Buying a Eurail pass can be both a blessing and a curse.
- It's a blessing because you get to go anywhere you want, whenever you want.
- It's a curse for the same reason.
On a recent trip to Europe, I purchased a 22-day global Eurail pass and knowing I could go anywhere in Europe, I did. I was technically only on the ground in Europe a total of 19 days (the 22-day pass was still the most economical), but in those 19 days, I traveled to 13 countries and countless dozens of cities within those countries. While I did take some discount flights and rented a car twice, the bulk of my journeys were via train.
Always up for an Adventure
Towards the end of my trip, I wanted to bask in some warm sunshine (after being in snow and ice for 2 weeks), so I went to Spain. While there, I rented a car and went to Andorra for a day, because, yes, I am crossing countries off my list. Then, I used my Eurail pass to scoot across Spain from Barcelona to Madrid, where I already had plans to visit the Christmas market, eat tapas, and stay in one of my favorite hostels in Europe.
However, when I was making my plans for my Barcelona-to-Madrid travel day, I considered a creative option. On my last trip to Spain, I really wanted to go to Seville, but I was coming down with a cold, so I stayed an extra day in Madrid to recoup instead.
I'm all about using my time wisely when I travel, so I decided that I really didn't need an extra day in Madrid on this Christmas market trip. All I really needed was an evening (since that's when the Christmas markets are best anyway). In all reality, I could go to Seville if I left early enough from Barcelona.
But, should I?
If you've followed me for any length of time (or read the name of my website), you'll likely guess my answer to that question.
I one-hundred-percent should go to Seville.
And so, I did!
Departing at the Crack of Dawn
I woke up at the crack of dawn at my hostel in Barcelona and headed for the nearest subway stop. For some reason, Barcelona's subway setup is a little confusing to me, and at this time of morning (just before 5:00), there were few people to ask for assistance. Fortunately (otherwise, I'd still be standing there), after a few failed attempts, I finally figured out how to get to the correct platform and made my way to the central station.
As an FYI, all high-speed trains in Spain require a security check (you must put your bag through an X-ray machine, but your person doesn't have to go through a metal detector, which I thought was a little odd). Consequently, you always have to plan on a little extra time in order to get through those lines before your train departs. This is the only place in Europe I have encountered this, except for the Eurostar that travels through the Chunnel. Most likely, the Spanish precautions are due to the 2004 Madrid bombings.
Dashing from Barcelona to Madrid
My Barcelona-Madrid train left promptly and the ride for the first part was through the pre-dawn darkness. Once the sun rose, though, the ride was filled with familiar scenery as I had already taken this route—just in the opposite direction—on a previous trip to Spain.
I had a first-class Eurail pass, which meant I got first-class seats on my Renfe train. I was a little jealous of the people who had their breakfasts brought to their seats and wondered what they did special to get that service. Come to find out, it's something you have to arrange and pay for in advance, and you're only eligible if you've paid for an Elige or Elige Confort ticket. I have no idea what that means in terms of Eurail passes (if they even count for such advantages), But you can check out this page on Renfe's official website for more information.
Madrid's Central Station
Upon arrival in Madrid, I hurried off the train and made my way into the Renfe ticket office. The evening before in Barcelona, I had tried to pay for my seat reservations in person at the Barcelona Central Station, but the wait time was totally ridiculous at about two hours. So, I opted to purchase them online for a small fee (via the Eurail app) and then had them printed at my hostel. Obviously, that wasn't an option today since I had no access to a printer, so I had already decided that if the lines were too long, I would just scrap my Seville plan and do something in Madrid instead.
I was happy to see that there wasn't any line at the Renfe ticket office. I picked up my "number" from the computerized machine, selected the option that I wanted to travel that day, and shortly after my number was printed, I was surprisingly called up to the counter. I explained to the attendant that I had a Eurail pass and needed to pay for a seat reservation for the 10:00 train to Seville and the 16:00 train from Seville to Madrid.
When she queried, "You want to return today? At 16:00?" with a doubtful look on her face, I knew right then and there that this idea was likely a poor one. However, I was now committed to the adventure and answered in the affirmative, paid my seat reservation fare, and took my printed tickets to go wait for my train.
Soaring Through the Orange Groves
My plan actually wouldn't have been TOO bad if the train from Madrid to Seville actually would have left on time.
But it didn't.
It was at least 30 minutes delayed and every second the train sat there waiting on the tracks, I knew it was even less time that I had in Seville.
When we finally departed, I got right to work. As I watched the sea of orange groves zip past my window, I quickly conducted Google searches to find out the most important things to see in Seville. Google gave me such suggestions as the Cathedral and the Royal Alcazar. Plus, I read that there were narrow, cobbled streets with colorful houses in the Jewish quarter that I thought looked interesting. Usually, Google gives me great advice, but not today. In her list of Seville's top sights, she totally left off the MOST important one, the Plaza de España! I didn't realize at the time that there was this inconsistency in Google's recommendations, but after this trip, when I've told others that I didn't see this sight, their response is always the same, "Uh, yeah, that's the most important thing for you to have seen in Seville!"
During my two hours on the high-speed train, not only did I have to figure out WHAT to see in a city I had never been before, but I also had to figure out HOW to get from the train station to the center of Seville. And quickly. Since the train had been delayed, I would only have 1.5 hours max to get into Seville, see the sights, and make it back to the train station to catch my train. That left absolutely zero room for error. If any of this was going to work, I had to quickly find my bus stop, get on the right bus, and get off and then back on at the right spots. I knew it was ridiculous—I mean, who only has 1.5 hours to explore in the beautiful city of Seville? But that's all I had. So, I just had to make the best of it.
