I've booked the hotels for Barcelona and Madrid, now I have questions!
Feb 8th, 2009, 07:17 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 527
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I've booked the hotels for Barcelona and Madrid, now I have questions!
We're going to be in Barcelona for 4 nights April 23-27, and Madrid for 3 nights after.
We found a winter sale on the Starwood website and booked Le Meridien in Barcelona and the Westin Palace in Madrid for very good rates.
We'll be leaving Barcelona for Madrid on Monday, April 27. We're planning to take the Ave train--should I purchase tickets in advance?
What station do we get off in Madrid, and what is the best way from the station to the hotel?
Thanks, Barb
Feb 8th, 2009, 07:33 PM
#2
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 25,877
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi Barb-
<i>We'll be leaving Barcelona for Madrid on Monday, April 27. We're planning to take the Ave train--should I purchase tickets in advance?</i>
Yes, if you want to save money. I believe you can buy tickets 62 days in advance. In advance, you can get WEB fares or ESTRELLA fares, which are offered at a significant discount over regular fares.
http://www.renfe.es/index.html
check out Maribel's guides and there is a link for how to buy tickets online from renfe.
However, recently, some posters have been reporting issues with buying renfe tickets online using US issued CC. Not sure if this problem has been fully resolved yet or not.
<i>What station do we get off in Madrid</i>
All AVE trains from Barcelona terminate at Madrid Puerta de Atocha.
<i>We'll be leaving Barcelona for Madrid on Monday, April 27. We're planning to take the Ave train--should I purchase tickets in advance?</i>
Yes, if you want to save money. I believe you can buy tickets 62 days in advance. In advance, you can get WEB fares or ESTRELLA fares, which are offered at a significant discount over regular fares.
http://www.renfe.es/index.html
check out Maribel's guides and there is a link for how to buy tickets online from renfe.
However, recently, some posters have been reporting issues with buying renfe tickets online using US issued CC. Not sure if this problem has been fully resolved yet or not.
<i>What station do we get off in Madrid</i>
All AVE trains from Barcelona terminate at Madrid Puerta de Atocha.
Feb 8th, 2009, 07:36 PM
#3
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,828
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Barb,
You can purchase your Barcelona-Madrid AVE tickets 60 days in advance and take advantage of the super saver (60% discount) WEB fares, available for tourist class. They sell out fairly quickly, so I try to do this 60 days out. The minimum is 14 days in advance, but WEB fares for your particular train might not still be available. These WEB fares are non refundable due to the significant savings.
The AVE will take you to Atocha station in Madrid, and from there it's a very quick taxi hop to the Westin Palace, just up the Paseo del Prado.
You can purchase your Barcelona-Madrid AVE tickets 60 days in advance and take advantage of the super saver (60% discount) WEB fares, available for tourist class. They sell out fairly quickly, so I try to do this 60 days out. The minimum is 14 days in advance, but WEB fares for your particular train might not still be available. These WEB fares are non refundable due to the significant savings.
The AVE will take you to Atocha station in Madrid, and from there it's a very quick taxi hop to the Westin Palace, just up the Paseo del Prado.
Feb 8th, 2009, 07:39 PM
#4
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,828
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi yk,
Our posts crossed! In theory it is 62 days in advance-in practice, it's sometimes less!
Should have mentioned that the other discount, the Estrella fares, represent a 40% savings off the regular fare and are available for both tourist and "preferente" (business) class.
Our posts crossed! In theory it is 62 days in advance-in practice, it's sometimes less!
Should have mentioned that the other discount, the Estrella fares, represent a 40% savings off the regular fare and are available for both tourist and "preferente" (business) class.
Feb 8th, 2009, 08:05 PM
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 527
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for the quick responses. I don't see the discount fares offered--the tourist fare is 109 euro. I played with dates a little, but that was the same price. Also, do I want to purchase a round-trip and discard the return to get the best price?
Barb
Barb
Feb 9th, 2009, 02:38 AM
#7
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 4,037
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sorry to horn in on your thread, but I'm hoping to catch Maribel. Maribel, if you're following this, I posted my trip report for Barcelona about a week or so ago. Has reviews of the places we ate--Con Fabes, Gresca, Tapac2, etc. Hope you get a chance to read it. Julie
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35180881
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35180881
Feb 9th, 2009, 05:31 AM
#8
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 25,877
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Barb-
Did you use the link I provided, or follow the instructions from Maribel's guides?
http://www.renfe.es/index.html
http://maribelsguides.com/renfetickets.htm
I picked a random date, March 27, 2009. There are still several morning trains with Estrella fares and web fares available.
There are 2 types of trains running the route, with the "directo" train slightly faster (2hr 45mins vs 3hrs).
The regular tourist fare for the directo train is €129,30, but the availalbe estrella fare I see offered is €77,60; and the web fare I see is € 51,70. The €109 tourist fare you saw is the regular fare for the slightly slower train.
Did you use the link I provided, or follow the instructions from Maribel's guides?
http://www.renfe.es/index.html
http://maribelsguides.com/renfetickets.htm
I picked a random date, March 27, 2009. There are still several morning trains with Estrella fares and web fares available.
There are 2 types of trains running the route, with the "directo" train slightly faster (2hr 45mins vs 3hrs).
The regular tourist fare for the directo train is €129,30, but the availalbe estrella fare I see offered is €77,60; and the web fare I see is € 51,70. The €109 tourist fare you saw is the regular fare for the slightly slower train.
Feb 9th, 2009, 08:15 AM
#9
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,828
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Barb,
When you do an initial search for schedules (on the "buscador de horarios"
, the discount fares don't pop up-you see only the regular fares. You must use the purchase function ("compra de billetes" and select a date to see the discount fares here-
https://w1.renfe.es/vol/indexHome.do
I just searched for March 27, since it's too early to book for April 27.
Thanks Julie,
I missed your report while traveling, so thanks so much for the link! I'll be savoring it with my coffee and looking forward to "talking" with you about your trip!
When you do an initial search for schedules (on the "buscador de horarios"
, the discount fares don't pop up-you see only the regular fares. You must use the purchase function ("compra de billetes" and select a date to see the discount fares here-https://w1.renfe.es/vol/indexHome.do
I just searched for March 27, since it's too early to book for April 27.
Thanks Julie,
I missed your report while traveling, so thanks so much for the link! I'll be savoring it with my coffee and looking forward to "talking" with you about your trip!
