InterRail: Renfe reservations now available online for AVE, Euromed and Alvia

[trei2k]

It is being reported that InterRail reservations for Renfe services are now available to book on interrail.eu for select services

Some of the most hard-to-get Interrail reservations are now available online: reservations for Renfe AVE, Euromed & Alvia are finally bookable via the IR reservation service!

Source: https://twitter.com/eliasvandeun/status/1677323518931873798

The Man in Seat61 also reporting it:

• The official Interrail/Eurail reservations service has started doing Spanish train reservations for passholders, which is great news. It used to be impossible for passholders to reserve trains in Spain online, anywhere. It still seems a bit hot and miss as to when it works and when it doesn't, but it's a great step forward.

Source: https://www.seat61.com/news.htm

Good news!

 

[superalbs]

Sure is good news! The difficulty of booking trains really puts you off going to Spain on an Interrail (not that the reservations requirement was particularly appealing in the first place).

 

[Peterthegreat]

I currently hold a valid (until early August) interrail. However when I input "Spain" on the reservations page I am only given the option to reserve at a ticket office!
However if I input the country as "France"!! and input, for example, Barcelona to Madrid, I get the correct info.

 

[rvdborgt]

I currently hold a valid (until early August) interrail. However when I input "Spain" on the reservations page I am only given the option to reserve at a ticket office!
However if I input the country as "France"!! and input, for example, Barcelona to Madrid, I get the correct info.

If that's in the app: that list is incomplete and has always been incomplete. It will probably be updated for Spain with the next app update though.

It's a start. But unfortunately no reservations for IC, MD or Avant. Or for regional trains with mandatory reservations (a Renfe speciality). The new AVEs to France don't seem to work either (yet?).
The reservation price for Euromed seems to be incorrect at €10+2 instead of €6.50+2.

 

[peteb]

Shame it doesn't cover IC, MD or Avant. I'm not sure how busy these get in summer but this spring I was able to get some reservation tickets from booking offices on the day.

 

[dutchflyer]

Frankly, having started my last 50% discount IR for 2 month in march in ESpana-this is, if it is, an issue only for the busy summer monthes, in general I always got the seats I wanted in such trains, from the taquila a day or so advance, though I´ve used IR in other countries much more. That oldt-ime spirit of ´just see how it goes´ seems also having gone down the drain-on the eurail community its full of people fearing that 3 month advance all trains are fully booked.
From what I remember the big fear on RENFE was that fraud would be rampant with such tickets-in general one indeed has to show an activated passday when asking for reservaciones.
Now lets face the next issue: cercanias gates which will not open in anyway with a pass on your mobile

 

[peteb]

Frankly, having started my last 50% discount IR for 2 month in march in ESpana-this is, if it is, an issue only for the busy summer monthes, in general I always got the seats I wanted in such trains, from the taquila a day or so advance, though I´ve used IR in other countries much more. That oldt-ime spirit of ´just see how it goes´ seems also having gone down the drain-on the eurail community its full of people fearing that 3 month advance all trains are fully booked.
From what I remember the big fear on RENFE was that fraud would be rampant with such tickets-in general one indeed has to show an activated passday when asking for reservaciones.
Now lets face the next issue: cercanias gates which will not open in anyway with a pass on your mobile

Agree with your point about the old time spirit of see how it goes vanishing fast. Incidentally last week there were several hundred Spanish interrailers who seemed to be doing a pre-planned itenary as suggested by eurail, with consequences being they all turned up for two or three Amsterdam Berlin trains causing overcrowding and delays but, despite having planned to travel on certain days most seemed to have no seat reservations!!

 

[rvdborgt]

Frankly, having started my last 50% discount IR for 2 month in march in ESpana-this is, if it is, an issue only for the busy summer monthes, in general I always got the seats I wanted in such trains, from the taquila a day or so advance

Well, it is annoying that after arriving on the TGV in Barcelona you first need to queue for an hour to get a simple reservation to Valencia, for example. Although we recently found out that SNCF can also book Renfe reservations, but only at the ticket office, not even by phone.

From what I remember the big fear on RENFE was that fraud would be rampant with such tickets-in general one indeed has to show an activated passday when asking for reservaciones.

Which is complete nonsense because you can deactivate future travel days.

Now lets face the next issue: cercanias gates which will not open in anyway with a pass on your mobile

In Catalonia they will, if they work, which certainly isn't a given. But I agree these gates are a nuisance.

 

[Peterthegreat]

Has anyone actually managed to book and pay for a Spanish reservation on line?
Wednesday, July 26, 2023

• VALENCIA JOAQUIN SOROLLA (Spain)
  09:15 AM
  SEVILLA-SANTA JUSTA (Spain)
  01:48 PM

Price€ 13
+ Booking fee€ 2.00

E-ticket

Sorry, something went wrong. Please try again later or find another connection. This connection will be removed from your cart.

This has happened to all the Spanish reservations I have tried.

 

[rvdborgt]

Didn't I just reply to you on Facebook? In any case, I can get to the payment page, also for this train.

 

[Mainline421]

That oldt-ime spirit of ´just see how it goes´ seems also having gone down the drain-on the eurail community its full of people fearing that 3 month advance all trains are fully booked

It's very much alive among many I ecountered Interrailing last summer, and I only booked Eurostar and Nightjet in advance. All those posts likely fuel the irrational fear for many others though.

 

[Peterthegreat]

Didn't I just reply to you on Facebook? In any case, I can get to the payment page, also for this train.

I'm still having the same problem for all RENFE trains I have tried.
22/7 - 16.10 Barcelona to Valencia (2nd class)
22/7 - 16.25 Barcelona to Madrid (1st class)
24/7 - 09.15 Valencia to Sevilla

I can get to the point where I tick "I accept the booking conditions" but then I get the message as shown above. I get the same thing whether I try it using my interrail account on the laptop or using the smartphone,

I'm still having the same problem for all RENFE trains I have tried.
22/7 - 16.10 Barcelona to Valencia (2nd class)
22/7 - 16.25 Barcelona to Madrid (1st class)
24/7 - 09.15 Valencia to Sevilla

I can get to the point where I tick "I accept the booking conditions" but then I get the message as shown above. I get the same thing whether I try it using my interrail account on the laptop or using the smartphone,

I think I have solved the problem. It would appear, unlike in France, it is only possible to book and pay for one train at a time. I was trying to book the Barcelona to Valencia and Valencia to Sevilla trains in one transaction. Hence why I got a rejection and Rian suceeded.I tried the trains individually and Hey Presto it worked.

 

[30907]

I think I have solved the problem. It would appear, unlike in France, it is only possible to book and pay for one train at a time. I was trying to book the Barcelona to Valencia and Valencia to Sevilla trains in one transaction. Hence why I got a rejection and Rian suceeded.I tried the trains individually and Hey Presto it worked.

Got it! Renfe sometimes offer a connecting service across Madrid but it's hit and miss.

 

[trei2k]

Glad to hear that it worked!