Can't reserve TRD (Granada-Seville) train from outside Europe? HELP!
 

Hi

I can't seem to book a Granada-Seville train on the renfe.es website, and when I called RailEurope, they said that the TRD trains can't be booked till you get to Spain.

Is this true? Is it possible to have a travel agency in Spain take care of this now? Anyone know what the likelihood is that the train may sell out?

We've got a fairly specific itinerary - need the train out of Granada at 9:05pm... so can't afford to miss it.

Any and all help/suggestions are appreciated. There are 9 of us travelling, which is why I'm concerned.

TRD trains are do not book or reserve seats, you buy your ticket and get on.
You can do this in advance in train stations, but what you get is an open ticket to use in that trip.
The worst thing that can happen is that you don't find a seat and have to stand or seat on your luggage and this will only happen if you are traveling during eastern or in August 31, So just allow 20 minutes before departure and buy your ticket in a counter or a machine.

Saregama,

You could try CIT Tours or DER Travel which are recommended on the Spain Website. There appears to only be two times per day the train runs between Granada and Seville, 8:00 am and
10:00 PM. If you can't get a reservation, there shouldn't be a problem getting on the train when you arrive as long as there is nothing special going on in Spain the time.
As far as I can you shouldn't have a problem. Have a good trip.

Greg

Hi, I will be travelling from Granada to Sevilla in late September, and after a little research, it seems that the bus is a much better option.

For example go to http://www.continental-auto.es/continental/ and click horario y ventas de billetes. From there you select Andalucia then your point of origin and your destination. It seems that this bus company offers trips about every two hours and it costs about 15 euros. Travel time is approx. 2:45. I hear that bus service is very comfortable and reliable in Spain.

Good luck!

You can buy the tickets as soon as you get to Spain, for instance at the Renfe office at Madrid airport ( right at the arrivals gate) or in Sevilla at the train station or the office in Zaragoza street -near the city hall- or any travel agency.

You should be totally fine a couple of days ahead or even the same day, if you are set on the train as opposed to the bus.

Thanks a bunch Olga - the Renfe at the airport is a great idea, we will do that.

CAR - that's very reassuring - i don't care about the standing, i just want to get on!

A word of caution to tskobo on the bus posting - I believe those are indicative times, not necessarily actual times. So I wouldn't plan critical travel around that schedule without confirming when you get there...

FYI:when I went on the bus site listed and chose Sevilla- Granada (the reverse trip), it came up with price of 15.98 euro, and a travel time of 3.5 hours.

But is this the site for the bus company itself? I thought it was the site for an auto rental company? Are there other bus companies/websites I should be looking at? Any advantage to bus vs. train, or vice versa? I had planned on train just by force of habit, I guess, But I know I'd have to switth trains which I'd rather avoid

ok, so I'm not so bright (or just impatient, and insecure about my Spanish!) I guess this that was the bus company site and there is a "GRANADA-SEVILLA BUS DIRECTO" bus (so I asuume it runs in both direction) which would be shorter travel time (2:45) for the same 15.98 euro. Still wondering about train vs. bus, but bus is looking better and better...

car writes: "TRD trains are do not book or reserve seats, you buy your ticket and get on."
I don't think that's correct. If one is listed, I always take a TRD rather than a regular Regional train and I pay the additional amount for a seat reservation. Once, I asked the Hotel to buy my tickets/reservations - the Concierge had them waiting for me when we checked in. They had been charged to the credit card with which I had guaranteed my hotel reservation.

Train vs. Bus: For short trips, I opt for travel by bus because they often have more frequent and direct service and they are much cheaper than train travel. If you're 60 or over, ask for a senior discount. Renfe just offers a senior discount for Spain residents who purchase a 'gold card,' but some Bus Companies (SociBus/Secorbus and Viajes Julia (DBA Eurolines)) offer it to all persons 60-years plus. But they'll only give it to you if you ask for it and show some proof of age when you buy your tix.

Thanks for everyone's help. I will try to book at the Renfe desk at Barajas.