This page explains how to buy train tickets from Bordeaux to other European cities at the cheapest prices, buying online direct from the operators, usually with print-at-home tickets. Click here to buy tickets starting in another city.
I want to go from Bordeaux to...
Before
you buy your tickets
Take a moment to read these important tips for buying European train tickets. It answers all the usual questions, "Do I need to book in advance or can I buy at the station?", "Can I stop off?", "Are there Senior fares?" and that old favourite, "Should I buy an $800 railpass or a €35 point-to-point ticket?". And most important, click here to understand how far ahead you can buy train tickets.
European
train travel FAQ
Bordeaux St Jean station:
See map
Bordeaux to Paris from €20
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High-speed TGV trains link Bordeaux St Jean station with Paris Gare Montparnasse roughly every hour through the day, in around 2h09.
TGVs travel at up to 300 km/h (186 mph), with 1st & 2nd class & cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Many are double-deck TGV Duplex Océane, see the TGV page for photos & travel tips.
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Fares start at €20 in 2nd class or €40 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead. It costs over €115 full-flex bought on the day.
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Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.sncf-connect.com (French Railways own site, a little more fiddly, no fee).
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
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What are the trains like?
Many of the TGVs between Bordeaux and Paris are now double-deck TGV Duplex with the latest Océane interior. When using www.raileurope.com it will say TGV Duplex before the train number if it's a Duplex, and just TGV if it's a single-deck TGV. Externally they are identical to previous generations of TGV Duplex, but they feature an all-new redesigned interior. You'll find free WiFi and power sockets at all seats (1st class seats on an Océane also have USB ports). A major innovation on the new Océane trains, most 1st class seats rotate to face direction of travel, or to create a face to face bay of 2 or 4 seats if you like. To rotate the seats, press the small pedal on the aisle side of the seat plinth, under the seat.
Trains which are shown as TGV but not TGV Duplex will be conventional single-deck TGVs of the TGV Atlantique design with the Christian Lacroix interior. On TGV Atlantique, one first class car (car 1 or 11) has conventional open-plan seating, the other two first class cars (cars 2 & 3, or 12 & 13) have face-to-face tables for two on one side of the aisle, and open semi-compartments with bays of 4 seats around a table on the other side of the aisle. The 2nd class cars are all conventional open-plan.
Bordeaux to Lyon, Nice & anywhere else in France
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Check times and buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in multiple currencies, small booking fee) or www.sncf-connect.com (French Railways own site, no booking fee).
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Regular TER & TGV trains link Bordeaux St Jean with Lourdes, Biarritz, Tours and so on.
Regular Intercités & TGVs link Bordeaux & Toulouse.
Less regular Intercités link Bordeaux St Jean with Carcassone, Narbonne, Montpellier, Nimes and Marseille. Change at Nimes for Avignon and Aix-en-Provence. Change at Marseille for Toulon, St Raphael, Cannes & Nice.
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Bordeaux to Lyon.
Oddly enough there are no direct trains between Bordeaux and Lyon. Journey planners such as www.raileurope.com tend to send you from Bordeaux to Paris Montparnasse by TGV, then Paris Gare de Lyon to Lyon by TGV, but this means changing stations in Paris by taxi or metro.
Tip: On www.raileurope.com click More options and enter Massy TGV as a via station, then also try again, entering Marne la Vallée - Chessy as a via station. You'll find several daily options by TGV from Bordeaux to Massy TGV or Marne la Vallée, one easy same-station change, then back south by TGV to Lyon, with no need to change stations in Paris!
You can also try entering Nimes as a via station, which produces some interesting 1-change options via the longer and slower southern route through Toulouse, Narbonne, Montpellier, Nimes. It's an interesting route and can be cheaper, if you don't mind the extra hour or two rolling sedately across southern France.
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Bordeaux to Cannes, Nice & the Cote d'Azur.
The fastest route is from Bordeaux to Paris Montparnasse by TGV in 2h09, then from Paris Gare de Lyon to Nice by TGV in around 5h40. This is the route that journey planners such as www.raileurope.com will find by default. However, this involves changing stations in Paris by metro or taxi.
