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Can't book overnight train from Santiago to Madrid

Rambler

Active Member
Time of past OR future Camino
June 2008 Camino Frances with Daughter, 2014 Camino Frances with Son
I have been waiting patiently for the 3 month window to start to make my train reservations on Renfe.es for the overnight train from Santiago to Madrid in Late June. For the last few weeks the last date that the train reservations have shown up for is June 14. Everything after that date is saying no direct trains are available. I wanted to book for June 21 and have been searching Santiago de Compostela to Madrid Chamartin.
Is there an issue or am I just still too early?
Can any of you see a Trenhotel for that date?
Each time I search, none have been appearing for any dates after June 14.
Thanks.
Rambler
 
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Hi Rambler, I think that you are just trying a little to soon. The booking window on RENFE seems to be 12 weeks, not 3 months, a subtle but important distinction. Wait till after 29/3 and you should be fine.

Buen Camino
 
Hi Rambler, I have just been looking at the site and it is as you suspected. You are too early to buy the tickets. They usually go on sale 62 days before the day you want to travel. You'll have to be patient I'm afraid but there is no harm in checking from time to time!
Hope you have a good camino
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On a related note, I'm just looking at the Tarjeta Dorada price for a one-way train from Santiago to Madrid. I've done this several times in the past, but now it's telling me that there is no "direct" train for that one-way route, and it must be booked with transfers. Don't have a clue how this happens. In any case, I'm just looking at the cost - I won't book ahead of time. Does anyone have any insight or experience into this?
 
That is the message I am still getting. The 62 day point will be when I start to get nervous, but it has been strange to me that I have been able to pull up a schedule and rate for June 14th for a few weeks, but the 15th on says there are no direct trains.
I can pull up a fare for Madrid to Barcelona for the 21st, which is the date I plan to travel. But no Santiago to Madrid.
I fear that there is a planned outage those dates.

Any suggestions on how to find out for sure?
Rambler
 
I thought I remembered hearing that RENFE was opening the window beyond 62 days. So I did a little searching and found that they are gradually opening that window -- that for the Barcelona-Madrid AVE, for example, you can now buy tickets 120 days in advance. http://blog.edreams.es/se-amplia-la-antelacion-para-comprar-los-billetes-del-ave-madrid-barcelona/ The article says they will be increasing the lines for which this new period applies, little by little. This article was from 2012, so I don't know what additional changes there are, if any.

That suggests that the prudent thing to do is check on the website at the 120 day window and a few days afterwards. If nothing shows up, I guess that means that the particular route is still stuck in the 62 day window.

So, this probably explains what you're finding, Rambler.

Buen camino, Laurie
 
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Thanks Laurie.
It is a bit strange though because I can locate a train for those dates from A Coruna to Santiago and from Santiago to Ourense, but if I try to go Ourense to Madrid, it comes up with nothing.
There are no notes on the site for any outages over that period, but I am concerned that since I have been able to pull up reservations for that route up to June 14 for weeks, and nothing past, and no daily addition of one day's schedule, it means they plan to not run the train.

We planned to take the night train to Madrid and immediately fly home. Having to make alternative plans would cost us a day on the Camino.
I have written a note to Renfe but don't know if they will respond.

I don't want to leave this till we arrive because if anything goes wrong, it would cost us our flight home and whatever cost are associated with missing our flight.

Rambler
 
OK, now I can get it to work. Here it is just so you get a sense of times and rates (Tarjeta Dorada), knowing of course, that it will likely be more in June.
Haven't decided between this and Alsa. Difference of about 2 hours and price difference is negligible.
Thanks for the information and suggestions.
 
lynnejohn said:
OK, now I can get it to work. Here it is just so you get a sense of times and rates (Tarjeta Dorada), knowing of course, that it will likely be more in June.View attachment 9115
Click to expand...

Just got a reply to my email to Renfe:
"Estimado/a cliente.

En respuesta a su solicitud de información recibida el día 08/04/2014 le comunicamos que:



On 15 June, an adjustment in the schedule for the summer season will be held. For this reason, we may not see the train requested through consultation on "Rates and times" or "Tickets"

To the extent that these services should set out with their new schedules, they will be gradually offered for purchase or view through www.renfe.com website or any of the other channels and customer information, so we invite you to periodically consult further.

Atentamente,



Departamento de Desarrollo Normativo
D. de Comercial y Marketing
Área de Negocio de Viajeros"

So I will continue to wait...
Rambler
 

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Just an FYI.
The Santiago to Madrid Trenhotel schedules are still not posted for after June 14th. According to customer support at RENFE the schedule will have a slight change as of that date, but there will be an overnight train. They had no definitive date as to when the schedule would be posted and when you could purchase the tickets.
Based on the previous schedule we will only have three hours till our flight leaves Bajaras, so I was hoping to get this a bit more definitive.

Rambler
 
reyna osiris said:
Ryanair has flights from Santiago to Madrid super cheap 30-40 euros
Click to expand...
That may be an option. Our flight leaves at 11:0oam and the RyanAir flight arrives at 9:20. That may be too tight a window though.
Thanks.
Rambler
 
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reyna osiris said:
There is also a bus from Santiago to Madrid have you looked that up?
Click to expand...
I hear it is not very pleasant. I was trying to minimize another night in a hotel and the train was perfect.

