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Barcelona to Avignon by train
How to take the rail journey from Barcelona to Avignon
The direct trains between Barcelona and Avignon have been removed from the new rail timetable which will be in place after December 11th and into 2023.
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Routes
From Barcelona Sants to Avignon TGV until Dec 10th
Journey Summary
3hr 58min (approx)
Daily
Travel Information
Final Destination: Marseille St.Charles
This train also calls at: Montpellier and Nimes and Aix-en-Provence TGV
This train is usually scheduled to depart from Barcelona Sants station daily at 16:36.
Aim to be at Barcelona Sants a minimum of 20 mins before departure, in order to allow time to pass through the security checks.
At Barcelona Sants station this train to France departs from the part of the station used by the Spanish high speed trains - vias (platforms/tracks) 1 - 6.
So when you're in the station follow the signs that are pointing the way to the ' Alta-Velocidad' trains.
1 x train per day
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: 4 months ahead of the travel date
This direct train is usually scheduled to depart daily from Barcelona at 16:36, so target that time when looking up this journey
It can be worth comparing the prices between booking agents for this journey.
Reservations:
Seats will automatically be assigned when booking tickets for this journey.
Using rail passes:
Rail pass users will need to be pay a reservation fee prior to boarding, but these reservations cannot be booked on the ticket agent's websites.
If you want the peace of mind of reserving before arriving at a Spanish station, you will need to use the Eurail and InterRail booking services to reserve your seats; and pay the booking fee for doing so.
Though you can avoid a booking fee if you do reserve at a Spanish station.
Or if you will be travelling with a rail pass, you can avoid paying any reservation fees at all by taking a train from Barcelona to Cerbére - and then connecting there for a TER train to Avignon Centre station.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Trainline | from €39 | |
| SNCF Connect | from €39 | |
| Renfe | from €39 |
On this journey
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
The best option when departing Barcelona in the morning (and the optimum connection until this direct service resumes) is to take the train to Nimes which departs Barcelona at 08:15:
Then in Nimes there will be a 45 min connection into a TER train service, which will be typically scheduled to arrive in Avignon Centre station at 13:18.
If you will be making this journey between April and October, so will be travelling by daylight, this is a journey of three distinct phases:
1:Between Barcelona and Perpignan the train travels at up to 280 km/h on a high speed line.
2. Between Perpignan and Montpellier the train follows the coast, don't expect incredible seascapes, but there are some nice views as the train threads through the marshes - particularly north of Perpignan.
- Between Nimes and Avignon the train switches back to the high speed line for the final 10 mins of the journey.
From Barcelona to Avignon from Dec 11th
Journey Summary
4hr 55min (approx)
Daily
Travel Information
The French national rail company SNCF and the Spanish rail company Renfe have opted to terminate their partnership which jointly managed the service of high speed trains between France and Spain.
As a result the long-standing direct trains between Barcelona and Avignon have been withdrawn, without any adjustment to any other train times to provide an equivalent indirect journey on a similar schedule to what had been available.
Though the indirect journey does involve a comparative straightforward connection between trains at Nimes Centre station, where the transfer typically involves waiting on the same platform / track, for the arrival of the train on to Avignon.
Though note the train on to Avignon will be a regional TER train, but a a positive is that will arrive at station in the city centre.
2 x connections per day
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: 4 months ahead of the travel date
On SNCF Connect enter 'Gare de Lyon (Paris)' in the from box, on Trainline select Paris-Gare-de-Lyon.
Seats will automatically be assigned when booking tickets for this journey, but rail pass users will need to be pay a rail pass reservation fee prior to boarding.
Using rail passes
It's possible to for holders of valid Eurail and InterRail passes to make this journey without paying the mandatory rail pass reservation fees on the TGV train and make only one connection between trains at Port Bou, the station on the Spain-France border.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Trainline | * | |
| SNCF Connect | * |
Train 1
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination: Paris - Gare De Lyon
Between Barcelona and Perpignan the train travels on a high speed line.
2. Between Perpignan and Montpellier the train follows the coast, don't expect incredible seascapes, but there are some nice views as the train threads through the marshes - particularly north of Perpignan.
The videos were filmed from a train travelling in the opposite direction.
Train 2
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination: Avignon-Centre
The connecting time between trains will typically be a little over 30 mins.
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