Trains from Madrid, Malaga & Spain to other European cities

Madrid Atocha station.

This page covers journeys starting in Madrid, Malaga, Granada, Cordoba, Seville, Alicante, Valencia

To buy train tickets in Spain, www.raileurope.com, www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $) or www.petrabax.com (US$) are much easier to use than www.renfe.com.

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Madrid Atocha station information

Madrid Chamartin station information

This page explains how to travel by train from Madrid, Malaga, Granada, Cordoba, Seville, Alicante, Valencia to other European cities, and how to buy tickets the cheapest way. Information current for 2023

Before you buy your tickets

Take a moment to read these tips for buying European train tickets. It answers all the usual questions, "Do I need to book in advance or can I just buy at the station?", "Can I stop off?", "Are there Senior fares?" and that old favourite, "Should I buy an $800 railpass or just buy a €35 point-to-point ticket online?". Click here to understand how far ahead you can buy train tickets.

European train travel FAQ

An introduction to European train travel	Senior fares (over 60)	Guide to Eurail passes (overseas visitors)
Important tips for buying European train tickets	Youth fares (under 26)	Guide to Interrail passes (for Europeans)
How to check European train times	Child fares & child age limits	Couchettes & sleepers on night trains
Do I need to book in advance?	Luggage on European trains	Train seat numbering plans
How far ahead can I book?	Luggage storage at stations	Wheelchairs & special needs
Can I stop off on the way?	Taking a bike by train	Real-time service updates
Should I travel 1st or 2nd class?	Taking a car by train	Hotels & accommodation
How long to allow for connections?	Taking dogs & pets by train	Changing stations in Paris by metro or taxi
How early to arrive at the station?	Maps of the European rail network	What to do when things go wrong...

Buy train tickets for Spain: See the train travel in Spain page

All Spanish long-distance trains and even many regional trains require seat reservation and have variable pricing, so yes, trains can 'sell out' and sometimes they do, at least at busy times. Outside busy periods it's easy to buy tickets at the station on the day of travel if you want.
Renfe (Spanish national railways) has airline-style fares, so tickets will be much more expensive bought on the day, much cheaper booked in advance. So pre-book if possible.
How to buy tickets
The easiest way to buy Spanish train tickets is online at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

These connect directly to Renfe's ticketing system to sell Renfe's cheap fares with Renfe's print-your-own tickets, but in plain English without any of Renfe's confusing translations or credit card rejection problems. There's a small booking fee, but it's worth it.

www.thetrainline.com can also book the Ouigo & Iryo trains that compete with state-owned Renfe on the Barcelona-Madrid route and others.

Babies & infants: Although infants under 4 go free, for journeys on any Renfe mainline long-distance train wholly within Spain, you'll need to obtain a free infant ticket at a Renfe ticket office before boarding, see the advice here.

You can also book Spanish trains online in US$ in plain English with no payment problems at www.petrabax.com, a US-based agency that also links to the Renfe ticketing system, so has the same trains and cheap prices, although they add a small mark-up. It issues the same print-at-home tickets as renfe.com, so anyone from any country worldwide can use it, including the United States, Canada & Australia.
Alternatively, you can of course buy tickets direct from Spanish Railways at www.renfe.com with no booking fee, but it has more than its fair share of quirks, so please read my advice on using Renfe.com. The quirks include some odd English translations and a reputation for rejecting a significant proportion of overseas credit cards with various error messages. Although I have to say it has always worked OK with my credit card and now accepts PayPal.
For trains between Madrid & Barcelona, see the Madrid to Barcelona to page for route-specific info, trips & advice.

An AVE-S103 high-speed train at Madrid Atocha

An S103 AVE train as used between Barcelona & Madrid Atocha, seen at Madrid Atocha station.. Taking as little as 2h30, it's faster than flying. See virtual tour


Standard class (2nd class) on an AVE S103.		Comfort class (1st class) seating.


Comfort class (1st class) seating (formerly Club) on the AVE train. A meal with wine is included on Mondays-Fridays.		Madrid Atocha station. One of my favourite stations, the old trainshed has been preserved and turned into a tropical garden. AVE trains arrive in the adjacent modern extension. See the Madrid Atocha station guide.

Madrid to Barcelona

Four competing train services link Madrid & Barcelona in as little as 2h30, see the Madrid to Barcelona by train page.

Ferries to Ibiza & Mallorca

Step 1, look up a suitable ferry from Valencia or Barcelona to Ibiza or Mallorca, using the Direct Ferries website as this covers all ferry operators. You'll find ferries run by Trasmediterranea (www.trasmediterranea.es and Balearia (www.balearia.com).
Step 2, now add a suitable train connection from Madrid or any other Spanish city to Valencia or Barcelona using www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com. Allow plenty of time (several hours) to transfer between the station and ferry terminal in Valencia or Barcelona, allowing for the ferry check-in.

Ferries to Tenerife, Gran Canaria & the Canary islands

Three ferry companies sail from mainland Spain to the Canary islands, all with comfortable ships with a choice of reclining seats or private en suite cabins, bars & restaurants. The voyages takes 1 night & 1½ days or 2 nights, 1 day.
Naviera Armas sail weekly from Huelva to Tenerife & Gran Canaria, see www.navieraarmas.com or book on the Direct Ferries website.
Fred Olsen/Balearia ferries sail 2 or 3 times a week all year round from Huelva to Tenerife & Gran Canaria, see www.fredolsen.es or book on the Direct Ferries website.
Trasmediterranea sail from Cadiz in mainland Spain with Arrecife (Lanzarote), Las Palmas and Tenerife once or twice a week, taking 2 nights, www.trasmediterranea.es.
Check train times and buy tickets to Huelva or Cadiz at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

Madrid to Gibraltar

Step 1, travel from Madrid to Algeciras by Intercity train, leaving Madrid Atocha twice a day, usually at 08:35 & 15:05, journey time 5h25.
Check that both trains are running, there may be some service reductions post-pandemic.
The air-conditioned Intercity train is an articulated Talgo train with cafe-bar. There's great scenery both on the high-speed line between Madrid and Cordoba through the mountains and on the classic line twisting through the hills to Algeciras, the Spanish town across the bay from Gibraltar. See a video of the journey here.
Fares start at €25 in Standard class or €38 in Comfort classes. 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 at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (much more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see this advice on using it first). Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies. You print your own tickets.

