RESIDENTS in several Costa del Sol expat hotspots can now travel to Barcelona using a single integrated ticket – although the journey will still take upwards of ten hours.
Marbella and Estepona will have a daily connection to the Catalan capital thanks to the expansion of Renfe and Avanza’s Tren+Bus service, which allows travel on buses and high-speed rail to be combined into a single ticket.
Passengers from both towns will first take a bus to Malaga before switching onto a high-speed train bound for Catalunya.
The service stops at Lleida Pirineus and Camp de Tarragona before terminating at Barcelona.
The reverse journey begins with an AVE service departing Barcelona at 8.30am, arriving in Malaga around seven hours later before passengers continue by bus to Marbella or Estepona.
Depending on the exact destination, the trip takes a total of between nine and 11 hours.
The main selling point is simplicity, with Renfe selling the bus and train together rather than requiring passengers to book each leg separately.
The Tren+Bus network already connects numerous destinations without direct high-speed rail links, including the expat hotspots of Benidorm, Altea, Calpe, Denia and Javea on the Costa Blanca.
It also extends across the border into Portugal, with combined connections to Algarve resorts including Faro, Albufeira, Portimao and Lagos via Sevilla.
Tickets can be bought through Renfe’s website, by phone or at station ticket offices and sale desks.
There is a catch for those hoping to take their four-legged friends with them, however, with pets not allowed on combined Tren+Bus tickets.
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