Granada City Tour Hop-On Hop-Off Train

I thought this would be a convenient way to get to some other parts of Granada and see some sites that were too far to walk to (Mirador San Cristobal, La Cartuja monastery). We purchased our tickets and got on in Plaza Nueva. There were only a handful of other people on the "train" (as others have described it, it is really a 2 car tram). We did not purchase the audio guide. The initial ride was good and we got off at the Mirador de San Cristobal. The tram only comes every 30 minutes -- which is a lot of time at the scenic overview, but we were aware of this before we got off. We returned to the pick up spot with plenty of time to spare. This ended up being a great decision, because when the tram came, there weren't enough seats for everyone waiting (9 of us) so they took on new passengers in the order in which we were waiting. My group of 3 plus another 2 passengers were able to squeeze on. A family of 4 was shut out. They could either wait another 30 minutes or find alternative transportation. NOT OK! Though we were now very aware of what might happen if you get off the tram, we still decided to get off and see the monastery. We almost regretted that decision. Once again, there was not enough room on the tram when we attempted to reboard. We had been first at the tram stop, and we were the only 3 passengers they let board. There was a Spanish family who was also waiting and they convinced the driver of the tram to try to find space for us -- which was incredibly thoughtful. The passengers already on the tram made no attempt to make space until the driver prompted them. After that we decided not to get off the tram again until we were closer to the center of town where we could ultimately walk if we found ourselves stranded -- which we did. It seems like many people may take the tram as a way to get to the Alhambra or just to ride in a loop with no intention of getting off. This means the likelihood of finding a seat if you are not getting on at either the Alhambra or Plaza Nueva is very low. We were there in February so not the high season. I can't even imagine what an ordeal it would be in the spring or summer. Save your money. Though this seems inexpensive it was not worth it. It is a complete waste of time.

Taking this option for sightseeing Granada is disappointing and disastrous, I really don't recommend. I was in Granada for a couple od hours and if I walked the city I would enjoy more and see more things as all the things should be seen are really close and by walking you just go from one to another. The ride with this tram is not comfortable, it is noisy, and you cannot even hear the guide on the headphones. Also if you need headphones you should pay extra because you don't get them with the ticket. There is no clear view from the tram and you cannot take photos like from panoramic bus. You seat with 2 or 3 other persons on one seat and if you are in the middel you really can not enjoy the ride. Also you may wait on the station and when the tram come it can be full and can be stressful trying to find place on the tram. Not all bus stops are marked, and differ from the mark od the map, and this actually was my horrible experience and the personal from the bus was not helpful. I wasted one and a half hour waiting on stop 6 as the stop is not marked properly on the map and trying to find the station was stressful, when actuality the tram arrived and stopped somewhere I did not now it was a stop, and when I waved at the driver he just pointed the station and did not try to stop so I can get onto the tram. This was so rude, because there was another stop where he could take me and there was no traffic on the street. The next tram that arrived was broken and out of service, the driver told me that the next would be for 35 minutes, and guess what, I waited one and a half hour for the next, having nowhere to hide from the sun. So if you really need a ride it is more secure to use local busses as they are cheaper and more frequent. This option is not reliable, doesn't worth the money and you are actually wasting your time instead of enjoying the city.

First of all, this is NOT a train! It's more of a tram and very crowded. The tour was pre-recorded and headphones were needed to hear it. They did sell them when buying tickets. Our 'train' ended at Alhambra, at the bottom of a very steep hill. The driver told us the next one was a 10 minute wait. It did come in 10 min but was full. He suggested we walk up the hill and get on the next one at the Alhambra stop. I walked down and caught a cab back.