Tip: It's worth knowing that there's a slower more leisurely route with one simple same-station change at Marseille. When using www.raileurope.com simply click More options and enter Marseille as a via station. You'll see 1-change options using a Bordeaux-Marseille Intercité train then a Marseille-Cannes-Nice train. It takes an hour or two longer than going via Paris, but it's a nice chill-out ride right across southern France, past lakes with flamingos feeding in the shallows between Narbonne and Montpellier, past Béziers cathedral, and best of all, the superb views along the Mediterranean coast between Toulon and Nice (although you also travel the Toulon-Nice section going via Paris). It can be cheaper than going via Paris, too.
Marseille is a great city, if you can fit in an overnight stop there, do so. At least wander down to the Vieux Port between trains, even if you don't feel like hiking to the lovely Eglise Notre Dame de la Garde, or have time to take the ferry to France's 17th century Alcatraz, the Chateau d'If out in the bay, of Count of Monte Cristo fame.
Bordeaux to Brussels, Bruges & Belgium
Option 1, via Paris. Fastest & often cheapest, but means changing stations in Paris by taxi or metro.
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Step 1, take a TGV from Bordeaux St Jean to Paris Gare Montparnasse in around 2h09, they run roughly every hour.
The TGVs have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seat & free WiFi. Many are double-deck TGV Duplex.
Fares start at €20 in 2nd class or €40 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Change trains and stations in Paris by metro or taxi. Allow at least 60 minutes between trains for this.
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Step 2, take a Eurostar (formerly Thalys) high-speed train from Paris Gare du Nord to Brussels Midi in 1h22, they leave roughly every hour.
Eurostars have 3 classes, power sockets at all seat & free WiFi. More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
Fares start at €29 in 2nd class or €55 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Change in Brussels for a Belgian domestic train to Bruges, they run twice an hour. No reservation is necessary or possible for these, you just sit anywhere you like. 10 Minutes is enough to change in Brussels, if the Eurostar is late and you miss one, you catch the next one. Belgian domestic tickets are good for any train that day.
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Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (no fee).
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
Tip: You can book this as one journey, but make sure it gives you at least 60 minutes between trains in Paris. By default the system allows cross-Paris connections as short as 40 minutes, which I consider too tight for comfort. It can be better to book from Bordeaux to Paris first, add to basket, then book Paris to Brussels, add this to your basket and check out. Or on www.raileurope.com, click More options and add Paris (any station) as a via station with a stopover duration of at least 1 hour. This gives you more control and allows you to build in stop off in Paris, perhaps to have lunch there, maybe at the celebrated Train Bleu Restaurant at the Gare de Lyon or one of these restaurants at the Gare du Nord.
Option 2, via Lille - Less frequent, usually more expensive, but avoids having to cross Paris.
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Step 1, take a direct TGV from Bordeaux St Jean to Lille Flandres in around 4h28 to 4h47, there are several direct trains per day.
Fares start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Walk 500m from Lille Flandres to Lille Europe, as explained here.
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Step 2, take a TGV or Eurostar from Lille Europe to Brussels Midi in around 35 minutes.
Fares start at €20 in 2nd class or €40 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com, but I suggest clicking More options and entering Lille (any station) as a via point. Then look carefully through the search results to find journeys with 1 change at Lille, not via Paris.
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Tip: If you want to avoid the 500m walk from Lille Flandres to Lille Europe, you can take a more-or-less hourly regional train from Lille Flandres to Tournai, then take the regular Belgian domestic intercity train to Brussels Midi. Total journey time around 2h08 (versus 35 minutes by TGV!), fixed-price fare around €22 any day, any date, no reservation necessary. To buy tickets, first book from Bordeaux to Lille at www.raileurope.com, add to basket, then book from Lille Flandres to Brussels clicking More options and adding Tournai as a via station. Tickets from Lille to Brussels via Tournai using these TER and Belgian InterCity trains are good for any train that day, not just for the specific ones you select. Therefore even 15 minutes is enough between trains in Lille, because if the TGV is late if you miss it you simply catch the next one using the same ticket. There are no reservations on TER & Belgian IC trains, you just sit anywhere.
Bordeaux to Amsterdam & the Netherlands
Option 1, via Paris. Fastest & often cheapest, but means changing stations in Paris by taxi or metro.
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Step 1, take a TGV from Bordeaux St Jean to Paris Gare Montparnasse in around 2h09, they run roughly every hour.
