Interrail Ideas in Northern Spain

[ainsworth74]

I have a Global Interrail to use later this year and I'm idly thinking about using a few days of it in Spain by catching the ferry over from Plymouth to Santander (though I'm open to doing Portsmouth to Bilbao instead), having a few days in Spain and then heading back northwards towards Paris (probably via Barcelona) for Eurostar home (I'll probably buy a public rate Eurostar ticket rather than burn a domestic day on it). Now I know that Spain and France aren't great countries for Interrail with the need for reservations on high speed/long distance services but I'm sort of casting around for ideas for this Interrail (it was something an impulse buy) and I fancy doing at least one trip using it that doesn't involve flying there and back which rather limits you!

I was hoping that some people with more knowledge of the area might have some suggestions for interesting lines or at least an interesting route to take to get from one of the ferry ports to Barcelona (or, if they think there's a more interesting route to Paris I'm happy to hear about that as well!)?

 

[rvdborgt]

Spanish reservations for AVE, IC, Alvia and Euromed can now be done online on raileurope.com without extra fees. Same for TGV and Eurostar.

Bilbao port doesn't have any public transport, you'll need a taxi even to get to the nearest Cercanías station (Santurtzi), which the staff at the port office will happily call. Santurtzi doesn't have any staff and if you want to use your pass from there, you'll need to use the intercom near the gates. When we were there, we needed 3 calls and be very insistent ("Tenemos Interrail!" = We have Interrail) so that they finally opened the gate.
Santander port should be very close to the station.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Yes, Santander RENFE and FEVE stations are just a few minutes walk away from the ferry terminal, so much more convenient than Bilbao. However, in my experience, there is a lot of faffing about landing foot passengers / border control - so if you are on the midweek sailing from Plymouth (arr 1300) don't bank on getting the 1358 Alvia to Madrid. Ask me how I know...

I would do a round trip to reach Barcelona - so something like Santander, Leon, Santiago, Madrid, Valencia.

 

[30907]

The Pajares Pass route Oviedo-Leon is on my list, as are Leon and Salamanca, and the ex FEVE routes are covered by IR now - but compare with local fares!
The daily east-west services to Barcelona look interesting.

 

[nwales58]

How many days do you want to spend in Spain?

Minimum would be Bilbao-Barcelona through train, 7h, once daily. The climb up to Vitoria is interesting,will be replaced by the HS Basque Y eventually. Passing through Castejon de Ebro, RENFE's original pendolino, Platanito, used to be parked though I haven't been that way since about 2017. I'd stay the night in Lleida then go up to la Pobla de Segur and back (not Interrail) before on to Barcelona. Lleida-Barcelona has Avant with much lower supplement than Ave/Alvia or a few MD services.

From Santander, to Bilbao obviously FEVE, now RENFE Cercanias AM.

If time to go west, Santander-Oviedo then the one remaining Regional in the afternoon over the Pajares which is spectacular. Leon-Barcelona is one through train per day, though faster via Madrid.

Or Leon-Bilbao on narrow gauge then on to Barcelona. Anyone know where the timetables are since RENFE mucked about with the web site? Horarios Cercanias AM only shows Leon as far as Guardo.

But Leon-Monforte de Lemos has interesting scenery too so if I had enough time I'd go Leon-Ourense, once daily, then fast Ourense-Madrid-Barcelona.

 

[calopez]

Or Leon-Bilbao on narrow gauge then on to Barcelona. Anyone know where the timetables are since RENFE mucked about with the web site? Horarios Cercanias AM only shows Leon as far as Guardo. Well, of course you won't find León to Bilbao in the Cercanias timetables - it's a regional service!! Just go to the regular RENFE journey planner and it's there. The trick is to use 'Feve-León' as the origin.

 

[nwales58]

Well, of course you won't find León to Bilbao in the Cercanias timetables - it's a regional service!! Just go to the regular RENFE journey planner and it's there. The trick is to use 'Feve-León' as the origin.

