Train Tales: Spain to Italy

One of the biggest problem we had on our trip was how to get from Spain to Italy. It was the only thing in our two-week scheduled Europe trip that was  left a question mark, even when we were already in Barcelona. We had several options and we ended up with our last option.

The route from Barcelona Sants to Pisa Centrale

Option 1: Elipsos

Our first option was to take the Elipsos night train from Barcelona to Milan. The train would leave Barcelona at 19:25 and arrive at Milan 10 AM the next day. Then from Milan, we could just take the local trains to Pisa or Rome. However the Barcelona-Milan route only runs three times a week and it did not fit our schedule.

Option 2: Eurolines Bus

Our second option was to take the Eurolines bus from Barcelona to Florence. The bus leaves Barcelona at 5:00 in the afternoon and arrives in Florence at 10:00 AM the next day. And since we were planning more than a month before our actual travel date, the bus fares were at a reduced rate (about 50 EUR). But we couldn’t buy tickets online. We tried for weeks; we tried using both Visa and Mastercard; but we simply couldn’t buy the tickets.

Option 3: Grimaldi Lines (ferry)

We then thought about taking a ferry. There was a cruise (Grimaldi Lines) from Barcelona to Rome that also costs about 50 EUR. The ship leaves Barcelona at 10:15 PM and arrives in Civitavecchia, Rome at 18:45, the next day. While this was a comfortable option and allows us more time in Barcelona, we weren’t psyched about arriving 6:45PM the next day. It was a bit too late and we were on a limited schedule.

Option 4: Airplane

Travelling by air was not on top of our list since most airline tickets (especially those from low-cost flights) were non-refundable and we wanted our schedule to be as flexible as possible. Moreover, I was planning to bring a mace and this would probably need to be checked-in (which might cost extra). But the most recommended way to travel (from the online forums) was by taking an airplane. So, we checked all the low-cost airlines. Unfortunately, the cheapest fares at that time were at least 150 EUR and that was just not on our budget.

Eurailing my way from Spain to Italy

Option 5: Train ride in hell

Our last option was what I call the train ride in hell. While researching online, I learned two things: there were no direct trains from Spain to Italy (except for the Elipsos which doesn’t run daily) and taking the train was NOT recommended. I spent weeks looking for the best route that fits our schedule but we needed at least 4 train changes and about 22 hours of travel time.

Railing from Spain to Italy

Barcelona to Pisa: 5 connections, ~22:30 hours,  €30.75

We decided to do the train ride in hell. It didn’t sound exciting but it was cheap and we did invest on a Eurail pass. And hey, it would be an experience for us. At Barcelona, we tried to make reservations to Pisa but there were no direct trains and we could only make reservations up to Valence. Our route required us to go from Spain to France and then to Italy and we could only make reservations for our ride connected to Spanish cities. So, with no complete reservations, we started our journey from Spain to Italy.

View from the train on our way to Valence

We prepared ourselves for an exhausting trip but much to our surprise, it wasn’t tiresome or even boring. Each train we rode was different from the other and the view was interesting. We even saw the alps from a distance on our way to Valence.

Valence TGV

When we arrived in Valence, we immediately searched for the ticket office to make reservations for Pisa. While waiting in queue at the ticket office, we met another traveler, Ozi, who was travelling the same route we did. He was a young Turkish guy who was a volunteer at Czech Republic. He was also travelling around Europe using Interail (the equivalent of Eurail for Europeans). We decided to travel together, which was good because by the time we arrived at Nice, it was already 10:30 PM. And our train from Nice to Ventimiglia was at 5:25 in the morning.

Train stops on our way from Barcelona to Nice

The initial plan was to leave our backpacks at the station and check out Nice’s Promenade des Anglais while waiting for our train to arrive. However, there were no lockers at the station and the baggage deposit was already closed. Furthermore, the Nice Ville station was closed at night. So, with our backpacks, we found refuge at McDonald’s. Of course, we could’ve booked a hotel (we didn’t find any hostel in sight) but c’mon, do you really expect us, budget travelers, to book a 100++ EUR room for 6 hours?  While McDonald’s sated our bellies and kept us out of the cold for a few hours, it was only open until midnight. And like the rest of Europe, there was nothing 24 hours within the vicinity. We started walking around but we had our backpacks and it was a bit heavy to carry around. Promenade des Anglais was approximately 1.5 Kilometers away but without a map, we were bound to get lost.

Waiting for Nice Ville to Open

So, we settled at a bus station, in the cold, with a big clock staring at us. We talked all night and observed several people questioned and taken in by policemen. With our backpacks (and nice innocent faces), it was quite obvious that we were just tourists waiting for Nice Ville to open. So, we were never bothered by the police car passing by in front of us every few minutes. It was an interesting experience and I was glad that at this point of my trip, I wasn’t travelling alone.

Zzzzzzzz......

Finally, a little past 5, Nice Ville finally opened and we hopped on our train to Ventimiglia. We didn’t need any reservations anymore; just our rail passes. The regional train had plenty of stops, which I stopped listing down. We passed by Monte Carlo and I think we may have also passed by the French Riviera but it was too dark to see anything. However, by the time were in Italy, the sun finally came up and somewhere around Ventimiglia, we had a view of the Italian Riviera. The ride was scenic. I caught some sleep during the train ride and woke up from time to time to enjoy the view.

Enjoying the Italian view while on the train

We finally arrived in Pisa at 10 in the morning and except for the icky feeling of not taking a shower for 24 hours, I felt great. The train ride was definitely NOT hell. Would I do it again? Sure, why not? But I’d probably start the trip a little bit earlier so I’d see more of the French Riviera. And if time allows it, stay a day or two at Marseille or Nice.