The TGVs have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seat & free WiFi. Many are double-deck TGV Duplex.
Fares start at €20 in 2nd class or €40 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Change trains and stations in Paris by metro or taxi. Allow at least 60 minutes between trains for this.
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Step 2, take a Eurostar (formerly Thalys) from Paris Gare du Nord to Amsterdam Centraal in 3h20, they leave every couple of hours.
Eurostars have 3 classes, power sockets at all seat & free WiFi. More about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).
Fares start at €35 in 2nd class or €79 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (no fee).
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
Tip: You can book this as one journey, but make sure it gives you at least 60 minutes between trains in Paris. By default the system allows cross-Paris connections as short as 40 minutes, which I consider too tight for comfort. It can be better to book from Bordeaux to Paris first, add to basket, then book Paris to Brussels, add this to your basket and check out. Or on www.raileurope.com, click More options and add Paris (any station) as a via station with a stopover duration of at least 1 hour. This gives you more control and allows you to build in stop off in Paris, perhaps to have lunch there, maybe at the celebrated Train Bleu Restaurant at the Gare de Lyon or one of these restaurants at the Gare du Nord.
Option 2, via Lille. If you really don't want to change stations in Paris. Takes longer, involves more changes, usually costs more...
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Steps 1 & 2, travel from Bordeaux to Brussels Midi via Lille as shown above.
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Step 3, travel from Brussels Midi to Amsterdam Centraal either by IC train or high-speed Eurostar as shown here.
Bordeaux to London
Bordeaux to Switzerland
Via Paris. The fastest, most frequent route
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There are few or no cross-country trains these days, so whatever you may think from looking at the map, the fastest, cheapest and usually best option is via Paris, as follows:
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Step 1, take a TGV from Bordeaux St Jean to Paris Gare Montparnasse in around 2h09, they run roughly every hour
Fares start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com.
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
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Change trains and stations in Paris by metro or taxi. Allow at least 60 minutes between trains for this.
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Step 2, travel from Paris to Geneva, Lausanne, Basel, Bern, Zurich or anywhere in Switzerland as shown in the Trains from Paris page
Fares start at €29 in 2nd class or €51 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.sncf-connect.com.
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
Tip: You can book from Bordeaux to Switzerland in one go, but I'd click More options, enter Paris (any station) as a via station, with a stopover duration of at least 1 hour.
Bordeaux to Italy
Option 1, via Paris. Fastest & can be cheapest, if you don't mind changing stations in Paris
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Step 1, take a TGV from Bordeaux St Jean to Paris Gare Montparnasse in around 2h09, they run roughly every hour
Fares start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.sncf-connect.com.
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
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Change trains and stations in Paris by metro or taxi. Allow at least 60 minutes between trains for this, ideally two hours given the importance of making your connection when going to Italy. Why not allow time for lunch or dinner in Paris? For example, have lunch at the Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon before catching the afternoon TGV to Italy.
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Step 2, travel from Paris to Turin or Milan by TGV or Frecciarossa and change for anywhere in Italy, as shown in the Trains from Paris page.
For example Paris to Turin by TGV takes 5h40 with fares from €29, you could travel from Bordeaux to Italy in a single day this way.
Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, or www.sncf-connect.com.
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
Option 2, with overnight stop in Marseille. Slower, but it's scenic, sometimes cheaper & avoids changing stations in Paris...
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Day 1, travel from Bordeaux St Jean to Marseille St Charles in around 6 hours by direct Intercité train.
You can leave Bordeaux in the late afternoon arriving late evening in Marseille, but personally I'd leave earlier for a pleasant afternoon or evening in Marseille.
Fares start at €20 in 2nd class or €40 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy a ticket at www.raileurope.com, www.thetrainline.com or www.sncf-connect.com, looking for a direct train with 0 changes.
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
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Stay overnight in Marseille. Inexpensive hotels with good reviews just outside Marseille St Charles station: Ibis Marseille Centre Gare St Charles, Holiday Inn Express Marseille St Charles. Marseille is a wonderful city, well worth a look around. At least wander down to the Vieux Port, even if you don't feel like hiking to the lovely Eglise Notre Dame de la Garde, or have time to take the ferry to France's 17th century Alcatraz, the Chateau d'If out in the bay, of Count of Monte Cristo fame.
