sietsepiets
Traveller
4 comments
Posted 13 years ago
Hello there,
My friends and I are planning to go to Portugal and Spain with Interrail, because we are die-hard environmentalists and don't want to take the plane. The fact that we need to pay supplements everywhere is quite alright, because just booking the tickets like that would have been a lot more expensive. BUT we encountered some specific Interrail problems...
On our way to Porto, first destination, we have to take the night train (Trenhotel) from Irun to Coimbra as part of our journey.
First, I tried to make a reservation for that train here in Belgium. Apparently that is impossible for a couchette. OK...
Then, I called RENFE (luckily I'm fluent in Spanish) to make the reservation directly with them, and they tell me it can only be picked up in Spanish train station. Impossible, because we won't get there before the day we have to take the train. What is this?
So my last resort: oh, my friend (who lives in Madrid) can do it. But wait, she needs our Interrail passes and ID cards? How is this possible???
Here's my question: can someone else get your reservations, showing only a COPY of your Interrail pass and ID card? Or should we just try and get the reservation right before getting on the train. We arrive in Irún at 21.30 and the Trenhotel leaves at 22.20 - I just read some horror stories about waiting times here on the forum so that might not be a good idea. Also, the RENFE woman told me that there are only 25 beds left.
So essentially it comes down to either taking the risk or trying to beat RENFE bureaucracy. Suggestions?
Thanks for the reply.
Sietske
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
Hi!
- First, making reservations for RENFE trains from abroad always is a little tricky (reservations for domestic CP trains can only be made in Portugal btw). Even here in Austria where we usually have quite capable personnel at the railway stations it often takes me several tries to get the reservation or price information I want for Spain/Portugal...
- Making a reservation for the Surex can be tricky because the train has two train numbers and usually only one works for making a reservation: Last time I travelled on the Surex I got the reservation at my local station at Graz, train number was 313 - maybe you can try again at your station in Belgium at ask to try with that train number...
- If that doesnt work either you can try to get the reservation in Paris since you pass by there anyway on your way to Porto. I would try at Gare de Montparnasse as the TGV to the border at Hendaye/Irun start there and the staff should be able to make the reservation for the Surex.
- Depending on when you are travelling you can also try to get the reservation directly on the train, but in the summer it can be rather full easily!
- Regarding the issue with getting the reservations in Spain: I cant tell you if someone else can pick your reservation up with a copy of your pass...but I think this would be too complicated anyway as you then would have sent it to you by mail etc...
- The ticket counter in Irun is open until 2200 so you should be able to pick it up there - but call there to be sure: [u]http://www.adif.es/es_ES/infraestructuras/estaciones/11600/informacion_000032.shtml[/u]
Hope that helped. :)
Flo 8)
sietsepiets
Traveller
4 comments
Hi Flo!
That did help, thank you :) We sent electronic copies of our passes to my friend in Madrid who will try tonight to see if that works. If not, we're going to take the risk of making the reservation the night itself. It's on a Monday in Feb, can't be completely full I guess.
In any case I will get back to this forum with all my gained expertise after the trip ;)
All the best from Belgium,
Sietske
sietsepiets
Traveller
4 comments
Update: my friend did get the tickets sorted with copies of our IR passes + our ID cards. Apparently it was no hassle, they just told her that we shouldn't forget to also fill in the passes. Duhhh!
Luckily it ended well...
Peter
Traveller
9336 comments
Just some official information, but sometimes the train staff doesn't know it and makes traveling complicate:
It is allowed - and shouldn't be a probelm - to buy InterRail supplements, reservations, etc WITHOUT showing or owning an InterRail pass - I never had such problems for example in Germany train stations.
As it is your personal probelm during a trip having an InterRail discounted supplement and no InterRail pass.
But that's InterRail - always a little special... ;)
Have a nice trip, Peter :)
anonymous
Traveller
2469 comments
Seems like a similar situation to mine (see my other post on the same subject) except I don't have anyone in Spain to help with this ... and what I am trying to achieve is getting reservations in advance ... Anyone have any ideas ?
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
Well it should be possible to get the reservations at a international counter of a SNCB station - although with an extra service charge... :|
Hetman
Traveller
364 comments
or call to die bahn infoline 0049 180 5 99 66 33
anonymous
Traveller
2469 comments
Yes,I Will try SNCB ... Will let everyone know !