Step 2, take a bus or taxi from Algeciras to la Linea & walk into Gibraltar.
A taxi from Algeciras railway station to La Linea costs €24.75 and takes about 22 minutes. Taxis don't use the meter on this run, and aren't normally allowed to cross the border into Gibraltar.
To go by bus, cross the roundabout outside Algeciras railway station and enter the San Bernado bus station, then take bus M-120 to La Linea for around €2.50. Bus M-120 runs every 30 minutes Mon-Fri at xx.00 and xx.30 past each hour or every 45 minutes at weekends, journey time about 45 minutes to La Linea, for bus information see siu.ctmcg.es.
La Linea is the Spanish town outside the border crossing to Gibraltar, and La Linea's bus stop and taxi rank are right outside the entrance to Gibraltar. Walk through the Spanish then UK passport checkpoints into Gibraltar (5-10 minutes). Then either (a) keep walking straight ahead of you into Gibraltar town, it's takes about 15 minutes to the centre or (b) take a frequent local Gibraltar bus from the border into town or (c) look for the taxi stop on the right just after the passport check and wait for a taxi to your hotel for a few pounds - Gibraltar taxis will accept euros. The walk from the border to Gibraltar's Main Street takes you across Gibraltar airport's runway, though they stop cars and pedestrians when an aircraft is landing or taking off! Map of Algeciras - La Linea - Gibraltar area.A
Alternative via San Roque-La Linea: The closest station to Gibraltar is actually San Roque-La Linea, and all trains to Algeciras call here around 20 minutes before arriving at Algeciras. So if you prefer, you can get off here and take a taxi to La Linea, or walk the 1.6 km (1 mile) to the Bar La Redonda bus stop on the main road on the M-120 bus route from Algeciras to La Linea. Buses run to La Linea every 30 minutes weekdays, every 45 minutes weekends. Taxis are usually available outside San Roque station, San Roque to the La Linea/Gibraltar border is about 16 km (10 miles) and it takes just over 30 minutes depending on traffic.

An Intercity train (formerly branded Altaria), about to leave Madrid Atocha for Algeciras.


Cafe-bar, with bar stools.		Comfort class seats.


Standard class seats.		Algeciras station, across the road from the bus station.


Bus M-120 boarding at Algeciras bus station		Rock of Gibraltar, seen from a taxi near La Linea.

Other Spanish cities to Gibraltar

Step 1, take a train to Algeciras: There are direct trains from Granada, Cordoba & Ronda to Algeciras. From Malaga you can go by train with a change at Bobadilla or Antequera-Santa Ana, although it means a journey inland then a journey back to the coast. There are also Malaga-Algeciras buses that use the coast road.

Check times & 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 Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (much more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see this advice on using it first). You print your own tickets.

Step 2, follow the bus & taxi instructions above to reach Gibraltar.

Spain to London

See the London to Spain page for details. The information on that page works for both directions.

Spain to Dublin & Ireland

Option 1, Spain to Dublin using a direct ferry from Spain to Ireland

Step 1, travel to Bilbao by train.
There are two direct trains per day from Madrid Chamartin to Bilbao Abando station, journey time around 4h50.

Check ferry sailing times and dates first, then check train times & buy tickets from anywhere in Spain to Bilbao at either www.thetrainline.com (easiest to use, in €, £ or $) or www.renfe.com (in €, much more fiddly). Look for a train which arrives several hours before the ferry sails, to allow for any delay and the transfer to the port. If necessary travel the day before.
There are also hourly narrow gauge trains from San Sebastian (Donostia-Amara) to Bilbao's Matiko station every hour or half-hour, taking 2h35, see www.euskotren.eus.
On arrival at Bilbao Abando, take the metro to Santurtzi metro station, 21-23 minutes, see www.metrobilbao.net. Then take a 5 km €18 taxi ride to the ferry terminal at Zierbena, 16 km northwest of central Bilbao.
Step 2, sail from Bilbao to Rosslare with Brittany Ferries.
The ferry sails twice a week for most of the year, typically either sailing at 13:01 arriving at 20:46 next day, or sailing at 18:00 and arriving at 06:00 2 nights later. Check sailing dates and book online at www.brittany-ferries.ie.

The ferry has restaurants, bar, lounges, and cosy private cabins all with shower & toilet.
Step 3, take a train from Rosslare to Dublin, www.irishrail.ie. In Rosslare, the ferry terminal is a few minutes walk from the railway station platform.


Madrid to Bilbao by train. Courtesy of Pádraic Fogarty		Bilbao to Rosslare by ferry. Courtesy of Pádraic Fogarty

Option 2, Spain to Dublin via Paris and ferry from Cherbourg to Dublin

Day 1, travel to Paris as shown below.
You can book this at www.thetrainline.com.
Stay overnight in Paris, see suggested hotels near Paris stations.

Day 2, take a morning train to Cherbourg & ferry overnight to Dublin as shown in the Paris to Dublin section, arriving in the morning on Day 3.
Irish Ferries sails Cherbourg-Dublin several times a week. Start by booking the ferry at www.irishferries.com and add a train connection using www.thetrainline.com, see the Paris to Dublin section for full details.

Sail from Cherbourg to Dublin aboard Irish Ferries' WB Yeats. WB Yeats photos courtesy of Irish Ferries.


Club cabin on the WB Yeats with shower & toilet.		Deluxe cabin on the WB Yeats with shower & toilet.

Spain to Paris

Madrid to Paris by high-speed TGV

Option 1, Madrid to Paris in a day, early morning departure

Step 1, travel from Madrid to Barcelona by AVE train, leaving Madrid Atocha at 06:30 Mondays-Fridays arriving Barcelona Sants 09:20.

