Hi,
I have a 6 day single country Spain interail ticket and I am planning to check out northern spain. I am flying into Barcelona, then a long train journey to Madrid, and after that id like to head north, ending up in Bilbao where i will be getting my flight home. Does anyone have any suggestions of routes, places to visit/avoid tips for traveling? in fact any advice at all. FYI i am a 50 yr old gay guy traveling alone. not done an interail trip before.
Best answer by ralderton
Once you're in Spain, the reservations get easier: if you can't do it online, you can always do it at a station. (Barcelona Sants is often very busy, try another station if you're near one)
I just asked copilot (AI) and it came up with what looks like a good route:
Here’s a suggested itinerary for your holiday in Northern Spain by train, starting in Barcelona and ending in Bilbao, with your first stop in Madrid. Since you have a 6-day Interrail train ticket, we’ll make sure to use those travel days wisely.
This itinerary allows you to make the most of your 6-day Interrail train ticket while exploring some of the most beautiful and culturally rich cities in Northern Spain. Enjoy your trip! 🚄✨
Is there anything specific you’d like to know more about or any adjustments you’d like to make to this plan?
+8It’s a way off your route, but I loved Seville, and of course Granada for the Alhambra. BTW, Barcelona to Madrid is not long at all - only 2.5-3 hours.
Sitges near Barcelona is a well-known gay-friendly resort, and hosts a massive Pride, if that’s your thing. I’ve never been though. There are some good LGBT and LGBT-friendly bars in the Eixemple neighbourhood of Barcelona, and Spain itself is pretty gay-friendly as far as I know.
Both Bilbao and San Sebastián-Donosti are great cities. There’s narrow-gauge railway that links the two (not included in the pass, but not expensive).
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Bear in mind most trains in Spain will require seat reservations. That makes a pass not as useful in Spain as it is in other countries. Details of reservation costs and how to make them on the Seat61 website.
https://www.seat61.com/interrail-and-eurail-reservations.htm#Spain
You’ll also need to leave a little time at stations to pass through security. It’s nothing like airport-style, but many long distance / high speed trains have luggage x-ray before boarding.
I don’t know if you have a first or second class pass - if first class, it’s well worth paying the extra for an inclusive meal on the AVEs.
Hi
Thanks for the great reply. I have been to Barcelona and Sitges a few times as well as malaga & torramolinos. I will probably explore more of southen Spain another time, but this time i want to explore the north a bit.
I know i had to get reservations, but the link you shared has helped me understand how this works, and that it is not as simple as i was hoping. Thanks for the advice about the security… i had no idea.
I am going second class, so no inclusive meal option for me..
Thanks again :-)
+8Once you're in Spain, the reservations get easier: if you can't do it online, you can always do it at a station. (Barcelona Sants is often very busy, try another station if you're near one)
This is too late as a reply for the original post, but… it does indicate the perils of using these AI tools, whose aim is plausibility rather than accuracy!
The itinerary looks excellent, BUT travelling from Oviedo to Santander by train takes about five hours, not 2-3 as it says here (and there are only two trains per day). There are coaches that take 2-3 hours, but they won’t take your Eurail/Interrail pass: the rail line is a slow but scenic local train. Likewise, 3-4 hours may be optimistic for Santander to San Sebastian.
The AI would probably have done a better job if the timetables for these lines on the northern Spanish coast were more visible, but RENFE seem to be actively trying to hide the information.
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