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Paris to Barcelona by train
How to travel from Paris to Barcelona by train
The era of high speed rail travel has transformed taking the train from Paris to Barcelona, so despite the distance, this is a very straightforward journey.
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Routes
From Paris Gare de Lyon/Paris Lyon to Barcelona Sants
Journey Summary
6hr 25min - 6hr 35min (approx)
Daily
Travel Information
Final Destination: Barcelone (Barcelona)
All trains also call at: Figueres-Vilifant and Girona
Until July 7th
2 x trains per day
July 8th - Sept 3rd
The additional train will depart Paris at 06:56
From Sept 4th - Dec 11th
2 x trains per day
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: up to 6 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.
If you will be travelling with an InterRail or Eurail pass, there is no viable alternative to taking these trains, if you want to travel from Paris to Barcelona in a single day.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Trainline | from €39 | |
| SNCF Connect | from €39 | |
| Happy rail | from €39 |
On this journey
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
On departure the train heading to Barcelona will usually be attached in front of another train which will be terminating in Montpellier.
Therefore the coaches heading to Barcelona will usually be found towards the far end of the voie (platform/track) at the Gare De Lyon
So don't cut it too fine when boarding these trains, if you don't want to hurry, be at the Gare De Lyon at least 5 minutes before the train will be leaving.
On to Madrid
The easiest, but usually more expensive, option for a train [journey from Paris to Madrid]/travel-info-and-tips/international-trains-from-france/) involves making these connections:
(1) Taking the daily train to Barcelona, which typically departs from the Gare De Lyon at 10:14 and usually arrives in Barcelona Sants station at 16:54.
(2) There will then be a choice of connections on from Barcelona to Madrid:
- At 17:25 an Avlo train will depart, and it is typically scheduled to arrive in Madrid at 19:55, so offers the possibility of the fastest end-to-end journey, but the Avlo train is a more-basic alternative to the AVE trains and it only conveys standard class accommodation; and also has a more stringent luggage allowance per passenger than the AVE trains.
- At 19:00 a regular AVE train will depart and it will be typically scheduled to arrive in Madrid at 22:07; the later departure also allows for more contingency in the event of a delayed arrival of the train from Paris.
Journey Description
This is a journey of three distinct parts.
1: Between the outskirts of Paris and Nimes the trains travel on the high speed line.
- From Nimes to Perpignan the trains follow the coast, but don't expect incredible seascapes, the sea is often just out of sight on the right, but you're more likely to see it from the upper deck
Though what makes the part of the journey between Sete and Perpignan unusual is that between these two towns there are often sea lagoons which can be seen from the left-hand side of the train, particularly south of Narbonne when the railway seems to skim across the surface of the water
As can be seen in the video above, what's unusual and rather fabulous about this part of the journey, as the train leaves Narbonne behind, is that the 'sea' can be seen from both sides of the train.
3, Between Perpignan and Barcelona, the train reverts back to using a high speed line.
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