Part 2
London to Malaga
Why fly to Malaga when you can have an easy train ride – simply take an afternoon Eurostar to Paris, an overnight trainhotel from Paris to Madrid and then a high speed train through the scenic mountains from Madrid to Malaga. Checkout http://bahn.hafas.de or www.renfe.es for more details.
Travel times London to Malaga – from London to Madrid by Eurostar and the overnight trainhotel, as shown in the London to Madrid section above. After arriving at Madrid Chamartin station, take one of the frequent suburban trains to Madrid Atocha Station, taking 10-15 minutes. If you prefer, a taxi will cost 8-9 Euros.
Leave Madrid to Malaga by high-speed air-conditioned ‘Talgo 200′, leaving Madrid (Atocha station) at 12:30, calling at Bobadilla at 15:47 and arriving in Malaga at 16:46. This train travels at up to 125 mph through scenic mountains on a high speed line to Cordoba, then over conventional lines to reach Malaga.
Travel from Malaga to Madrid by high speed Talgo 200 train, leaving Malaga at 12:45, calling at Bobadilla at 13:35 and arriving in Madrid (Atocha station) at 17:09. Take a suburban train or taxi from Atocha to Chamartin station. If you prefer, a taxi will cost 8-9 Euros.
Buy tickets – online – You can book the London to Paris & Paris to Madrid parts of this journey online at either www.raileurope.co.uk or www.voyages-sncf.com, with the best fares and no booking fees – see the London to Madrid section. Tickets from Madrid to Malaga can then be booked online at www.renfe.es and picked up in Madrid up to an hour before departure. You’ll need to register – a tip – use ’123456′ if it won’t accept your UK postcode.
Buy tickets – by phone. You can book through a number of UK agencies, including Rail Europe on 0870 5 848 848 or Ffestiniog Travel on 01766 512400. There is also a Spanish Railways agency in London which can book trains to and within Spain telephone 020 7224 0345. Be advised that these will all charge a booking fee.
London to Tarragona, Salou, Valencia
Train times London to Valencia (using the trainhotel). Travel from London to Barcelona, using the ‘Joan Miro’ trenhotel, as shown in the London to Barcelona section above. The trainhotel arrives at Barcelona França station.
For Tarragona and Salou: Leave Barcelona França station at 09:19 by local train (2nd class only), arriving Tarragona 10:34 and Salou at 10:46.
For Valencia, take a local train from Barcelona França station (depart 09:19) to Barcelona Sants station (arriving 09:33). Then travel from Barcelona to Valencia by air-conditioned ‘Arco’ service leaving Barcelona Sants at 10:00 and arriving Valencia (Nord station) at 13:30.
Train times Valencia to London (using the trainhotel). From Salou & Tarragona: A local train (2nd class only) leaves Salou at 18:18 and Tarragona at 18:30 arriving Barcelona França at 19:53.
From Valencia: Daily except Saturdays, depart Valencia at 16:05 on a fast ‘EuroMed’ train arriving Barcelona Sants at 19:13, for a local connection to Barcelona França station. Alternatively, leave Valencia daily on an ‘Arco’ train at 15:05 arriving Barcelona Franca at 18:58. It is advisable to check train times at www.renfe.es.
Train times London to Valencia (option 2). Travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London (Waterloo) at 16:12 (15:11 on Saturdays) and arriving at Paris (Nord) at 19:47 (18:53 on Saturdays). Cross Paris by métro to the Gare d’Austerlitz. Travel from Paris to Portbou (on the Spanish frontier) by overnight train, leaving Paris (Gare d’Austerlitz) at 21:56 and arriving Portbou at 08:21 next morning. This train has reclining seats, 6-berth 2nd class couchettes & 1st class 4-berth couchettes. Reclining seats are not recommended for overnight travel.
Travel from Portbou direct to Valencia on the ‘Mare Nostrum’, leaving Portbou at 09:52 and going direct to Tarragona at 12:49, Salou 13:05, and arriving at Valencia at 15:15. The ‘Mare Nostrum’ is an air-conditioned articulated ‘Talgo’ train with a restaurant car.