Thanks.
Rambler
 
My observations over the past year is that there is no update deadline for Renfe or any bus company schedule. The time lines quoted in some posts here (ie 3 months, 90 days, 62 days) have no basis that I have found in any official website. Most of the bus companies state they will not give any schedule information beyond 30 days. I've not found any similar statement on Renfe pages.

Typically Renfe has schedules determined at least 30 days out (by my observation). The critical points are during peak season travel (summer begins (ie 14 June) and ends, Christmas, etc) The timeline is further out for its more important routes (as with the intention for 120 days on AVE route Madrid to Barcelona) The trenhotel from Santiago to Madrid is a milk run by comparison to the AVE routes.

Keep in mind that the Metro travel time from Chamartin to Airport is at least half an hour.

The time for you to start considering other travel options is 4 weeks from intended date of travel. There are internet access locations at many places along the camino if you don't have wifi access.

I like the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. The motto is 'Don't Panic'.
 
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Let us pick up your suitcase once you arrive in Europe....
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Rambler said:
That may be an option. Our flight leaves at 11:0oam and the RyanAir flight arrives at 9:20. That may be too tight a window though.
Thanks.
Rambler
Click to expand...
I have the same concerns about this Ryan flight as my flight to the U.S. departs at 11:50. I'll be curious to see what you decide to do. ~alyssa
 
Alyssa said:
I have the same concerns about this Ryan flight as my flight to the U.S. departs at 11:50. I'll be curious to see what you decide to do. ~alyssa
Click to expand...
I prefer to do the train. We did it last time and it worked well. You get on, sleep, wake up the next morning and go straight to the next train and to the airport. Not to early and not to late.

I will wait for the next couple of weeks.
Rambler
 
I tested the Renfe system and I was able to pull up a ticket for the night train for the Friday before (June 14). However after this date, Saturday and beyond, the system does not show any night trains leaving from either Santiago or A CORUÑA.

I even checked the Petrabax site and it too does not show any night trains after June 14.

Finally I tried the German rail site (all European train schedules are fed into the German rain site each year) and failed to bring up any times for this day. Suggests to me the Spanish don't know what will running when after June 14

Time for plan B
 
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jirit said:
Time for plan B
Click to expand...

jirit:
Renfe said there will be a Trenhotel and suggested using the current schedule as a guide. I can only assume that the timing may be changed up to 30 minutes one way or another. If they do not post the schedule in the next two weeks, we may be flying, but prefer taking the train.

Don't give up yet.

Rambler
 

Instead of using the metro to get to the airport in Madrid instead take the C1 train. It is faster and the ticket is included in the cost of getting to Madrid.

Details:
You are entitled to a free train ticket from/to Madrid airport using train line C1 departing from Terminal 4 when travelling on AVE and long distance trains.
The C1 Train is a modern suburban train line that connects Terminal T4 with several key locations in Madrid including Chamartin, Nuevos Ministerios, Atocha and Principe Pío.

Estimated travel time: 11 minutes to or from Chamartin.

Line C1 of Renfe Cercanías runs from Terminal T4 of Madrid-Barajas airport to the city centre.

The Aeropuerto T4 station has wider turnstiles than usual to allow for luggage, and ticket machines selling all Renfe products.
 

The trenhotel (assuming sked continues as is) arrives Chamartin 0802. The Cercanius leaves Chamartin at 0759. The next leaves at 0829.

Cercanius is a good idea but it only runs every half hour and, since the terminal shuttle involves 15 minutes plus wait time, is only practical if your flight leaves from T4.

Metro takes longer (a half hour) but it runs every 6-8 minutes.
 
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So RENFE still has not posted the schedules for the Trenhotel from Santiago to Madrid for dates after June 14th. It seems that most of you don't worry about reserving these tickets early, but I wanted to get one of the two berth rooms so we get a good night's sleep before arriving for the rush to the airport in Madrid.
Have you all seen these sell out? I could buy the tickets as we are walking, if they do not update the schedule before next week, but I am just wondering if I show up in Santiago and get the tickets, what are my odds of it still being available. I know the June 21 time is a busy one with returning pilgrims.

Thoughts?

I have hesitated buying flights back to Madrid in hopes Renfe would get this scheduled. They have missed the 30 day window for those traveling June 15th...

Rambler
 
Si yo fuera tu ... wait until the day before travel. If there is not yet a schedule update get a ticket for the 1605 Alvia and get a room for the night in Madrid.
 

The trenhotel is on the sked.
 
Let us pick up your suitcase once you arrive in Europe....
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
Wonderful!
Can't buy the tix yet, but at least we know the schedule.
Thanks Whari!!!

Rambler
 
Rambler said:
I hear it is not very pleasant. I was trying to minimize another night in a hotel and the train was perfect.

Thanks.
Rambler
Click to expand...

As the trains I needed had been booked up by the time I reached Santiago, on two occasions I took the bus. The first time it was nightmarish and I did not get 3 minutes sleep on the overnight run. On the other occasion I took the first-class Alsa bus. For about (I think) 12euro extra, it was quite comfortable (2 and 1 abreast, rather than 2 and 2), with an attendant bringing us a box lunch, wine, beer and coffee, and we had television screens at our seats. While I am a trainophiliac, the 1st class bus was not a bad second.
 
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