- 8 minutes ago
Adventurer Tinuke Oyediran is on an epic journey from London to North Africa without taking a single flight. She is relying on trains, a ferry and a stream of cryptic clues from the Independent Travel Team to guide her through France, Spain and into Morocco. With a Holafly eSIM keeping her connected across every border, she uses her phone to navigate unfamiliar cities, translate on the move and uncover the best local spots along the way.The real question is how public transport will hold up on a whirlwind trip like this, and whether taking the long way round can actually be a better experience than flying direct.https://holafly.sjv.io/BnWXO9Use discount code INDY at checkout for 5% off your Holafly eSIM.
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00:00What if I told you there was a way to travel from London to Africa, no planes?
00:06On this episode of Travel Smart, I'm spending the next few days traveling through some amazing cities
00:12before crossing over from Europe to Morocco.
00:16But here's the twist. I'll be receiving cryptic clues from the independent travel desk
00:21to find hidden gems in each city using just my phone.
00:26Can I stay connected in each country? Let's find out.
00:30I'm in London, St. Pancras International Station, about to leave for my five-day journey through Europe.
00:42But if I'm crossing borders literally every single day, then being offline is just not an option.
00:47Think about it. I'm going to need to send photos.
00:50I'm going to need to book tickets, and I definitely need Google Translate.
00:54So before I get going, I'm going to set up my Olufli eSIM on my phone.
00:57It only takes a minute to install and gives me unlimited data.
01:02Olufli offers eSIMs to over 200 destinations around the globe.
01:06They even have over 15 regional eSIMs and a global option covering more than 110 countries.
01:13So pretty much anywhere you could want to travel.
01:15That means as I travel through France, Spain, and all the way down to Morocco, I can stay online the entire way.
01:23There's no swapping physical SIM cards, no buying multiple eSIMs, and no roaming charges.
01:29Just instant connection whilst I'm out exploring means no stress.
01:33You can also personalise your eSIM for the number of days of your trip.
01:36So I just got this for five days, which is exactly what I need.
01:40Olufli is perfect for any traveller looking for peace of mind.
01:43And the global eSIM is perfect for when you're doing long journeys like this one and you're constantly on the move.
01:49So grab yours for your next adventure using the code for a special discount.
01:53OK, I've got our first clue.
01:58Our train is leaving in about half an hour, so we've got to get a move on.
02:02Before you leave, this colossal couple will bid you farewell at the meeting place.
02:07Colossal couple.
02:09Ooh, cryptic.
02:12Oh, OK, the lover's statue.
02:16Cute.
02:18I think it's probably down that way, so let's go.
02:22Oh, there they are.
02:26Oh, cuties.
02:29Now I can see why the clue said colossal.
02:32It's absolutely massive.
02:33I was not expecting it to be that big.
02:37They're gorgeous.
02:42OK, one clue found.
02:43Let's go see what the travel team have in store for us in France.
02:47Au revoir.
02:47So this is actually my very first time on the Eurostar, and it was so easy.
02:54It's definitely like taking the scenic route as opposed to going on a plane, taking the long way around, and just enjoying it a little bit more.
03:02All right, we've got to Paris.
03:04We've got about an hour or so before our next train, so we're going to do a very quick whiz through Paris.
03:09On our way.
03:10OK, so I think I'm officially sold on Eurostar because I'm not having to wait at an airport.
03:21I'm not having to wait through passport control.
03:24I'm just jumping straight on the train from London, straight into the middle of Paris.
03:28Light work.
03:29So the moment that I got into France, my Olafly eSIM switched over onto a French network,
03:35and I'm currently able to use my Google Maps to find my way to the train station through really, really busy Paris,
03:42and onto the next train to Lyon.
03:44Got plenty of time.
03:46Smashed it.
03:48Double decker.
03:49I've heard Lyon is a city buzzing with character and history, so I am ready to wander some cobbled streets
03:58and see what stories it has to tell.
04:02And just like that, I'm in Lyon.
04:05I've also just been sent the next clue by the travel team, and I am ready to find out what I'm up to next.
04:10In the city of Weavers, there's a wall where not everything is as it seems.
04:15A wall.
04:17Is it something to do with a mural?
04:20Is that what I'm thinking?
04:22Is there a mural in Lyon?
04:24Hello?
04:26Help!
04:27Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
04:30Okay, it looks, I think it's something that looks like it's a city,
04:33or looks like you can walk through it, but it's actually a flat wall.
04:36Okay, okay, directions.
04:38I think we're close.
04:4020, 24 minutes walk?
04:44That's actually not that bad.
04:46It wasn't 20 minutes walk, it was actually a tower to walk.
04:48So, I'm getting an Uber, real quick.
04:53This is it!
04:55Merci!
04:56Merci!
