Overnight train from Barcelona to Seville
 

Hello! You guys are a great resource for information, and I'm hoping someone has some advice about taking an overnight train from Barcelona to Seville.

I found a train that leaves Barcelona around 10pm and gets into Seville the next morning around 8am. I called Rail Europe and they quoted me $118.50 US dollars per person for a double private compartment (2 bunk beds, a sink, a closet,and a lockable door). Should I book this reservation through Rail Europe, or is there a cheaper way to go? I'm not sure if they add a big service fee to their bookings. Is it too risky to purchase a same-day ticket at the station? (I will be taking the train on Aug. 24th).

Thank you!
Heather

You may very well do better by booking dierctly with Renfe.

Go to www.renfe.es and click on the "Tiknet" symbol (upper right) BEFORE clicking on the "English" version..after getting into Tiknet, THEN click on the "English" version.

You'll have to register and you can only order one set of tickets because you have to pick up that first set of tickets and show the CC you used to pay for them before you can order through Tiknet again.

If nothing else, check the prices vs. those through RailEurope.

As a follow-on..if you are going to be in Spain for several days prior to the anticipated trip you might be able to wait and order the tickets after you first arrive.

RailEurope fares i have are $102 p person for a 1st class double but you may want to opt for the Gran Clase Double ($140 p p) that comes with a shower, toilet, breakfast and dinner included. the cheapest fares on Spanish night trains thru REurope are $69 including rail fare and a berth in a 6-person couchette. RailEurope charges a $15 booking fee and i think a $15 mailing fee - some of their agents don't charge the mailing fee, such as BETS (800-441-9413) but like Intrepid says check the renfe site first and see which is cheapest. With the dollar increasing fares in euros are getting better vis-a-vis RailEurope's dollar prices. RailEurope's $15 fees may make the difference - of course it may be easier to go thru REurope and have your printed reservation ticket in hand in a few days rather than retrieving them in some machine or ticket office in Spain. RailEurope can book up to 60 days in advance. If it were me i'd pay the $38 extra for the shower, toilet, breakfast and dinner, none of which comes with the $102 "Double" - seems a bargain.

I agree totally with PalQ on several of these "issues." Sometimes it is worth the extra money to pay the RailEurope S+H fees in addition to their prices.

A lot of people here love to bash RE and talk on and on about the so-called 50% mark-up....the mark-up, if there is any, can vary a great deal and again, all depends on how much you wish to pay for convenience of home delivery.

As to the accommodations themselves. If this is the usual "TrenHotel" service that we also see between Spain and France/Italy then I would also recommend you consider a "Gran Classe" compartment with shower. I've taken these several times and whereas they are the usual compact railroad arrangement they can be more than "worth it" in several respects.

unless you are a train buff, and want the experience.. you can see if at www.vueling.com you can get a one way flight for about 50 euros depending on which days.


www.iberia.com also matches the competitive vueling prices on one flight a day or two. but round trip only.

I've taken that all-preferente Talgo that departs Barcelona around 22:30 and arrives Sevilla 08:20: a comfortable ride. I bought our tickets at the Renfe Office in Santander (Cantabria) on a Thursday for the Sunday night train.

If I were going to be in Barcelona a few days before the Barcelona-Sevilla trip, I would wait and buy my tix in Barcelona. That would be much less expensive than RailEurope. And: yes, it may be risky to try to purchase same-day tix at the station.
BTW
W/C's at both ends of the Carriage.

There's a Convenience store/Deli in Sants station where you can pick up some snacks or drinks to tide you over. We were in the last Carriage, 7-away from the Cafe Car (a hike), so I was happy with sandwiches & beer.

Intrepid1, PalQ, lincasanova, and NEDSIRELAND,

Thank you all for your quick and thorough replies. I will do my research based on your suggestions.

I really appreciate it!
-heather

<I would wait and buy my tix in Barcelona. That would be much less expensive than RailEurope>

Why do people constantly say this without really knowing the facts? This is just very bad inaccurate advice.

www.renfe site says for Barcelona-Seville night trains pricing:
First Double = 94.5 euro = $118 (vs RailEurope's $102!)
deluxe double = 131.50 euro=$164 (vs RailEurope's $140!)
single = 136 euro=$170 (vs RE's $152!)
tourist = 75 euro= $94 vs RE's $79
using 1.25 euro
It seems you can save a lot by going thru RailEurope and have the comfort of having your reservation and not having to wait in line or retrieve some ticket in Barcelona.

those prices were probably calculated on a previous stronger euro. they will soon be readjusted, i am sure!