Train times Valencia to London (option 2). Travel from Valencia and Tarragona to Barcelona on the ‘Mare Nostrum’ air-conditioned Talgo train, leaving Valencia at 13:08, Salou 15:18, Tarragona at 15:32, Barcelona Sants at 16:37 and arriving at Cerebère (on the French side of the frontier) at 19:02. Travel from Cerebère to Paris by overnight train, leaving Cerebère at 21:22 arriving Paris (Gare d’Austerlitz) at 07:27. 1st and 2nd class couchettes and 2nd class reclining seats are available. Reclining seats are not recommended for overnight travel.
Travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris (Gare du Nord) at 10:19 and arriving London at 11:54.
Buy tickets – online. If you go for the trainhotel option, you can book the London to Paris & Paris to Barcelona parts of this journey online at either www.raileurope.co.uk or www.voyages-sncf.com, with the best fares and no booking fees – see the London to Barcelona section. Tickets from Barcelona to Valencia can then be bought online at www.renfe.es, and picked up in Barcelona up to an hour before departure. You’ll need to register – use ’123456′ if the system won’t accept your UK postcode.
Buy tickets – by phone. You can book through a number of UK agencies, including Rail Europe on 0870 5 848 848 or Ffestiniog Travel on 01766 512400. There is also a Spanish Railways agency in London which can book trains to and within Spain telephone 020 7224 0345. Be aware booking fees will apply.
London to Alicante & Benidorm
An afternoon Eurostar to Paris, the excellent overnight ‘trainhotel’ from Paris to Barcelona, then a connecting high-speed ‘EuroMed’ train from Barcelona gets you to Alicante.
Train times London to Alicante (using the trainhotel). Travel from London to Barcelona by Eurostar and trainhotel as shown in the London to Barcelona section. The trainhotel arrives at Barcelona França station. Hop on a local train from Barcelona França station (depart 09:19) to Barcelona Sants station (arriving 09:33).
Travel from Barcelona (Sants station) to Alicante by air-conditioned ‘EuroMed’ train, leaving Barcelona at 11:00 and arriving in Alicante at 15:40. ‘EuroMed’ trains are based on the French TGV, but built to Spanish track gauge and designed to run at up to 130 mph on conventional lines.
Train times Alicante to London (using the trainhotel). Leave Alicante at 14:20 on a ‘EuroMed’ train, arriving Barcelona Sants at 19:13. On Saturdays, you leave Alicante at 11:09 on the ‘Talgo’ train ‘Mare Nostrum’, arriving in Barcelona Sants at 16:37. Hop on a local train from Barcelona Sants to Barcelona França. Travel from Barcelona (França station) to London by trainhotel and Eurostar – train times are shown in the London to Barcelona section above.
Train times London to Alicante (option 2). Travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London (Waterloo) at 16:11 and arriving at Paris Nord at 19:47. Cross Paris by métro to the Gare d’Austerlitz. Travel overnight from Paris to the Spanish border at Portbou leaving Paris (Gare d’Austerlitz) at 21:56 and arriving Portbou at 08:21 next morning. This train has reclining seats, 2nd class 6-berth couchettes & 1st class 4-berth couchettes. Reclining seats are not recommended for overnight travel.
Travel from Portbou direct to Alicante on the ‘Mare Nostrum’, leaving Portbou at 09:52 and arriving at Alicante at 17:24. The ‘Mare Nostrum’ is an air-conditioned articulated ‘Talgo’ train with a restaurant car.
Train times Alicante to London (option 2). Travel from Alicante to Cerebère on the French frontier aboard the ‘Mare Nostrum’ Talgo train, leaving Alicante at 11:09 and arriving at the French side of the border Cerebère at 19:02. Travel from Cerebère to Paris by overnight train, leaving Cerebère at 21:22 and arriving Paris (Gare d’Austerlitz) at 07:27. This train has 1st class 4-berth couchettes, 2nd class 6-berth couchettes and 2nd class reclining seats. reclining seats are not recommended for overnight travel. Travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris (Gare du Nord) at 10:19 and arriving London at 11:55.
