Andalucía to London in ten hours – by train

By Sara Wallace

STUMBLE off the beach, have a quick shower, and eat your supper while you sit back and relax on the Eurostar high-speed train that will take you from the Costa del Sol back to London in just ten hours.

This is the incredible scenario that could be a reality in the next few years if European transport bosses have their way.

The news comes after rail chiefs confirmed that a Paris to Madrid train link could be in place by the end of next year.

It would bring the journey time down to as little as five-and-a-half-hours between the two cities.

This would not only cut out the “airport hassle factor”, but it would slash individual CO2 emissions by a staggering 90 per cent.

The fast link between Paris and London (2hrs, 15mins) is already in place, as is the new AVE line between Madrid and Malaga (2hrs, 45 mins).

It would be up to an hour quicker if travelling from Sevilla or Cordoba. The route has many green advantages.

Pollutants from a train are less damaging to the environment because they are released at the ground level, rather than directly into the upper atmosphere where planes fly.

Eurostar has even gone a step further in its eco-friendliness by cutting its own emissions by 31 per cent between 2007 and 2009, quickly surpassing its 2007 goal of a 25 per cent reduction by 2012.

The group has also started a ‘Tread Lightly’ initiative to better recycle its own waste.

The new high-speed train will also be an excellent option for travelers who are fed up with the hassles of airport security and inconvenient transportation options to and from the airport.

While a flight from London to Malaga takes only two hours and 40 minutes, the associated inconveniences of having to get to airports two hours before the flight, make the ten-hour train journey a competitive option.

After all, what’s better than being able to look out your window and see the picturesque Spanish countryside as you return home to the gloomy rainy London?