04:57Oh, yeah.
04:59That is epic.
05:00It's huge!
05:01The Merde Canoe is one of the largest murals in Europe, first painted in the 1980s by local artists as a way of brightening up a blank wall and celebrate the city's silk weaving heritage.
05:13Artists return every few years to update the painting, reflecting how the neighbourhood itself has changed.
05:19I'm liking seeing all of the different things that are happening in all the different levels, like, up there there's a little cat looking out the window.
05:27Over there there's a little old man and his dog.
05:29This was stunning, and I'm ready to go see what else Leon has to offer.
05:39I feel like I'm back in St Pancras again for a deja vu.
05:42Yes, this is stunning!
05:43After a non-stop first day, my whistle-stop tour of Leon comes to an end.
05:52I'll see you in the morning for day two of the trip.
05:54Good morning, it is time to say au revoir to France and board my six-hour train to Barcelona.
06:06Wish me luck.
06:08We're not delayed, which is always a great start.
06:13I'm like, boop-boop!
06:18I'm actually going really fast.
06:20I think we've got about 15 minutes until we arrive in Barcelona, and the trip has been incredible.
06:29Like, quite long, but very comfortable, and I mean, I have nothing to complain about apart from the colour of these seats.
06:39Moving from France into Spain was really beautiful to watch out of the window, especially as the sun was going down.
06:46That was absolutely idyllic.
06:48And my olafly sim switched over at the moment I got into Spain, which was surprisingly amazing.
06:54I wasn't quite expecting it to be so swift.
06:57So, I'm all connected in Spain, and I'm ready to get into Barcelona and see what it has to hold.
07:06That was definitely a long train ride from France.
07:09I'd made it to Barcelona, full of tapas and good vibes.
07:14Excited to see what the travel team have in store for me here.
07:17I'm just doing a little bit of exploring whilst I wait for the travel team to send me my next clue.
07:33Let's do this.
07:34It is November, and I have got shorts and sunglasses on.
07:39Say no more.
07:41All right, we've just stopped, and the clue has come through from the travel team.
07:45Let's have a little look.
07:46To see the city rise above the Fortress Hill, find the quickest way to elevate.
07:51Find the quickest way to elevate.
07:54I mean, that obviously sounds like a lift, or, I mean, that looks like a pretty tall hill.
08:06I think I can see where we're going to be going, or just up on that hill there, up to a fortress at the top,
08:13and I'm very, very, very excited.
08:16And it's a beautiful day for it, so let's go.
08:21Okay, I found out that if you book tickets online, as in, not when you get there, then it's a lot cheaper,
08:27so if I'm connected, I might as well just book it on my way.
08:31Montjuic is one of Barcelona's best viewpoints, a hill that watches over the harbour and the city.
08:38The cable car has been running here since the 1970s, and takes you right up to the old fortress at the top.
08:43Absolutely in my element right now.
08:45It's a quick ride, but the views are unreal.
08:47It's a simple way to see just how big and bright Barcelona really is.
08:51You can see all the way to the sea, you can see where we were earlier today, this morning, like, literally right there.
08:57This has been a quick Barcelona trip, and I've done some things in Barcelona that I've never done before.
09:02I was not expecting to do this, so I am really grateful to be here.
09:06It's epic.
09:07That was a big fat tick from me. I'm going to share some of my snaps with the travel team, and quickly run to the train station so I can catch my train to Madrid.
09:16With Barcelona ticked off, I'm excited to see what else Spain has in store for me, so it's time to head and land for the next clue.
09:23We would like to inform you that our current delay is due to the fact that we are having a technical problem, apologies for the inconvenience. Thank you very much.
09:32Train delays happen. It's one of the parts of interrailing through Europe that make it interesting.
09:37Plans change, things happen, but I will be arriving into Madrid in the dark, so I'm hoping the team send me a clue that we can see at night.
09:45I had a bit of a hiccup because my train was really delayed on the way from Barcelona to Madrid, but I have finally got here.
09:53The travel team have sent me the clue through, and I don't have long in Madrid full stop, so I'm going to see if I can solve it in time.
09:59Far from the Nile, an ancient gift watches the sunset over the city.
10:05Far from the Nile, an ancient gift.
10:08It's got to be something Egyptian, hasn't it?
10:10I think there's, I think there's an Egyptian temple in Madrid.
10:15Let's do it.
10:17Apparently it's gorgeous at sunset, which we have just missed annoyingly.
10:22That is absolutely gorgeous.
10:25I've done it again, travel team.
10:27I've made it past all your clues.
10:30This is absolutely epic.
10:31I cannot believe that they've brought it all the way from Egypt.
10:35The Temple of Dabod is a 2,000-year-old Egyptian temple dropped right into the central area.
10:39Right into the centre of Madrid.
