In theory, tickets should go on sale 60 days ahead for all trains other than AVE trains which should open 90 days ahead. In practice, Renfe is a law unto itself and loads what it likes when it likes, in blocks of dates, sometimes as little as 30 days before departure and often loading some trains and not others.

Theoretically, Renfe, the national railway of Spain, releases tickets 62 days in advance for most long-distance and AVE (high-speed) routes. However, in practice, the release schedule can be quite high-fidelity and unpredictable. It is not uncommon for certain routes to only appear 30 days before departure, or conversely, for major corridors like Madrid to Barcelona to be available up to 90 or even 120 days in advance. These variations often occur due to scheduled maintenance or changes in the seasonal timetable that haven't been finalized in the system. For travelers in 2026, the best strategy is to start checking about two months out; if the tickets aren't there, they usually drop in "batches." With the rise of competition from private operators like Ouigo and Iryo, Renfe has become slightly more consistent with their releases to capture early bookings. It is highly recommended to book early for "Promo" fares, as prices for the AVE increase significantly as the departure date approaches, often doubling or tripling from the initial release price.