I hope you'll all forgive the basic nature of my queries. I used to post here quite frequently and travel to Spain regularly, and then suddenly, it had been eight years (!) since I'd been to Spain. My last visit was in 2003.

I'm looking to buy train tickets (AVE to Seville) and bus tickets (Madrid to San Sebastian) online. I'm pretty sure from each website (renfe.es and movelia.es) that I'll be able to print my tickets here in the States and then just take those with me to board. Is this right?

with thanks in advance...

do not know if US never done it, but do so from France and its ok.on both sites you mentioned, I used them too.
Hope it helps

Hello, liz49! Welcome back, fellow Ohioan!!

When you buy tickets online via Renfe.es you'll have the opportunity at the end of the transaction to print your tickets. If I were you, when you get to that screen, SAVE PAGE AS - to your computer. It'll be a PDF file - and don't worry if the bar code is jumbled.

Before attempting to buy tickets on Renfe.es you'll first have to register. Within that registration you'll be asked to enter and validate your credit card. You'll find a number of threads about this process in this Transportation category of the message board. Some credit cards work and some don't.

Liz, if you have any trouble, let me know. At least for train tickets, they don't carry a name and so anyone can buy them for anyone else. I could potentially buy the tickets for you, send you the tickets via email, and you could pay me back. I'm already registered at Renfe.es.

Also on Movelia.es, you'll be able to print your tickets from your online purchase.

Saludos, MadridMan

Is it possible to register for Renfe in advance? I am also planning to buy tickets in the next month or so.

I believe so. Try it, but have your credit card handy - the one you'll use to buy the tickets. I believe you have to validate/verify your credit card - and therein lyes the biggest problems with shopping abroad. You may also notify your credit card's bank that you'll be using that card abroad (if you haven't don't this for previous trips, that is)

Saludos, MadridMan

yes make sure your US bank knows you are going to do this, sometimes they block the transaction just fraud prevention. You can register in advance indeed

Thanks for the tips. And thanks for the welcome back, MadridMan! We're about to have a blizzard here in Ohio--I'm guessing you don't miss that :-)

Our trip isn't until March, so I think I'll try to register on the Renfe site and then buy the tickets.