UKC

I have been trying to research a trip out to El Chorro for a few days sometime between Jan and April for myself and a friend. We are fairly new to climbing and haven't gone abroad to climb before.
I'm aware we've to fly to Malaga and train out to El Chorro with a stop in Alora. So far so good.

But it seems to be coming apart when I look at train times every date I put into the search engine for the trains keeps coming back saying there are no trains that day!! I think I must be doing something daft but I don't know what!?

Renfe.com is the website I'm trying to use.

Don't want to go and book flights to find we have no way of getting out to El Chorro please help!

Thanks in advance Gills

In reply to Gills:

Didn't have any problems from El Chorro to Malaga train ourselves, was there a few weeks ago and there is just a morning and an afternoon train. We didn't book in advance just paid on the train (maybe you can't book online as there is nowhere to get your tickets in El Chorro?)

In reply to myrockface:

Thank you
But I can't even find out the times of the trains? I don't no if it's me or the website being daft? Just don't want to book flights and then find we've to wait for ages or until the next day for the trains! Gotta optimise climbing time

In reply to Gills:

Works fine for me on renfe.es strangely. The times seem to be 09.33 15.03 and 18.03 leaving from El Chorro to Malaga everyday all through Jan. 6eur single ticket

In reply to myrockface:

Must be me being stupid (nothing new there really lol) thank you for your help

In reply to myrockface:

Do you still have to go into Malaga and change, not used this train since 1995?

In reply to Gills:

There's two train systems involved - local services between Malaga, fuengirola and Alora, and the intercity Malaga services direct to El Chorro. Local services are pretty regular so wouldn't worry about them too much, but depending on your flight times you might be better going direct from malaga to chorro - two trains per day.

In reply to Hephaestus:

Thank you I'm not very good at this obviously haha!

In reply to Gills:

It was about 8 years a ago now but I remember struggling to get anything useful out of the Renfe website when trying to get from Barcelona up into the Pyrenees. Sounds like it hasn't changed much. Google maps is pretty good these days though. If you use it for directions and select the 'public transport' option, it has most timetables.

In reply to malky_c:

Never would have thought of that! Thanks

In reply to Gills:

Follow train signs in airport to station(3mins)Put coins in machine to buy ticket to malaga(2-3 euro) Walk onto platform,check u are on right side of the line by looking at the timetables.There are only 2 direct trains to chorro so if your flight is out of sync get off at Victoria Kent to get the connecting REnfe train to Alora(if u want to hang out in Malaga continue to Maria Zambrano).
Direct trains to Chorro leave from Maria Zambrano Malaga at 10.05 am and 4.48 pm(42mins journey as they don't stop at many stations)
If u decided on the Alora option you can get to chorro by
1.walking up the hill(u may be lucky and catch a bus at station) into town and hitching
2.phone/grab a taxi(20+euros)
3.if staying at Olive B contact Mel beforehand who wil arrange pick up(not free as is only reasonable)
4.walk 2-3 hrs
Best of luck.

In reply to Gills:

While I think they charge a small booking fee, www.loco2.com can be worth a look for international train services because it takes an awful lot of the complication out.

In reply to freelunchprovider:

Thank you that's great

In reply to Neil Williams:

Thank you will look into that too