Train From Seville to Granada Question

Hi Marc,

The woman at the hotel I am staying said, even though my train ticket
has me departing from SB station, that I will definitely pass through
SJ station on the train anyway on the way to Granada.

She said perhaps I could even get on the train at SJ station, which
would save time and be easier for me to get to, but I wouldn't want to
take a chance that they don't let me on the train at SJ station if
that would be a risky plan.

Actually, according to Renfe.com, the train departs from Santa Justa Station then it stops at the San Bernardo train station ( 3 minutes later), before heading to Antequera Santa Ana station, where you will transfer to a bus for the rest of the journey to Granada.

If your ticket specifies that your departure station is indeed, San Bernardo, then that's where you need to board the train.

The San Bernardo train station is only 2.5Km from the Santa Lucia station.

Where is your hotel located? You may be able to travel to the SB train station via the Tram which travels from Plaza Nueva to San Bernardo's station.

I'm curious... Why did you choose to buy your train ticket departing from SB station instead of SJ station?

Enjoy the rest of your trip!

Thanks Pricilla. That clarifies things. I am not sure why I chose SB over SJ. Maybe when I booked it SJ wasn't offered. I can't quite remember. Or maybe the departure time I wanted wasn't offered from SJ. But since the two statiins are linked that wouldn't make sense either. Maybe I just made a mistake. At the time I was booking so many hotels and trains my head was spinning. So possible I messed it up. Anyway, I could probably cancel the ticket from SB and rebook it from from SJ, but that would require a trip to the train station I think and wouldn't end up saving me any net time or money in the end if I had to make a trip to the train station first. Are there any Renfe offices in the Seville city center perhaps?

Also, I'm not sure about it being a bus part of the way. On the ticket it says MD MD. On my ticket from Granada to Cordoba the ticket has two codes and one being BUS. So that journey is part bus for sure. Anyway, if it's part bus no big deal. Total transit time I think is 3 hours.

Lastly, I left you a long reply on the other post about my failures using the Caxia ATM to print my Alhambra tickets because the ATM said no tickets were reserved with my credit card, which is totally untrue. Then I also asked a question about the procedure and how long it would take to get them printed the day before my visit to Alhambra at that other place in Granada you mentioned. But now my post has entirely disappeared and sadly I didn't save it to be able to repost it. Bizarre. Sorry.

Hi Marc,

I just edited my original post, so make sure you read it again. I added the information about the tram.

Edit to add... It shouldn't take you too long to retrieve your Alhambra tickets from the machines located in the Corral del Carbón.

Thanks. I had already asked the hotel people earlier and they said 10 minute walk to the tram. Too far to roll my suitcase I'm afraid. The bus to SJ is only 2 minutes walk. That's why I asked earlier if I could leave from SJ or would probably have to take a taxi to SB otherwise. My hotel is right by the Ingles department store, last stop on bus 32. It won't be more than a 10 Euro taxi ride I believe to SB from where I am?

While I'm on the subject of buses, the hotel I will be staying at in Granada in downtown also suggested I take a bus from the Granada train station. Following is what they said. Just curious how far the walk would be from the train station to catch the bus they mentioned? Also, they didn't give a bus number. Only a direction, but can probably figure out the bus number once I get there. Thanks.

"When you get out of the train station you have to go to the principal Street Avda de la Constitucion and get there the bus LAC direction at the right side. You have to stop in Puerta Real or Acera del Darro (is the same)
The hotel is a few meters from there."

Marc,

I wouldn't waste time changing the departure station from SB to SJ... But it's your call.

Since there is presently railway work around Granada, you will be transferring to a bus once you reach Antequera Santa Ana train station. The bus journey will take about one hour to Granada. The bus is provided by Renfe, and as far as I understand it, it's a smooth transition from the train to the bus (and vice versa). The bus will arrive at the Granada train station.

On your journey from Granada to Córdoba, you will take a bus from Granada's train station, then you'll transfer to a train at the Antequera Santa Ana train station.

