Train Tickets - Purchasing 5
Jul 28th, 2008, 09:08 AM
#1
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Train Tickets - Purchasing 5
Okay, I've checked out the RENFE site and am all ready to purchase tickets 62 days out at the crack of midnight to get good Web or Estrella prices.
Here's my question: I'm in charge of purchasing for our group of 5. When I click through the site (just on a trial run) it looks like you have to purchase each ticket one at a time. Am I missing something? Can I book five at a time? If not, does anyone have any tips about booking to get seats together? I'm working on the assumption that AVE is assigned seating not cattle call (can't remember from three years ago, sad isn't it?)
Thanks in advance to all expertos out there!
Here's my question: I'm in charge of purchasing for our group of 5. When I click through the site (just on a trial run) it looks like you have to purchase each ticket one at a time. Am I missing something? Can I book five at a time? If not, does anyone have any tips about booking to get seats together? I'm working on the assumption that AVE is assigned seating not cattle call (can't remember from three years ago, sad isn't it?)
Thanks in advance to all expertos out there!
Jul 29th, 2008, 09:07 AM
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Spent a looooooooooong time on the Renfe site in the past 12 hours. Spoke to four people customer service (all of whom were very, very pleasant, which helped alleviate some of my frustration with my experience on-line). Learned a few things, which I am happy to share.
1. Use Explorer, not Firefox, to save yourself tremendous frustration and head scratching. Firefox just does not work - you get hung up after you hit "Comprar" without the benefit of any kind of error message.
2. If you keep getting an error message (on Explorer) switch CCs. I got one at least 10 times, finally switched from AMEX to Visa and it worked. Was it the CC switch? Was it my prayers to San Isidro? Who knows, but I have tickets in hand now. A Customer Service rep suggested that I add a "0" to the beginning of my AMEX number as that sometimes works. It didn't. And, interestingly, I was able to purchase one set of tickets using AMEX (w/o the 0) but by golly could not get that transaction from Cordoba to Sevilla to work to save my soul.
3. Those Web and Estrella fares go FAST. I calculated my dates and got on-line at midnight. After some glitches (see above) I was able to book one leg of the trip (by 2am) but not the other. I re-tried around 11am and nearly all the Web and Estrella specials in Turista were already gone.
4. Don't hesitate to call the number listed under Atencion al Cliente: Informacion Venta Internet (which is a link at the bottom of the initial page). I spoke to them in Spanish, but all offered to speak English and were extremely pleasant.
Spent a looooooooooong time on the Renfe site in the past 12 hours. Spoke to four people customer service (all of whom were very, very pleasant, which helped alleviate some of my frustration with my experience on-line). Learned a few things, which I am happy to share.
1. Use Explorer, not Firefox, to save yourself tremendous frustration and head scratching. Firefox just does not work - you get hung up after you hit "Comprar" without the benefit of any kind of error message.
2. If you keep getting an error message (on Explorer) switch CCs. I got one at least 10 times, finally switched from AMEX to Visa and it worked. Was it the CC switch? Was it my prayers to San Isidro? Who knows, but I have tickets in hand now. A Customer Service rep suggested that I add a "0" to the beginning of my AMEX number as that sometimes works. It didn't. And, interestingly, I was able to purchase one set of tickets using AMEX (w/o the 0) but by golly could not get that transaction from Cordoba to Sevilla to work to save my soul.
3. Those Web and Estrella fares go FAST. I calculated my dates and got on-line at midnight. After some glitches (see above) I was able to book one leg of the trip (by 2am) but not the other. I re-tried around 11am and nearly all the Web and Estrella specials in Turista were already gone.
4. Don't hesitate to call the number listed under Atencion al Cliente: Informacion Venta Internet (which is a link at the bottom of the initial page). I spoke to them in Spanish, but all offered to speak English and were extremely pleasant.
Jul 29th, 2008, 12:03 PM
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You're welcome! After a call from AMEX, after I had booked, I discovered that THEY were actually the cause of the many Error messages on my second booking. They were denying payment/processing because it was an unusual charge. I appreciate their concern -- but strange that one went through while my other attempts didn't. I wish it would have occurred to me at 2AM when I was beating my head into the desk and the web fares were floating away. The AMEX rep advised me to contact them the next time I'm doing something like that and it won't be a problem. Visa didn't care 
. Bit of a double edged sword there.
. Bit of a double edged sword there.
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