Or any day of the week, leave Madrid Atocha at 06:20 by Avlo lo-cost train arriving Barcelona Sants at 08:50.

The AVE train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. The lo-cost Avlo train is one-class, no catering, free WiFi.
Fares start at around €35 for the AVE, or from just €7 for Avlo. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex, leaving Barcelona Sants at 10:33 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 17:18.

The 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, book an upper deck seat for the best views - any seat number >60 is upper deck.

You'll get great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral, see the photos, tips & journey information here.

Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book from Madrid to Paris at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee. Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies. Booking for the Barcelona-Paris TGVs opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.

Alternatively, you can book from Madrid to Barcelona at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (much more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see this advice on using it first) then book the Barcelona-Paris TGV at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).

Option 2, Madrid to Paris in a day, late morning departure

Step 1, travel from Madrid to Barcelona by AVE-S103 high-speed train, leaving Madrid Atocha at 10:30 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 13:15.
By all means take an earlier train and have lunch in Barcelona.
Fares start at around €35 for the AVE, or from just €7 for Avlo. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Barcelona Sants at 14:32 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 21:18.

The 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, book an upper deck seat for the best views - any seat number >60 is upper deck.

You'll get great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral, see the photos, tips & journey information here.

Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book from Madrid to Paris at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee. Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies. Booking for the Barcelona-Paris TGVs opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own tickets.

Alternatively, you can book from Madrid to Barcelona at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (much more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see this advice on using it first) then book the Barcelona-Paris TGV at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).

Option 3, Madrid to Paris with overnight stop in Barcelona

Step 1, travel from Madrid Atocha to Barcelona Sants on any evening AVE-S103 high-speed train you like.
It takes as little as 2h30 and fares start at around €35. There are departures almost every hour, pick any that suits. Check times & fares at www.raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.
Competing Iryo trains and lo-cost Avlo & Ouigo trains are also available from just €7, see the Madrid to Barcelona page for details.

Stay overnight in Barcelona... The Hotel Barcelo Sants is the top choice here, it's part of Barcelona Sants station so easy to use when arriving & departing by train, with great reviews & good feedback from Seat61 users. See other suggested hotels near the station.

Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex, leaving Barcelona Sants at 10:33 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 17:18.
The 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, book an upper deck seat for the best views - any seat number >60 is upper deck.

You'll get great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral, see the photos, tips & journey information here.

Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

To buy tickets, go to www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, book from Madrid to Barcelona and add to basket, book from Barcelona to Paris for the following day and add to basket, then check out. Both sites are easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee. Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies and it can be less. Booking for the Barcelona-Paris TGVs opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own tickets.

Alternatively, you can book Madrid to Barcelona at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (much more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see this advice on using it first) then book the Barcelona-Paris TGV at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).

TGV Duplex at Paris Gare de Lyon. These 320 km/h double-deckers link Paris with Barcelona. Watch TGV Duplex video.

Cafe-bar on the upper deck in car 4, serving tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine, beer, snacks & microwave-style hot dishes.

2nd class seats on upper deck with a mix of tables for 4 & unidirectional seating. 360º photo.

1st class upper deck seats, club duo on the left, a club quatre on the right. 360º photo.

A TGV Duplex. The 1 near the door indicates 1st class, a 2 indicates 2nd class.

Dinner from the cafe-bar.

View from the train, passing Béziers.

Mt Canigou & the Pyrenees. One of the highest peaks in the mighty Pyrenees, the 2,784m (9,137 feet) high Mt Canigou dominates the skyline on the right all the way from Perpignan to Girona, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canigou. More photos of what to see on the Paris-Barcelona train journey.

Option 4, Madrid to Paris with overnight stop in San Sebastian - a slower but cheaper route, San Sebastian makes a great stopover

Day 1, travel from Madrid to San Sebastian by Alvia train, leaving Madrid Chamartin at 17:38 and arriving San Sebastian Renfe station at 22:40.

Alternatively, an earlier Intercity train leaves Madrid Chamartin at 14:50 daily except Saturdays, arriving San Sebastian Renfe station at 19:42.

If you'd like an afternoon in San Sebastian, an Intercity train leaves Madrid Chamartin at 08:43 and arriving San Sebastian at 13:37.

These smart air-conditioned Alvia & Intercity trains have a cafe-bar and power sockets at all seats, a pleasure to travel on. They have an interesting party trick: After travelling at up to 250km/h on the standard gauge high-speed line from Madrid, they slow right down and pass through a shed where axles adjust from standard gauge (4'8½") to Iberian gauge (5'6"). They then complete the second half of the journey over classic lines, with great scenery winding up into the Pyrenees approaching San Sebastian.

Fares start from €17 in Standard class (2nd class) or €22 in Comfort class (1st class). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com. Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies. You print your own ticket.

Stay overnight in San Sebastian - it's a lovely city, well worth a longer stop. The Pension San Ignacio Centro is just 10 minutes walk from San Sebastian Renfe station and gets great reviews. If you want somewhere in the old town try the Pension Garibai or Pension Alameda.

Day 2, transfer from San Sebastian to Hendaye on the French border by Euskotren (www.euskotren.eus).

These metro trains leave San Sebastian Amara station (10 minutes walk from the Renfe station) every 30 minutes all day, journey time 37 minutes, fare around €2.75, buy at the station and hop on the next train. In Hendaye the Euskotren station is in the station forecourt of the mainline SNCF French Railways station, but obviously make sure you get to Hendaye in good time for your train to Paris. See the Euskotren photos & information on the Paris to San Sebastian page.

Day 2, travel from Hendaye to Paris by TGV Duplex Océane, for example leaving Hendaye at 09:28 and arriving Paris Montparnasse 14:08.

By all means spend some time in San Sebastian and book a later one, they leave every few hours through the day. The TGV Duplex is usually of the latest Océane type with a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee). Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.

