Tag Archives: tourism

adiós 13 / 14 / 27 / 32

31 Thursday Jul 2025

Posted by in sevilla, tourism

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the usual long queues for the 27 and 32

Four lifeline bus routes to the centre of Sevilla from outlying barrios are about to be cut off so that tourists in the 5 star hotels in this central area can be “serviced” better. It’s all for them. I have been hearing rumours for a while about plans to pedestrianise the street between Plazas del Duque and Encarnación (Las Setas) and my first thought was wtf were people who rely on the 27 & 32 bus routes (myself included) supposed to do? But it gets worse. The other day I saw an article about the latest plans for the “reurbanisation” of the three squares next to the main Corte Inglés department store: Plazas Duque, Concordia and Gavidia. And this is the first evil step, because it means those bus routes are never coming back to us. Work is to commence in 2026 and finish sometime in 2027.

The announcement came on this cringe video on the Instagram account of the Diario de Sevilla, not even mentioning the removal of these important city bus routes, instead a perky woman is saying “oh wow and we will have the new “Transibus” to take people to the Santa Justa train station. This only takes into consideration a relatively short trip (6 stops) of one of the four routes (the 34). The others will have their central stops eliminated.

Here is the affected area for the 27 and 32 routes (green line outgoing, blue line incoming). Both routes share the first/last two stops, shown arrow to arrow below. It’s about a 15 minute walk if you have no mobility issues, aren’t carrying shopping or feeling tired, can’t afford a taxi…

And here is where both routes go out to… the 27 to Sevilla Este and the 32 to the end of Nervión. I know these maps won’t mean anything to most of you but you can see that these are VERY LONG routes servicing outlying neighbourhoods and these buses are jam-packed day and night.

The other two bus routes affected, the 13 and 14, will soon have to turn around at the end of the Alameda, cutting out one very long stop to/from the centre. This is about a ten minute walk, if you are young and able bodied. And again, not carrying shopping, or in a wheelchair, etc.

These routes go north. the 13 to Pino Montano and the 14 to Poligono Norte (the 13 is the longer route but both are essential). I personally use this service less often but it’s sure come in handy since I’ve been on crutches, especially to get to my health centre. I take it two stops from Duque and it really makes a difference.

My feeling is that because there are so many elderly people taking these buses, and they can travel for free after age 65 (hey, like me!), the city doesn’t consider them of any value. I see them in the queues, with their shopping trolleys, their canes and walkers, even wheelchairs. How the hell are they supposed to get to the centre from the Alameda or Ponce de León, walk those extra 10-15 minutes, which will be either much longer or impossible for them? You know, to do their shopping, to come into town to have lunch with a friend, to basically ENJOY THEIR CITY.


Day or night, these four bus routes are always in demand, there are always queues of locals coming and going from the centre to their barrios. They are crammed full. Often they run as “only drop off” during the routes because they can’t take on any more passengers. “Replacing” them with one minibus, for just one of the four routes, that only takes tourists from their 5 star hotel to the train station, I mean what the fuck.

They did something similar with the Plaza Magdalena a few years ago, removing the “offending” bus stops so patrons of the new 5 star hotels there wouldn’t have to see us, you know, living our lives. Now the 40, 41 and 43 routes to Triana and Los Remedios stop a little further down San Pablo, but only maybe a five minute walk away (if you can walk). Still sucks. One thing I’ve noticed since this change is that the queues have diminished, not so many locals are using the service because, frankly, it no longer serves them. I think that’s really sad.

Anyhow, not sure what is going to happen with this latest “reurbanisation” plan but none of it sounds good for us. It never is. Meanwhile, saw another article reporting that oversupply is reducing demand re: bookings for tourist accommodations in Sevilla. I mean, ya think? Also it’s fucking 42º here this week. Nobody in their right minds should be visiting Sevilla June-August. Just stop coming here please…

PS. If you’re a total bus route nerd (like Peter) you can find them online here: TUSSAM LÍNEAS

how to be a better tourist – bitesize sevilla

13 Friday Jun 2025

Posted by in bitesize sevilla, covid, sevilla, spain, substack, tourism, travel

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The latest on Bitesize Sevilla… How To Be A Better Tourist (you know you want to be!). Yep, it’s another cranky one. Have a look and if you like it you can give it a “like”, and if you really like it you might consider becoming a subscriber (free or paid). Thanks!

How To Be A Better Tourist

connectivity

03 Thursday Oct 2024

Posted by in culture, sevilla, tourism

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bus routes plaza duque (1)

bus routes plaza duque (2)

So this is happening. And I’m furious about it. Yet another move to make Sevilla more “tourist friendly” at the expense of its residents. The plan is to pedestrianise a main downtown strip that runs from the Plaza del Duque to The Setas (aka Metropol Parasol). No doubt the idea is to install more hotels, chain bars and restaurants and have their terraza tables spilling out into the street. BUT… this also means  5 major bus routes that now finish in Plaza del Duque are going to be rerouted to “turn around” either in the Alameda or in Plaza Ponce de León.

On the maps (above) Plaza del Duque is the white square on the left. From there you can see how far reaching these two bus routes are – the 27 and 32. They go WAY OUT THERE to the suburbs and those buses are always packed, every day, all day long. The 32 also connects the centre to the FUCKING TRAIN STATION. What are they thinking? Oh wait, tourists can take taxis.

For this rant I am gong to focus on the two routes being shifted to Plaza Ponce de León because those are the ones I use the most (but in spirit I am with the 13 & 14 heading north). And when I say they are packed all day a large number of the people on these buses are elderly, mobility challenged, etc… people coming into the centre to shop, have lunch, enjoy a day in town, you know, BE in their city. Not to mention workers coming in to the various shops, restaurants, hotels, etc. who have to be here.

Now if you look at the map below it maybe doesn’t seem like a big deal, moving the “turn around” point from the square on the left (Plaza del Duque) to the arrow on the right (Plaza Ponce de León). But that is in fact at least a fifteen minute walk. For a young fit healthy person, maybe it’s 11 or 12. For me right now with knee issues it would be half an hour. So right now I am identifying with and really feeling what this would mean for all the elderly people that I always see on this bus. For them it could mean that they would no longer be able to access the centre OF THEIR OWN CITY. In order to give more access to tourists.

bus routes duque

A couple of years ago a similar thing happened with three main bus routes from the centre to Triana, and this has resulted in many people no longer being able to get into the centre of their own city. Why? Because a five star hotel was installed in the Plaza de Magdalena and it has been turned into their playground, no more nasty buses turning around in the square… now the buses stop further down towards the river, again too far for people with mobility issues to manage. We are losing our city and our culture day by day. Soon all that will be left are gormless tourists walking around thinking they are having an AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCE because they are staying in our homes, going to our bars (where locals no longer go) and basically just enjoying the architecture. People just don’t get it… if there are no neighbours then it’s not a neighbourhood.