Palma / The verdict
Is the vintage train to Soller worth it?
Yes if you treat the ride itself as the event: the 1912 wooden train costs 30 EUR return for about an hour through 13 tunnels into the Sóller valley. Summer riders report sold-out trains and packed trams, so book ahead, and if you only need to reach Sóller a regular bus also runs.
By The Real Traveler Experiences team. We earn a commission if you book through our links. It never changes a verdict.
The Palma story
Palma is Mallorca's real city, not just its airport: La Seu, the Gothic cathedral looming over the seafront with its rose-window light show, an old town of courtyards and lanes, a circular castle on the hill with a 360-degree sweep, the 1912 wooden train to Soller through the Tramuntana, and a Santa Catalina food scene that has grown up fast. Most visitors who give it a day wish they had given it two.
The verdict in 30 seconds
Go
Yes if you treat the ride itself as the event: the 1912 wooden train costs 30 EUR return for about an hour through 13 tunnels into the Sóller valley. Summer riders report sold-out trains and packed trams, so book ahead, and if you only need to reach Sóller a regular bus also runs.
Go if
- You are a railway fan or photographer chasing a vintage ride
- You want a car-free day trip from Palma into the Tramuntana
- You will pair the ride with the tram down to Port de Sóller
- You can book the online combined ticket ahead for fixed train times
Skip if
- You only need to reach Sóller and a regular bus will do
- You dislike crowded, touristy experiences: summer riders report packed carriages and trams
- You need a flexible schedule: the official timetable lists seven departures a day from Palma
- You will be upset if a cancellation sends you back by coach, which happened to one traveler
What it costs
- Palma to Sóller, return: €30 (sold at the station ticket office on the day of travel). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Palma to Sóller, one way: €23 (useful if you return another way). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Train plus tram to Port de Sóller, combined return: €40 (the official site sells a 32 EUR online-only combined ticket on certain departures). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Tram, Sóller to Port de Sóller, one way: €10 (sold on board the tram). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
What travelers report
Based on 10 traveler reports (May 2025 to May 2026) and the official sources linked on this page. 1 was negative.
What people like
- The varnished wood, brass and open end platforms of the old carriages are what riders remember
- The climb through 13 tunnels into the Sóller valley and the viewpoint photo stop are the scenic payoff
- Pairing Sóller with the tram down to Port de Sóller's bay makes a full car-free day
- One rail traveler calls the train and tram probably Mallorca's best day trip
What people complain about
- Summer trains fill up: one traveler's 10:10 sold out 25 minutes early and another found the carriage packed
- Three reports call the port tram crowded or expensive at 10 EUR each way
- Cancellations happen: one traveler waited after a tram was cancelled, then had every return train replaced by a coach
- One traveler found much of the route ran through dull outskirts and the photo stop too brief for the price
How to do it right
- Book the online combined train and tram return on the official site: 32 EUR on certain departures against 40 EUR standard, but you commit to fixed outbound and return trains
- All other tickets are sold only at the station ticket office on the day of travel
- Be at the station 30 minutes before departure, as the official site asks; one traveler's 10:10 train sold out 25 minutes before it left
- Take a morning train such as the 10:10, timetabled into Sóller at 11:10, to leave time for the town and the port tram
- Ask at the Palma ticket office which departure makes the ten-minute photo stop at the Pujol d'en Banya viewpoint; the official site lists it for the special train
- In Sóller, the tram to Port de Sóller costs 10 EUR each way on board; the operator describes it as a half-hour trip
The trap to avoid
Leaving the return to the last train. The last departure from Sóller is 19:30 on the current timetable, island-based writers report the final evening returns are often a crush, and one traveler found every return train cancelled for a technical fault and was sent back to Palma by coach.
What to do instead
Why this verdict
The Ferrocarril de Sóller is a ride people take for its own sake. The operator runs 1912-style wooden trains about an hour from Palma to Sóller, through 13 tunnels and over the Tramuntana into the valley, and six of the 10 logged reports are positive. Riders single out the varnished carriages, the open platforms and the views after the long summit tunnel. One rail traveler who filmed the trip in April 2026 calls the train and tram probably Mallorca’s best day trip.
The complaints are about crowds and reliability, and they come from summer. One traveler’s 10:10 train sold out 25 minutes before it left, a tram she planned on was cancelled, and every return train that evening was replaced by a coach. Another called the whole thing a tourist trap after a packed, late departure and a grimy return. Three reports find the port tram crowded or steep at 10 EUR each way. Island-based writers who have ridden it many times say the same thing more calmly: treat it as an attraction, not transport.
That is why the verdict stays yes with conditions. If you want the ride, the price buys an experience no bus offers. If you only need Sóller, a regular bus also runs, and the money is better spent on lunch at the port.
Timing and tickets
Only the combined train and tram return is sold online, for fixed departures, at 40 EUR or 32 EUR on certain trains. Every other ticket is sold at the station on the day. The official site asks riders to be at the station 30 minutes before departure. A morning train leaves time for Sóller and the port, and the last return from Sóller on the current timetable is 19:30, so plan around an earlier one in peak season.
Book or check times
Official tickets and pricesOfficial timetable
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Questions
How much is the Sóller train?
Officially 23 EUR one way and 30 EUR return Palma to Sóller. The combined train plus tram return to Port de Sóller is 40 EUR, or 32 EUR online on certain departures. The tram alone is 10 EUR each way.
How long does the Sóller train take?
About an hour: the current timetable has the 10:10 from Palma arriving in Sóller at 11:10, with a stop at Bunyola. The operator says the line passes 13 tunnels, the longest almost 3 km.
Can you buy Sóller train tickets in advance?
Only the combined train and tram return is sold online, for fixed departures. Every other ticket is sold at the station ticket office on the day of travel. One traveler's 10:10 train sold out 25 minutes before departure.
Is the Port de Sóller tram included in the train ticket?
Not in the 30 EUR return. The tram costs 10 EUR each way on board, or buy the combined return at 40 EUR, or 32 EUR online on certain departures.
When does the Sóller train run?
The current official timetable lists seven departures from Palma between 10:10 and 19:40 and returns from Sóller between 09:00 and 19:30. Some departures are marked to confirm at the ticket office.
Is the Sóller train a tourist trap?
Riders split. One 2026 traveler called it a tourist trap after a packed, late train and a grimy return, and others report crowded trams and sold-out trains in summer. Six of the 10 logged reports are positive about the wooden carriages, the tunnels and the mountain views.