Or travel from Madrid to Paris in a single day using this route

You'd take the 08:00 Alvia train from Madrid Chamartin to San Sebastian Renfe station, then transfer from San Sebastian Amara to Hendaye by Euskotren and take the 15:28 TGV to Paris. Or, daily except Saturdays, have lunch in San Sebastian and take the later 18:28 TGV to Paris.

Option 5: Madrid-Paris using a French overnight train.

Step 1, travel from Madrid to Barcelona by AVE-S103 high-speed train leaving Madrid Atocha at 09:30 arriving Barcelona Sants at 12:37.

More information about trains from Madrid to Barcelona, including lo-cost trains. Have lunch in Barcelona.

Fares start at around €35. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, much more fiddly, see my advice on using it).

Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris overnight, see the Barcelona to Paris by sleeper train page for times, prices, tips & how to buy tickets.

You take a mid-afternoon local train from Barcelona Sants to either Latour de Carol in the Pyrenees or to Cerebère on the French border, then a French sleeper train overnight to Paris Gare d'Austerlitz.

Malaga, Seville, Cordoba, Granada, Alicante, Valencia to Paris

Option 1, Spanish cities to Paris in a single day

Step 1 from Alicante or Valencia: Take a morning EuroMed train to Barcelona, leaving Alicante at 07:25 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 09:15 arriving Barcelona Sants at 11:55.
Step 1 from Malaga, Cordoba, Seville or Granada: Unfortunately, no same-day journey is possible.

Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Barcelona Sants at 14:32 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 21:18.

This impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck.

You'll get great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral, see the photos, tips & information here.

Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

To buy tickets, go to www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, you can usually book from Spain to Paris as one transaction, but if necessary split the booking into Alicante to Valencia to Barcelona and Barcelona to Paris, ensuring at least an hour between trains.

Both sites are easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee. Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies. Booking for the Barcelona-Paris TGVs opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own tickets.

Alternatively, you can book the Spanish train at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (much more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see this advice on using it first) then book the Barcelona-Paris TGV at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).

Option 2, Spanish cities to Paris with overnight stop in Barcelona - breaks the trip up nicely, recommended

Step 1 from Seville or Cordoba: Take the afternoon AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Seville Santa Justa at 16:07 or Cordoba at 16:52, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:50, with fares from around €46.
Step 1 from Malaga: Take the once-daily direct AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 16:44 arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00, with fares from around €46.
Step 1 from Granada: Take the once-daily direct AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Granada at 16:18 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00.

Step 1 from Alicante or Valencia: Take an afternoon or evening EuroMed train from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona. On Mondays-Fridays a fast EuroMed train leaves Alicante at 17:30 & Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 19:15 arriving Barcelona Sants 21:55. On Saturdays a EuroMed train leaves Alicante at 16:20 & Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 18:15 arriving Barcelona Sants 20:55. On Sundays a EuroMed train leaves Alicante at 18:30 & Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 20:15 arriving Barcelona Sants 22:55. Or there are earlier trains, of course.
You can check train times & prices for all these routes at www.raileurope.com, www.thetrainline.com.

Stay overnight in Barcelona... The Hotel Barcelo Sants is the top choice here, it's part of Barcelona Sants station so easy to use when arriving & departing by train, with great reviews & good feedback from Seat61 users. See other suggested hotels near the station.

Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex, leaving Barcelona Sants at 10:33 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 17:18.
This impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck.

You'll get great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral, see the photos, tips & information here.

Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

To buy tickets, go to www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

Book the Spanish train and add to basket, then book from Barcelona to Paris for the following day, add to basket and check out. Both sites are easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee. Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies. Booking for the Barcelona-Paris TGVs opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own tickets.

Alternatively, you can book the Spanish train at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (much more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see this advice on using it first) then book the Barcelona-Paris TGV at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).

Option 3, Seville or Cordoba to Paris using a French overnight train.

Step 1 from Seville or Cordoba: Travel from Seville or Cordoba to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Seville Santa Justa at 08:48 or Cordoba at 09:41 arriving Barcelona Sants at 14:20.

Fares start at around €45. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, much more fiddly, see my advice on using it).

Step 1 from Alicante or Valencia: Travel from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona by EuroMed train, leaving Alicante at 09:25 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 11:15 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 13:55.

Fares start at around €30. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, much more fiddly, see my advice on using it).

Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris overnight, see the Barcelona to Paris by sleeper train page for times, prices, tips & how to buy tickets.

You take a mid-afternoon local train from Barcelona Sants to either Latour de Carol in the Pyrenees or to Cerebère on the French border, then a French sleeper train overnight to Paris Gare d'Austerlitz.

Important: If you're travelling from Seville, Cordoba or Granada, arriving at 14:20 and leaving 14:31 by local train for Latour de Carol is just too tight for comfort, so only use the Cerbère-Paris sleeper (when running), do not try and use the Latour to Paris route.

Vigo, A Coruna & Santiago de Compostela to Paris

Option 1, Vigo, A Coruna, Santiago to Paris with overnight stop in San Sebastian.

Day 1, travel from Vigo, A Coruna or Santiago de Compostela to Vitoria by Alvia train.
On Mondays, Thursdays & Saturdays it leaves Vigo Guixar at 07:42 arriving Vitoria/Gasteiz 16:33.
On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays & Sundays it leaves A Coruna at 08:05 & Santiago de Compostela at 08:34, arriving Vitoria/Gasteiz 16:33.
An Intercity train (an articulated Talgo train) provides a guaranteed connection to San Sebastian every day, leaving Vitoria/Gasteiz at 16:45 and arriving San Sebastian (Renfe station) at 18:20.

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.

Day 2, take the 08:15 Euskotren metro from San Sebastian Amara station to Hendaye next morning. These metro, trains run every 30 minutes, journey time 37 minutes, buy a ticket at the station and hop on the next train. You can check times at www.euskotren.eus.

Day 2, travel from Hendaye to Paris by TGV Duplex Océane, leaving Hendaye daily at 09:36 and arriving Paris Gare Montparnasse at 14:21.
The TGV Duplex Océane has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views. By all means take an earlier or later TGV, check times from Hendaye to Paris for your date of travel at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

Fares start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

To buy tickets, go to www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

Book the train from Galicia to Hendaye and add to basket, then book from Hendaye to Paris for the following day, add to basket and check out. Both sites are easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee. Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies. Booking for French trains opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own tickets.

