New Daily Train Service to El Chorro and Ronda

[Miro]

Looking at next Thursday, so will look forward to your report!

[annfoto]

Yes please report back. I think we will go at the end of August when it is a little cooler and hopefully Ronda will have slightly fewer tourists then.

[country boy]

[gus]

Is there any reason to get off at el Chorro if you don't intend doing any hiking/climbing??

[masterob]

The views at El Chorro are quite spectacular but unless you want to do some walking/hiking I think it would be a rather long day to spend hanging around there! Probably not too bad in the winter when the weather is more suitable for walking but definitely not now in my opinion! There is a good restaurant opposite the station - La Garganta which also has accommodation.

[gus]

So, a few photos from the train on the way through is the way to go

[Chunky Monky]

These photos are a few years old

El Chorro





La Garganta

[alexpete80]

Wow this is real awesome, worth spending night. If I were there it would be indifferent for me to have a train service because either way I would stop by for camping but appreciation should be given to concerned authorities for providing travel benefit to tourists.

[Colinm]

Colinm...when you re-new it next year, just show the nice person this years version and it takes no time at all....you even get to keep your old card number. It will be dated from the date you re-new it so don't go too soon in advance!

Thanks for that CB, didn't know that

[country boy]

Well, Guys and Gals, just back from the trip, in a word...wonderful!!
We have had a really super day out. The train service is excellent but there weren't many people on it however. You pay the guard at your seat if you get on at Alora, also there are a couple of vending machines selling soft drinks and packet snacks situated in the center carriage and a splendid loo in that carriage too. The rolling stock is of the latest design ( 599) so it is a very comfortable journey. The fare for us with a Tarjeta Dorada was €12.30 return which I think was a bargain. I have since found out that the 'Altaria', Madrid- Algeciras train goes through Ronda 30 mins after this Malaga train arrives, and that the same train returns 30 mins before the return trip to Malaga so we are now planning a Trip to Algeciras as I am informed that this scenery on this bit of track is very spectacular. The scenery 'aint bad on the Alora Ronda bit either!!
Travellers tip: Sit on the left hand side of the carriage going and on the right coming back ...reason...view going/ sun coming back!

[Chunky Monky]

we are now planning a Trip to Algeceras as I am informed that this scenery on this bit of track is very spectacular

I have made the train journey a couple of times Ronda - San Roque. It is really excellent scenery, well worth the trip.

With a fast shutter speed you can get very good photographs from the train.

[gerryw80]

Great post! and thankyou countryboy for the seating suggestion:) We four friends planning a trip there soon, well none of us got the Tarjeta Dorada golden card so wont be getting any discounts on it but we plan to go hiking and spend the night there. catch the next day back to El Chorro Friends do you have any eat out places suggestions there?

[Miro]

Just tried booking online for tomorrow. There appears to be a discount - when you go to the second stage, the fare drops from €13.35 to €12.05 - but when I continue to the payment stage, I get diverted to a Banco Sabadell page where I'm asked to enter a transcation number from my key code card or something. I haven't got the foggiest what that is! Guess I'll just have to buy at MalagaMZ.

Edit update - successfully booked and paid online using a UK Barclays card. How daft!

[gerryh]

.. I get diverted to a Banco Sabadell page where I'm asked to enter a transcation number from my key code card or something. I haven't got the foggiest what that is! ... How daft!

When you opened your account you would have been given a credit sized cards with codes on it.
When paying someone online it gives you a 2 digit code which you look up on your card and type in the corresponding 4 digit code. Certainly not daft, it's a security measure to stop someone fraudulently accessing your account to pay a bill.
Cheers
Gerry

[chrissiehope]

We have a matrix card from Unicaja - I hadn't realised that all the banks used them ?

[Miro]

Sounds fine - except that I was never given any such card. I shall ask the lovely people at Solbank next time I'm passing - they do tend to forget a lot of things, bless them (they're only bankers, what can you expect?)

[Miro]

Well, thoroughlly enjoyed the trip yesterday, hardly a soul on the train so could sit where we felt like. Great a/c, clean loos, but drink vending machine not working The return train left a minte early so almost missed it because we were sitting in the station bar until 2 mins before departure time!
Ronda is nice if you've never been but otherwise probably not worth a second visit, especially in July! 41°C
Also, we couldn't help feeling that the catering establishment in general have become typically complacent. A very nice traditional looking cafe on the main shopping drag served up THE worst cup of coffee I have ever had in Spain, and charged over the odds for it too. Most of the restaurants do not include IVA in their menu prices, which really annoys me. We picked one that didn't have the small print at the bottom saying "IVA no incluido" - only to find it added on the bill afterwards anyway. The food was not great either. (No, I didn't complain, I'm British - and I didn't want to cast a negative feeling over our day). The casa de Don Bosco in the old part of town over the bridge charges €1.50 to enter the pathetically small and unspectacular garden for a "unique" view of the bridge which you can get for free a few metres further down the same street.
Overall I just couldn't help feeling that the whole place is just cynically ripping off tourists, but I suppose that's just normal and having said that, I really wonder why Renfe (or indeed Ronda) is not doing more to promote the train trip. For mid-July the place was surprisingly empty, and the train trip alone was worth it, affording glimpses of the Camino del Rey that we've not seen before.
Now, if they ever get round to renovating that, I think the train to El Chorro would be packed with tourists from all over the world. Surely some enterprising millionaire could strike a deal with the Junta/Ferrovial to get it done?

[country boy]

Interesting times for Spanish Railways just around the next bend! I can foresee the cost of rail travel increasing quite dramatically in the very near future....Travel now while stocks last!

http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/pu ... 5340.shtml

[gus]

Does anyone know if the tickets to/from Ronda include your Cercania trip if you are coming from, say, Fuengirola?

Or do you pay that separately?

[Miro]

Have to pay that separately