I was invited to visit my brother and sister-in-law in Spain. I have made a commitemnt not to fly. So how to get there? By train of course!
The journey was more expensive and took much longer but reduced GHG emissions considerably.
CO2 Emissions:
- Flying: A one-way flight from London to Malaga typically emits around 180-250 kg of CO2 per passenger. A return trip would double this amount, bringing it to 360-500 kg.
- Train: Taking the train can reduce your emissions by a staggering 85-90%. A one-way trip emits around 20-30 kg of CO2 per passenger, with a return trip coming in at 40-60 kg.
The first downside is the cost. Flying is subsidised; public transport is not or at least not to the same degree.
For
the length of journey I made time is another negative. Shorter trips
may compare better when you factor in getting to and from the airport
and the extended check-in times.
Another way to think about it is as part of the holiday. I got to see Paris, Barcelona and Madrid, if only for short periods.
I
carried my clothes in a medium sized backpack. Some of the huge
suitcases I saw the last time I flew would be difficult to convey
between stations as was needed in Paris. So that would be a
consideration. As would transporting a bike. Fitz had a spare, or I
could have hired one.
The journey there and back turned into two mini holidays.
Eurostar to Paris, then TGV to Barcelona for an overnight stop, then one change in Madrid before arriving in Malaga. The return was the same in reverse.
It meant I had some time in Paris as I walked between stations, a morning and afternoon in Barcalona, and an hour in Madrid.
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| Gare du Nord |
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| Gare de Lyon |
Both are impressive looking buildings.
It took me 45 minutes to walk the 2.6 miles from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon. It was raining and it wasn't very picturesque. I could have wandered more but I wasn't sure how long it would take me.
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Place de la République |
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July Column |
The trains displayed info much like planes do. Showing where you are and velocity. Through England I travelled at around 144kph (89mph). Once into France this rose to 245kph (152mph) after Paris the speeds increased. On the double deck TVG it was 293kph (182mph).
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| double deck TVG |
The two trains in Spain both travelled at over 200kph (124mph) for much of the time.
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| high speed train in Spain |
On the way home the display proclaimed 298kph (185mph); very impressive.
What was less impressive is Barcelona station.
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| Barcelona sants |
Malaga station looked very similar.
Madrid could have been more appealing. I'm sure it will when the rebuild is complete.
It looks better inside.
The morning in Barcelona wasn't enough time to see much. Just the La Sagrada Familia.
It felt a little rushed. And before I knew it I had to catch my next train. Maybe I was tired, but the return leg was more stressful.
Madrid caused me some confusion; no problems as I headed south the previous weekend. I had trouble locating the correct platform, and which level it was on. I suppose it might have been that I only had 20 minutes to make the connection that had me panicked.
Also the Eurostar departure area in Gare du Nord is very small. When I got there it was full, and the passport control overly complicated. Two automatic gates that scan your travel docs and your face. Both didn't work for me at the first attempt. I eventually had to been seen by a real person.
Some lessons.
I used a travel agent to book the trains and hotel, maybe an extravagance. I could have done it all myself and saved some money, but it was quite complicated to get the timings right. I guess I could have had a simpler trip as my first go at international train travel, but I needed to get to southern Spain so that's what I did.
A backpack is best for train travel. It's so much easier to move around between trains if you don't have to drag a suitcase.
Label your luggage; I didn't think I need this because it was carry-on. But it's mandatory.
All Spanish trains require you to pass through luggage control; airport style x-ray machines. As did Eurostar. It takes time and should be factored in especially when you're transferring to other services.
Eurostar gates close 30 minutes before departure, or at least that's what they say. But on my way home they didn't open until 20 minutes before the train was due to leave.
On Eurostar you go through passport control twice during departure; firstly for the country you are leaving and then for the one to which you are headed. This worked more smoothly in St Pancras.
All seats have a power socket for charging devices. The Eurostar has one per two seats, the rest give each passenger their own. They aren't easy to use due to their location. Cafe's and restuarants rarely have accessible power. So I took a powerbank with me. It also meant that I could charge as I walked.
The train companies have apps to store your ticket, you can show an email or saved file using your phone. I had a paper version too, just in case of some device issuses. I couldn't get the Renfe one to work though.
I liked the ever changing view from the window; much better than clouds, or distant sea/landscapes.
There is a lot more legroom than on a plane.
I read sleeper trains are to be reintroduced. That would be excellent. It would cut journey times and cost.
By the time I got home I was tired. I think if I'd not changed trains so often I'd have felt better.
I'm not a coffee expert, but I was not impressed with any of the hot beverages I bought at station cafes. I'd suggest you find an independent establishment locally.
Vegan food was very hard to find generally, but at the station it was
harder. I did locate this "burger", I would call it a pasty. And it
wasn't too bad. The chain called Como had falafel wraps which were nice.
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| Malaga station coffee and food |
A short walk from Barecelona station was the Areca Bakery. Very nice coffee, but only sugary treats. There we others that servered sandwiches etc. They looked nice and were reasonably priced but contained animal products.
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| Areca Bakery Barcelona |