Benidorm
Benidorm is linked with Alicante (La Marina station, just outside Alicante mainline station) every hour or so, journey time 1 hour 8 minutes. Arriving in Alicante (mainline station) from Barcelona or Port Bou, walk to La Marina station for trains to Benidorm. Alternatively, buses are also available from just outside Alicante station to Benidorm.
Buy tickets – online. You can book the London-Paris & Paris-Barcelona parts of this journey online at either www.raileurope.co.uk or www.voyages-sncf.com, with the best fares and no booking fees – see the London to Barcelona section. Tickets from Barcelona to Alicante can then be booked online at www.renfe.es, and picked up in Barcelona up to an hour before departure. You’ll need to register – use ’123456′ if the system won’t accept your UK postcode.
Buy tickets – by phone. You can book through a number of UK agencies, including Rail Europe on 0870 5 848 848 or Ffestiniog Travel on 01766 512400. There is also a Spanish Railways agency in London which can book trains to and within Spain telephone 020 7224 0345. All these agencies will charge a booking fee.
London to San Sebastian, Pamplona, Zaragoza
Outward train times. Travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London (Waterloo) at 17:09 and arriving at Paris (Nord) at 20:59. Cross Paris by métro to the Gare d’Austerlitz. Travel overnight from Paris to Irun on the Spanish border, leaving Paris Austerlitz at 23:14 and arriving Irun at 07:32 next morning. This train has 1st class 4-berth couchettes, 2nd class 6-berth couchettes and reclining seats.
For San Sebastian, leave Irun at 08:45 arriving San Sebastian-Donostia at 09:02. Local trains run from Irun to San Sebastian-Donostia every 30 minutes. There is also a narrow gauge service run by EuskoTren every 30 minutes between Hendaye (SNCF station), Irun Colon station and San Sebastian (Amara station).
For Pamplona and Zaragoza, leave Irun at 10:30 on an air-conditioned articulated ‘Talgo’ train arriving Pamplona at 12:31 and Zaragoza at 14:45.
Outward train times – London to San Sebastian in a day. Travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London Waterloo at 10:39 and arriving Paris (Gare du Nord) at 14:17. Cross Paris by métro to the Gare Montparnasse. Travel from Paris to Hendaye on the Spanish frontier by high-speed TGV, leaving Paris Montparnasse at 15:50 and arriving Hendaye at 21:22. A narrow gauge train run by EuskoTren leaves Hendaye at 21:33 arriving San Sebastian (Amara) about 37 minutes later. These run every 30 minutes until about 23:00.
Return train times. An air-conditioned ‘Talgo’ train leaves Zaragoza at 16:48 and Pamplona at 18:42, arriving at Hendaye on the French frontier at 21:16. From San Sebastian, there’s a narrow gauge train service run by EuskoTren every 30 minutes from Sebastian (Amara station) to Hendaye SNCF station. Its a short journey time 37 minutes, but ensure you allow plenty of time for the connection at Hendaye. Travel overnight from Hendaye to Paris, leaving Hendaye at 22:37 and arriving Paris (Gare d’Austerlitz) at 07:10. 1st class (4-bunk) and 2nd class (6-bunk) couchettes are available. Then from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris (Gare du Nord) at 09:10 and arriving in London at 10:58.
Return train times – San Sebastian to London in a day. From San Sebastian, there’s a narrow gauge train service run by EuskoTren every 30 minutes from Sebastian (Amara station) to Hendaye SNCF station. Journey time 37 minutes, but allow plenty of time for the connection at Hendaye. Travel from Hendaye to Paris by high-speed TGV, leaving Hendaye daily at 10:27 and arriving Paris (Gare Montparnasse) at 15:55. Cross Paris by métro to the Gare du Nord. Then from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Nord at 18:16 and arriving in London at 19:58.
