WWanderer

We'll be in Barcelona for a week next month.

We're going to go up to Girona for two nights, by train. I'm thinking of just buying tickets either when we arrive in Barcelona or right at the station when we want to go.

Also, we'll be training up to Figueres from Girona on a day trip. Thinking of doing the same thing.

Perhaps just buying one-way tickets for flexibility as well.

Any compelling reason to buy in advance before we travel? Would we really save huge amounts of money? Same with one-way versus return. We travelled this way in the spring between Lisbon and Porto, and it was just fine. In one case, we just went to the station and bought tickets. Coming back we booked online the day before.

kappa1

A few years ago, I made a day trip by train to Girona from Barcelona Passeig Gracia. I bought a return ticket at P.Gracia Station the day before, the kind that can let you take any train on the day ( that was good because I did not know how long I would want to stay in Girona ). I don't remember if I had a seat reservation for BCN to Girona. Maybe I did. I don't remember any problem with seat. The return was the problem. Got on the train already full with many pople standing so I think I did the return without seat, at least. most of the time. It was about 1 hour, no ideal way to travel but it was not terrible. Maybe the types of the trains were different. The way to go, maybe I had a reservation on a faster train and the return was a bit slower one that had no reserved seats.

CarolJean

We just got back from Spain and Portugal and bought our train and bus tickets as we went along. No problem.

WWanderer

Thanks for your replies. Nice to be flexible, glad it sounds plausible. I'd want a seat, though!

PalenQ

Those can be done on regional trains that do not require or even perhaps offer seat reservations - avoid the long-distance trains that serve each city as they require seat reservations and can cost a lot more - the trains continuing on to France (if yet running actually from Barcelona yet as they are due to this December - currently only running from Figueras' out of town station to France.

So yes those tickets just buy before getting on the train. I have done each one that way.

Cowboy1968

When you check connections at renfe.com you will see many of those medium distance (MD) or regional trains which go frequently from BCN to Girona (more or less at least one per hour)
You won't save a euro when you buy tickets for those in advance anyway. And you can't make seat reservations. It's like taking a suburban train.
MD trains are a bit faster, and cost some €2.50 more than REGIONAL trains which are just €7.85 to Girona.
Just get your ticket from the staffed windows or from the vending machines at the stations.
If you start at BCN Sants station, you will have different ticket windows for long distance trains and "media distancia". You need to go to the latter.

WWanderer

Thanks for the tips.

WWanderer

BTW, we did use Renfe from Barcelona to Girona and back, and then from Girona to Figueres and back. It was easy as pie and inexpensive. We bought individual tickets, not returns since we weren't sure when we wanted to travel. So thanks for the advice--we had a great trip.

PalenQ

Now that the new high-speed line is fully opened Barcelona to Figueras you would have two types of trains to chose from - one a lot more expensive if quicker to chose from. At you time there was I believe just the regional trains basically though some faster trains were connecting to TGVs at Figuera-Valant station - outside of town.

How did you like Figueras - go there for the Dali thing? Thanks.

WWanderer

There were three different types of trains I believe. Two kinds of regional ones, seemed like commuter trains to me, plus the AVE, which was twice as expensive or so. Yes, we did the Dali thing--spent most of our time in Girona, but liked Figueres, nice just walking around town.

PalenQ

Get off the train, go up the electric escalators and leave the enclosure to approach the Media Distancia/AVE rail ticket desk to buy a single or return fare (no discount applies anyhow).>

Are you suggesting to wait until Barcelona to buy AVE train tickets - do you not often get a nifty discount by booking online thru www.renfe.com? Why not book ahead if sure of your time and date (kind of tricky if arriving by plane and taking a train right bout but most will be in Barcelona at least a day before their train.

What do you know about advance booking on www.renfe.com? Many folks say it is nearly impossible others a snap?////????

Robert2533

My Barclay's Rewards card works just fine when using renfe.com, as does my BofA Debit Visa card, but BofA's Visa credit card doesn't work because BofA says that they do not have an agreement for the Visa CC verification program in Spain. Strange, but that's what they said when I asked them last year.

Christina

I bought a ticket on RENFE website last year without any problem regarding my credit card. I just used my Cap One Mastercard, that's all. Of course, I had told them I would be making foreign charges so they didn't block it (Cap One).

I did write a post about that thinking I didn't get all the e-tickets I needed, but as it turned out I was mistaken and just wasn't reading one document properly, and it was the eticket I needed.

But buying it online was easy.