How can I reserve my train seats for spain? I want to go from barcelona to valencia back and forth. I tried callin renfe and DB but no answers unfortunately. And I am worried if I want to book my seat at the day of travel when I arrive in barcelona the train to madrid and then to valencia is full
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Spain train seats reservation
Best answer by rvdborgt
Mika Raulea wrote:
can they reserve a seat for me at any DB ticket office, I will go to germany next week so maybe I can check it then.
At any DB ticket office. The best is to prepare:
- Make a list of the trains you want to book, with dates, departure/arrival times, train numbers.
- Check on renfe.com whether your trains can already be booked (for regular tickets). If they can't be booked there yet, DB won't be able to book either.
One useful thing to know is that DB don't make it easy for their employees. DB can can only book Spanish trains using the manual train number search, which is a different method than they use for most other trains. It sometimes happens that DB ticket office staff claim they can't book Spanish trains but the reason is often that they didn't use the train number search.
What do you mean by "no answers unfortunately”?
There are many trains from Barcelona to Madrid and Valencia so chances are big there's availability in multiple trains. How much in advance would you arrive in Barcelona? What are your travel dates?
rvdborgt wrote:
What do you mean by "no answers unfortunately”?
There are many trains from Barcelona to Madrid and Valencia so chances are big there's availability in multiple trains. How much in advance would you arrive in Barcelona? What are your travel dates?
First of all thanks for the fast reply, i will go around middle/end august. I called them and I did not get a reply, but can they reserve a seat for me at any DB ticket office, I will go to germany next week so maybe I can check it then.
Mika Raulea wrote:
can they reserve a seat for me at any DB ticket office, I will go to germany next week so maybe I can check it then.
At any DB ticket office. The best is to prepare:
- Make a list of the trains you want to book, with dates, departure/arrival times, train numbers.
- Check on renfe.com whether your trains can already be booked (for regular tickets). If they can't be booked there yet, DB won't be able to book either.
One useful thing to know is that DB don't make it easy for their employees. DB can can only book Spanish trains using the manual train number search, which is a different method than they use for most other trains. It sometimes happens that DB ticket office staff claim they can't book Spanish trains but the reason is often that they didn't use the train number search.
Please ask questions in the community and not via a private message. That's the quickest way to get a response. I don't work for Eurail/Interrail.
rvdborgt wrote:
Mika Raulea wrote:
can they reserve a seat for me at any DB ticket office, I will go to germany next week so maybe I can check it then.
At any DB ticket office. The best is to prepare:
- Make a list of the trains you want to book, with dates, departure/arrival times, train numbers.
- Check on renfe.com whether your trains can already be booked (for regular tickets). If they can't be booked there yet, DB won't be able to book either.
One useful thing to know is that DB don't make it easy for their employees. DB can can only book Spanish trains using the manual train number search, which is a different method than they use for most other trains. It sometimes happens that DB ticket office staff claim they can't book Spanish trains but the reason is often that they didn't use the train number search.
Thanks! I will try this when I see the regular tickets can be booked as well, for now that is not possible yet.
rvdborgt wrote:
Mika Raulea wrote:
can they reserve a seat for me at any DB ticket office, I will go to germany next week so maybe I can check it then.
At any DB ticket office. The best is to prepare:
- Make a list of the trains you want to book, with dates, departure/arrival times, train numbers.
- Check on renfe.com whether your trains can already be booked (for regular tickets). If they can't be booked there yet, DB won't be able to book either.
One useful thing to know is that DB don't make it easy for their employees. DB can can only book Spanish trains using the manual train number search, which is a different method than they use for most other trains. It sometimes happens that DB ticket office staff claim they can't book Spanish trains but the reason is often that they didn't use the train number search.
Three weeks ago at the Reisezentrum in Rheine they didn't had any problem to find the trains (Barcelona-Leon and Leon-Gijon) by just entering the stations and the date. Within a few minutes I got my reservations. 👍
dennistd wrote:
rvdborgt wrote:
One useful thing to know is that DB don't make it easy for their employees. DB can can only book Spanish trains using the manual train number search, which is a different method than they use for most other trains. It sometimes happens that DB ticket office staff claim they can't book Spanish trains but the reason is often that they didn't use the train number search.
