Andalucía Travel Forum

Hello guys! I'm trying to do a little planning for my trip in September and I'm going through the RENFE site. I know that you can't book a ticket outside the 62-day window but for some reason when I input a date in June, the website is telling me there aren't trains from Granada to Sevilla in June!?!?! I've read some of the posts on here and most of you have said how beautiful the train ride is so i KNOW there is a train. Also, if I put a date in May, it gives me a schedule. Is this a problem with the site?

When I went to Toledo from Madrid, I thought I could just buy a ticket when I got to the Atocha station but I found out that the seats were sold out. I had to wait until the next day to go. I don't want this to happen so I'm trying to buy my ticket soonest. Speaking of which, do the trains fill up pretty quickly in late September?

Once again, thanks guys!!!

I'm not as familiar with Renfe as I am with some other European train sites/services but I'd suggest you are not getting any trains in June because the data hasn't yet been loaded I can get June dates on:

http://horarios.renfe.es/hir/ingles.html#

but only up to today's date (17th June). Searching for later June dates brings up a message saying that only dates prior to today's can be searched-for. This suggests that their online facility only holds data for a month or so in advance.

I'm surprised the train was sold-out; presumably it was a reservation-only train? Unless Spain is very different to the rest of europe, only reservation-only trains get full. Otherwise one simply stands until a seat becomes available.

Granada-Sevilla-Santa Justa (the name of the station):
- 8,18-11,27
- 11,33-14,30
- 16,32-19,45
- 20,24-23,30

all of them, 21,65 €
I wrote 30 June (Monday), and the web says they run from 9 Dec '07 to 13 Dec '08

Regarding Toledo, maybe you tried to take the high speed train (AVE), and many times, because you need a fixed seat, they are full.

www.renfe.es is absolutely awful, very tricky and difficult to use, they have received many complaints (even from me), so, be patience. At least, there is an english version (if you need it), and don't forget to have a look at the discounts, web and star offers.

Good luck!

Thanks guys. This clears it up. I'll just keep checking back until the dates I've chosen to travel open up.

The train Seville/Granada is a regional one that does not accept any reservations too early. I think it is 15 days before day of travel. the long distance ones and the high speed ones AVE allow early bookings upt to two months before.
RENFE web site is designed for people who know all about Spanish trains and not for 'tourists'
The web site will not for example give you any 'connections' routings. So you are completely lost if you wish to travel on two railway lines from A to B. If you see what I mean !

There is only ever a problem if it is a holiday weekend when train tickets may sell out if you don't book in advance. Other times the train is not full on the day of travelling.

If you book your ticket in August for September when it should show up on the web site there will be no problems. The same is said if you book a week or 2 in advance as long it is not a national holiday weekend.

You can buy tickets on the day of travelling but you must buy a seat. No standing is permitted only on medium distance and local trains this is allowed. EG Cercanias or Andalucia Express. The train to Granada from Sevilla is considered a longer distance train as it takes 3 hours.

Hi Julie. So when you say I can buy a ticket on the day of travel but I must also buy a seat, do you mean and to pay for a ticket then pay for a seat?

That should've read, do you mean I have to buy a ticket and then pay for a seat. Still having my first cup of coffee. :)

Ticket, therefore=seat; it means, the ticket includes the seat

Muchas gracias Santi.

No I meant that the seat is the ticket you buy, sorry

I was just trying to explain that you can't stand that you have to sit :)

¡Enjoy both cities, son una maravilla!