Train Web site charges more than double to book in English

Americans traveling abroad find it's a common practice: Locals are quoted prices that are cheaper than what tourists are charged. You'd think that the Web's transparency would have democratized prices somewhat, but you'd be wrong.

The Spanish national rail company, RENFE has been discovered to have two sets of prices: one for people booking in English, and one for those who use Spanish. The Web site Upgrade: Travel Better reports that booking the popular AVE high-speed rail line between Barcelona and Madrid costs €44 ($60) if it was done in Spanish (the "tarifa Web"), but if the user switches to the English version of the site, the price zooms to €110 ($150).

The reporter, Mark Ashley, noted that he was able to use his high school Spanish to buy the ticket and have it sent to his American address, so the Web site's discrimination isn't based on country of origin, IP address, or credit card issuer -- only his language.