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Today I arrived in Madrid with the plan to continue on an ALVIA train to Santiago de Compostela tomorrow. I had called Renfe to make a pre-reservation by phone yesterday, and today, at the station in Madrid, I wanted to pay for and pick up my reservation. 
 

Unfortunately I ran into a problem. The Renfe officer at the counter could find my reservation alright (using the reservation number starting with L followed by numbers). But since the reservation was on Elige Confort (apparently equivalent to first class on this train) and I have a second class Interrail pass, he said there was no way I could use this reservation. There was apparently also no way for me to pay a surcharge to the ticket. This was possible for me on my Renfe-SNCF ride from. Marseille to Madrid (there were only first class tickets left but I was happy to pay extra to get on the train).

My question is, if its really not possible to buy a first class ticket on a Renfe ALVIA train when there are no other tickets left and I’m ready to pay an extra price?

 

Wondering if anyone had the same issue/question :)

Apparently not. Why should we know better as RENFE-officials?

But it may simply be an issue of not knowing how to press which buttons etc-plus that IMHO it makes no sense to hold a 2nd cl pass and pay all the time the diff. to 1st/whatever they name it today. Plus that a degree of what others may simply call incompetence also seems part of all workings @ RENFE-I would say that for the telefone service-at least for not informing you. And based on own experience through the years-not just with passes.

I vaguely also remember that may be 2 classes of ´1st´_normal and deluxe-with extra freebees thrown in, a half stale sandwich or even a drop of Lidl-Wine. And that is certainly out of the question for these simple passholders-or rather reverse-the estimated elite-clients have to be protected against these cheap0 passes. But those who are more specialised in deluxe may know better

Oh-there may be RENFE on the train-but when its in FRance its a SNCF-coöperation train. Thats how traditionally railways work INternational

I vaguely also remember that may be 2 classes of ´1st´_normal and deluxe-with extra freebees thrown in,

@mcadv 

Your vague memories are not applicable anymore since a few years ago RENFE relabelled everything.

Hi @Jan Feist 

Unfortunately, even if you want to pay the extra cost, a 2nd class pass does not allow you to travel in 1st class. In this specific case, I would rely on the information provided by RENFE. You could have asked for a refund on the seat reservation and made a new one in the appropriate class.

I wish you a lovely day! 

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