Locate a ticket station. Tickets are available online on the RENFE web site. Additionally, tickets are available through the large orange vending kiosks that stand in front of the turnstiles of RENFE stations.
Select departure and destination. On the kiosks, these are entered by pressing a button next to the town or city name. Online, they are entered in text boxes. The RENFE system offers numerous stations along the Costa Brava: one common trip is from Girona in the north to Barcelona or Tarragona further south. Incidentally, a traveler can also go down into Valencia with a destination at Alicante, or on to Murcia. This coastal route is perfect for viewing the Costa Brava and other segments of Spain's Mediterranean shore.
Choose Grandes Lineas or Regionales. The Regionales system is more localized and usually has a great frequency of trips on any given day. Look for the most direct route on a RENFE map or online. Consider which of these separate RENFE services you are going to use. If you will be traveling between non-adjacent cities, it is probably best to use the Grandes Lineas.
Consider booking. The Grandes Lineas, which are the long-distance trains, must be booked in advance. Regionales, on the other hand, cannot be booked in advance, and sometimes get pretty full. Keep this in mind if you will be using the Regionales, and get to the station early to get a seat.
Use your ticket to enter the turnstile. Keep the ticket with you as train conductors will check while en route. Follow directions to your platform as printed on the ticket and board directly as the train arrives.
