The way I read it, €120 is for direct (and thus faster) M-B trains, so it depends on time, but I'm not sure what you meant by time.
Via libre mentions the 20% discount. It also calls the 60% discount for web purchase "tarifa promocional", does that not mean promotional pricing? (BTW, on the TGV Est, there was a similar promo price -- for first-class, making first-class cheaper than second-class for the lucky.) *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
so it must make stops and there are many choices for both, M-F. All, but one, trips on weekends seem to be the longer ones. It´s a price to make you think twice, but definitely worth avoiding the airport hassles and anxiety, to me. I hope they don´t start putting the same insecurity controls in train stations, although they already have the databases anyway; at least if you buy on the net/with plastic.
My trip in 2003? was maybe €48? for 9:30 hours in a bunk and it is now €50.50 for the same, while a seat is €38.10.
The 40-60% discounts are new Renfe policy for all long-distance trains, not just ave, with advance purchase and penalized ticket exchanges. The 20% on round trips has been the policy for several years.
Almost OT: Ave = bird (family) Averia = malfunction
When the Ave got to Seville for the 92 Expo, it was already commonly called ´averia´ and it should have been food for thought, but "No! we don´t believe in (pre)destiny... It will fly.", I heard as I was forced to take a flight back to Madrid that October. (; Maybe an ostrich (avestruz) would have been a better omen/logo. Our knowledge has surpassed our wisdom. -Charu Saxena.
