
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 4,238
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I got as far as start purchase for June 15.
https://venta.renfe.com/vol/listaTrenesElipsos.do
That's about as far as I want to go without buying a ticket.
https://venta.renfe.com/vol/listaTrenesElipsos.do
That's about as far as I want to go without buying a ticket.
Apr 3rd, 2013, 02:11 PM
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 6,144
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yes - that's not a great deal of help, tbh. I know how to use the website. I just wondered if anyone else who had previously booked tickets on RENFE had encountered such a message and knew whether it meant the seats have all gone already or whether there's some sort of delay in getting it opened for sales...
Apr 4th, 2013, 03:48 AM
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 6,144
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I can't see the words 'sold out' anywhere. Just 'not available'. And I had an alert set up for when this particular journey was released for sale, which never showed up in my mailbox, so I'm really struggling to believe it really is 'sold out'.
Sent a brief email to RENFE asking what was going on and they replied that trains sometimes show as 'not available' when timings and prices are being confirmed and that it doesn't mean there definitely will or won't be a train on that day. Which seems odd for a Saturday, but anyway....
It's a huge pain, because all the time the prices for the other legs of the journey, or the alternative by air, increase as the cheap seats sell out.
I know there's also going to be new high speed day time service launched in April, so wonder whether it's worth the gamble of booking cheap overnight outward train while it's still available, then booking the daytime TVG when it comes up. Or whether to just bite the bullet and sign myself up for Ryanair and their paltry 10kg baggage allowance...
Sent a brief email to RENFE asking what was going on and they replied that trains sometimes show as 'not available' when timings and prices are being confirmed and that it doesn't mean there definitely will or won't be a train on that day. Which seems odd for a Saturday, but anyway....
It's a huge pain, because all the time the prices for the other legs of the journey, or the alternative by air, increase as the cheap seats sell out.
I know there's also going to be new high speed day time service launched in April, so wonder whether it's worth the gamble of booking cheap overnight outward train while it's still available, then booking the daytime TVG when it comes up. Or whether to just bite the bullet and sign myself up for Ryanair and their paltry 10kg baggage allowance...
Apr 4th, 2013, 07:40 AM
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 6,144
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Think I've solved it......
Looks like there might be engineering work for about 5-6 days in June, with trains running every other day, rather than daily.
So I need to either book a flight instead or extend my stay by a day and get the Sunday train home.
Well done me
Looks like there might be engineering work for about 5-6 days in June, with trains running every other day, rather than daily.
So I need to either book a flight instead or extend my stay by a day and get the Sunday train home.
Well done me
Apr 4th, 2013, 10:43 AM
#11
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,567
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Why are you buying RENFE tickets so early and on line??? SOOOOO many things could happen btwn now and then.....including the train line not ready to publish timetables(not available) and associated fares. Only reason to buy so far ahead is to secure some great deals.
Due to low public demand for their AVE routes, RENFE is revising the fares and setting some dramatic reductions. That may be part of the delay in posting and making those available so far ahead of time.
Due to low public demand for their AVE routes, RENFE is revising the fares and setting some dramatic reductions. That may be part of the delay in posting and making those available so far ahead of time.
Apr 4th, 2013, 11:45 AM
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 6,144
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It's not massively early - it's only about 9-10 weeks. Also, Eurostar has been available for a while, so I don't want to leave it in the hope of snagging a cheap deal on the Spanish bit only to pay more than necessary on the UK-France bit.
Apr 4th, 2013, 02:26 PM
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 6,144
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Right - seats for that Saturday train became available this evening. So 'not available' does not mean sold out - just not finalised yet.
I am all booked.
Thank you for your sensible comments Robert and Lincasanova.
The rest of you were useless and won't be getting a postcard.
I am all booked.
Thank you for your sensible comments Robert and Lincasanova.
The rest of you were useless and won't be getting a postcard.
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
sfmasterG
Europe
16
Feb 15th, 2016 04:08 AM