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Day 2, travel from Marseille to Ventimiglia on the Italian border on TER regional trains, leaving Marseille St Charles at 09:57, changing at Nice Ville and arriving Ventimiglia at 13:41. There's great scenery along the famous Côte d'Azur, past rocky headlands, yacht-filled harbours and millionaires' villas.
The fare is around €44, though promotional fares of €25 are sometimes available. It's 2nd class only between Nice & Ventimiglia
Buy a ticket at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com.
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone. Allow at least 45 minutes between trains in Ventimiglia.
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Day 2, travel from Ventimiglia to Genoa & Milan by Intercity train, leaving Ventimiglia at 15:10 arriving Genoa Piazza Principe at 17:05 & Milan Centrale at 18:55. There's great scenery along the Ligurian coast.
Change at Genoa for La Spezia, Cinque Terre & Pisa. Change at Milan Centrale for an onward Frecciarossa high-speed train to Verona, Venice, Florence, Rome or Naples.
Fares from Ventimiglia to Milan start at €19.90 in 2nd class or €26.90 in 1st class. Milan to Venice or Florence then starts at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class. Milan to Rome starts at €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy a ticket from Ventimiglia to anywhere in Italy at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com.
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. It's ticketless, you print your booking reference or show it on your phone.
For details of the journey from Nice to Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome or Naples with photos & tips, see the Nice to Italy by train page.
Bordeaux to Spain
Bordeaux to San Sebastian or Bilbao
The Man in Seat 61 says, "Bordeaux to San Sebastian is comfortable, cheap & easy by train. But people mistakenly put 'Bordeaux to San Sebastian' into booking websites and wonder why nothing appears! You have to book from Bordeaux to Hendaye on the Spanish border, then pay for the little Euskotren to San Sebastian separately, that's the trick. Easy when you know how!"
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Step 1, travel from Bordeaux St Jean to Hendaye on the Spanish border.
There are frequent trains taking about 2h35. Some are TGVs with compulsory reservation & variable pricing, others are TER regional trains with fixed prices and no reservations which cannot sell out, you can buy at that price even on the day.
The fare is around €40 for TER orTGV paid on the day, or from €24 by TGV if booked in advance.
Check times & buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.sncf-connect.com.
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
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Step 2, transfer from Hendaye to San Sebastian by Euskotren metro.
On arrival at Hendaye, walk out of the station and turn right, walk to the little Euskotren station in the corner of the forecourt. Buy a ticket for €2.75 and hop on the next metro train, they run every 30 minutes from Hendaye to San Sebastian-Donostia Amara station, journey time 37 minutes. See the photos below for more tips.
You can check train times & fares from San Sebastian to Bilbao at www.euskotren.eus. Remember that San Sebastian is Donostia in the Basque language and the Euskotren station in San Sebastian is usually just called Amara.
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Step 3 if going to Bilbao.
Local trains run every hour from San Sebastian Amara station to Bilbao's Zazpi Kaleak station (journey time 2h29 from Amara) or Bilbao's Matiko station (the train's final stop, 2h35 from Amara), fare €6.30, buy a ticket at the station.
The trains used on this route are similar to the Hendaye-San Sebastian trains pictured above, along a route with some good countryside and coastal views. In Bilbao, Matiko station is 18 minutes walk from the Guggenheim Museum, Zazpi Kaleak station is further from the Guggenheim (22 minutes walk) but closer to both the old quarter and the 19th century new town.
You can check train times & fares from San Sebastian to Bilbao at www.euskotren.eus, remembering that San Sebastian to Bilbao will be listed as Amara to Matiko as those are the station names. The adult one-way fare is shown as 'ida'.
Bordeaux to Madrid
The Man in Seat 61 says, "Bordeaux to Madrid is another journey that's easy and comfortable by rail, but booking systems produce nothing sensible when you ask for Bordeaux to Madrid all in one go. That's because French trains are not currently extending one stop across the border to Irun for technical reasons, they are all terminating at Hendaye on the French side. But the Spanish trains all start at Irun, which leaves a 2.7km (1.7 mile) gap between trains, easily bridged by local Euskotren metro or by taxi or 36 minutes on foot, but booking systems aren't intelligent enough to tell you that!"
Option 1, Bordeaux to Madrid in a single day.