London to Segovia, Toledo & Salamanca
Hop on a Eurostar to Paris and the ‘trainhotel’ overnight to Madrid, as shown in the London to Madrid section. Then normal train services link Madrid with Segovia and Toledo, and a slightly less regular one links Madrid with Salamanca. See www.renfe.es for train times and fares.
London to Ibiza, Minorca, Majorca
From London to Ibiza, Majorca or Minorca – just hop on an afternoon Eurostar to Paris, the overnight ‘trainhotel’ from Paris to Barcelona, then either a daytime fast ferry or an overnight ship from Barcelona to the islands. See the London to Barcelona section above for train times and fares from London to Barcelona, then see the ferry information below:
Barcelona to Palma (Majorca). There’s a regular fast catamaran from Barcelona to Palma de Majorca – taking 3 hours 45 minutes. Typically, leave Barcelona at 16:00 and arrive in Palma. Check out www.Trasmediterranea.es or call Acciona Trasmediterranea’s UK agent, Southern Ferries on 020 7491 4968 for details.
Alternatively, spend a day in Barcelona, then take the overnight ship to Palma de Majorca. The crossing takes 8 hours, and comfortable cabins are available. see www.Trasmediterranea.es or call Acciona Trasmediterranea’s UK agent, Southern Ferries on 020 7491 4968 for details.
Barcelona to Ibiza. An overnight ship sails to Ibiza on most nights of the week, either at 20:30 or 23:30, arriving either 06:30 or 08:30. See www.Trasmediterranea.es or call Acciona Trasmediterranea’s UK agent, Southern Ferries on 020 7491 4968 for details.
Buy tickets. Book the rail journey (including Eurostar) with Rail Europe or any European rail agent. Book the ship through Acciona Trasmediterranea’s UK agent, Southern Ferries on 020 7491 4968.
London to Las Palmas & Tenerife
A weekly ship of the Trasmediterranea Line links Cadiz in Spain with Las Palmas and Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Travel from London to Madrid by train – fares and times for this journey are shown above. Take a suburban train from Madrid Chamartin to Madrid Atocha station. From Madrid (Atocha station) take high-speed AVE to Seville, leaving at 11:00 and arriving at 13:25. A connection for Cadiz leaves at 13:58 and arrives at 15:44.
The ship to the Canaries sails from Cadiz every Tuesday at 19:00, arriving Las Palmas at 09:00 on Thursday, and Tenerife at 14:00 on Thursday. Check times & fares at www.trasmediterranea.es. Returning, the ship sails from Tenerife every Saturday at 09:00, leaving Las Palmas at 14:30 and arriving in Cadiz at 10:45 on Monday.
It is just about possible to reach Madrid in time for the trainhotel to Paris, but it it’s recommended that you allow an extra day. Leave Cadiz at 13:00 on a local train to Seville, arriving 14:44. Leave Seville at 15:00 on high-speed ‘AVE’, arriving Madrid at 17:30. AVEs are extremely punctual, so you should have plenty of time in Madrid to take the suburban train to Chamartin station to catch the trainhotel back to Paris and the Eurostar back to London.
Fares from Cadiz to Las Palmas / Tenerife
Buy tickets. Book the rail journey (including Eurostar) with Rail Europe or any European rail agent. Book the ship through Trasmediterranea’s UK agent, Southern Ferries on 020 7491 4968.
London to Spain by ferry
There are three ferry companies which sail year round direct to Spain. These ferries have more in common with luxury liners than Channel ferries. They all have cabins, restaurants, cinemas, open sun decks, shops and bars.
Portsmouth – Bilbao with P&O ferries. P&O’s ‘Pride of Bilbao’ sails from Portsmouth to Bilbao once a week in winter, twice a week at other times, taking 35 hours (two nights and a day). Normally, departure from Portsmouth is at 20:00 on Tuesdays and Saturdays and arrival at Bilbao is at 08:00 two nights later. Returning, the ship normally sails from Bilbao at 12:30 on Mondays and Thursdays, arriving Portsmouth at about 16:30 the next day. To check sailing days, fares and online booking visit www.poferries.com.
