All too soon we have come to the end of our week cruise on Princess Cruises Star Princess – which means more land travel to return to the UK without flying. Well in essence it is almost a reverse of our No Fly journey to get to Barcelona but with a few subtle differences.
Disembarkation
Disembarkation from the ship was relatively slick and ahead of predicted time. It wasn’t long before we were heading to the baggage reclaim hall to pick up our bags. We also bid a fond farewell to our good friends Gavin and Luke, the Cruise Monkeys, who were flying back to the UK.
Once again we found that the queue to get a taxi was very organised. With a brief look back at Star Princess we were soon being whisked away from the port heading to our next Hotel.
Abba Sants Hotel
It isn’t easy to predict timings to get from port to train station across a city as large as Barcelona. So rather than rush things, we decided that we would spend a day in the city and then an overnight in a hotel. We stayed at the Abba Sants Hotel which is placed very conveniently within walking distance of the Barcelona Sants Train Terminal. Whilst we could not book in until 2pm, the hotel was very accommodating in storing our bags for us. These were tagged and placed in a secure room until we returned to check in and was complimentary. Very efficient.
Our room, technically a family room, was clean and tidy with a good quality shower, ample sockets, television and a trouser press.
Day in Barcelona
So with our luggage safely stored and time on our hands, we thought we would take a Hop On Hop Off bus around the city. It has been a number of years since we were in Barcelona and whilst we had at that point taken the `green’ route, this time we thought we would visit the other side of the city. It turned out that our hotel was also conveniently close to the Sants bus station where we could purchase tickets. In turn the station was only around the corner from one of the stops.
Hop On Hop Off
As you would expect these buses are largely open topped with descriptions of the journey in a number of different languages. This particular route has 19 stops where you can get on and off throughout the day. The trip took us past the Nou Camp stadium, which is currently under renovation and extension, then across the city. We were able to get an overview of the city and some of the sites.
There is of course a stop at the Sagrada Familia which although still not finished(!) did at least have less scaffolding in place than on our last visit. It was so nice to be able to see more of the extensive and beautiful carvings on the outside of this most magnificent building.
Above the City
Something we did not expect was a part of the tour that took us onto the hills above Barcelona. This area includes a designated public park with some amazing views over the city. Unfortunately the bus did not stop at a vantage point for us to take photos. It also weaved its way past the Museum of Art and the Olympic Stadium. The whole area is beautiful and there is plenty to see and do here. There are several stops in this area which reduces the amount of walking there – but we both agreed we could spend a whole day exploring there. One for a future visit.
Our day end was spent in a bar and restaurant near to our hotel called Casa Martelo. Not sure that we expected much however it looked clean and tidy, and to be honest we just wanted something to eat before an early night. We were very pleasantly surprised by the food that was served – it was fresh, well cooked and delicious.
Barcelona Sants
The following morning saw us leave the hotel in good time. We hadn’t booked breakfast as we knew we could get coffee and snacks either in the railway station or on the train.
Walking from the hotel to Barcelona Sants railway station took less than 10 minutes. This gave us plenty of time to check the boards to find out where we needed to be. The information board directed us to security gate A where we went through the usual security procedures. The board then changed to security gate C which initially confused us, but it appears that as one security gate gets full, they direct people to another.
Anyway, that done, the platform that we needed came up on the board and we joined the queue for it. Before long the gates were opened and we went through to the platform.
Barcelona to Paris
By this time we were used to boarding trains, stowing bags and settling into our seats. We were ready for the 6.5 hour journey back to Gare de Lyon in Paris. Once we were on our way we decided to make use of the on-line ordering of drinks and snacks. However this time, the table service was not available so it meant a wobbly walk to the buffet car to pick them up.
The weather had taken a turn and the strong winds buffeted the train as it ran along the tracks – and even when it was stopped in stations! It made for some interesting photographs as the wind blew waves and spray across low lying waters.
Paris to London and Home
We arrived at Gare de Lyon then took a taxi to Gare de Nord to board Eurostar. Here we again had to go through security and this time through passport control from France to the UK. The systems were not working terribly well but eventually we got the all important stamp in our passport.
If we had a transferrable ticket we may have been able to get onto an earlier Eurostar train. However they are quite frequent so it was just a case of finding a seat to wait. We also had chance to visit the food outlets for snacks on the way home.
The rest of the journey was much as it was the previous week, just in reverse order. In St Pancras Station it was time to get a taxi (London Cab) to across London to Victoria Coach Station. Interesting to see the streets lighting up for the evening and imagine how they would look at Christmas.
A wait at Victoria coach station is not particularly comfortable but we did at least find somewhere warm and dry. The National Express coach collected on time and soon we were heading back down the M5 towards home. By the time we got there it was the early hours of the next morning and we were very grateful that our friend picked us up and drove us back home.
And Finally …
We have taken No-Fly Cruises from the UK for many years. It has got to the stage where many of the ports we visit we have been to before. Heading to Ports such as Barcelona to board a cruise ship gives different options. It also opens up possibilities of getting to other ports to take River Cruises for example.
Overall we enjoyed the experience and would not have been able to cruise on Star Princess without starting in Barcelona. So,
* Is it more expensive? Well maybe.
* Does it take more time? Yes, but treat it as part of the holiday if you have time available to you.
* Will we do it again? Yes – but with a few tweaks to the journey.
Look out for a more detailed article on the website regarding costs of this trip so you can compare for yourself.
Meanwhile
Lindsey saw this sign on the back of a toilet door in Gare de Nord – bit unusual we thought. Let us know what you think in the comment section!