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Step 1, travel from Bordeaux to Hendaye on the Spanish border from €24.
You need to leave Bordeaux St Jean around 10:00, check times at www.raileurope.com, trains run every hour or two taking around 2h35. Some are TGVs with compulsory reservation & variable pricing, others are TER regional trains with fixed prices and no reservations which cannot sell out, you can buy at that price even on the day. The fare is around €40 by TER or TGV paid on the day, or from €24 by TGV if booked in advance.
Why not leave earlier, say around 08:00, and have lunch in San Sebastian? Your call!
Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com, www.thetrainline.com or www.sncf-connect.com.
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
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Step 2, transfer from Hendaye to San Sebastian by Euskotren metro for €2.75.
On arrival at Hendaye, walk out of the station and turn right, walk to the little Euskotren station in the corner of the forecourt. Buy a ticket for €2.75 and hop on the next metro train, they run every 30 minutes from Hendaye to San Sebastian Amara, journey time 37 minutes. See the photos above for photos, travel tips & more details on the Euskotren connection between Hendaye, Irun and San Sebastian.
In San Sebastian it's a 10-minute walk from Euskotren's Amara station to the mainline Renfe station, see walking map.
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Step 3, travel from San Sebastian to Madrid by Alvia train, leaving San Sebastian Renfe station around 15:15 & arriving Madrid Chamartin around 20:10.
If you're stopping in San Sebastian overnight, the morning Alvia leaves San Sebastian around 09:00, arriving Madrid Chamartin around 14:00.
The first stage of the journey to Madrid is a lovely descent out of the mountains, just sit back and enjoy with a cup of cafe con leche from the cafe-bar car. The Alvias travel at relatively low speed on Spanish 5'6" gauge tracks as far as Burgos, then they pass slowly through a shed where their axles are changed to 4' 8½ standard gauge. They then dash over the standard-gauge high-speed line to Madrid at up to 155mph.
Tip: There's a lovely rustic bar at San Sebastian Renfe station, just at the end of the nearest platform at the left-hand end of the station building (as you face it from outside). A great place for a morning coffee and croissant or afternoon beer while you wait.
Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.
Booking for Spanish trains normally opens 60 days ahead, but this varies. You print your own ticket.
Option 2, Bordeaux to Madrid with overnight stop in San Sebastian.
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Day 1, travel from Bordeaux to Hendaye on the Spanish border from €24.
You can leave Bordeaux St Jean any time up to around 18:45, check times at www.raileurope.com. Trains run every hour or two taking around 2h35 just remember that the last Euskotren to San Sebastian leaves Hendaye around 22:30 depending on the day of the week, so you need to arrive before that. Some Bordeaux-Hendaye trains are TGVs with compulsory reservation & variable pricing, others are TER regional trains with fixed prices and no reservations which cannot sell out, you can buy at that price even on the day.
The fare is around €40 by TER or TGV paid on the day, or from €24 by TGV if booked in advance.
Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
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Day 1, transfer from Hendaye to San Sebastian by Euskotren for €2.75...
On arrival at Hendaye, walk out of the station and turn right, walk to the little Euskotren station in the corner of the forecourt. Buy a ticket for €2.75 and hop on the next metro train, they run every 30 minutes from Hendaye to San Sebastian Amara, journey time to San Sebastian Amara is 37 minutes. See above for more about the Euskotren connection between Hendaye, Irun and San Sebastian.
In San Sebastian it's a 10-minute walk from Euskotren's Amara station to the mainline Renfe station, see walking map.
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Stay overnight in San Sebastian. If your budget will stretch, the Hotel de Londres y Inglaterra is a classic, with great character perfectly located right on the sea front, a few minutes walk from the old town and 10 minutes walk from Amara station. For something cheaper but still with great reviews in the old town, try the Pension Garibai or Pension Alameda.
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Day 2, travel from San Sebastian to Madrid by Alvia train, leaving San Sebastian Renfe station around 09:00 every day, arriving Madrid Chamartin around 14:00. If you want to spend a day in San Sebastian, there's an afternoon Alvia train too.
