Renfe Ave International

[Jpr463]

I don't often post on this forum, but I need to travel from Narbonne to Barcelona in July. As predicted, the SNCF app is showing TGV tickets not on sale yet, but when I checked the Renfe app, I was quite stunned to see tickets for their AVE International service on sale, and indeed up to 31st October. Renfe seem to be notorious for putting tickets on sale late, so does anyone know why this might be? There were already a few seats taken on the train I looked at.
Also, given the choice, is there much difference in taking the AVE compared to the TGV (double decker aside)? Thanks.

 

[nwales58]

The Eur 29 basic fare looks incredibly cheap to me for that route, choosing seat, XL seat, cancelable adds to it of course.If it was me I'd book it now and pay to make it cancellable if necessary. Elige is 75% refundable up to 6 days beforehand, 95% refundable adds Eur 5.

It's conceivable that SNCF will enter into a price war with RENFE on what is currently a high yield route but I would be surprised, particularly in July and if after the 14th you're in the peak French holiday period.

Unless you particularly want duplex upstairs, AVE Elige fare + XL seat for Eur 41 (plus 5 for picking a seat etc) is good value.

RENFE now open booking for many months ahead but only on some routes. Madrid-Barcelona and Valencia are bookable to the start of December. Competition might have something to do with it.

On others it's still only 2 months or even weeks when they think they might change the stock with the ongoing Alvia->Avril fiasco.

 

[HS2isgood]

The Eur 29 basic fare looks incredibly cheap to me for that route, choosing seat, XL seat, cancelable adds to it of course.If it was me I'd book it now and pay to make it cancellable if necessary. Elige is 75% refundable up to 6 days beforehand, 95% refundable adds Eur 5.

It's conceivable that SNCF will enter into a price war with RENFE on what is currently a high yield route but I would be surprised, particularly in July and if after the 14th you're in the peak French holiday period.

Unless you particularly want duplex upstairs, AVE Elige fare + XL seat for Eur 41 (plus 5 for picking a seat etc) is good value.

RENFE now open booking for many months ahead but only on some routes. Madrid-Barcelona and Valencia are bookable to the start of December. Competition might have something to do with it.

On others it's still only 2 months or even weeks when they think they might change the stock with the ongoing Alvia->Avril fiasco.

That service is S-100 operated and I think the S-106s will be busy enough with French certification. Long-term it'll remain class 100, as the 106s will have to run Paris to Lyon, Barcelona, Marseille (via Lyon) and London (whenever they get to it, definitely not in the next 2 years). There's just 10 106/Avril units for use outside Spain, 5 are for internal AVLO service and 15 equipped with gauge changing.