Hitting the Ground Running
As soon as the train pulled into the station, I bolted off towards the bus stops that Google directions said were right outside the station. The first bus I tried to get on, the man said that he did not go in the direction I needed to go (ugh, Google). So, he pointed me to another stop and gave me the correct bus number that would go directly to Seville center.
I scurried across a parking lot towards the bus stop that was located along a busy street. The bus pulled up shortly after my arrival and I verified with the driver that he was going to the Royal Alcazar (I showed him the location on my phone in case English was an issue). He said yes it was and gave instructions (thankfully in English) on what stop I needed to get off on.
I paid my fare and an old man sitting near the front of the bus motioned for me to sit across from him. In his limited English, he indicated that he would show me where to get off. And indeed he did. About 10 minutes later, I was off the bus and making my way into the center of Seville towards the Royal Alcazar. Because after all, because of Google, I thought that was THE most important thing to see in the city.
As I scanned the main city square, I heard some other Americans asking a question at the Cathedral, so I stopped them and asked them for advice. "Do I need tickets to the Royal Alcazar and the Cathedral, and if so, how do I get them?" These friendly Seattleites kindly showed me the official website to purchase tickets and laughed with me when I admitted I now only had a little over an 1 hour to get all this in!
Is this the Royal Alcatraz?
Let's be honest, when you're in a rush and under a tight deadline, you can start to feel a little frazzled.
That's exactly how I felt, when I walked up to the guard in front of the royal palace and asked, "Is this the Royal Alcatraz?"
I knew that wasn't right as soon as those words tumbled out of my mouth.
But that's what came out, so all I could do was laugh it off when the guy gave me the "Are you kidding me, American?" look. He smiled at my apologies when I explained, "I know I'm not in San Francisco, obviously, but is this the entrance to the palace?" He acknowledged that yes, indeed it was, so in I went.
As I removed my bags in order to go through security, the guards mentioned that I could go to a nearby shop and store my stuff in lockers. I explained I didn't have time to do that and verified that it was okay that I took it in (I had a backpack, a daypack, and a drawstring bag stuffed with my giant winter coat). They said it would be, but just thought it would be more comfortable for me if I didn't have to carry it. I certainly agreed with their assessment, but indicated that I'd just have to "donkey it around" anyway. The clock was ticking.
The Royal Alcazar was stunning! Built in the 11th century, it's apparently the oldest continuously used palace in Europe and is famous for its Moorish architecture. I loved the beautiful tile work, the long rectangular reflection pools, the horseshoe and interlacing arches, and the cozy, colorful riads (Moroccan gardens). Regardless if I got to see Plaza España on this trip or not, I'm really glad I got to tour the Royal Alcazar. I'll just have to return to Seville to see EVERYTHING I missed on my 1.5 hour tour!
Scurrying Back to the Station
After leaving the royal palace, I strolled around the surrounding areas along narrow cobbled lanes that opened up into inviting squares and parks. I imagine in the heat of the summer, this city is unbearable, but in December it was absolutely perfect.
My plan was to be back at the station by no later than 15:30, and so at just a little before 15:00, I knew I needed to go find my bus stop. I used deductive reasoning to figure out that it must be on the opposite side of the street than the bus stop I got off at (because I'm brilliant like that, haha). After asking a few people who were unable to help me due to language difficulties, I finally found someone who could I showed on my phone the bus I was looking for and pantomimed-asked if this was the correct stop. It was! After this trip, I definitely realized how wonderful it would be to speak another language, especially Español!
An older lady on this bus, on her own accord, helped me figure out which bus stop to get off on for the central station. I made it exactly at the time I wanted to be there, which allowed me to get through security and get on my Madrid-bound train stress-free.
Back to Madrid
The ride back to Madrid was much more relaxing than the one to Seville. I was able to kick back in my seat, snack on some things I had in my bag (that was all I'd had to eat that day so far, there just hadn't been any time!), listen to music (Spanish tunes, of course), and watch the scenery. This part of Spain is known for its orange groves and there was so much of the terrain that reminded me of drives through California. It wasn't just the Spanish architecture that transported me to the Estados Unidos's Golden State, but also the vegetation and overall topography. Isn't it funny that the Spanish ended up settling in a place in the New World that looked exactly like their European homeland?
When I arrived in Madrid, it was a lovely evening, so I opted to walk from the central station to my hostel. After all, despite my quick jaunt into Seville, I had spent the entire day sitting on the train.
When I arrived at the OK Hostel, the guy at the reception desk remembered me from my last visit, and I recognized him as well. As I checked in, he gave suggestions on some things going on that night at the hostel, and I explained that after I went to the Christmas market and got tapas at Mercado de San Miguel, I would most likely just end up crashing for the night. I was totally exhausted.
"So early?" he asked.
I explained that I had started off before daybreak in Barcelona and had traveled here and then on to Seville and then back.
He shook his head laughing, clearly now understanding my reluctance to stay out late that night. "You did that ALL today?" he asked.
"Yes. Yes, I did," I affirmed.
"You see, I have this Eurail pass and I can take any train I want whenever I want, so. . . "
And the rest, you already know!
All the Way Across Spain
The funny thing is that I didn't truly realize how far away Seville was from Madrid until later that night when I pulled up a map of Spain on my phone. To help put it in perspective, Barcelona is located on the coast in the far northeastern corner of the country. Madrid is in the center of the country. And Seville. Where is it you might ask? Well, it's located FAR to the south. Much closer, actually, to Africa than it is to either Madrid of Barcelona. For some reason, I thought Seville was REALLY close to Madrid, but the map definitely proves otherwise.
Now, the comment "You did ALL that today" from the hostel guy made all the more sense.
And, I guess, so also does my reply.
"Yes. Yes, I did!"
Postscript
Stay tuned. This will definitely not be my last trip exploring the beauties of Spain. It's quickly becoming one of my favorite countries in Europe!