The first stage of the journey to Madrid is a lovely descent out of the mountains, just sit back and enjoy with a cup of cafe con leche from the cafe-bar car. The Alvias travel at relatively low speed on Spanish 5'6" gauge tracks as far as Burgos, then they pass slowly through a shed where their axles are changed to 4' 8½ standard gauge. They then dash over the standard-gauge high-speed line to Madrid at up to 250 km/h (155 mph).
Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.
Booking for Spanish trains normally opens 60 days ahead, but this varies. You print your own ticket.
Bordeaux to Barcelona
Option 1, Bordeaux to Barcelona via Narbonne. The fastest & easiest option, though not always the cheapest
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This is the way journey planners will always send you if you just put Bordeaux to Barcelona into www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.
The journey takes just 6 hours from city centre to city centre, a chill-out trip with great views of Mt Canigou at the southern end of the Pyrenees. You'll find two or three departures per day, you take an Intercité train from Bordeaux St Jean to Narbonne, then a TGV Duplex or AVE S100 with cafe-bar from Narbonne to Figueres, Girona and Barcelona Sants at up to 320 km/h (199 mph) over the new high-speed line.
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Fares start at €20 for Bordeaux-Narbonne and €29 for Narbonne-Barcelona.
Fares work like air fares so book ahead for the cheapest prices, if you need to go at short notice fares can be expensive, in which case you'll probably find options 2 or 3 are cheaper.
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Check times and buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
Option 2, Bordeaux to Barcelona via San Sebastian. Comfortable & inexpensive, can be done in one day or with an overnight stop in San Sebastian.
The Man in Seat 61 says, "This is another journey that's easy and comfortable by rail, but booking systems won't show it. French trains are not currently extending one stop across the border to Irun for technical reasons, they are all terminating at Hendaye on the French side. The Spanish trains all start at Irun, leaving a 2.7km (1.7 mile) gap between trains, easily bridged by local Euskotren metro or taxi or 36 minutes walk, but booking systems aren't intelligent enough to tell you that!"
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Step 1, travel from Bordeaux to Hendaye on the Spanish border from €24.
There are frequent trains taking about 2h35. Some are TGVs with compulsory reservation & variable pricing, others are TER regional trains with fixed prices and no reservations which cannot sell out, you can buy at that price even on the day. The fare is around €40 by TER or TGV paid on the day, or from €24 by TGV if booked in advance.
For a same-day journey from Bordeaux to Barcelona, you need to leave Bordeaux St Jean around 10:00. But why not leave earlier, say around 08:00, to have lunch in San Sebastian?
Why not stop overnight in San Sebastian? Another option is to catch any train you like from Bordeaux St Jean to Hendaye on day 1, spend a pleasant afternoon or evening in San Sebastian and stay there overnight, then take the early morning train to Barcelona on day 2.
Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com, www.thetrainline.com or www.sncf-connect.com.
Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
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Step 2, transfer from Hendaye to Irun or San Sebastian by Euskotren metro for €2.75.
On arrival at Hendaye, walk out of the station and turn right, walk to the little Euskotren station in the corner of the forecourt. Buy a ticket for €2.75 and hop on the next metro train, they run every 30 minutes from Hendaye to Irun & San Sebastian Amara, journey time to San Sebastian Amara is 37 minutes. Whether you change to the mainline Spanish train in Irun or at San Sebastian Amara is entirely up to you, it's about a 10-minute walk between the Euskotren station and the mainline Renfe (Spanish Railways) station in both Irun and San Sebastian, but clearly San Sebastian is a nicer place to wait if you have a lot of time between trains. See the photos above for photos, travel tips & more details on the Euskotren connection between Hendaye, Irun and San Sebastian.
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Step 3, travel from Irun or San Sebastian to Barcelona by Alvia train.
There are two Alvia trains per day, morning and afternoon, with standard (2nd class) & comfort class (1st class) with cafe-bar.
If you want to travel from Bordeaux to Barcelona in a day, you'd take a morning TER from Bordeaux to Hendaye and the afternoon Alvia from Irun or San Sebastian to Barcelona, leaving San Sebastian around 15:10, arriving Barcelona Sants around 22:10.
If you're stopping in San Sebastian overnight, the morning Alvia leaves San Sebastian around 06:45, arriving Barcelona Sants around 13:20.
