My apologies, MM, if this topic has been covered before, but I didn't find it in the archives.

I'm flying into Lisbon in August and going to be taking the overnite train from there to Madrid. I am wondering if I need to reserve a ticket or if it is OK to show up at the station and buy the ticket then. As many of your posters have noted, the RENFE website is horrible, so I can't get a sense of whether the train is likely to be booked. (I can't even get the price of the fare!) It's precisely because the website is so user un-friendly that I've been reluctant to try and reserve the ticket. I'd appreciate hearing about other's experiences with getting from Lisbon to Madrid, and how crowded those overnite trains are.

I'm looking forward to seeing Portugal for the first time and returning to Madrid (yet again!), mi casa a fuera de mi casa. Any advice will be wholly appreciated!

These are the current RENFE adult fares for the Lusitania Express (the train that does the Lisbon-Madrid route): http://www.renfe.es/productos/pdf/lusitania_adultos_2006.pdf

As you origin point is a Portuguese city, I would rather try to look, and book if needed, in the Portuguese trains company Website ( CP ) instead of the Spanish one (RENFE).

I can't say anything about the current occupancy of those trains. The only time I did that route was back in '92 and I booked my place in advance. It depends on you, if you are due (or want) to be a specific day in Madrid or not

Thanks, Torrales! CP website is much better, although they don't sell tickets for international travel on-line. Their customer service rep was very prompt, however, in directing me to Rail Europe where I plan to purchase the tickets. Yes, I do have to be in Madrid (and back in Lisbon) on specific dates. Thanks again for your help.