Three weeks ago at the Reisezentrum in Rheine they didn't had any problem to find the trains (Barcelona-Leon and Leon-Gijon) by just entering the stations and the date. Within a few minutes I got my reservations. 👍
When Renfe share their timetables, then DB can indeed find them in their planner (this wasn't always the case though). But AFAIK the actual booking still needs to be done using the manual train number search.
rvdborgt wrote:
dennistd wrote:
rvdborgt wrote:
One useful thing to know is that DB don't make it easy for their employees. DB can can only book Spanish trains using the manual train number search, which is a different method than they use for most other trains. It sometimes happens that DB ticket office staff claim they can't book Spanish trains but the reason is often that they didn't use the train number search.
Three weeks ago at the Reisezentrum in Rheine they didn't had any problem to find the trains (Barcelona-Leon and Leon-Gijon) by just entering the stations and the date. Within a few minutes I got my reservations. 👍
When Renfe share their timetables, then DB can indeed find them in their planner (this wasn't always the case though). But AFAIK the actual booking still needs to be done using the manual train number search.
Thanks! So I need to wait when the train I want is available on renfe.com. And then I can go to a DB ticket office. My train is mid-end august so maybe I need to wait a few weeks. I will let you know if it worked
dennistd wrote:
rvdborgt wrote:
Mika Raulea wrote:
can they reserve a seat for me at any DB ticket office, I will go to germany next week so maybe I can check it then.
At any DB ticket office. The best is to prepare:
- Make a list of the trains you want to book, with dates, departure/arrival times, train numbers.
- Check on renfe.com whether your trains can already be booked (for regular tickets). If they can't be booked there yet, DB won't be able to book either.
One useful thing to know is that DB don't make it easy for their employees. DB can can only book Spanish trains using the manual train number search, which is a different method than they use for most other trains. It sometimes happens that DB ticket office staff claim they can't book Spanish trains but the reason is often that they didn't use the train number search.
Three weeks ago at the Reisezentrum in Rheine they didn't had any problem to find the trains (Barcelona-Leon and Leon-Gijon) by just entering the stations and the date. Within a few minutes I got my reservations. 👍
Thanks for letting me know, I Appreciate that
rvdborgt wrote:
Mika Raulea wrote:
can they reserve a seat for me at any DB ticket office, I will go to germany next week so maybe I can check it then.
At any DB ticket office. The best is to prepare:
- Make a list of the trains you want to book, with dates, departure/arrival times, train numbers.
- Check on renfe.com whether your trains can already be booked (for regular tickets). If they can't be booked there yet, DB won't be able to book either.
One useful thing to know is that DB don't make it easy for their employees. DB can can only book Spanish trains using the manual train number search, which is a different method than they use for most other trains. It sometimes happens that DB ticket office staff claim they can't book Spanish trains but the reason is often that they didn't use the train number search.
I went to db ticket office munchen this week and they told me they cannot reserve seats for spanish trains anymore….
Mmmm maybe they didn't know the way to book (with train numbers). I was also told the same recently in Switzerland but I came back the next day and it was possible with someone else.
However it may not be possible anymore in Switzerland from next year as they're trying to save money by focusing on the neighbouring countries. Although at the same time they're telling that they'll continue to use DB booking system (which can book Spanish trains). A bit of a confusing and disappointing situation… at the same time people wish to take trains and the demand is there (politically too).
But that was off-topic...
Btw Spanish seat reservations are now available online (not all of them though) on interrail.eu with the regular 2€ fee. But you could still try again another day or at another station.
Mika Raulea wrote:
rvdborgt wrote:
One useful thing to know is that DB don't make it easy for their employees. DB can can only book Spanish trains using the manual train number search, which is a different method than they use for most other trains. It sometimes happens that DB ticket office staff claim they can't book Spanish trains but the reason is often that they didn't use the train number search.
I went to db ticket office munchen this week and they told me they cannot reserve seats for spanish trains anymore….
That just means the person you spoke with didn't know how it works. That happens far too often unfortunately. They need to use the manual train number search (Zugnummersuche), NOT the timetable-based booking (NICHT Fahrplanbasiert buchen). Friendly insist you know it is possible (because a freind of yours booked Spanish trains via DB) and maybe suggest they look in their documentation or ask a colleague or their helpdesk how to do it.
2 months ago, I bought 15 reservations for Spanish trains via a DB agent, so it works.
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