The first stage of the journey to Barcelona is a lovely descent out of the mountains, just sit back and enjoy with a cup of cafe con leche from the cafe-bar car. The Alvias travel at relatively low speed on Spanish 5'6" gauge tracks through Pamplona as far as Zaragoza, then they pass slowly through a shed where their axles are changed to 4' 8½ standard gauge. They then dash over the standard-gauge high-speed line to Barcelona at up to 155mph. Look out for great views of Montserrat on the left as you approach Barcelona.
Tip: There's a lovely rustic bar at San Sebastian Renfe station, just at the end of the nearest platform at the left-hand end of the station building (as you face it from outside). A great place for a morning coffee and croissant or afternoon beer while you wait.
Fares start at €28 in standard class or €38 in comfort class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.
Booking for Spanish trains normally opens 60 days ahead, but this varies. You print your own ticket.
Alvia trains from Irun & San Sebastian to Madrid & Barcelona
Option 3, Bordeaux to Barcelona via Toulouse & Latour de Carol. Cheap and scenic, right through the Pyrenees
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This is another useful route that journey planners won't show you! It's cheaper at short notice than taking a TGV as in option 1.
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Step 1, in the morning, take an Intercité train or TGV from Bordeaux to Toulouse in just over 2 hours from €20 upwards, then a TER regional train from Toulouse to Latour de Carol in around 3 hours, fixed-price around €28.
There are several possible departures per day, you can check times and buy tickets for this journey at www.raileurope.com. You print your own ticket. The journey up into the Pyrenees is lovely, look out for the castle at Foix on the right just after the station.
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Step 2, in the afternoon, take a Spanish local train from Latour de Carol to Barcelona.
These run every couple of hours, journey time around 3h10, fare €12 or so, pay the conductor on board the train, tickets cannot be booked online or even bought at Latour de Carol station. You won't find these trains on any main journey planner as they are classed as Barcelona suburban trains (even though this is a rural route). You can check times at rodalies.gencat.cat/en/inici/ searching from La Tor de Querol-Enveig (the Catalan name for Latour de Carol) to Barcelona Sants.
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Tip: Latour de Carol has a vast station building, but is in the middle of nowhere surrounded by mountains. Three different track gauges serve the station: Standard gauge from Toulouse, the Spanish broad gauge to Barcelona and the narrow gauge of the 'Petit Train Jaune' towards Perpignan. I'd allow at least 30 minutes between trains at Latour just in case of delay, but if there's a longer wait between trains at Latour de Carol - as there usually is, because the French and Spanish don't co-ordinate their timetables - simply have lunch, coffee or a beer at the station bistro, www.facebook.com/bistrotdutrainjaune. There's very little else there! Peaceful, though.
Bordeaux to anywhere else in Spain
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Step 1, travel from Bordeaux to Madrid Chamartin or Barcelona Sants as shown above.
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Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Valencia or Alicante, or from Madrid to Seville, Malaga, Cordoba, Cadiz, Algeciras, booked at www.raileurope.com. In Madrid, you usually need to transfer by local train from Madrid Chamartin to Madrid Atocha as shown here.
Bordeaux to Lisbon & Portugal
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Day 1, travel from Bordeaux to Hendaye by train and Hendaye to San Sebastian by Euskotren as explained above.
Book from Bordeaux to Hendaye at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com. Buy the Hendaye-San Sebastian Amara ticket at the Euskotren station in Hendaye.
In San Sebastian it's a 10-minute walk from Euskotren's Amara station to the mainline Renfe station, see walking map.
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Stay overnight in San Sebastian. The Pension Regil is close to the old town with great reviews, 10 minutes walk from the Renfe station, 7 minutes walk from the Amara Euskotren station. If you want something in the old town itself, try the Pension Garibai or Pension Alameda. If you want to push the boat out, San Sebastian's most venerable hotel (which I can recommend personally, having stayed there) is the Hotel de Londres y Inglaterra, on the sea front.
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Day 2, travel across Spain from San Sebastian to Vigo by comfortable air-conditioned train:
Morning departure with 2 changes, every day: Travel from San Sebastian to Segovia by Alvia train, leaving San Sebastian at 09:02 and arriving Segovia Guiomar at 13:26. Then travel from Segovia to Santiago by Alvia train, leaving Segovia Guiomar at 15:30 arriving Santiago de Compostela at 19:35. Then travel from Santiago to Vigo by regional train, leaving Santiago de Compostela at 20:12 and arriving Vigo Guixar at 21:41.
