Better explain, I’m not Rissa I’m her mother - aaaagh - (we’re very close ). Rissa is in Andalucia right now. I’m going to be going to Spain at the end of October for 2 weeks! It’s a dream come true for me since I’ve wanted to go to Spain since Mother Mary of the Rosary passed on her love of Spain to me in Spanish I in high school and that was too long ago.

We want to take the AVE from Sevilla to Madrid with a stop over in Cordoba for the day. Should we purchase tickets from Sevilla to Madrid and just get off and back on in Cordoba (on the same day)? I’ve read and read the previous posts but can’t seem to figure this out. Maybe we should wait and reserve this trip with a local travel agent after I get to Jerez - what do you think? It will be 6 days before we need to travel.
Katy

Have you considered bus tranportation for the first leg and the Ave?

Rissa's mother (Katy) writes: Can you do that in the U.S. (i.e., Stop over for the day in Philadelphia on an Acela ticket Washington, DC to New York)? I think not! Railroad rules are pretty much the same all over the world. Like AMTRAK's Acela or Metroliner, Renfe's AVE's are All Reserved trains.

Ask the Ticket Agent in Sevilla's Santa Justa rail station; but I think he/she will sell you a Sevilla-Cordoba ticket/reservation and a Cordoba-Madrid Ticket/Reservation.

Yes, I've seen it done and I've seen people get away with it by boarding the train and going directly to the Cafe Car where they would spend the 1.5 hours trip to Madrid. But they were risking being put off the train at its stop in Ciudad Real or Puertollano.

Eddie, thank you so much. You are always so helpful. I have only taken the train in the States twice so I'm really "uneducated" about train travel. We'll be buying 2 separate tickets now! Many thanks. Katy:)

Here's something you might want to consider: If you had a SpainPass (Spain only) or Iberic Pass (Spain and Portugal) both trips would be within the same travel day. You would have to pay for reservations for both legs (and AVE Supplement, if any) but those would be a lot less than the cost of separate rail tickets. I don't know how much you will be travelling by rail in Spain (minimum pass days are 3 days in two months) but it might be something you want to look into.

Your daughter would probably qualify for a youth discount (under 26?).

People may tell you you have to buy railpasses in the U.S. but the Renfe ticket Agent in Sevilla's Santa Justa station told me that all I had to do was to show him my entry-stamped U.S. Passport to prove I was not a Spain resident for him to sell me a SpainPass or IbericPass.

The Sevilla-Cordoba and Cordoba-Madrid would be one 'pass' day. Do you have 2-more expensive rail trips in your itinerary that might justify buying a pass?

Sorry I didn't come up with this advice until the last-minute.