Ah, of course!

The Cercanias AM lines map makes it clear: Leon-Guardo is Cercanias, Leon-Bilbao is Regional. The Cercanias journey planner shows a Leon (not FEVE-Leon, of course) to Guardo, line C1, at 1345. The main journey planner for FEVE-Leon to Guardo shows no trains and no explanation. But to Santibanez de la Pena, the next stop, shows the Regional 1345 (which, of course, the other planner cannot show)!

This is why we all love RENFE. So much fun, so much weirdness to learn.

Anyway, Santander-Mataporquera-Leon has a zero minute connection which I assume does not work, in the other direction it’s 2 hours.

Back to the original post, I don’t know whethe Interrail is valid on the ex-FEVE lines but the fares are so cheap it’s not worth wasting a pass day. However a 5/6/7/8 hour cross-country journey on an Alvia is worth paying the supplement (though I don’t like the ride on the CAF units at speed on broad gauge in places)

 

[rvdborgt]

Back to the original post, I don’t know whethe Interrail is valid on the ex-FEVE lines

It has been valid there for about 10 years now.

 

[WessexEclectic]

Passing through Castejon de Ebro, RENFE's original pendolino, Platanito, used to be parked though I haven't been that way since about 2017.

Was still there in May 2023, looking worse for wear than its counterpart at Crewe...

But Leon-Monforte de Lemos has interesting scenery too so if I had enough time I'd go Leon-Ourense, once daily, then fast Ourense-Madrid-Barcelona.

Are the Engineering works still ongoing between Monforte de Lemos and Ourense? The Bustitution takes the high road vs the railway's tracks along the bottom of the valley/gorge.

 

[nwales58]

Are the Engineering works still ongoing between Monforte de Lemos and Ourense?

Reopened

 

[ainsworth74]

Thank you all for the suggestions so far, gives me plenty to think about! Any other ideas welcome

How many days do you want to spend in Spain?

Haven't fully decided but probably around three or four.

 

[peteb]

I can recommend Santander -Oviedo using the FEVE morning service, break for lunch, then the afternoon RENFE regional over the pass to Leon. Very scenic.

If you are able to do it Bilbao to Santander via FEVE is very scenic too.

When we were there the FEVE Leon-Bilbao was not possible owing to Leon end being turned into a tramway. I think through trains will resume, not sure when. That journey is a bit of a marathon but again very scenic.

Instead of FEVE we took a RENFE Leon to Miranda service after lunch, which uses a high speed line and then via a gauge changer en route also uses Iberian gauge tracks. The unit from Miranda to Bilbao was ok, but the scenery was great.

The same Leon to Miranda service eventually reaches Barcelona in the evening having gone via Zaragoza.

 

[calopez]

When we were there the FEVE Leon-Bilbao was not possible owing to Leon end being turned into a tramway. I think through trains will resume, not sure when. That journey is a bit of a marathon but again very scenic.

In fact, FEVE León-Bilbao is possible - it's just that there is a replacement bus between León and La Asunción/Universidad (about 5 minutes), and there has been since the 'tramway' was built. Of course, the RENFE journey planner makes no mention of this. When I was there last September, what looked like a new bus station was under construction around the old FEVE station, and the bus left from a RENFE-flagged stop a couple of hundred metres away down a side street. Needless to say, this useful information was heavily publicised, by means of an A4 sheet stuck on the station door. On my previous visit, in 2019, the bus did leave from outside the station, so perhaps it will again once the road works are complete. Whether trains (or trams) will ever run from León again is anyone's guess.

Incidentally, the through service from León to Bilbao that RENFE advertises turned out to be three trains and a bus!

 

[ainsworth74]

So I'm starting to think that perhaps something like Santander - Oviedo - Leon and then on to Miranda de Ebro for either a turn north to Bilbao or south towards Zaragoza and Barcelona might be a decent little trip?

From Bilbao is there another way to Barcelona or would I be retracing my steps back to Miranda?