The ship has a full range of cabins, deluxe ‘Club’ cabins, restaurants, bars, cinemas, nightclub. When crossing the Bay of Biscay you will probably see whales and dolphins and the Pride of Bilbao even has a wildlife officer to help you spot them. Leave London (Waterloo) on Eurostar, at around 16:00 to connect with plenty of time to spare, taking a train to Portsmouth & Southsea station then a taxi or bus to the Continental Ferry Port – you can check UK trains times and fares at www.nationalrail.co.uk. In Bilbao the ship docks at Santurtzi, 13km north west of Bilbao city centre. The ferry terminal is a short distance from Santurtzi railway station, from where there are suburban trains every few minutes into the centre of Bilbao (Bilbao Abando station) taking 21-23 minutes and costing about 1.50 Euro. There is plenty of time for you to visit Bilbao’s famous Guggenheim Museum before taking the afternoon air-conditioned Talgo train from Bilbao Abando station to Madrid, which leaves at 16:30 and arrives in Madrid at 22:22 – see www.renfe.es for times, fares and online booking.
Portsmouth – Bilbao with Acciona Trasmediterranea. A promising newcomer is the Spanish ferry operator Acciona Trasmediterranea, starting regular sailings Portsmouth-Bilbao in May 2006. For fares, times, and online booking, see www.atferries.com.
Plymouth – Santander with Brittany Ferries. Brittany Ferries excellent ferries leave from Plymouth to Santander in Northern Spain, once or twice each week from mid-March to mid-September. From Santander there are daily trains to Madrid and beyond. With a new, fast ship recently built for this route, the voyage now takes 18 hours, with departures usually either 12:30 or 16:00. Its recommended to arrive into Plymouth the night before (or use the London-Plymouth sleeper) for a 12:30 sailing. Visit www.Brittany-Ferries.co.uk for fares and sailing dates.
The Thomas Cook European Timetable
The Thomas Cook European timetable has train, bus and ferry times for every country in Europe, plus currency and climate information. It’s essential for any independent traveller. You can buy online here on this website.
Recommended guidebooks
To get the best out of travelling to Spain, it’s highly recommended to have a good guidebook. For the independent traveller I’d recommend either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide.
Hotels & hostels in Spain
Hotels & guesthouses. To find a hotel in Madrid, Barcelona or anywhere else in Spain, see www.venere.com. The site offers reasonable rates and the price you see is what you pay – no extra charges such as taxes or surcharges. Alternatively check on the internet for hotel deals.
Backpacker hostels. A private room or dorm bed in a backpacker hostel is a much cheaper option than a hotel if you’re on a tight budget. For backpacker hostels in most cities at rock bottom prices check out www.hostelbookers.com.
Great Rail Journeys escorted tours from the UK to Spain. If want to go on holiday to Spain by train, but would rather do this as part of an organised escorted tour with other travellers and a guide, there is a well-known UK-based company called Great Rail Journeys which offers upmarket rail-based holidays to Spain, including a tour to Barcelona, Madrid and Seville with travel from London by train. Great Rail Journeys also offer rail-based holidays to other European countries. Call 0845 402 2068 to book or to get advice and assistance.
Country information
The main train operator in Spain is RENFE and train times, fares and online booking and can be found at RENFE’s UK agent for train bookings to and around Spain at www.spanish-rail.co.uk
For local trains around Bilbao, San Sebastian, French frontier visit www.euskotren.es. For narrow gauge trains in northern Spain: www.feve.es.
For all European train times visit http://bahn.hafas.de. The trainhotel website is www.elipsos.com. For Eurostar times & fares visit www.eurostar.com.
Paris bus & metro map: www.ratp.fr (select ‘plans’). Madrid metro: www.metromadrid.es
For Spanish tourist information visit www.okspain.org
About the Author
Publishing pro and established author/filmmaker Barry Sheppard has written and published many books with hundreds of reviews in newspapers, TV and radio and has written over 140 articles on train travel. He is now concentrating on writing eBooks/articles on writing, video, publishing and starting his own television station.
He also runs the website www.traintraveller.com
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