After about a dozen attempts, I am unsuccessful booking AVE train from Barcelona to Madrid.

I tried with a MC, and I did call the company (2x). I do not have a Visa card, except for my bank debit card. Would this even work? The bank wasn't aware of what "verified by Visa" was.

What are our chances that we would not get a train on Saturday morning in September (around 9am)? My husband thinks we should get these a few days before our departure while we're in Barcelona.

FWIW, the error message I keep getting is: G001.

How about if you try calling Renfe directly to buy the tickets?

karens,

To cut a long story as short as I can.

G001 on the English version RENFE is a failure of software and/or security connectivity. (With respect to your bank/finance houses and many others in the US and the world, they do not protect as securely as ours in Europe.)

If you are prepared to use your bank's Visa card, do so. If invited at the point of purchase to register a password for Verified For Visa, do so and continue with the purchase. If this action does not work call your bank and tell them you are trying to make this purchase in Spain. Try later, one more time and if it does not happen, give it up.

Purchase the ticket at the station - the disadvantage is you may not be receiving a web or estrella fare or your preferred journey is not available, but there are plenty each day.

Please advise progress.

Best wishes.

if estrella or web fare are already sold out, don't worry -
you can buy tickets at a full price no problem.
If you are over 60 years old, you can get a 40% discount
with tarjeta Dorada .

That's the same message I got and-- after calling my credit card company (I had to call them twice), I was able to go ahead with my purchase. Call your credit card company and do the transaction as they wait on the phone with you.

I registered at the site, called my visa Capital One card to alert them of transaction. and was denied (error code M022). Called Cap one and was told there were no denied charges and the note alerting them of authenticity of chaarges was recorded. I waited another half hour and tried again...denied again...called bank back, tried with them on line, and denied again - and they say there is no evidence that Renfe tried to process a charge and no denials were issued.

Anyone know what M022 error message may mean? this is different than the error message karens got.

I tried again tonight with my Visa debit card, with my bank on line with me - they didn't see any evidence that Renfe tried to process a charge, either.

I did read somewhere that you should try to order b/w 7:00-23:00 Spain time, and I was out of that window. Not sure why that would matter, but I will try again tomorrow. Sigh.

That verified by visa thing... ah this is ringing some bells.
Karen this page is for Italy, not Spain but when I tried one of the cards listed (Chase visa) I went through the whole verified thing and it went through!

http://www.seat61.com/Italy-trains.h...Trenitalia.com

I would try one of the cards listed if you have one. Otherwise just go ahead and buy the ticket when you get there.

PS scroll down to "which cards work and which don't" - this is what helped me solve the "verified" problem.

karens,

You have not said whether you were enrolled in Verified By Visa when using your Visa card. Where you, please?

kathcoll,

MO22 - I did not think this appeared on the English version.
EL TITULAR DE LA TARJETA NO HA SIDO AUTENTICADO CORRECTAMENTE. POR FAVOR, PONGASE EN CONTACTO CON LA ENTIDAD EMISORA DE SU TARJETA. (M022). -
The holder of the card has not been correctly authenticated. Please contact the issuer of your card

WomBatt - the Renfe site did not prompt me to Verify my Visa card, so I did not. Is there an outside site to do this? My bank was unaware of this program.

k.

wombat,
I used the Spanish site using an English translator app.
I tried again this evening using a credit card on the list from the website in rialtogrl's post. I'll try again monday morning - in the time window suggested in karens post last evening.

Its funny - i waited patiently for the 62 day window to purchase my tickets...now i'm hoping there are still web tickets left monday morning.

karens and kathcoll,

I do not believe this will ever happen with a Visa card unless you are registered in the Verified For Visa programme and I also believe that software communication between your card companies and RENFE may not be up to it, a failing on both sides of the Atlantic.

So, if you still have failure you might try, (my head hurts trying to find) this http://petrabax.com/renfe/ - based in the states. You will pay a commission (I know not what), but I suggest that you tell Petrabax you can see the discounted web or estrella journey fare on RENFE's site and that is what you want.

I would appreciate if both of you would advise progress, or not, here.

Best wishes.

WomBatt, I really appreciate your information, thanks for taking the time to help us.

I will look into this and let you know what happens.

unless you are vying for the webfare,( online purchase only) just call them and get the estrella fare if it is available.

My response from petrabax was just the details I had provided in completing the online form.

I do not understand how to complete the booking request. I see no way to evaluate prices - are there web fares available? If so, are there additional charges for the service?

So I wait to see what petrabax offers. And tomorrow morning I will try again with the renfe site. I am still hoping to get webfares.

I've tried with two visa cards and one mastercard - all of which have reported no attempt to complete a transcaction.

Tomorrow morning I'll notify the cards again of attempts to charge trips from renfe. This is ripe for fraud as a blanket statement to accept charges from spain could leave one vulnerable to fraudulent charges. I've been telling them specifically charges on this date from renfe. I think when people are advising others to call their credit cards they should advise to limit the charges to specific charges.

karens, thanks for the thanks.

kathcoll,

What I was suggesting is you look to the RENFE site, which I thought you were familiar with, for your journey and price and advise Petrabax you can clearly see a web bargain available, (if available). Is that a toll free 'phone number top right hand side?

Best wishes.

I have not read all renfe posts but just now going to the english site <iI do not see the place to click "Show all prices/tariffs" like is on the Spanish site where the discounts come up.

On the Spanish site once you have the timetable up ( after clicking on "Comprar billetes" and putting in your route, there is a place on the right to click to show all tariffs "Mostrar todas las tarifas".

Good luck with he credit card, but like I said before, i would just call .