When my mom (age 88) & I traveled from Córdoba to Granada, and then from Granada to Sevilla, I decided to travel via ALSA bus, mainly because I thought it would be easier to avoid the train to bus transfer.

Thanks. As I suggested in my first post, perhaps better to just take a taxi from my hotel to SB. I think that's what I'll do.

Marc,
I didn't see your most recent reply when I wrote my last reply.

"When you get out of the train station you have to go to the principal Street Avda de la Constitucion and get there the bus LAC direction at the right side. You have to stop in Puerta Real or Acera del Darro (is the same)
The hotel is a few meters from there."

We took the LAC bus bus one day when we were visiting Granada. As you can see in the image I linked, the bus doesn't have a number. Do make sure you wait for the bus at the correct bus stop because there are 2 bus stops next to each other on Avenida de la Constitución, you can hover your mouse pointer over the tiny blue bus icon (on the map) to see which bus the stop pertains to.

You can see the LAC bus route here and the bus fares here.

We spent 4 nights in Granada, so we purchased the Travel Card ( Credibus) and saved a little money.

Marc,

perhaps better to just take a taxi from my hotel to SB. I think that's what I'll do.

Good idea! I would do the same in your position. It's much more convenient to take a taxi when traveling with luggage.

You may decide to do the same when you arrive to Granada. We only paid €8-10 from the Granada bus station to the city center.
The train station is closer to the city center, so it won't cost you that much.

Enjoy Granada and the rest of your trip!

Thanks. By the way, Google maps just said that the A7 bus runs from Plaza Del Duque to the SB train station. Not sure if that is true. If it is that would be really easy.

Taxi still better though. Easier to estimate howling it will take and then less chance of missing my train. Bus could be less certain on timing.

Thank you Pricilla for that info on the LAC bus in Granada. How far is the walk from the train station in Granada to the LAC bus stop?

Marc,

According to google maps, the bus stop is about 290 meters from the train station.

I really like the, 'street view', on google maps in order to "see" where I will be going :-)

Thanks Pricilla. Yes, street view is great. I only have access right now though from the iPhone app which I don't think offers street view unfortunately. But I can view the terrain and I see more or less how to go. Looks easy. Get off the train, turn right outside the station, then turn left, and right again at the first big intersection and then the bus stop is on the right.

Not sure how I will know though where to get off and once we arrive at Puerta Real/Acera del Darro. Maybe the bus driver can help or I can try asking someone on the bus.

Marc,

If you follow the route here on Google Maps, you can see that the bus will travel on Avenida de la Constitución ( changes to Calle Gran Vía de Colón) before making a right turn onto Calle Reyes los Católicos ( you'll see the cathedral on your right before the bus makes the right turn), then a left onto Calle Acera del Darro.

The bus stop is right after that last left turn.

You can type this on a card & show it to the driver:

"¿Me puede avisar dónde está la parada Puerta Real, por favor?" (Can you tell me where the Puerta Real stop is, please?)

Hope this helps!

Another option is to take a taxi directly to your hotel. It shouldn't cost you that much, probably €6 - 8.

Priscilla

Thanks Pricilla. Very kind of you to make all the effort to provide me all that detailed information.

I think your suggestion to just take a taxi makes the most sense. In the grand sceme of things it hardly is worth it to try and save 10 Euros or less on a taxi when it will save me a lot of energy and avoid mistakes when I'm rolling a suitcase around. So I will take a taxi both to SB station in Seville and from the Granada station to the hotel in Granada.

I think the same goes for when I leave Granada and go back to the station to take the train to Cordoba. And in Cordoba the hotel already told me the bus stop is 500 meters walk from the Cordoba station. Not worth it for sure.

The only other time I might take a bus to the hotel is when I arrive in Barcelona. My hotel is on Carrer de Valencia and only about a mile or less from the Sants station. It looks like I can take the H10 bus from close to the train station and which appears to be a 2 minute walk from the Sants station?

