Excellent daytime activity when visiting Palma de Mallorca. This was the #1 recommended activity…read morein my guide book and they certainly got it right. The train is the antique train which operates between Palma and Soller. The views along the way are quite amazing and certainly provides a special look at the island. We enjoyed our time walking through the town of Soller as it is quite a nice village.

Maybe I hyped up this experience too much to myself beforehand but overall it was not the amazing…read moretrain ride I was imagining, especially considering the cost (18 euros and then an additional 7 euros to continue on to the beach, so 25 euros per person, one way ). Many friends who traveled to Mallorca prior recommended this trip for the vintage train and scenic journey. Yes, it was a vintage train and lack of A/C aside it was very charming. And, yes, it was indeed scenic. However, my husband and I rented a car for our time in Palma and drove the dauntingly twisty and extremely narrow winding roads of Serra de Tramuntana the day before so perhaps I was spoiled by not only those views but also the privacy and autonomy of the private car experience. We had the flexibility to pull over when we saw mountain goats and video, we were comfortable in A/C, we weren't sardined in a train car with tourists desperate for photos on their large iPads. If you do try this, and I'm not saying you shouldn't, here are some helpful tips: arrive early to ensure you get a window seat. My husband and I had to sit separately in aisle seats because a family of four decided they all needed window seats instead of taking up two rows and all sitting together. Also, bring cash (no credit cards for ticket purchases). Oh, and if you don't mind standing up, once the train is in motion, you can go outside and ride on the enclosed balcony portion. It's lovely and breezy!

Palma Intermodal Station is actually quite good. It is a bit dark and dingy but it serves its…read morepurpose as Majorca's transport hub for buses, trains and the Palma Metro. When we arrived on the bus into this station, we just followed signs to Plaza de Espanya and found ourselves right in the centre of the city. It is quite a trek from the bus stances to the street, probably as we arrived at a stance that seemed to be closer to Alcudia than Palma. But really, you have to go up an escalator, through the station concourse and then up another escalator. It is a good workout though. The station has modern facilities like shops, automated ticket machines and information points. For the Metro, you can only buy tickets from the machines which I found quite confusing as the ticket options (single/return/day) were all in either Spanish or Catalan and didn't translate properly. As it is underground, don't expect any nice lighting. It is dark and a bit depressing, especially in the bus stances and train station area. The public areas are okay though. I was glad to see that the toilets here are free compared to the 30 pence charge at British stations.

Five stars to Palma's bus system, which got us safely back to our Playa de Palma hotel after…read moremidnight from Plaça d'Espanya when neither our hotel nor our restaurant was willing to help! The signage was clear; the driver was helpful; and the bus was clean, quick, and pleasant. Would ride again!