10:41Egypt gifted it to Spain in the 60s, and it was rebuilt here stone by stone.
10:46Everyone talks about the sunsets here, which are meant to be gorgeous.
10:49But tonight, the city lights coming into life around me are just as pretty.
10:57Amazing.
10:58I've just walked around from the temple, just a couple of seconds, and I've seen this absolutely stunning view.
11:05I can only imagine how gorgeous it is at sunset, but I'm still very, very blessed to be here.
11:10My time in Madrid was short but sweet, and I'm definitely adding it to my list of spots to revisit in the future.
11:21That was an unbelievably quick stopover in Madrid.
11:24I actually didn't see any of it in daylight, so I'm going to have to come back and visit.
11:28We are off to our next stop, which is six hours away, Algeciras, and then potentially a boat off to Tangier.
11:37Another six-hour train journey meant plenty of time to get some work done with gorgeous views all around.
11:44I've had Olifly connected as a hotspot onto my laptop, so I've been able to work the entire way.
11:50The rain is making me slightly anxious for the ferry over to Tangier, but fingers crossed it's not too choppy.
11:58Come on guys, let's go!
12:01We're going to Morocco, baby!
12:05Just arrived in Algeciras and it's raining!
12:09It's raining, but it's still warm at least.
12:11Turns out the weather was a bit more of an issue than I initially expected, causing a big old delay.
12:18Even though the ferry is apparently delayed, there is absolutely no one here and it is mad disconcerting to be like,
12:26where is everyone?
12:30Could be here for a while.
12:34I think we're about an hour and a half delayed.
12:37That was long.
12:39We're finally getting on.
12:43Ooh, creepy!
12:47Ah!
12:51As I watched the silhouette of Gibraltar drift away from us, it was finally time to set foot in North Africa.
12:58That is so satisfying, I've literally just got my message, welcome to Morocco from Olifly, so I know I'm connected the whole time.
13:11That is exactly what I was hoping for.
13:13Okay.
13:17Okay.
13:19Okay.
13:20Okay, so we're not in Tangier, but that's fine because I'm still connected and Olifly have got my back the whole way through and I can still find out where the hotel is, so.
13:30Okay, so-rah, so-rah.
13:31So-rah, so-rah.
13:33A quick cab ride into Tangier from the dogs and I am ready for bed.
13:38Time to recharge for my final day and my final clue.
13:45Salaam from Tangier.
13:46I am so grateful that the rain is at bay for a little bit and I'm hoping it's going to stay out for the rest of the day because it was quite relentless yesterday and I'm a bit worn out, so the sun is great.
13:55Just like that, I've got my clue through from the travel team, so let's have a look what I'm up to today.
14:00Artists drank mint tea where the two continents meet.
14:04Search for the cafe with a view of Spain.
14:07Okay.
14:08Oh, wait.
14:09Okay.
14:10So artists cafe, it's going to have to be by the sea somewhere where I can obviously see Spain.
14:18Cafe Hafer, Mecca for writers and painters and tourists.
14:21I cannot think of anything else where I'd rather be right now.
14:24And it's sunny.
14:25So let's try and get there whilst the sun's still out.
14:28Okay.
14:29It's about a 20 minute walk.
14:30You can definitely handle that.
14:32All right.
14:33Let's do this.
14:34Let's go.
14:35Come on.
14:37Tangier is alive with history and see air, a true meeting point of worlds.
14:42It's long been a gateway city shaped by a mix of North African and European influences.
14:48Wander the Medina and you'll find a blend of old architecture, local craft work and cafes packed.
14:53With life all leading out to a skyline that opens into the Strait of Gibraltar.
14:58On a clear day, of course.
15:00Wow.
15:01This is stunning.
15:04I've never been to Tangier before, but it is so stunning.
15:07It's a yes from me.
15:09I found it.
15:10Smashed it again.
15:12It looks absolutely gorgeous.
15:14Cafe Haffa has been a creative hangout for over a century.
15:19It opened in 1921 and plenty of famous names were said to have come through here for the sea views.
15:24The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix have reportedly sat on these terraces with a mint tea and playwright Tennessee Williams is often linked to Tangier's creative scene.
15:33It's a simple spot overlooking the water, but it's clear why artists come here to collect their thoughts.
15:40This is so rewarding after the journey that I've had all the way from London to here and it's stunning.
15:47So I can see why people come and chill here.
15:54Okay, that was an incredible trip.
15:57One journey, four countries, two continents, and I stayed connected from literally start to finish.
16:04London to Morocco, Europe to Africa, no planes.
16:08Don't forget to use the code INDIE on your OLAFLY eSIM on your next adventure.
16:12For more insights and recommendations on your next adventure, head to independent.co.uk slash travel.
16:18See you next time.
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