My Step-by-Step DIY Guide From Palma Cruise Port To Soller By Train

[rsachek]

So I know that I'm not the first person to post tips & instructions on taking the train from Palma to Soller. But I thought I'd throw my hat in the ring anyway since I took a bunch of photos that might be helpful. We had a great day doing this and it only cost €28 per person including getting to/from the ship. NCL's similar excursion was $119. I hope you enjoy and let me know if you have any questions!

 

http://travel4brews.com/2018/03/17/cruise-ship-to-soller-by-train/

[frantic36]

rsachek, thank you so much for your detailed guide with photos. I am planning to do this Palma to Soller trip in July and your guide will help immensely. How long did you have in port, as you mentioned you didn't have much time so chose not to visit the beach? We are there from 8-6 but aim to be back before 5pm.

 

Julie

[rsachek]

Julie,

 

We were in port from 8-6 also which meant 5:30pm back on board. We took the earliest train to Soller at 10:30am and had to return to Palma on the 2:00pm train.

 

In July, there is a slightly earlier train to Soller at 10:10am, but like us, you will also have to take the 2:00pm train back to Palma if you want to take the train both ways.

 

Train and tram schedules can be viewed at http://trendesoller.com/en/timetable/

 

Strictly speaking, we did have time to tram to Port Soller. But Palma was our sixth port day in a row and I guess we were feeling lazy and didn't want to be rushed. Additionally, I had heard that Port Soller wasn't optimal in the winter.

 

Another option would be for you to take the 211 bus back to Palma instead of the train. The bus runs far more frequently than the train and you can pick it up right in Port Soller, so no need to even go back to Soller on the tram.

 

Info for the 211 bus at https://www.tib.org/en/web/ctm/autobus/linia/211

 

If you have a bit of free time back in Palma before heading to the ship, there is plenty to see downtown such as the Cathedral. Hope this helps!

Edited March 27, 2018 by rsachek

[Keith1010]

Excellent.

 

Thank you for sharing this.

 

Keith

[frantic36]

rasachek, thank you for the further detail. That helps immensely. We're on a 14 day cruise that is also port intensive so we can pass on the trip to the beach. We have other ports to have a beach visit. We like wandering around interesting alley ways and finding good things to eat and from your photos Soller and Palma look good. I am determined to try an ensaimada. Maybe we can find a place to buy one while waiting to board the train.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ensaïmada

 

I am glad you were able to fit in a trip to the Cathedral, we will try to do the same.

 

Julie

[roger b]

rasachek, thank you for the further detail. That helps immensely. We're on a 14 day cruise that is also port intensive so we can pass on the trip to the beach. We have other ports to have a beach visit. We like wandering around interesting alley ways and finding good things to eat and from your photos Soller and Palma look good. I am determined to try an ensaimada. Maybe we can find a place to buy one while waiting to board the train.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ensaïmada

 

I am glad you were able to fit in a trip to the Cathedral, we will try to do the same.

 

Julie

Well Done !! well written and concise .

 

Sent from my SM-T713 using Forums mobile app

[Biris]

Thank you for your step by--step guide.How long does it take to ride the train from Palma to Soller? Looking at the schedules, it appears that time isn't on our side :loudcry:as our ship docks from 1-8 PM.

[rsachek]

Thank you for your step by--step guide.How long does it take to ride the train from Palma to Soller? Looking at the schedules, it appears that time isn't on our side :loudcry:as our ship docks from 1-8 PM.

 

The train ride itself takes exactly 1 hour. You certainly don't have an abundance of time, but it's doable. I'd ride the 15:10 train to Soller (arriving 16:10) and take the Route 211 bus back. The bus schedule varies depending on day of the week. But even in the worst case, the bus runs more frequently than the train. The bus schedule can be viewed at https://www.tib.org/documents/30683/312772/L211%2C%20des%20de%202018.04.01.pdf

[mskaufman]

One thing I would add to the previous discussion is the use of a taxi from the ship to the train station. The taxi cost us something like six euros for four of us. Put the cost real close to the bus and my guess it was door to door and faster. Here is a link to some more pictures.

 

https://southerneurope.shutterfly.com/pictures/322

[Biris]

Thank you, rsachek and mskaufman for your replies and suggestions. It'll be a great experience for our kids to experience the wooden train, so I'll do more research to work out the logistics. Is the return train from Soller to Palma still the same route? We might take the bus to Soller and then the train back. Will we have problems catching a bus or a taxi from center of Palma to Port around 6pm?

 

Biris

Edited April 3, 2018 by Biris

[mskaufman]

I am pretty sure it is the same route back. We bought a round trip train ticket and were done earlier than we thought so we took the bus back through Valldemossa. It was an interesting and scenic ride, although more cramped than the train.

[mskaufman]

Thank you, rsachek and mskaufman for your replies and suggestions. It'll be a great experience for our kids to experience the wooden train, so I'll do more research to work out the logistics. Is the return train from Soller to Palma still the same route? We might take the bus to Soller and then the train back. Will we have problems catching a bus or a taxi from center of Palma to Port around 6pm?

 

Biris

 

On the return there were plenty of taxis at the bus station. The Soller train is adjacent to a transit hub so taxis from there should not be a problem.

[rsachek]

We might take the bus to Soller and then the train back.

Biris

 

Unless your cruise is after November, you will have to do it the other way around. Did you look at the train schedule? Soller to Palma trains are at 18:00 and 18:30 which would put you back in downtown Palma at 19:00 or 19:30 which is cutting it close for a 20:00 sailing time.

 

http://trendesoller.com/en/timetable/

Edited April 3, 2018 by rsachek

[Biris]

Rsachek: I thought I’d seen a different time from the one you posted last. We’ll try to get off the ship as soon as we can and take a taxi to the train station. If we can make the 1:30 pm, then we’ll go to Soller. Else, we’ll hang out around downtown and take the HOHO bus. This will be our first Europe trip so we’ll have fun nonetheless.

Cheers!