Alternatively, you can book the Spanish train at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (much more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see this advice on using it first) then book the Hendaye-Paris TGV at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).

Option 2, Vigo, A Coruna, Santiago to Paris with overnight stop in Barcelona

Day 1, travel from Galicia to Barcelona by high-speed air-conditioned Alvia-S130 train.

On Mondays, Thursdays & Saturdays it leaves Vigo Guixar at 07:42 and arrives Barcelona Sants at 21:35.
On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays & Sundays it leaves A Coruna at 08:05 & Santiago de Compostela at 08:34, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:35.
The Alvia-S130 train is comfortable, air-conditioned with cafe-bar and power sockets at all seats.

Stay overnight in Barcelona... The Hotel Barcelo Sants is the top choice here, it's part of Barcelona Sants station so easy to use when arriving & departing by train, with great reviews & good feedback from Seat61 users. See other suggested hotels near the station.

Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex, leaving Barcelona Sants at 09:10 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 15:46.
From 2 July to 28 August 2022 this train runs a bit later, leaving Barcelona Sants at 10:00 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon 16:47.
The 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck. It's a scenic ride, see here for the sights to see from the train on the way.

Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

To buy tickets, go to www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com. Book the Spanish train and add to basket, then book from Barcelona to Paris for the following day, add to basket and check out. Both sites are easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee. Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies. Booking for the Barcelona-Paris TGVs opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own tickets.

Alternatively, you can book the Spanish train at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (much more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see this advice on using it first) then book the Barcelona-Paris TGV at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).

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Spain to Bordeaux

Option 1, Madrid to Bordeaux in a single day. Lunch in San Sebastian?

Step 1, travel from Madrid to San Sebastian by Alvia train, leaving Madrid Chamartin at 08:00 & arriving San Sebastian Renfe station at 13:24.
This is an interesting journey - the train has adjustable axles, it runs over the standard-gauge high-speed line to Burgos at up to 250 km/h (155 mph), then passes slowly through a changeover shed which switches axles to Iberian broad gauge for the rest of the journey over classic lines. There's then great scenery as the train snakes its way up into the foothills of the Pyrenees to San Sebastian.
Fares start from €17 in Standard class (2nd class) or €22 in Comfort class (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 $, small booking fee) or www.renfe.com (in €, much more fiddly to use, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it). Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies. You print your own ticket.

Step 2, walk from San Sebastian Renfe station to San Sebastian Amara station (850m, 10 minutes). Then take the little local Euskotren from San Sebastian Amara station to Hendaye, this runs every 30 minutes, journey time 37 minutes. The fare is €2.75, buy at the station from the ticket machines or staffed counters. See www.euskotren.eus. At Hendaye, the Euskotren station is adjacent to the mainline SNCF station.

Step 3, travel from Hendaye to Bordeaux St Jean by mainline train. These leave every hour or two, some TGVs that require pre-booking and have dynamic pricing, some TER regional trains with no pre-booking and fixed prices that can be paid on the day. Allow about 2h from arrival at San Sebastian to departure from Hendaye. But by all means have lunch in San Sebastian and take a later train!
For example, there's usually a TER at 15:04 arriving Bordeaux St Jean 17:41, or a TGV around 16:12 arriving Bordeaux St Jean at 18:40.
The fare is around €39 by TER or €39 for TGV paid on the day, or from €23 by TGV if booked in advance.

Check times & buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee). Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.

Option 2, Madrid to Bordeaux with overnight stop in San Sebastian. A morning to explore San Sebastian?

Day 1, travel from Madrid to San Sebastian by Alvia train, leaving Madrid Chamartin at 16:05 and arriving San Sebastian Renfe station at 21:28.
This is an interesting journey - the train has adjustable axles, it runs over the standard-gauge high-speed line to Burgos at up to 250 km/h (155 mph), then passes slowly through a changeover shed which switches axles to Iberian broad gauge for the rest of the journey over classic lines. There's great scenery as the train snakes its way up into the foothills of the Pyrenees to San Sebastian.
Fares start from €17 in Standard class (2nd class) or €22 in Comfort class (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 $, small booking fee) or www.renfe.com (in €, much more fiddly to use, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it). Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies. You print your own ticket.

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.

Day 2, spend as little or as long as you like in San Sebastian, then go to San Sebastian Amara station and take the little local Euskotren to Hendaye. This runs every 30 minutes, journey time 37 minutes, fare €2.75, buy at the station from the ticket machines or staffed counters. See www.euskotren.eus. At Hendaye, the Euskotren station is adjacent to the mainline SNCF station.

Day 2, travel from Hendaye to Bordeaux St Jean by mainline train in around 2h30. These leave every hour or two, some are TGVs which require pre-booking and have dynamic pricing, others TER regional trains with no pre-booking and fixed prices that can be paid on the day.
The fare is around €39 by TER or €39 for TGV paid on the day, or from €23 by TGV if booked in advance.

Check times & buy tickets at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee). Booking for French trains opens up to 4 months ahead.

From Valencia. Alicante, Seville, Cordoba, Granada, Malaga you'd take a fast train to Madrid Atocha, transfer to Madrid Chamartin by suburban train, then travel Madrid to Bordeaux as above. Check times at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com or renfe.com.

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Spain to Toulouse

Step 1, travel from Madrid Atocha, Alicante, Valencia, Seville, Cordoba, Malaga to Barcelona Sants.

Step 2, travel from Barcelona Sants to Narbonne & change for a train to Carcassone & Toulouse. There are two daily departures from Barcelona Sants at 10:33 & 14:32 all year round with one easy change at Narbonne.
Fares start at €29 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Check times and buy tickets from Madrid to Toulouse at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee). Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.

