5 Reasons Not to Take the Train to Sóller

Last Updated on June 26 , 2024 by acrossthewaterwithchelsita

Attracting over one million passengers per year, taking the vintage wooden train to Sóller is one of Mallorca’s most popular excursions. Marketed as “the best excursion in Mallorca”, the train’s website promises “breathtaking scenery” on a “journey back in time”. But the real experience isn’t quite as romantic as it sounds. In fact, I bloody hate the train to Sóller and can share at least five reasons why.

Please know that I’m not usually such a negative Nancy. But when you do a quick Internet search about the train to Sóller, everyone’s singing its praises, and frankly, I’m sick of it. Hopefully this post helps you to make a more informed choice about whether or not you want to spend your hard-earned money on this overpriced tourist trap, but at the very least, writing this is proving to be a cathartic experience for me. 

So here it goes, five reasons why I don’t recommend taking the train to Sóller:

The price

Oh my god, the price! I need to underline just how expensive this excursion is. A return journey from Palma to Port de Sóller costs an eye-watering 35 euros! What’s worse, only children aged 3-6 get half-price tickets, so if you’re a two-parent family with two kids over 7, that’s 140 euros you’ve just spent on a day out before buying a single drink or ice cream.

There isn’t even a resident discount any more after, and I’m not making this up, a German tourist complained it was unfair!

Of course, you can always take the train one way and get the bus back, but a single ticket will still set you back 20 euros for a 27km journey. 

Try the bus alternative

Speaking of the bus, this is a much cheaper and more comfortable way to get to Sóller or Port de Sóller. My recommendation is to take the 204 bus, which leaves from the main bus interchange, Estació Intermodal, from almost the exact same point as the train. Not only does it cost just €2,70 for the journey between Palma and Port de Sóller, it leaves every half hour or so, also making it a more convenient option than the train, which only runs between four and eight times per day depending on the season. 

Money-saving tip! If you’re not a resident and can’t take advantage of free travel on public transport, always pay by card on Mallorca’s intercity TIB buses. For every person travelling in your group, you’ll get a discount. So while it costs €2,70 for the first person, it only costs €1,80 for the fifth. This translates to a saving of €11,20 compared to buying tickets in cash on board for €4,50 each. Oh, and under 4s travel free.

While the train and tram tickets to Sóller and the port won’t make a big dent in some wallets, it’s still not good value. Here’s why:

It’s crowded

As one of Mallorca’s most undeservedly popular attractions, you would expect the train to be busy, but the crowds could be definitely managed better. Without a proper queuing system in place, it’s survival of the fittest on the train’s tiny, overcrowded platform.  

This makes just waiting for the train a chaotic, confusing and very likely sweaty experience, even in low season. We visited one Saturday in early March and admittedly once we were actually on the train we had plenty of space, but I can’t see this happening in summer.

It’s uncomfortable

There’s several reasons we don’t travel in wooden trains anymore, and one of them is that it’s uncomfortable. Just like how going to the rainforest seems romantic until you’ve been stung by a million mosquitos and have dodged all sorts of creatures that can kill you with one bite (I’m obviously still traumatised from my jungle trip to Ilha Grande), travelling in a vintage wooden train seems a fabulous idea until you’re confronted with reality: the wooden chairs are hard, uncomfortable, and the train’s loud rickety-racketing is deafening at times. 

What’s more, while there’s no air conditioning on board, the train has hundreds of windows you can open to let a breeze in. This all seems swell until you’re travelling through one of the route’s 13 windy tunnels, one of which is almost 3 km long. If you’re unlucky, like I was, your neighbour will be all too happy to keep their window open the entire ride, despite your chattering teeth and goosebumped skin.

The lack of information

Most of the people taking the train to Sóller are probably first-time visitors, so why not tell them about the island and the areas they’re passing through on the train? Some information about what to see and do once you get to your destination would be appreciated too. 

For the ticket price, you would at least expect a pre-recorded audio guide to give you some understanding of the history and culture of the island. But nope, there’s nothing, nada, zilch in the way of information. 

It’s just not very interesting

Despite my mounting annoyance at this overpriced train trip, it wouldn’t have been so bad if the route had been half as beautiful as the train’s official website suggests. While there are some pretty stretches on the almost 30-kilometre journey, a lot of the time you’re passing through pretty average suburbs, people’s backyards, a few fields, and lots of cold, windy tunnels. In short, nothing remarkable enough to justify the train’s steep ticket price.

What’s more, once you get to Sóller, there isn’t a lot to do apart from eat and drink in the same cafés and restaurants as all the other tourists who just spilled out of the train. The town is tiny and apart from a church and a few museums, there really isn’t a lot to see. The same goes for Port de Sóller. Sure it’s pretty, but then again, so are many places in Mallorca and you don’t need an overpriced train ride to take you there. 

What to do instead

Look, I’m not telling you to cross Sóller and its port off your sightseeing list, I just wouldn’t recommend getting the train there. Instead, you’d be much better off taking the bus or car, enjoying the sights for half a day, and making your way home once you’ve had enough. 

This way you can avoid feeling like you’re in a tourism factory production line, and actually enjoy the excursion on your own terms.

What do you think of the train to Sóller?

Have you taken the wooden train to Sóller? What did you think? Am I being overly negative about it? I’d love to hear your take on it in the comments below.