to expect to be able to buy a train ticket in Spain ?

[Finallyspring]

Just want to rant, though also if anyone has a suggestion I would appreciate it. I have been trying to book train tickets between two cities in Spain. Although it's 2011 it's apparently not possible. RENFE website doesn't take UK credit cards ( they don't actually tell you that, you have to go through whole booking process including passport details to get an error message ) I only established that when I called. The man I spoke to said to try a website agency. I tried the one he recommended, this time I had to give ALL of our passport details for the whole family, then at the LAST page just before paying they add 9 euros each booking fee ( my DDs ticket only cost 9.70 and she pays booking fee of 9 euros ?) total booking fee of 36 euros for a fare of 56 euros. SO I abandoned that and called the RENFE office in London. Engaged. All day. No voicemail, no holding message nothing. Tried again today. This time a voicemail asking for people to leave a message and they would call back. They haven't. Give up. Is this boring ?

I live in London btw

Have you tried the rail europe site?

Rail Europe only do advance booking tickets

I couldn't book one in the Uk from Italy either. Can't remember why. Some business about the person travelling (in my case dp) had to have my credit card on him (chuh, as if)

Oh that happens in Germany, you have to have the card you booked it with. That's not really a problem, I will have the card with me.

Is it not an advance booking that you are doing (if you are in London at the moment)?

It's for this Sunday. Rail Europe don't do anything less than 7 days before

Can you not buy the ticket when you get there? I'm not really sure that the Spanish do cheaper tickets in advance, I have a feeling they generally just buy on the day. Could be wrong.

actually I booked bus tickets on line from malaga to Granada last year and return (much cheaper than the bus) using www.alsa.es and the train tickets are no cheaper at the station than on line

Try ringing railbookers.co.uk - they are usually very helpful and seem to know their way around booking foreign tickets.

I remember them saying they did book such tickets even though they get very little commission on them, main bulk of their work is holidays and hotels by rail.

But nicer to speak to someone than hassle through a website!

Oh thanks for bothering to reply to my boring thread. Wanted to book in advance to save whole family waiting in queue in hot busy station etc. Will try railbookers