Arriving in Mallorca | Arriving in Majorca - Majorca Rail Network
Information
In 2010, 21,117,270 passengers passed through Son Sant Joan Airport in Palma, with an additional 1.5 million arriving by sea.
There are many people who prefer not to fly and they may believe that the island is out of reach, however there are other forms of transport available such as Trains.
It is approximately 15 hours by train from London to Barcelona, where a regular ferry can be picked up to Mallorca via Rail Europe or Eurostar (0870 5848848 / 0870 5186186).
For those even more adventurous you can arrange a cross channel ferry journey via coach which takes around 26 hours and will stop every 4-5 hours, this is arranged by Euroline (01582 404511)
Should you wish to drive, the most direct route is through France and onto Barcelona where again you can pick up a ferry to Palma.
Transmediterranea : 902 454645 / www.transmediterranea.es
Balearia : 902 160180 / www.balearia.com
Above are the recommended ferry companies. This journey can take up to 24hrs.
Majorca rail network
The Majorca rail network on the Spanish Island of Majorca has three lines to four destinations from the Estació Intermodal / Plaça d'Espanya station in Palma.
TIB:
The main line and metro is operated by Transport de les Illes Balears (Transport on the Balearic Islands and operates from the underground station at Estacio Intermodal / Plaça d'Espanya to Sa Pobla and Manacor via Marratxí and Inca.
The Metro:
The metro line consists of nine stations and was constructed between 2005 and 2007 at cost of €312 million. Trains run daily from 0615 to 2300, with a 15 minute service during the day, reduced to 30 minutes early, late and Sundays. The metro trains start from Palma Estació Intermodal platforms 1 to 4, where they can interchange with the main line for engineering purposes.
The Main Line:
The lines start from the vast underground Palma Estació Intermodal platforms 5 to 10 and run underground until just after Son Costa/Son Fortesa station and are grade separated from other transport for their entire length, aside from some very minor level crossing in rural areas. The section from El Caülls to Inca has popular touristic mountain views, with north sections running though the picturesque island countryside.
The track is double from the capital to Inca, where there is single line working to Manacor and Sa Pobla, with trains passing at the remote Enllaç halt (with passing places at Sineu and Petra), the shorter Sa Pobla section having only single platforms. The line is being doubled on the 5 km Inca to Enllaç to enhance the capacity at this bottleneck.
Monday to Saturday, the Manacor trains are non-stopping to Marratxí, there are three trains in each direction each hour (the third to Inca) from around 0545 to 2200. Sundays and holidays, only two trains operate per hour in each direction and stop at all stations to each far terminus.
Ferrocarril de Sóller
The Ferrocarril de Sóller (Sóller Railway in English and often abbreviated to F.S.) is an interurban railway and the name for the company which operates the electrified 914mm gauge tracks running between the towns of Sóller and Palma on the Spanish island of Mallorca (stopping at various smaller towns such as Bunyola and Son Sardina). The historic electric train takes a route north from the capital across the plains, winding through mountains and 13 tunnels of the Serra de Tramuntana, finally ending in the large railway station of the northern town of Sóller. Work began on the railway in 1911 on the profits of the orange and lemon trade, which at the time was booming. The famous train is now not only a mode of transport between these two key Mallorcan settlements, but also an attraction in itself. The line is closed in December and January for annual maintenance. Single tickets cost €10, whereas returns are €17.
Palma railway station
Palma Railway Station is a subtle, relatively small brown brick building with a large "Ferrocarril de Sóller" sign on its façade, partly given up to a museum, cleverly renovated so that the large glass windows reflect the train tracks to make them look as if they go on into the rooms. The station is just off the Plaça de Espanya and borders a large and popular park which lies on top of the underground Estació Intermodal. Several old railway buildings (one with a large brick chimney) lie untouched in the park and there are several train-themed play structures, each one a carriage named after a settlement along the line.
Sóller railway station
Sóller Railway Station on the other hand is much larger, developed from a fortified house dating from 1606, Ca'n Mayol. The station is also home to the tram which runs from Sóller to Port de Sóller and (inside the building) a museum dedicated to the works of Picasso and Joan Miró.