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Train + Ferry:
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Formentera
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How to travel by train and ferry from London to Formentera, Spain
It is possible to travel from London to Formentera in about 36 hours if you take the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris and then change trains down to Barcelona (or Denia) and then take either the ferry direct to Formentera of the indirect ferry that goes via Ibiza.
The southernmost and smallest inhabited island of the Balearics, Formentera is just 30-minutes by ferry from Ibiza but feels light years away. The entire northern part of the island is a nature reserve, while the south is a mix of juniper and pine forests fringed by sand dunes; beyond the island's white-sand coast, underwater meadows of the seagrass plant Posidonia oceanica help maintain crystal clear turquoise waters.
Flight-free travel by train and ferry from London to Formentera
You can take the train down to Barcelona in two ways depending on whether you want to take the daytime or overnight ferry to Formentera from Barcelona:
a) take early Eurostar from London to Barcelona (arrives same day), stay overnight in Barcelona, then spend the day in Barcelona and catch the overnight ferry to Ibiza.
b) take any day time Eurostar from London to Paris, stay overnight in Paris, then take the train down to Barcelona in time to catch the overnight ferry to Ibiza.
Journey Time: from 36 hours
Sample timetable: a) Depart London 10.24am, arrive Barcelona 9.46pm; overnight in Barcelona then evening ferry departing that evening at 10pm across to Ibiza, arriving 7am the following morning, OR b) Depart London 3.31pm, arrive Paris 6.52pm; overnight in Paris then take the 10.14am train down to Barcelona arriving at 4.53pm in time to catch the evening ferry departing 10pm across to Ibiza, arriving 7am the following morning,
Changes: 2
Transfer: Change of train in Paris (Paris Gare du Nord to Paris Gare de Lyon) to Barcelona and transfer from train to ferry within Barcelona for onward ferry to Ibiza.
Frequency of Departures: 15/day trains to Barcelona, 6-7/week overnight ferries to Ibiza
Carbon emissions: train leg is 7kg (flight would be 180kg)*
Tickets provided by Trainline, which allows you to buy tickets for multiple train operators in multiple European countries. It does charge a small booking fee, but offers several useful facilities, such as a free email alert service to let you know as soon as bookings open for your chosen route so you can snap up the cheapest tickets when they become available.
How to book train tickets as part of a package with accommodation
If you want someone to book the whole journey for you or combine it with staying in hotels en route, get in touch with the travel agent Byway through its page for booking enquiries.
On Board Eurostar
For ticket types (Standard, Plus and Premier) and information on what it's like on board, see our Guide to Eurostar
What's the train leg of the journey like?
After the Eurostar from London to Paris, you change stations from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon, which can take about half an hour on the Paris RER line (it's only two stops, though we recommend you leave at least 50 minutes for the entire transfer - you have about an hour and a half to get the connection, though you could get an earlier train and spent a bit more time in Paris, e.g. have lunch at the wonderful Train Bleu Restaurant in Gare de Lyon). See our guide to How to transfer between train stations across Paris. At Gare de Lyon, you board a TGV high speed train to 'Barcelona Sants' station.
Miss your connection?
Don’t panic. Railteam’s ‘Hop on the Next Available Train’ service means that if you have missed your connection because of a delay on the preceding leg of your journey, you’ll automatically be put on the next available high-speed train. NB Remember to get your ticket stamped by your Train Manager.
Stopover in Paris 🏠
If you want to break the journey and stay overnight to see a bit more of Paris while you're travelling through, there are lots of lovely places to stay conveniently near the two railway stations (ie the station you arrive at on the Eurostar in Paris – Gare du Nord, and the station that you depart from Paris – Gare de Lyon).
Hotels close to Gare du Nord 🚉
Grand Hotel de Paris and Hôtel Kabanel are just a few minutes walk from Gare du Nord (and Gare de L'Est so also great if you're heading out east). Rooms from about €100 per night. For more hotels near the station, see Hotels near Gare du Nord
Hotels close to Gare de Lyon 🚉
citizenM Paris Gare de Lyon is one of 5 citizenM hotels in Paris that aim to provide 'affordable luxury' in central city locations. Billed as 'hybrid hotels', they're as much about places to work as they are to sleep, with the idea that you can meet local people in a smart, cozy environment. For more hotels near the station, see Hotels near Gare de Lyon
Green Traveller's Top Pick 💚
Mob Hotel is a particularly environmentally friendly and socially conscious hotel that's in the heart of St Ouen, just a few miles north of Gare du Nord and close to the Garibaldi metro station (line 13). The hotel is all about being socially engaged within its neighbourhood (the artistic creations of local craftspeople are everywhere), but it also has strong eco credentials, such as water jugs rather than plastic bottles, refillable toiletries and organic cosmetics in the rooms. The restaurant is fully organic with a seasonal menu that draws on produce from farming cooperatives or direct from local producers (they also make their own honey and beer).
