Train ticket mayhem

Barcelona Sants
Train Mayhem

Gone are the days of the carefree Eurail Pass. Even the Flexi pass, which may have been no great bargain when broken down to cost per day of travel, requires a reservation. I decided to get one, but too late to have it mailed at that point. Fine, Plan B is to buy the tickets as I need them. I have discovered that every arrangement I have made has taken careful checking and rechecking. It is very hard to be sure that I have all the necessary information. Something like Mr. Rumsfeld's "unknown unknowns" that are waiting out there to screw me up. Despite reading and rereading an excellent web article on the subject I have had a hard go of it.

In the case of the train from Barcelona to Nimes it has went like this. RailEurope, the website that US travelers are directed to does not tell you which of the five stations in Barcelona has the train departing to Nimes. It simply tells you it has no itinerary. I had to google somewhere else to find out where to change trains. Still doesn't work. You have to price each leg of the trip separately. Sometimes it still doesn't work. The German site does a great job of giving you itineraries with all the stops and changes, but does not show fares. The Spanish site does a poor job of international fares and cannot connect me to Nimes. The French site works, but requires a return date. To reserve online means printing something out…. very iffy proposition for me. Or using a kiosk like at the airport which requires a debit card. That might work, but sets up a whole new set of possible unknown unknowns. Maybe doesn't cut it. Best option seems to be to go to the station and buy that damn ticket.

So after getting to the new hostel I go to Barcelona Sants Station. Wait at the information line to get oriented correctly. The agent is very short with me and points me to an area where about a hundred people are waiting for tickets. Take a number and wait. On the other side are a few people waiting for service to buy tickets for same day departures. I decide to go ask over there. Maybe I should just come back tomorrow. But will it cost more? Is this one of many train lines that will not have my destination? The woman does not speak English and just shrugs. I go back to the Hostel, grab some pizza on the way, check in, finally get some sleep.

Back at the train station at 4. Where is the ticket machine? I ask. I push the button. Nothing. Someone shows me: Push this one first, then that one. I don't understand it but I get a take-your-number-and-wait ticket. Sit down, pull out the airbook and jot this all down.

Rule of thumb is that it hardly ever works right for me the first time. It may take 4 to 10 tries and asking for help, but if I allow time for the false starts I eventually find the way. End of story. I write out my itinerary and show it to the agent. I get the ticket, don't spend more than the pass and have peace of mind.