Afternoon departure with just 1 easy change, Wednesdays, Fridays & Sundays only: Spend the morning in San Sebastian. An Intercity train leaves San Sebastian at 12:21 arriving Vitoria/Gasteiz at 13:58. This is a guaranteed connection into the Barcelona-Galicia Alvia train which leaves Vitoria/Gasteiz at 14:19 on Wednesdays, Fridays & Sundays arriving Vigo Guixar at 23:35.
These Alvia trains are modern, comfortable and air-conditioned with a cafe-bar.
San Sebastian to Vigo starts at €23 each way. The price varies, book ahead for the cheaper prices.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com. Booking for Spanish trains normally opens 60 days ahead, but this varies.
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Stay overnight in Vigo. The NH Collection Vigo hotel & cheaper Hotel Atlantico Vigo are both near the station with great reviews.
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Day 3, travel from Vigo to Porto by air-conditioned regional train, leaving Vigo at 08:58 arriving Porto Campanhã at 10:20. If you'd like to spend some time in Vigo, there's a later train leaving Vigo at 19:56 arriving Porto 21:18.
The fare is €14.80, fixed price.
This can also be booked at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, Booking opens 60 days ahead, but this can vary.
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Day 3, take any suitable onward train from Porto to Lisbon, for example the 11:40 Alfa Pendular arriving Lisbon Santa Apolonia at 14:30. Fares start at €9.90. Book this at the Portuguese Railways website www.cp.pt (in €) or at Omio.com (in €, £ or $).
Bordeaux to Cologne, Frankfurt, Berlin & Germany
Option 1, Bordeaux to Germany via Paris - usually the fastest, cheapest and most frequent way...
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Step 1, take a TGV from Bordeaux St Jean to Paris Gare Montparnasse in around 2h09, they run roughly every hour.
The TGVs have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seat & free WiFi. Many are double-deck TGV Duplex.
Fares start at €20 in 2nd class or €40 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.sncf-connect.com (French Railways own site, a little more fiddly, no fee). Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
Change trains and stations in Paris by metro or taxi. Allow at least 60 minutes between trains for this.
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Step 2, travel from Paris to Cologne, Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin or anywhere in Germany as shown in the Trains from Paris page.
Paris to Cologne by Eurostar (formerly Thalys) takes 3h20 with fares from €35 in 2nd class or €79 in 1st class.
Paris to Frankfurt by ICE train takes 3h50 with fares from €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class.
Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy Eurostar tickets from Paris to Cologne at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, booking opens up to 4 months ahead.
Buy all other tickets from Paris to Germany at the German Railways website int.bahn.de, booking opens up to 6 months ahead.
You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Option 2, Bordeaux to Frankfurt & Germany via Strasbourg - slower, less frequent, but avoids having to cross Paris...
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Step 1, travel from Bordeaux to Strasbourg by direct TGV.
You'll usually find one leaving Bordeaux St Jean around 08:57.
Fares start at €20 in 2nd class or €40 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.sncf-connect.com (French Railways own site, a little more fiddly, no fee). Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
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Step 2, travel from Strasbourg to Frankfurt, Stuttgart or Munich by TGV Duplex or ICE.
You typically spend 2-3 hours in Strasbourg, and arrive in the evening. The TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seat & free WiFi, the ICE has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seat & free WiFi.
Fares start at €20 in 2nd class or €40 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book at the German Railways website int.bahn.de or use www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com again. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. If using int.bahn.de I recommend registering when prompted, so you can log on at any time and check or reprint tickets.
Bordeaux to all other countries
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Step 1, take a TGV from Bordeaux St Jean to Paris Gare Montparnasse in around 2h09, they run roughly every hour.
The TGVs have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seat & free WiFi. Many are double-deck TGV Duplex.
Fares start at €20 in 2nd class or €40 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or www.sncf-connect.com (French Railways own site, a little more fiddly, no fee). Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
Change trains and stations in Paris by metro or taxi. Allow at least 60 minutes between trains for this, but for mission-critical connections I'd allow at least 2 hours.
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Step 2, travel from Paris to Scandinavia, Austria, Slovakia, Czech republic, Poland, Russia, Ukraine and all points east as shown on the International trains from Paris page.