 

[Peterthegreat]

So I'm starting to think that perhaps something like Santander - Oviedo - Leon and then on to Miranda de Ebro for either a turn north to Bilbao or south towards Zaragoza and Barcelona might be a decent little trip?

From Bilbao is there another way to Barcelona or would I be retracing my steps back to Miranda?

You can use Euskotren from Bilbao to San Sebastian/Donostia and then Renfe.

 

[ainsworth74]

You can use Euskotren from Bilbao to San Sebastian/Donostia and then Renfe.

Aha! That definitely begins to feel like a plan coming together.

Thank you all so far, any further ideas or comments are of course welcome

 

[HS2isgood]

In fact, FEVE León-Bilbao is possible - it's just that there is a replacement bus between León and La Asunción/Universidad (about 5 minutes), and there has been since the 'tramway' was built. Of course, the RENFE journey planner makes no mention of this. When I was there last September, what looked like a new bus station was under construction around the old FEVE station, and the bus left from a RENFE-flagged stop a couple of hundred metres away down a side street. Needless to say, this useful information was heavily publicised, by means of an A4 sheet stuck on the station door. On my previous visit, in 2019, the bus did leave from outside the station, so perhaps it will again once the road works are complete. Whether trains (or trams) will ever run from León again is anyone's guess.

Incidentally, the through service from León to Bilbao that RENFE advertises turned out to be three trains and a bus!

It's as you say, a bus from León to La Asunción Universidad, a Class 526 commuter DMU for the 4 hour and 25 minute trip up to Mataporquera, then 2 hours and 37 minutes on a newer, Class 527, regional seating unit to Balmaseda, and then the final 53 minute ride on a Class 436 EMU. Hilariously, both the 526 and the 436 are refurbs of the 2300 DMUs, built between 1966 and 1973, which you wouldn't infer from their looks! Also, Mataporquera to Balmaseda often gets bused because Balmaseda depot only has 2 527's lol.

 

[D365]

Spanish reservations for AVE, IC, Alvia and Euromed can now be done online on raileurope.com without extra fees. Same for TGV and Eurostar.

Phew! About time.

 

[ajrm]

From Zaragoza the journey to Canfranc is worth doing, though you'll probably want to do an overnight at the end of the line. The formerly abandoned station there has now been transformed into a luxury hotel but there still some untouched railway buildings and abandoned rolling stock kicking around. It's a very scenic journey into the Pyrenees too. The hotel is very nice if you fancy splashing out (great restaurants too) but there's cheaper hotels nearby too (search for Canfranc-Estacion as the location; it's some distance from the town of Canfranc).

 

[HS2isgood]

From Zaragoza the journey to Canfranc is worth doing, though you'll probably want to do an overnight at the end of the line. The formerly abandoned station there has now been transformed into a luxury hotel but there still some untouched railway buildings and abandoned rolling stock kicking around. It's a very scenic journey into the Pyrenees too. The hotel is very nice if you fancy splashing out (great restaurants too) but there's cheaper hotels nearby too (search for Canfranc-Estacion as the location; it's some distance from the town of Canfranc).

It's still bustituted... They say it'll end in May or summer lol.

 

[ajrm]

It's still bustituted... They say it'll end in May or summer lol.

Jeez! They are taking their time. I was there a year past March and the northern half of the line was a replacement bus. Par for the course, RENFE's journey planner currently gives no indication that it's not a train all the way...

 

[Mainline421]

It's still bustituted... They say it'll end in May or summer lol.

Par for the course, RENFE's journey planner currently gives no indication that it's not a train all the way...

Interesting! I was considering using this route in June and had no idea. Should have known something was up when the RailPlanner app and RailEurope showed no reservation required, thought Renfe were finally being cool for once. Nothing on their alerts page in either language, but there is a notice in Spanish on their journey planner now at least. Looks to be on track for May thankfully https://www.elmundo.es/aragon/2025/04/11/67f8ed83e85ecee24d8b45c3.html (article in Spanish)