Maybe but that's the case now and when folks automatically say it's cheaper to buy in Europe without even checking it out bugs me - if you say something at least check it out first or you can do a disservice when you're really trying to help.

PalQ writes: << ... when folks automatically say it's cheaper to buy in Europe without even checking it out bugs me - if you say something at least check it out first or you can do a disservice when you're really trying to help.>>

Have you given any thought to the possibility that you might be wrong??

You undoubtedly saw the same schedule of Renfe fares as I. Here's what I got from the Spanish language one:
All-Preferente Hotel Tren #947 Departs Barcelona 22:00 - Basic Fare (Preferente) 70.00 Eur; Compartment (double) 94.50 Eur w/each person paying half: 47.25
_________
Total (per person): 117.25 Eur
==========

There is a charge for the trip (70 Eur p/p) and a charge for the sleeping accomodation (94.50 Euro or 47.25 Eur p/p). Those total 117.25 Eur (about $145.00 USD) p/p

You may buy your tix thru RailEurope or any other Ticket 'Broker;' then when you come back, tell me I was wrong!

What you're saying is that the cost of the sleeping compartment includes the cost of the journey. I don't think so.

Heather: do your research carefully and try to include what your time and convenience for you might also be worth.

Neds: Yes RailEurope prices include the rail fare - would charge $140 pp for Gran Clase Double, including rail fare and sleeping - still $5 cheaper than RENFE pricing as you figure - so to say 'much less expensive than RE' is still wrong - maybe i'm miscalculating but at least i've done the research and presented figures for you to dispute rather than just making some generality that seems way out of line. Even with my mistake of not halfing the sleeper price RE still seems cheaper - whether this remains true will depend on how the dollar does. I'm always ready to be corrected and maybe i'm still missing something.

The prices quoted by RENFE are inclusive prices per person. That is obvious when you see that a "preferente" sleeping berth is 136 euros for a single or 94.50 euros for a double. This is the total price you pay: you do not add on the ordinary fare or divide the price for a double. If you are travelling alone and pay for berth in a double, you will be sharing with a stranger of the same sex.

If Nedsireland is correct it means that a Gran Clase double thru Raileurope, at $140 is cheaper than a regular (non-Gran Clase) double (from his example, using an ordinary double) thru RENFE at $145) - illustrating the currently great savings possible thru RailEurope if Nedsireland's calculations are right. Pay $5 and get the deluxe double not the ordinary one.

Nedsireland's calculations are not correct. The fares quoted by RENFE are always inclusive fares per person. You do not add the cost of a sleeping compartment to the cost of a seat, and the fares for beds are the total fares per person.

bookmarking

Why not fly this route since getting to/from the airports in BCN and Seville is quite easy and cheap.

I took a 1-way flight from BCN to Seville last yr on Iberia. Try Vueling, Iberia and Spainair to see if you can book low fares.

I took a beating on this subject years ago; but I may be the only one in those discussions to say: 'Been there; done that!" I just checked on Renfe's web site: Train # 00947 HotelTren departs Barcelona Sants daily at 22:30 and arrives Sevila Santa Justa at 08:40 the following morning.

It is an all-Preferente Talgo (sleeper, i.e., if you don't book sleeping accomodations you take another train).
Although Renfe list prices for Turista and Gran-Clase (First Class) it's all Preferente (Business Class).

HMD99 writes: "I called Rail Europe and they quoted me $118.50 US dollars per person for a double private compartment (2 bunk beds, a sink, a closet,and a lockable door)." That describes the accomodation we had. It will be more expensive now because the U.S. Dollar is weak vs. the Euro.

RailEurope always adds additional fees (like $12.50 for delivery) but if you buy your ticket at a Renfe Office you pay no such charges. I don't know if or when RailEurope adjusts its prices for Currency fluctuations - European railroads usually just change fares no more than once a year. As of today, a double occupancy sleeping compartment costs 98.40 Euro pp.