Cycled to the Tour d’Eiffel. Paris is really cycle friendly and it turns out that this is a really good way to see Paris. I was surprised by the tunnel with the street art.
No Window seat on the Eurostar means it’s not easy to get pictures from the train.
No seat booking but I am booked on the train. Stood up until we reached York.
Edinburgh Waverley
Not enough time in Madrid due to the late arrival and catching the 1030 train.
The next leg on the very fast Spanish service is not covered by Interrail. So had to pay for the ticket in advance on Trainline. But I had not realised that there is a baggage allowance. So I had to pay extra to get my luggage on the train.
Changed to TGV at Barcelona,
Not enough time in Madrid due to the late arrival and catching the 1030 train.
The next leg on the very fast Spanish service is not covered by Interrail. So had to pay for the ticket in advance on Trainline. But I had not realised that there is a baggage allowance. So I had to pay extra to get my luggage on the train.
Changed to TGV at Barcelona,
While on the bus I checked google maps and discovered that I would get to Madrid far sooner by train .
The train was delayed by 35 mins. Would I make it before midnight?
Interestingly baggage get’s scanned before boarding.
Yes! Made it to Madrid before midnight local time. But not to the hotel. Better than 0330.
The Portuguese railway had let me down. But google maps says there’s a route by bus. The bus station is a short walk from the train station but is an ugly concrete construction with the buses waiting in a concrete cave of doom. To further improve my mood I ate the worst ever pizza in an eating establishment above the cave.
After asking where to wait several times and being reassured by bus number being shown, suddenly the number is replaced with a different service. Have I missed the bus? I chase around trying to find the bus getting no help whatsoever. Finally I stumble across the bus by chance. Another black mark against Portuguese public transport.
The bus driver is attentive and helpful, redeeming the service. And I am on my way. Change at Valladolid to get a late bus arriving at 0330 in Madrid. At least I will be back on track for tomorrow.
On my way to Entroncamento . On the way notices appeared with the word “greve”.
Arrived at Entroncamento
Total confusion. The train was being cleaned. Two older English women were also trying to get to Badajoz. We asked around. No one appeared to know what was happening with the train. Eventually we got some sense from the ticket office. Train cancelled, it might go at 1500 or the next day or not. Too late for the connecting trains.
The two English women decided to go back to Lisbon, I decided to back to Porto.
The day before the trip and during the journey to Entroncamento I had checked the Portuguese railway website- nothing saying the train from Entroncamento to Badajoz was cancelled. However the train was cancelled due to industrial action.
Five hours on the train and back to the start,just barter 1300. Disaster!
Hilly with beautiful buildings, cobbled streets and mad drivers. Mixed weather varying from very pleasant to hot. Shops open really late.
A little wander on the bike.
An issue straight away with the start of this journey, a delay of 30 minutes, first delay of the trip, The delay would make my connection very tight, particularly as I had to make a reservation at Entratron.
The train is a single carriage diesel, a bit long in the tooth. Not fast and not modern, Operated by the Portuguese Railway service.
The line is single track with a steep climb after entering Portugal. Not fast, Then we are told we have to get off the train an wait for a bus. A train further down the line had broken down and blocked the track,
Picked up a fast train at Entroncamento. I had no reservation for the train, No opportunity to get one with the previous chaos, I am not convinced it would have been possible even if everything had gone to plan. It is not possible to make reservations for Portugal in Spain or on the train to Entroncamento. But past caring by this stage,
This was the first time that the journey encountered issues. Old rolling stock on single track line, Language was an issue resolved by fellow travellers being multi linguists. I had to move once on the final train due to the arrival with a traveller with a reservation. Arrived eventually. But list bike helmet in all the changes.
Arrived at my hotel on the outskirts of Badajoz to find that there was not one but two wedding parties happening.
Badajoz is a historic city with fortifications and beautiful architecture.
A long journey across Spain, an opportunity to see how the landscape, vegetation and agriculture changes. Taking in a change of trains in Madrid, at a very confusing set of stations all clumped together with poor sign posting. A foreigner’s nightmare. Train ended up 30 minutes late to Badajoz.
Badajoz
Insight 