Alternatives to air travel:
If you'd like to travel to our yoga retreats in Europe in a more environmentally-friendly way, you've come to the right place!
Here you'll find all our train, ferry and bus alternatives for our retreats in Europe (and Corsica). We warn you right away: it's long (sometimes very long) and probably more expensive than flying.
BUT your carbon footprint can thank you.
Join our retreats by train
Join our retreats in Corsica
It's easy to get to the island of beauty from Paris:
Take a train from Paris Gare de Lyon to Marseille St Charles station. Journey time: 03h20. Simple, fast and environmentally friendly!
Second step: take metro line 2 towards Gèze (La Joliette stop), then bus 35T to the "Terminal Croisières" terminus. You'll still have between 800m and 1.8km to walk, depending on the boarding platform. A free shuttle bus is sometimes available from La Joliette.
Third and last stop: board the day or night ferry between Marseille and Porto-Vecchio, with Corsica Linea.
Please note: there are other companies like Corsica Ferries and other connections (Marseille - Ajaccio, Toulon - Bastia, Nice - Ile Rousse...). We decided to opt for the port of Porto-Vecchio, as it's the closest town to our retreats in Corsica.
Join our yoga courses in Formentera
Surprising as it may seem, getting to Formentera by any other means than air isn't all that complicated. It takes a little time, but it's easy!
Two trains a day run from Paris Gare de Lyon directly to Barcelona: the 10.12am (arriving at 4.54pm) and the 3.14pm (arriving at 9.54pm), for a total journey time of 6 hours 40 minutes.
Once there, you'll have the choice between taking the night ferry (but it might be a bit short, even if you arrive at 4:54pm), or spending the evening in Barcelona. And frankly, there are worse things than enjoying tapas on a terrace while sipping a Verdejo!
The next day, it's up to you whether you want to see more of the city or head straight for Formentera. From Barcelona Sants station, take metro line 3 (Sants Estacio station, direction Trinitat Nova) and get off at Drassanes station (8 minutes). Then take the T3 Portbus bus to the docks, at Plaça Portal de la Pau (2-minute walk from Drassanes metro station).
Ferry services (with Balearia) between Barcelona and Formentera are available day or night, and take an average of 11h00.
Take the train to Andalusia
Let's face it: Andalusia isn't just around the corner. But on closer inspection, it's not the end of the world either. Here's how to get to Picasso country by train:
Two trains a day run from Paris Gare de Lyon directly to Barcelona: the 10.12am (arriving at 4.54pm) and the 3.14pm (arriving at 9.54pm), for a total journey time of 6 hours 40 minutes.
A dozen trains a day run between Barcelona and Malaga. There is a direct connection at 3.45pm (arriving at 9.46pm), for a total journey time of 6h01.
Our tip: the train journey is fairly long, taking just over 12 hours from Paris to Malaga. If you want to play it slow, stop off in Barcelona for the night. Book a hotel close to the station, then head out for a drink in the Gothic Quarter (45 minutes on foot from the station, or 18 minutes on metro line 3).
For more information, you can find any way to get from A to B, on the website of Rome 2 Rio.
Eco-friendly transport to our pensions in Portugal
Yes, getting to Porto from Paris is a time-consuming journey. But maybe it's also time to relax with a good book, watch that film we've been eyeing for a while, or just contemplate the scenery. Taking time also means enjoying Barcelona and Madrid along the way, treating the train journey as a real experience in itself!
Two trains a day run from Paris Gare de Lyon directly to Barcelona: the 10.12am (arriving at 4.54pm) and the 3.14pm (arriving at 9.54pm), for a total journey time of 6 hours 40 minutes.
On arrival in Barcelona, you'll have the choice of staying overnight or taking another train to Madrid. If you opt for the second option, you should be aware that many trains run direct to Madrid after 5:00 pm, for a journey time of around 2h30. You'll then need to spend the night in the Spanish capital before taking another train the following morning.
The fastest train journey from Madrid departs at 11:20 a.m., with a change at Vigo Urzaiz (arrival at 11:20 a.m., changeover time: 4:18 a.m.), then departs from Vigo Guixar station at 7:56 p.m. and arrives in Porto at 9:18 p.m. Total journey time: 10h58. Note that the fastest route is to leave Madrid at 6:20 a.m. by train to
Vigo Urzaiz (arriving at 11:00), then take a bus from the Vigo bus station at 12:00. The bus will take you directly to Porto airport at 1:00 pm. Total journey time: 7h40.
Our stays in France
Yoga retreats on the Côte d'Azur, surfing courses on the Basque coast, or trekking in the Alps: find out more about our wellness breaks in France.