Does anyone know how far in advance I can but tickets at the bullring? I would like to purchase a week in advance if possible. I looked on the Las Ventas website but was unable to find that answer. (as my Spanish is still that of a 4 year old even with Rosetta Stone!)

Thanks!

At the bullring Las Ventas, I think you can only purchase tickets a couple days in advance. (right Steve/eskimo joe?)

But if you use a booking agency (to which you'll over-pay or pay a healthy service charge) you can buy them at least a week in advance. One of these services is Localidades Galicia and another is TEYCI. Both of these websites have English-language versions.

Saludos, MadridMan

I will probably be there for the afternoon of the 12th, but want to purchase a 'present' for the 19th. Just thought I could do some one stop shopping. Tell ya what, I will report back on the outcome when I get back!

I always bought the date of the corrida,there are times in the morning and afternoon to do so, so not sure if can be done earlier, never done it, but like MM says maybe paying some agency you can
Plenty to choose on the same day.

you can find out more here
http://www.ticktackticket.com/entradas/index_mb.do?origin=TORO

hope it helps

I buy my tickets 3 or 4 days in advance . But when I tried to buy a ticket a week in advance the guys in the taquillas ( ticket offices ) told me I had to wait and come back in a few days . Please use the official channels .. When you go to the bullring they´ll be plenty of guys offering tickets , unoficially , at a premium ...!! Don´t use them ! If they hear a foreign accent the price will go up ! Stick to the official ticket office and/or the online service .

Just to add to Steve's reply , outside of san Isidro there is no need to deal with the touts , and they are mostly not very nice people . When they come up to me I put on my broadest Scottish accent, they might speak English but they dont have a hope in hell in understanding me, last time I done this another tout went up to the tout who was speaking to me and said under his breath "es de alemania" which made me smile inside.
You should be able to pick up tickets for all of the ocho naciones series , which includes the 19th , and you dont have to goto the bullring, FNAC is the official seller so you can get your tickets at sol for the same price.
Pity your not going on the 26th , my mates fighting that night.

Well I haven´t ruled out going on the 26th , Joe !! In Russia the street vendors always think i´m Italian .. I guess because I have quite dark skin . In the States , for some reason , they think my accent is Australian ( that´s happened many times ! ) . As for your accent .. My first day at school in Scotland was a nightmare .. I was 10 years old and couldn´t understand the teacher or my classmates . They assigned me a "friend" called Ernest McCloughlan .. he was a good guy .. but on the first day he got punished with "the strap" . I have to concentrate with heavy Scottish or Irish accents . The Welsh accent I can deal with ( as long as the speak English ) . I´ve been to Welsh towns ( where my mother was born ) and the will only talk in Welsh Gaelic .. crazy . But I love languages and accents and I´m pleased to see them continuing .. unlike in my home county of Essex where we lost our accent due to London being so near .

Its Santiago Naranjo, the guy pictured with my wife on Facebook. Im off to see him in Arganda tomorrow night.
The same is happening on the west coast of Scotland , they are all influenced by the Glasweigan accent . But there is plenty of other accents that are tottally different all across Scotland , even 30 miles apart can have their own individual accents.

Joe , I´m going to look out for this guy´s fight ..... If I get a ticket , i´ll drop you a line . How did you get to know him , since he´s from Colombia ?

He was at the 1st tienta I went to , and he changed his Apoerdado to the ganadero we go to , so he has been at our tientas the last few years. There is a few picture of him when on FB when im bullfighitng.

He came over to train at the Madrid school when he was 15 or 16, and has been here ever since. He's taking his Alternative on December the 26th in Cali, hopefully with Juli and Cayetano.
Hope he does well , he is a good torero and a really nice guy.