Tip: If using www.raileurope.com, you can click More options, enter Barcelona Sants as a via station, and specify a duration. I'd specify 45 minutes for a relaxed connection, or you can specify several hours if you'd like a stopover for lunch.

Alternatively, consider catching an afternoon train to Barcelona and staying there overnight. Next morning, either take the 10:33 high-speed train to Toulouse with a simple change at Narbonne or use the cheap and scenic local train route from Barcelona to Toulouse through the Pyrenees via Latour de Carol explained here.

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Spain to Lyon

Option 1, Madrid & Spain to Lyon in a single day

Step 1 from Madrid: Travel from Madrid to Barcelona by AVE-S103 high-speed train, leaving Madrid Atocha at 10:30 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 13:15. Fares start at around €35. By all means take an earlier train and have lunch in Barcelona.
Step 1 from Alicante or Valencia: Travel from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona by EuroMed train, leaving Alicante at 07:25 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 09:15 arriving Barcelona Sants at 11:55. Fares start at around €35.

No same-day connection is possible from Malaga, Cordoba or Seville, so see other options.

Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Lyon, leaving Barcelona Sants at 14:32, change at Montpellier Saint-Roche, arrive Lyon Part Dieu at 19:48.

You travel from Barcelona to Montpellier by 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck.

You'll get great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral, see the photos, tips & information here.

You then travel from Montpellier to Lyon on another TGV, also with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

Fares start at around €39 in 2nd class or €49 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 $, small booking fee).

Try booking the whole journey in one go, if this doesn't work try booking the Spanish train to Barcelona, add to basket, then Barcelona to Lyon, add to basket & check out.

Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies. Booking French trains opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own tickets.

Alternatively, more work and usually the same prices, book the Spanish train at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, much more fiddly to use, may reject some overseas payment cards) and the Barcelona-Lyon journey at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).

Option 2, Madrid & Spain to Lyon with overnight stop in Barcelona

Step 1, travel from Spanish cities to Barcelona in the afternoon or early evening:
Travel from Malaga to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 16:44, arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00. Fares start at around €46.
Travel from Seville or Cordoba to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Seville Santa Justa at 16:07 or Cordoba at 16:52, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:50. Fares start at around €46.
Travel from Granada to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train, leaving Granada at 16:18 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00.

Travel from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona by EuroMed train, leaving Alicante at 16:10 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 19:07, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:05. Fares start at around €30. By all means take an earlier train for more of an evening in Barcelona.

Travel from Madrid Atocha to Barcelona Sants in 2h30 by AVE S-103 high-speed train on any departure you like, or take a competing Iryo, lo-cost Avlo or lo-cost Ouigo train, see the Madrid to Barcelona by train page. You can leave early evening, but trains leave almost every hour so by all means travel earlier and have a pleasant evening in Barcelona. Fares start at around €35 by AVE or from just €7 by Avlo. AVE trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Lo-cost Avlo & Ouigo trains are one-class, no catering, free WiFi.

Buy tickets for any of these trains at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee, overseas cards no problem) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, significantly more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it). Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies. You print your own tickets.

Stay overnight in Barcelona... The Hotel Barcelo Sants is the top choice here, it's part of Barcelona Sants station so easy to use when arriving & departing by train, with great reviews & good feedback from Seat61 users. See other suggested hotels near the station.

Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Lyon by AVE high-speed train, leaving Barcelona Sants at 08:22 and arriving Lyon Part Dieu at 13:20.
This train starts running on 28 July 2023, initially only on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays, but daily all year from 1 September 2023.
This comfortable Spanish high-speed train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Look out for great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou on the left as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses on the left by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral on the left, see the photos, tips & journey information here.
Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both sites easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, significantly more fiddly, see advice on using it). Booking normally opens 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Alternatively, on any date or day of the week you can leave Barcelona Sants at 10:33, change at Nîmes and arrive Lyon Part Dieu at 15:50. Barcelona to Nimes is by TGV Duplex with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Nîmes to Lyon is on another TGV, also with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. This can also be booked at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.co, or at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).

Mt Canigou & the Pyrenees. Seen from the train and one of the highest peaks in the mighty Pyrenees, the 2,784m (9,137 feet) high Mt Canigou dominates the skyline all the way from Girona to Perpignan.

Spain to Avignon, Aix, Marseille, Cannes & Nice

Option 1, using the direct AVE from Madrid to Avignon, Aix & Marseille - fewest changes, recommended

Step 1, take a morning train from Spanish cities to Madrid or Barcelona:

Travel from Malaga to Madrid by AVE high-speed train, leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 08:54 daily except Saturdays, arriving Madrid Atocha at 12:07. On Saturdays, leave Malaga Maria Zambrano at 07:55 arriving Madrid Atocha at 10:50. Fares start at around €30.

Travel from Seville or Cordoba to Barcelona by AVE S112 high-speed train, leaving Seville Santa Justa at 08:55 or Cordoba at 09:44 arriving Barcelona Sants at 14:45. Fares start at around €45.

Travel from Granada to Madrid by AVE high-speed train leaving Granada at 06:00 arriving Madrid Atocha at 09:47. Fares start at around €30.

Travel from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona by EuroMed train, leaving Alicante at 09:20 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 11:20 arriving Barcelona Sants at 14:15. Fares start at around €35.

Book these trains at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, significantly more fiddly, see this advice on using it). Booking for Spanish domestic trains normally opens 60 days ahead, but this varies.

Step 2, travel from Madrid or Barcelona to Avignon, Aix & Marseille by direct AVE high-speed train, leaving Madrid Atocha at 13:25 or Barcelona Sants at 16:34 and arriving Avignon TGV 20:52, Aix-en-Provence TGV 21:14 & Marseille St Charles at 21:30.

This train starts running on 28 July 2023, initially only on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays, but becoming daily all year from 29 September 2023.

This comfortable Spanish high-speed train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Look out for great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou on the left as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses on the left by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral on the left, see the photos, tips & journey information here.

Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both sites easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, significantly more fiddly). Booking normally opens 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket.

