Our attempt at purchasing Zaragoza train tickets could have gone a bit smoother…
We woke at 5am on our last day in San Sebastian… Our ultra-tight living quarters and total lack of internet quality were making the stay in the beautiful city less than comfortable, so we packed and headed to the Renfe, hoping to catch the 7:30 to Zaragoza.
The Train Station
It was still dark when we arrived around 6:45. A few people milled around, no-one yet occupying the tiny train station’s ticket window… Early on, we purchased the Renfe Spain Pass, allowing six trips within one month… Highly recommended, by the way, for anyone traveling through Spain. Regardless of the posted ticket price or distance, high-speed or not, if there’s a seat available, it’s yours. We picked Zaragoza as our next stop, but if we missed the early departure, the next train wasn’t until 6 pm. Unfortunately, a kiosk cannot be used to print a Spain Pass ticket, so we nervously waited.
At 7 am sharp, the ticket window light flipped on, and it looked like we were good to go… As always, I started: “Buenos Dias, do you speak English?” “No.” OK, no problem, I’ve got this: “Dos billetes por la proximo tren a Zaragosa con la Spain Pass, por favor?” Good enough, I guess, the ticket clerk asked for our passes… He pounded a few keys, then a few more, and grimaced at the computer screen… “One ticket”, he said in English… “No, dos, por favor?” “Solo uno”, he responded… I looked at Krissy, and knowing exactly what he meant, a tear crept into the corner of her eye…
What to do?
Well, that throws a wrench into things… We had already checked out of the apartment, locking the keys inside, and faced a 90-degree day in San Sebastian with all of our luggage… At this point, we still had a couple of options: The 6pm train was still available, a trip of just 2.5 hours, or we could opt for a four-hour bus ride, which left in an hour… Although the bus tickets were significantly more compared to the pre-paid Spain Pass, we chose the less painful route and grabbed a cab to the bus station…
The taxi dropped us at the Pio XII Square station, and we began searching for a ticket window. A half hour before finally asking for help, we were directed to a ticket office down the street. At this point, it sounds like I’m complaining, but with no structure on site for ticket sales, no restrooms or convenience store for refreshments, San Sebastian should seriously consider upgrading the bus facility… The current station is basically a parking lot on the top of a garage, with hundreds of people waiting for their buses. (UPDATE: San Sebastian must have heard us loud and clear, because this station is now closed, replaced with a brand new Atotxa Station featuring: “21 bays, a café where you can wait for your bus and a left luggage office with 66 lockers where you can leave your belongings.”)
On to Zaragoza!
Anyway, we successfully purchased tickets and headed back to the parking lot, fingers crossed that we were in the right line… The departure time came and went, but just as we were giving up, our bus rolled in… Whew! All backroads, rarely a highway in sight, ten stops and five hours later we made it to Zaragoza.
By the time we reached Zaragoza, we were completely traveled out… In the space of 7 days, this was our fourth Spanish city, and we needed some time to recharge… We totally underestimated the energy and time needed to travel and explore while trying to document everything on the move… Thankfully our apartment for the next few days was absolutely palatial compared to our 10×10 digs in San Sebastian… Nine hundred square feet, seven rooms, tri-fold windows over flowering trees and next door to a monastery with singing voices like clockwork three times a day… Yes, yes this will do. Hello Zaragoza!