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Spain by train: any recommendations?

teuchter

je suis teuchter
I'm thinking of going to Spain for a couple of weeks in the near future.

My preferred method of travel, as ever, is by rail. I'll be going there via France, stopping off in Madrid for a bit, and maybe heading down to the South coast somewhere.

On a previous trip I did the journey all along the FEVE line on the North coast from Bilbao to El Ferrol, then down through Portugal to Cadiz and then Cordoba, Seville, Valencia and Barcelona.

I'm wondering if anyone can recommend any particular rail journeys/lines, especially in the inland parts of the country as that is the bit I haven't really explored before.

I particularly like rattling along obscure branch lines on antiquated trains, although it's getting harder to find such journeys in Europe now. I have a feeling that there's not much left in Spain - I seem to remember from before that the surviving network mainly consists of long distance lines.

Alternatively, any long-distance routes that are interesting in one way or the other.

Anyway if anyone has any recommendations, I would be most grateful.
 
Can't help you with Spain as I have only tried the High Speed/Intercity lines but if you are in Andalucia, getting the 35 min ferry from Tarifa to Tangiers can open some possibilities.

The overnight train from Tangiers to Marrakech rocks.
 
I had a pretty similar trip completely planned for this summer! Unfortunately, It fell through.

I was going to fly into Santiago de Compestela, and travel through all northern Spain, A Coruna - Santandar - Bilbao. Apparently this is a very green and scenic route, no real major train lines, and they seemed to meander all over the place. This would have been the favorite part of my trip, as I am fascinated by the Basques/Galicians (I am writing my dissertation on Basque regional government) and Asturias and Cantabria just looked beautiful.

We would have then traveled to Barcelona, explored Catalunya a bit (especially Girona, as my girlfriend studied religions and theology and Girona has one of the best preserved old towns/jewish areas in the world).

From there, onto Madrid, to do all the museums and nightlife and everything.

Then onto the south, to see all the Moorish stuff, Seville, Granada, all those places. Then we were going to sail over to Morocco, and fly back from Marrakesh.

There was a few little things planned for inbetween all this, but I cant remember them now!

Had it all planned, had all the money and everything we needed, then about a month before we broke up.

Anyway I am interested as to what others suggest on this thread!

*joins thread*
 
Dillinger4 said:
Had it all planned, had all the money and everything we needed, then about a month before we broke up.

don't be scared just to go on your own...

Travelling by yourself has lots of advantages. No arguments, complete freedom and you're much more likely to meet and talk to other people.

I did the trip through Asturias and Galicia before ... very nice. Probably best to do in the summer though because the climate there isn't so different from the UK (hence the greenness compared to the rest of spain)
 
Time, work, money, and at the end of the month I start a night course.... maybe easter/just after.
 
www.seat61.com has some good tips.

On a personal experience, about 3 years ago I travelled from Madrid to Granada and they still used the classic Talgos on the route:

talgo-1.gif


It only does about 120 kph but it is a great, relaxed journey and the cars are extremely comfortable. For something built in the 1960s the level of comfort, seat pitch etc put most of our trains to shame. They even show movies and distribute earphones like on an airplane.
 
T & P said:
www.seat61.com has some good tips.

On a personal experience, about 3 years ago I travelled from Madrid to Granada and they still used the classic Talgos on the route:

talgo-1.gif


It only does about 120 kph but it is a great, relaxed journey and the cars are extremely comfortable. For something built in the 1960s the level of comfort, seat pitch etc put most of our trains to shame. They even show movies and distribute earphones like on an airplane.

Cheers. I know about seat61, very good website. The guy should get a knighthood or something.

I went on one of those classic Talgos last time as well. Like you say a very relaxing way to travel.
 
Even the excellent Catalonian railway to Monserrat from Barcelona is a brillian day out with a funcular ride at the end .

Port Bou - Barcelona is a good trip too - especially from France via the Petit Train Jaune from Villefranche. (narrow guage SNCF)
 
I keep meaning to take the train up to Canfranc, which ought to be spectacular, even though, apparently, they're busy ruining the great old station there by ripping out the interior. I can't find a decent picture of the train passing Los Mallos de Riglos but it's pretty spectacular.
 
davesgcr said:
Even the excellent Catalonian railway to Monserrat from Barcelona is a brillian day out with a funcular ride at the end .

Port Bou - Barcelona is a good trip too - especially from France via the Petit Train Jaune from Villefranche. (narrow guage SNCF)

Did both of those trips last time actually (except for the narrow gauge SNCF bit).
 
Donna Ferentes said:
I keep meaning to take the train up to Canfranc, which ought to be spectacular, even though, apparently, they're busy ruining the great old station there by ripping out the interior. I can't find a decent picture of the train passing Los Mallos de Riglos but it's pretty spectacular.

That looks quite interesting. Especially that big old station. Doesn't look like that line reaches the border - otherwise it might be an interesting way to cross over from France. I might see if I can find out if there's an easy bus connection from the nearest SNCF station on the other side.
 
Donna Ferentes said:
I think the actual problem is that France and Spain have different gauges so you can't run a train across!

There is that.

But actually they can and they do - there are various locations in Spain where they can change the gauge of the train on the run, as it were. I think it happens at Portbou amongst other places.
 
Donna Ferentes said:
I think the actual problem is that France and Spain have different gauges so you can't run a train across!

So the point of having a huge station was to entertain the passengers while they swapped wheels, or moved them along the axles, or whatever they were doing on that line?

Trains - or at least carriages - run from Berlin to Moscow, after all...
 
laptop said:
So the point of having a huge station was to entertain the passengers while they swapped wheels, or moved them along the axles, or whatever they were doing on that line?
I think it may have been a station-cum-hotel.
 
Not exactly, no. Probably turning it into a shopping arcade or something while ripping out all the old stuff in the process.

Incidentally, if anybody finds references to Canfranc Estación confusing, it may be because they don't necessarily refer to the station itself, but to the place, which is just on from Canfranc proper.
 
T & P said:

good website.

Seems to confirm that the building is indeed being redeveloped (hotel?) which is maybe good in the sense that it will have a new life, but makes it a little less appealing for fans of ruined buildings such as me...

There is a comment there that the old railway tunnel is used as a prticle physics laboratory by Zaragoza University...!
 
Travelled from Almeria to Seville yesterday. The sections from north of Almeria to Guadix, Guadix to Granada and Granada to Antequera are all pretty special- desert, mountains, olives, abandoned villages, crumbling old stations.
I wanted to get out the train every few minutes with my camera and an oversized umbrella.
 
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