With limited wifi, and only in the hotel lobby, I tried to find out whether there were trains to Barcelona. With the help of a similarly stranded traveller, a Russian trying to get to somewhere less than an hour away by train, the SNCF website seemed to indicate there were no trains to Barcelona today.
We booked the rooms for another night, and then set out for some breakfast. I left the others and went on to the train station, figuring that we'd be wise to secure our alternative train as soon as possible. After waiting in a long queue with a whole heap of other similarly stranded travellers, I discovered that there were trains going to Barcelona today. They were only the slow, regional trains (no TGV like our original booking until tomorrow), but we could get there today. The next train left for Port Bou (just over the Spanish border) at 11:55am (it was already 10:15am); from Port Bou, we'd change trains to another regional train down to Barcelona.
I walked briskly back to the cafe/bakery where I'd left the others, and sent them off to fetch the bags, get a refund on the now unrequired accommodation for tonight, while I had some breakfast. As I type this, we are bound for Port Bou, arriving around 1:30pm. We hope to arrive in Barcelona before nightfall (I've no idea when the trains from Port Bou to Barcelona runs, but I think it will take around 2.5 hours)
***
Customs control at Port Bou involved us showing our passport to the Polizia (??) standing either side of the train station entry - very low key. After some lunch (chips (fries) for the boys, and a glass of wine each for the grown-ups), we boarded a slow train to Barcelona, arriving around 5:20pm. A taxi to our accommodation, and apologies for not contacting them when we couldn't make it there last night, and we were in our rooms with (finally) excellent wifi.
Once the rain eased off, we set out for dinner at a recommended wee cafe nearby. We had some excellent tapas type dishes to start, and the over-the-top burgers for the boys, and paellas for JD and me. For the first time in a long time, Jos could not finish his dinner. We're back home and the guys are watching telly while I type this.
We booked the rooms for another night, and then set out for some breakfast. I left the others and went on to the train station, figuring that we'd be wise to secure our alternative train as soon as possible. After waiting in a long queue with a whole heap of other similarly stranded travellers, I discovered that there were trains going to Barcelona today. They were only the slow, regional trains (no TGV like our original booking until tomorrow), but we could get there today. The next train left for Port Bou (just over the Spanish border) at 11:55am (it was already 10:15am); from Port Bou, we'd change trains to another regional train down to Barcelona.
I walked briskly back to the cafe/bakery where I'd left the others, and sent them off to fetch the bags, get a refund on the now unrequired accommodation for tonight, while I had some breakfast. As I type this, we are bound for Port Bou, arriving around 1:30pm. We hope to arrive in Barcelona before nightfall (I've no idea when the trains from Port Bou to Barcelona runs, but I think it will take around 2.5 hours)
***
Customs control at Port Bou involved us showing our passport to the Polizia (??) standing either side of the train station entry - very low key. After some lunch (chips (fries) for the boys, and a glass of wine each for the grown-ups), we boarded a slow train to Barcelona, arriving around 5:20pm. A taxi to our accommodation, and apologies for not contacting them when we couldn't make it there last night, and we were in our rooms with (finally) excellent wifi.
Once the rain eased off, we set out for dinner at a recommended wee cafe nearby. We had some excellent tapas type dishes to start, and the over-the-top burgers for the boys, and paellas for JD and me. For the first time in a long time, Jos could not finish his dinner. We're back home and the guys are watching telly while I type this.
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