steviedeluxe

This may be of interest to those who need to make several AVE journeys within a month. It's open to international visitors to Spain with a passport (so I believe expats too can benefit). The pass ranges from 4 to 12 journeys - 160 Euros (4 journeys) to 385 Euros (for 12 journeys) if you use tourist class; 225 to 540 Euros with business class.

http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/via...ass/index.html

Spanish link giving prices

http://ave-renfe.edreams.es/general/...fe-spain-pass/

I don't know yet if it will cover the new Madrid-Galicia route; next year the Madrid-Zamora section will be up-and-running, but the section from Zamora to Ourense will still be the older slower track.

Fredbargate

Interesting, however it would be nice if you could purchase a 4 journey pass and use it for a couple to do a return journey. But it doesn't appear to be possible.

steviedeluxe

No, that's right. The pass is allocated to a person and is non-transferrable.

Fredbargate

I can imagine a situation where a couple on holiday in one city would use it for a day trip or longer to visit another city.
I.E. Sevilla to Madrid

steviedeluxe

Well I suppose Renfe don't want to lose their normal higher fares (although there are other deals you can make in advance) for one-off return deals.

I'm certainly going to use this in a coming visit - I wanted the excuse to use the high speed train anyway, and I like to visit different parts of Spain too. I may even choose the business class deal - it includes free food and drink, and the use of the VIP waiting rooms. 225 Euros for 4 journeys across long distances on holiday doesn't seem so bad. Of course, this deal have a better choice next year, assuming the Alicante and Zamora stretches are up-and-running. Even without those I can tie in journeys to Malaga, Valencia, Madrid, Barcelona..etc

axarquian

Presumably a 'journey' is from A to B no matter how many changes of train rather than each train being considered a journey.

steviedeluxe

Well this is an interesting question, as the AVE network isn't yet comprehensive on several routes. For example if you want to go to Leon or even Asturias from Madrid, you'd get the AVE to Valladolid, and then need to change to the older slower network. This will change in the coming years (I understand the Leon link is due to open by 2015 and they have already put lines/tunnels along part of the Asturias route), but yes, does this new pass cover the route? It may be it will only cover the first part and then you have to buy a ticket for onward links using the existing train network.
Edit: fairly sure that the pass will not cover non-AVE journeys, with the exception of commuter links in cities.
I suspect also that if you travelled from Barcelona to Malaga, you'd use up two journeys (one journey to Madrid and then change to the Malaga train), but I'm not totally sure on that. In fact there may be trains already that cover the entire journey.

Fred James

There is a direct service from Malaga to Barcelona. They built a "bypass" south of Madrid so it could go direct. It opened about a year ago.

Fredbargate

The ticket allows you to complete your journey by Commuter train provided that it connects with the place of origin or destination of your booking.

Fredbargate

Fred is that AVE all the way?

steviedeluxe

Yes, I edited my post, just as you entered this. But a commuter train would only be a relatively short stretch - for instance arriving at Atocha in Madrid and getting the cercanias to eg Alcala or Pozuelo. It wouldn't include a normal train service from Madrid to say Salamanca.

steviedeluxe

That's interesting - I knew about the bypass, and knew that a direct service from Valencia to Seville is now running. I didn't know there is a service from Barcelona to Malaga.

Fred James

Yes, all the way. 5hrs 36mins.

Fredbargate

Thanks

For as little as €57.35 each way

teuchterpete

I went on the Malaga to Barcelona AVE last year, it was brilliant, It did not go into Madrid at all, but it cost me a lot more than that (140euros). Most current journeys seem to be around the 140 for touristica. How do you find them for less than 100, certainly not on the RENFE web site.
Pete