Day trips with the kids are often more about surviving the journey than enjoying it. Riding the clickety-clack Tren de Sóller might be a rare exception. The century-old wooden train winds 27 km through fields and tunnels, over gorges and across viaducts on its time trodden journey from Palma to Sóller in the heart of the Tramuntana. It’s one of those journeys where getting there is nearly half the fun.
From Sóller you can jump on the vintage tram down to Port de Sóller on the coast. No hire car needed, for a full and fun family day out.
The Journey
The train leaves from Plaça d’Espanya – Palma’s main bus and train station, well connected and easy to reach from anywhere on the island. Getting around Mallorca →
It rattles out through the city’s outskirts before the landscape opens out onto carob and almond fields and the Tramuntana mountains on the horizon. Most trains stop at Bunyola, a small town sitting just at the foot of the mountains, where more passengers usually pile on before the best part begins. From there the train winds into the foothills, then without much warning plunges into the cool dark tunnels, blasted straight through the Tramuntana rock. The outdoor balconies at each end of the carriage are great for a leg stretch and you can cling onto the railings outside (hold onto the kids) for the full effect.
You emerge in the valley of oranges, with Sóller appearing just around the bend. One daily departure includes a ten-minute stop at the Mirador des Pujol den Banya, with views over the valley and mountains behind – check at the ticket office when you book to find out which service it is.
The journey takes around an hour, ten minutes more if your train makes the mirador stop
A bit of History
Before 1912, Sóller was effectively cut off from Palma by the Tramuntana mountains. The valley was producing oranges and lemons in serious quantities, and getting produce to market meant mule cart over the mountain passes. A group of local investors funded the solution: a narrow-gauge railway driven through the mountains. The line opened on 16 April 1912, one day after the Titanic sank.
A year later the tram arrived, connecting the town to the port and carrying passengers, fish from the harbour and supplies back up the hill. Some of the original 1913 carriages are still in service. The route and the rolling stock are largely unchanged – one of the most historic railway journeys in Spain.
Tickets
Tickets can be bought at the station on the day of travel or – if you are purchasing a return day ticket – up to seven days in advance online at trendesoller.com. In peak season morning trains sell out – book ahead or arrive early.
Fares (correct as of spring 2026, may be subject to change): Children under 3 years old travel free. Discounted Child fares for ages 3-6yrs are available on the ‘Combined Train & Tram Ticket’.
- Palma – Sóller single: €23
- Palma – Sóller return: €30
- Combined Train & Tram Ticket (Palma – Sóller return + Port tram return): €40*
* Only this ticket type can be pre-purchased online, if you book online early, you may find discounted option for €32 - (Tram) Sóller – Port de Sóller single: €10
Train tickets must be purchased before boarding and once purchased you should travel on the train time booked. Tram tickets are purchased on board – just hop on and buy your ticket as the conductor passes through the carriage – you can take any tram, but remember, they get busy at either end of the day.
Card payment is accepted for all ticket types.
Timetable
Trains from Palma run from 10h10 through to 19h40, with seven departures throughout the day (correct as of spring 2026). From Sóller the first train leaves at 9h, with services running through to 19h30. Additional departures are added in summer when demand picks up, and the train closes completely for a few weeks in winter for maintenance, usually December to early February.
For the full current timetable visit trendesoller.com – schedules change seasonally so always check before you travel.
The tram between Sóller and Port de Sóller runs every hour at quieter times of day, increasing to every 30 minutes around the middle of the day. Check the current tram timetable here. Journey time is around 15 minutes.
Train Tips for families
- There is no buffet car on board but there are cafés at both stations for water and snacks. For pre-trip treats and coffee in Palma, try Terminus just outside the station.
- Foldable pushchairs are fine and can be stored in between the carriages. There’s no space to park baby-in-buggy within the carriage itself. Bicycles and animals are not allowed on board.
- Seating is not assigned so it’s worth arriving 20 minutes before morning departures to choose your seats, the same for the return from Sóller late afternoon.
- Sit on the right-hand side heading to Sóller for the best mountain views
- The carriages have no air conditioning, dress accordingly.
- The train seats can be repositioned to face forward or backward, handy for a family of four.
- The windows open wide, fun for popping the camera out but watch out for little hands. Tunnel walls pass within inches from the train at high speed.
- There are no bathrooms on board.
A note on crowds and costs
The Tren de Sóller is popular, and for good reason. In high season – and increasingly beyond it – it can get very busy, and a hot, crowded platform with young children is a different experience to a quiet one early spring. It’s also worth being honest: this isn’t a kid-focused ‘attraction’. It is however an experience, and most children much prefer it to the back seat of a car and the painstaking search for parking!
An alternative approach that often works well for families: take the train one way, then plan for a smoother and speedier return to Palma by taxi or TIB bus. The combined ticket often works out cheaper (with under 7’s) than buying separate train and tram singles, and usually saves enough for a round of orange ice creams in the port.
Once you’re in Sóller
Arriving in Sóller it’s a short walk to Plaça de la Constitució, the main square. Grab a coffee and a fresh orange juice, or an orange ice cream if the kids deserve a treat. Go for the Sóller Flip (sometimes called the ‘Sóller Bomb’) if you want extra credit – fresh orange juice, orange ice cream, whipped cream with a touch of chocolate on top!
From the north corner of the square, Carrer de Sa Lluna runs up through the old town – a pedestrian street with small independent shops and local eats and treats. At the far end sits Can Prunera, Sóller’s Modernist museum, in an early 20th-century art nouveau mansion. Even if art isn’t your thing, the building is worth a look in its own right. Children under 12 enter free.
From Sóller, you can walk down to the port through the orange groves – around 45 minutes – or hop on the tram. If you’ve bought a combined ticket there’s no set time on the tram leg, so spend as long as you like in town first.
Port de Sóller is a pretty curved natural bay with a bustling harbour, sandy beach and a waterfront promenade with excellent lunch options. Read more on Sóller and Port de Sóller here →