Eco-certified hotels in Paris ✔️
If you're looking for other green hotels in the French Capital, then these have all been certified by an accredited ecolabel: Hotel Gavarnie (near the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides Museum) | Hotel Le Pavillion (a former convent in the Saint-Dominique area) | Amélie Hotel (2-star) | Hôtel Malar (10 minutes from the Champs Elysees) | Hôtel Du Printemps, about a mile from Gare de Lyon.
Stopover in Barcelona 🏠
Barcelona is a wonderful city to stop over while you're travelling through, with lots of lovely places to stay conveniently near Barcelona Sants Railway Station.
Hotels close to Barcelona Sants Railway Station 🚉
Barceló Sants hotel is actually above the station so is super convienient as a stopover hotel. It's an unfussy minimalist place to stay with a restaurant and bar, and 24-hour check-in. From about £150 for a double room.
Abba Sants is a 5-minute walk from the station, with a restaurant, bar, and packed lunches can be ordered. Rooms from about £140.
For more hotels near the station, see Hotels near Barcelona Sants Railway Station
Green Traveller's Top Pick 💚
NH Sants Barcelona is a 10-minute walk (400m) from the station. It's a modern hotel with a Mediterranean restaurant, cafe-bar and breakfast, and has two third-party sustainability certifications, from Bioscore and Biosphere Certification. Rooms from about £150.
Eco-certified hotels in Barcelona ✔️
If you're looking for other sustainable green hotels in Brussels, then these have all been certified by an accredited ecolabel:
Abba Sants (see above)
H10 Itaca is 10 minutes' walk from the station and has a terrace and plunge pool
Catalonia Roma is about 15 minutes' walk from the station and has a buffet breakfast and bar.
Transfer from Barcelona Sants to Barcelona's Ferry Port 'Port de Barcelona'
It's about 2.5 miles (4k) from Barcelona Sants railway station to the port, about 10-12 minutes in a taxi but you can get there easily by metro in about 15 minutes, taking the L3 (green) line from the metro station at the station (known as 'Sants Estació') to Drassanes from where it's a couple of minutes walk to the ferry's check-in desk.
DIRECT Ferry from Barcelona to Formentera
The direct ferry service from Barcelona to Formentera is an overnight service (it takes about 11.5 hours), departing late evening (usually about 22:00) and arriving in to Formentera at a very civilised time the following morning, about 09.30. There are cabins on board so you can have a decent night's sleep, and there's no weight limit on baggage.
DIRECT Ferry from Denia to Formentera
Denia is about 290 miles (460 km) south of Barcelona (it's between Valencia and Alicante and takes 6–7 hours by train from Barcelona), but can be a good option if you prefer a shorter ferry journey to Formentera - the crossing is just 2-3 hours.
INDIRECT Ferry to Formentera via Ibiza
There are ferry services from the Spanish mainland – from Barcelona, Valencia and Denia – to Ibiza from where you can then take the 30-minute inter-island ferry across to Formentera. The ferry from Barcelona is an overnight service and takes 8-9 hours. The ferry from Valencia is about 5 hours (Valencia is about 220 miles (350km) south of Barcelona and takes 3-4 hours by train). The ferry from Denia is just 2-3 hours (Denia is 6–7 hours by train from Barcelona).
Ferry tickets for all these options can be booked through Direct Ferries, which allows you to search and compare prices for the different operators and routes from the mainland ports in Spain to Ibiza and Formentera.
Inter-island ferry between Ibiza and Formentera
The crossing from Ibiza to Formentera takes just 30 minutes on the inter-island Aquabus ferry. It departs once every 30 minutes throughout the day, with the first leaving at 7am and the last at 8.30pm. For the return journey, the first ferry is also at 7:00 and the last departure is at 10pm so you can make the most of our final day on the island. The ferry departs from the Port of Ibiza in Ibiza Town (where the ferries from Barcelona, Denia and Valencia arrive, so it's an easy transfer to the inter-island ferry) and arrives in Formentera at La Savina. For more information about the ferry, including the schedule, see aquabusferryboats.com
On arrival in Formentera
A network of 32 signposted walking and cycling trails criss-cross the island's mostly gentle terrain and there are some wonderful places to sample the local cuisine, from lounge bars and seafood cafes to inland wineries and cutting-edge vegetarian restaurants.
Hotels in Formentera
Where to stay and what to do in Formentera
For ideas on characterful accommodation, restaurants, local sights and outdoor adventure activities, see Green Traveller's Guide to Formentera
