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TRAVEL NEWS

Why you can’t buy Spanish train tickets from abroad and some potential solutions

Many people have reported several issues when trying to book Spanish train tickets via the Renfe website from abroad. Here are some of the most common problems and the solutions, to help make the process easier for you.

Published: 21 July 2021 16:51 CEST
Why you can't buy Spanish train tickets from abroad and some potential solutions
How to buy Renfe tickets from abroad. Photo: GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP

Spain has a great railway network with regional trains in most urban areas and high-speed trains between cities. There are even train hotels that will take you across the country overnight.

The tickets are usually reasonably priced and Renfe is often offering discounts at various times throughout the year or for certain festivals and events.

To take advantage of these low prices or special offers, however, you have to buy them quickly as the discounts are usually only applicable on a certain number of seats.

This means that you may want to be your train tickets online in advance before you travel to Spain. There are several other reasons why you might want to book Spanish train tickets via the Renfe website when you’re abroad, whether you’re a foreign resident in Spain who has gone back for a trip to your home country or a traveller trying to prepare for your trip around the country.

Unfortunately, many people have reported problems trying to book Renfe train tickets online from abroad and have found it particularly difficult, facing many errors.

What’s the problem?

Often when trying to buy tickets on the Renfe website outside of Spain, you’ll find several error messages coming up on your screen, saying that the request can’t be performed now and to try again later. However, when you do try again later, it’s likely that the same thing will happen again.

Even if you do manage to get through the timetable and booking pages, there are usually more problems when it comes to paying. Often credit cards from foreign banks will not work on the website and the booking will not go through. This is because foreign back may be trying to prevent the purchases if they believe there are fraud issues. 

What are the solutions?

On several occasions, those trying to book tickets from abroad have contacted Renfe via Twitter about the error messages and the train company has told them to try and rebook using a VPN.

A VPN allows you to redirect your IP address to another country so that the website believes you are accessing it from a country different from the one that you are in. The solution is to simply select Spain on the dropdown list of countries on your VPN app and the Renfe website will believe you are buying the tickets from Spain directly.

Another tip is to try buying the tickets from the Renfe mobile app instead of the website and to use a VPN at the same time.

Other people have suggested that if you don’t have a VPN, you could try changing the time on your computer so that it corresponds to the time in Spain, rather than the time in the country where are you are located.

When it comes to paying, the best solution is to use a debit card instead of a credit card as the site seems to have lots of issues when you try to pay with a foreign credit card. If you still need to use your credit card, however, make sure you contact your bank in advance to tell them you will be using it to buy tickets via a Spanish website. They may be able to change the bank settings for you. 

What if these still don’t work?

If you still can’t get the Renfe website or app to work after trying these solutions, you could always try booking the tickets via another website. You may not be able to benefit from all the same offers as on the Renfe site, but you can still book your basic ticket.

Some other sites include trenes.com and thetrainline.com, both of which are very easy to use from abroad and for buying tickets in Spain.

Another alternative is to call the Renfe ticket office and book over the phone instead. However, depending on how good your Spanish is and which office you’re calling, this could be challenging too. 

If you can’t do any of these things, then you can always wait until you’re in Spain to buy tickets via the Renfe website, which is very easy. 

What about Ouigo, Spain’s new low-cost train booking website? 

Unfortunately, there also seem to be problems when booking tickets on the new Ouigo website from abroad. The Local Spain tried booking tickets with a UK VPN and a message simply came up saying that the site was blocked. When we tried again with our normal Spanish IP address, it worked with no issues. If you want to book Ouigo tickets from abroad, try the same solutions as with Renfe, such as turning on your VPN for Spain. 

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For members

EES PASSPORT CHECKS

How will the new app for Europe’s EES border system work?

With Europe set to introduce its new Entry/Exit biometric border system (EES) in the autumn there has been much talk about the importance of a new app designed to help avoid delays. But how will it work and when will it be ready?

Published: 7 May 2024 10:29 CEST
How will the new app for Europe's EES border system work?

When it comes into force the EU’s new digital border system known as EES will register the millions of annual entries and exits of non-EU citizens travelling to the EU/Schengen area, which will cover 29 European countries.

Under the EU Entry/Exit System (EES), non-EU residents who do not require a visa will have to register their biometric data in a database that will also capture each time they cross an external Schengen border.

Passports will no longer be manually stamped, but will be scanned. However, biometric data such as fingerprints and facial images will have to be registered in front of a guard when the non-EU traveller first crosses in to the EU/Schengen area.