Hi Pricilla. Just arrived in Granada. The taxi to SB station was 8 Euros and from Granada station to my hotel was also 8 Euros.

It was actually only 5 Euros in Granada, but the taxi driver added a 3 Euro surcharge he said because of suitcase and train station pickup. I've never had that anywhere else in Spain. Was surprised.

Also, you were right, it was a bus to Granada from Antequera.

Thanks

Marc

Hi Marc,

You're most welcome! I'm glad I was able to help.

It's good to hear that you arrived to Granada!

It was actually only 5 Euros in Granada, but the taxi driver added a 3 Euro surcharge he said because of suitcase and train station pickup. I've never had that anywhere else in Spain. Was surprised.

I'd not heard of this surcharge either. My mom & I took taxis in Córdoba, Granada, Sevilla, and Toledo (with luggage) and we never had
to pay extra. I usually tip the taxi driver, but if I feel that we were taken for a ride, then I don't tip.

Make sure you try the delicious ice cream at, 'Los Italianos', just across the street from the cathedral.

If you want to enjoy a good meal with magnificent views of the Alhambra at sunset, I recommend going to the bar terrace (less expensive than sitting in the restaurant) at, El Huerto de Juan de Ranas, located right across from the Mirador San Nicolás.

Enjoy Granada!

Thanks Pricilla. I didn't want to come out and say it before, but I felt I was being taken advantage of on the surcharge. I was never charged one in either Sevilla or Valencia either. I asked the girl working at the front desk of my hotel in Granada about it and she said it's common. I think she just said that to make me feel better. Anyway, it's no big deal, but it just confirms my long standing opinion of taxi drivers being dodgy everywhere in the world. It's not even the few Euros that bothers, it's the fact that they take unfair advantage. Right, he got no tip and I usually tip a bit too if they are nice.

Anyway, enough of that. Thank you for the tip on the restaurant terrace. I actually just got back from watching the sunset at Mirador San Nicolás. I met some people earlier today who took me up there. I will try and get up there again tomorrow night for sunset after visiting the Alhambra.

I am definitely enjoying it here in Granada more than Seville. I feel this place somehow has a more quaint feel to it. But the people I met today preferred Seville. Different strokes I guess. It's definitely colder here though in the mountains.

Marc,

I don't like to make generalizations and believe that there are good taxi drivers and bad taxi drivers.
Having said this, most of the taxi drivers we've met have been decent people just doing their job.

If you like Granada, over Sevilla, you may really enjoy Córdoba; one of my favorite cities in Spain (along with Toledo)

Will you be visiting Toledo?

I'm sure you already know about the Minibuses that travel to the Alhambra and the Albaicín, right?

You can take the C-3 from/to Plaza Isabel la Católica to/from the Alhambra.
The C-1 minibus will take you to/from Mirador San Nicolás from/to Plaza Nueva.

Hi Pricilla.

From here (after 2 more nights) I'm heading to Cordoba for 2 nights. Unfortunately not enough time on this trip to go to Toledo as well. Sadly it will have to wait until next time.

Thanks for the tips on the mini busses. I walked it up and it was a nice 15 minute early morning walk from my hotel. Look forward to doing it again tomorrow when I go back to Alhambra to see the Nasir Palaces. I need the exercise :)

I bought Alhambra tickets for 2 days thinking it would take more time to cover it. I took it real slow today, even sat down to take in the view a couple of times, but yet covered everything today in just 3 hours.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do tomorrow up there other than the palaces. A one day ticket would have been enough. Hindsight of course.

Maybe tomorrow I'll just try and sit somewhere up there where there aren't so many people. The crowds are a bit much up there as you know. I heard they let in 6,000 visitors per day. Some of the greenery just below the Alhambra is quite nice and more peaceful. Maybe I'll sit there.

I also managed to visit the ancient steam bath ruins today for a few minutes. I got there just 5 minutes before closing. My bad.