Naturally there are concerns the extra time needed for this initial registration will cause long queues and tailbacks at the border.

To help alleviate those likely queues and prevent the subsequent frustration felt by travellers the EU is developing a new smartphone app.

READ ALSO: What will the EES passport system mean for foreigners living in Europe?

The importance of having a working app was summed up by Uku Särekanno, Deputy Executive Director of the EU border agency Frontex in a recent interview.

“Initially, the challenge with the EES will come down to the fact that travellers arriving in Europe will have to have their biographic and biometric data registered in the system – border guards will have to register four of their fingerprints and their facial image. This process will take time, and every second really matters at border crossing points – nobody wants to be stuck in a lengthy queue after a long trip.”

But there is confusion around what the app will actually be able to do, if it will help avoid delays and importantly when will it be available?

So here’s what we know so far.

Who is developing the app?

The EU border agency Frontex is currently developing the app. More precisely, Frontex is developing the back-end part of the app, which will be made available to Schengen countries.

“Frontex is currently developing a prototype of an app that will help speed up this process and allow travellers to share some of the information in advance. This is something we are working on to support the member states, although there is no legal requirement for us to do so,” Uku Särekanno said in the interview.

Will the 29 EES countries be forced to use the app?

No, it is understood that Frontex will make the app available on a voluntary basis. Each government will then decide if, when and where to use it, and develop the front-end part based on its own needs.

This point emerged at a meeting of the House of Commons European scrutiny committee, which is carrying out an inquiry on how EES will impact the UK.

What data will be registered via the app?

The Local asked the European Commission about this. A spokesperson however, said the Commission was not “in a position to disclose further information at this stage” but that travellers’ personal data “will be processed in compliance with the high data security and data protection standards set by EU legislation.”

According to the blog by Matthias Monroy, editor of the German civil rights journal Bürgerrechte & Polizei/CILIP the Frontex app will collect passengers’ name, date of birth, passport number, planned destination and length of stay, reason for travelling, the amount of cash they carry, the availability of a credit card and of a travel health insurance. The app could also allow to take facial images. It will then generate a QR code that travellers can present at border control.

This, however, does not change the fact that fingerprints and facial images will have to be registered in front of a guard at the first crossing into the Schengen area.

So given the need to register finger prints and facial images with a border guard, the question is how and if the app will help avoid those border queues?

When is the app going to be available?

The answer to perhaps the most important question is still unclear.

The Commissions spokesperson told The Local that the app “will be made available for Schengen countries as from the Entry/Exit System start of operations.” The planned launch date is currently October 6th, but there have been several delays in the past and may be another one.

The UK parliamentary committee heard that the prototype of the app should have been ready for EU member states in spring. Guy Opperman, Under-Secretary of State at the UK Department for Transport, said the app will not be available for testing until August “at best” and that the app will not be ready in time for October. The committee previously stated that the app might even be delayed until summer 2025.

Frontex’s Särekanno said in his interview: “Our aim is to have it ready by the end of the summer, so it can then be gradually integrated into national systems starting from early autumn”.

READ ALSO: How do the EES passport checks affect the 90-day rule?

Can the system be launched if the app is not ready?

Yes. The European Commission told The Local that “the availability of the mobile application is not a condition for the Entry/Exit System entry into operation or functioning of the system. The app is only a tool for pre-registration of certain types of data and the system can operate without this pre-registration.”

In addition, “the integration of this app at national level is to be decided by each Schengen country on a voluntary basis – as there is no legal obligation to make use of the app.”

And the UK’s transport under secretary Guy Opperman sounded a note of caution saying the app “is not going to be a panacea to fix all problems”.

When the app will be in use, will it be mandatory for travellers?

There is no indication that the app will become mandatory for those non-EU travellers who need to register for EES. But there will probably be advantages in using it, such as getting access to faster lanes.

As a reminder, non-EU citizens who are resident in the EU are excluded from the EES, as are those with dual nationality for a country using EES. Irish nationals are also exempt even though Ireland will not be using EES because it is not in the Schengen area.

Has the app been tested anywhere yet?

Frontex says the prototype of the app will be tested at Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport, in Sweden. Matthias Monroy’s website said it was tested last year at Munich Airport in Germany, as well as in Bulgaria and Gibraltar.

According to the German Federal Police, the blog reports, passengers were satisfied and felt “prepared for border control”.

This article is published in cooperation with Europe Street News.

 
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