For Cannes, Nice or Monaco, stay overnight in Marseille. Inexpensive hotels with good reviews near Marseille St Charles station include the Ibis Marseille Centre Gare St Charles & Holiday Inn Express Marseille St Charles.

Step 3, travel from Marseille to Cannes, Nice & Monte Carlo on any suitable train next day.

For example, the 07:57 TER local train from Marseille St Charles arrives Nice Ville 10:37, or an 08:27 TGV arrives Nice 11:06, and so on. But why not spend a morning in Marseille? It's a wonderful city, well worth a look around, see the Marseille station page.

Book onward trains from Marseille at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both sites easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).

Option 2, alternative departure - Madrid to Nice in one day

Step 1, travel from Madrid or any other Spanish city to Barcelona.
Travel from Madrid to Barcelona by AVE-S103 high-speed train leaving Madrid Atocha at 06:30 Mondays-Fridays only, arriving Barcelona Sants 09:20. Or on any day of the week, leave Madrid Atocha at 06:20 by lo-cost Avlo train arriving Barcelona Sants at 08:50.
The AVE train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. The lo-cost Avlo train is one-class, no catering, free WiFi. Fares for the AVE start at around €35, Avlo fares start at just €7.
From Alicante & Valencia, travel the previous day and stay overnight in Barcelona, I recommend the Hotel Barcelo Sants in the station itself. There are various afternoon or early evening trains to choose from, check times & buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.

From Seville or Cordoba, travel the previous day and stay overnight in Barcelona, I recommend the Hotel Barcelo Sants in the station itself. There's an afternoon AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Seville Santa Justa at 16:07 or Cordoba at 16:52, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:50, with fares from around €46.
From Malaga, travel the previous day and stay overnight in Barcelona, I recommend the Hotel Barcelo Sants in the station itself. There's a once-daily direct AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 16:44 arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00, with fares from around €46.
Buy tickets for this at www.raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.

Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Avignon, Marseille Cannes or Nice, leaving Barcelona Sants at 10:33 every day, change at Nimes, arriving Marseille St Charles 16:37. Change at Marseille St Charles for Cannes & Nice, arriving Nice Ville at 19:37.
Barcelona to Nimes is by TGV Duplex with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. You'll get great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral, see the photos, tips & journey information here.

Nimes to Marseilles is by Intercité with refreshment trolley & free WiFi.
Marseille to Cannes & Nice is by TER regional train.
Fares start at around €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both sites easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee).
Booking normally opens 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Spain to Brussels from €68

Option 1, Madrid to Brussels in a day

Step 1, travel from Madrid to Barcelona by AVE-S103 high-speed train leaving Madrid Atocha at 06:30 Mondays-Fridays only, arriving Barcelona Sants 09:20. Or on any day of the week, leave Madrid Atocha at 06:20 by lo-cost Avlo train arriving Barcelona Sants at 08:50.
The AVE train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. The lo-cost Avlo train is one-class, no catering, free WiFi. Fares for the AVE start at around €35, Avlo fares start at just €7.

Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Barcelona Sants at 10:33 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 17:18.

This impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck.

You'll get great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral, see the photos, tips & journey information here.

Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Cross Paris by metro or taxi from the Gare de Lyon to the Gare du Nord. Always allow at least 60 minutes between trains.

Step 3, travel from Paris to Brussels by Thalys train, there's usually one leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 19:25 arriving Brussels Midi 20:47.

Thalys trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more information about Thalys.
Fares start at €29 in 2nd class or €55 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, as you can buy all your tickets together in one place, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem.

Try booking from Madrid or Valencia to Brussels as one transaction, if you have any problems, book each train separately, adding each to your basket and checking out at the end. You print your own tickets. Booking for the TGV & Thalys opens up to 4 months ahead, but booking only opens 60 days ahead for Spanish trains. There's a small booking fee.

Tip: If booking the whole trip in one go, I recommend clicking More options, entering Paris (any station) as a via station, with a stopover duration of 1 hour (or longer, if you'd like more time in Paris). This gets you a more robust connection, by default the SNCF ticketing system allows cross-Paris connections as short as 40 minutes, which I consider far too tight for comfort.

Alternatively, you can book each train separately, although it's more effort and unlikely to make it materially cheaper, but no booking fee: Book the Spanish trains with Renfe at www.renfe.com, but see advice on using it here. Book from Barcelona to Paris at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com, then book the Thalys at www.sncf-connect.com.

Option 2, Madrid & Spain to Brussels with overnight stop in Barcelona

Step 1, travel from Spanish cities to Barcelona in the afternoon or early evening:
Travel from Malaga to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 16:44, arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00. Fares start at around €46.
Travel from Seville or Cordoba to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Seville Santa Justa at 16:07 or Cordoba at 16:52, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:50. Fares start at around €46.
Travel from Granada to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train, leaving Granada at 16:18 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00.

Travel from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona by EuroMed train, leaving Alicante at 16:10 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 19:07, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:05. Fares start at around €30. By all means take an earlier train for more of an evening in Barcelona.

Travel from Madrid Atocha to Barcelona Sants in 2h30 by AVE S-103 high-speed train on any departure you like, or take a competing Iryo, lo-cost Avlo or lo-cost Ouigo train, see the Madrid to Barcelona by train page. You can leave early evening, but trains leave almost every hour so by all means travel earlier and have a pleasant evening in Barcelona. Fares start at around €35 by AVE or from just €7 by Avlo. AVE trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Lo-cost Avlo & Ouigo trains are one-class, no catering, free WiFi.

Buy tickets for any of these trains at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee, overseas cards no problem) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, significantly more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it). Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies. You print your own tickets.

Stay overnight in Barcelona... The Hotel Barcelo Sants is the top choice here, it's part of Barcelona Sants station so easy to use when arriving & departing by train, with great reviews & good feedback from Seat61 users. See other suggested hotels near the station.

Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Barcelona Sants at 10:33 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 17:18.

This impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck.

You'll get great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral, see the photos, tips & journey information here.

Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee). Booking normally opens 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Allow at least 60 minutes to change trains & stations in Paris from the Gare de Lyon to the Gare du Nord.

Step 3, travel from Paris to Brussels by Thalys train, there's usually one leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 19:25 arriving Brussels Midi 20:47.

Thalys trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the Thalys information page.
Fares start at €29 in 2nd class or €55 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee). Booking normally opens 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket.

Option 3, Madrid & Spain to Brussels with overnight stop in Paris

Step 1 from Madrid: Take the 10:30 AVE-S103 high-speed train from Madrid Atocha arriving Barcelona Sants at 13:15, with fares from around €35. By all means take an earlier train and have lunch in Barcelona.
Step 1 from Alicante or Valencia: Take a EuroMed train to Barcelona, leaving Alicante at 07:25 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 09:15 arriving Barcelona Sants at 11:55.

No same-day connection is possible from Malaga, Cordoba or Seville, so see other options.

Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Barcelona Sants at 14:32, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 21:18.

This impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

You'll get great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral, see the photos, tips & journey information here.

Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Stay overnight in Paris. If you want a hotel room on arrival at the Gare de Lyon, I suggest the Mercure Paris Gare De Lyon as it's part of the station complex. If you'd prefer to stay near the Gare du Nord I suggest the excellent 25 Hours Terminus Nord, directly across the road from the Gare du Nord with great reviews & great feedback from Seat61 users. See other suggested hotels near the Gare de Lyon or Gare du Nord.

Step 3, next morning take any Thalys you like from Paris to Brussels, the 06:13 from Paris Gare du Nord arrives Brussels Midi at 07:45, but by all means have a leisurely breakfast and take a later one, they leave every hour or so.

Thalys trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the Thalys information page.
Fares start at €29 in 2nd class or €55 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com, you can then buy all your tickets together in one place, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem.

First book from any Spanish city to Paris, add to basket, then book from Paris to Brussels for the following day and add that to your basket, then check out. You print your own tickets. Booking for the TGV & Thalys opens up to 4 months ahead, but only 60 days ahead for Spanish trains. There's a small booking fee.

Alternatively, you can book each train separately, although it's more effort and unlikely to make it materially cheaper, but no booking fee: Book the Spanish trains with Renfe at www.renfe.com, but see advice on using it here. Book from Barcelona to Paris at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com, then also book the Thalys at www.sncf-connect.com.

Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex, a 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck train. Watch TGV Duplex video.

Cafe-bar on the upper deck in car 4, serving tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine, beer, snacks & microwave-style hot dishes.

2nd class seats on upper deck with a mix of tables for 4 & unidirectional seating. 360º photo.

1st class upper deck seats, club duo on the left, a club quatre on the right. 360º photo.

A TGV Duplex. The 1 near the door indicates 1st class, a 2 indicates 2nd class.

Dinner from the cafe-bar.

View from the train, passing Béziers.

Mt Canigou & the Pyrenees. One of the highest peaks in the mighty Pyrenees, the 2,784m (9,137 feet) high Mt Canigou dominates the skyline on the right all the way from Perpignan to Girona, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canigou. More photos of what to see on the Paris-Barcelona train journey.

Paris to Brussels by Thalys, seen here at Paris Nord. See 360º photos inside a Thalys. More information about Thalys.

Comfort & Premium seats, 2+1 across the car. Larger photo.

Standard seats, 2+2 across. Larger photo.

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Spain to Amsterdam from €74

Option 1, Madrid to Amsterdam in a day

Step 1, travel from Madrid to Barcelona by AVE-S103 high-speed train leaving Madrid Atocha at 06:30 Mondays-Fridays only, arriving Barcelona Sants 09:20. Or on any day of the week, leave Madrid Atocha at 06:20 by lo-cost Avlo train arriving Barcelona Sants at 08:50.
The AVE train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. The lo-cost Avlo train is one-class, no catering, free WiFi. Fares for the AVE start at around €35, Avlo fares start at just €7.
No same-day connection is possible from Alicante, Valencia, Malaga, Cordoba or Seville.

Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Barcelona Sants at 10:33 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 17:18.

This impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck.

You'll get great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral, see the photos, tips & journey information here.

Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Allow at least 60 minutes to change trains & stations in Paris from the Gare de Lyon to the Gare du Nord.

Step 3, travel from Paris to Amsterdam by Thalys, leaving Paris Nord at 19:25 & arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 22:44.

Thalys trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more information about Thalys.
Fares start at €35 in 2nd class or €79 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, you can then buy all your tickets together in one place, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem.

Try booking from Madrid or Valencia to Amsterdam as one transaction, if you have any problems, book each train separately, adding each to your basket and checking out at the end. You print your own tickets. Booking for the TGV & Thalys opens up to 4 months ahead, but only 60 days ahead for Spanish trains. There's a small booking fee.

Tip: If booking the whole trip in one go on Raileurope, I recommend clicking More options, entering Paris (any station) as a via station, with a stopover duration of 1 hour (or longer, if you'd like more time in Paris). This gets you a more robust connection, by default the SNCF ticketing system allows cross-Paris connections as short as 40 minutes, which I consider far too tight for comfort.

Alternatively, you can book each train separately, although it's more effort and unlikely to make it materially cheaper, but no booking fee: Book the Spanish trains with Renfe at www.renfe.com, but see advice on using it here. Book from Barcelona to Paris at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com, then book the Thalys at www.sncf-connect.com.

Option 2, Madrid & Spain to Amsterdam with overnight stop in Barcelona

Step 1, travel from Spanish cities to Barcelona in the afternoon or early evening:
Travel from Malaga to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 16:44, arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00. Fares start at around €46.
Travel from Seville or Cordoba to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Seville Santa Justa at 16:07 or Cordoba at 16:52, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:50. Fares start at around €46.
Travel from Granada to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train, leaving Granada at 16:18 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00.

Travel from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona by EuroMed train, leaving Alicante at 16:10 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 19:07, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:05. Fares start at around €30. By all means take an earlier train for more of an evening in Barcelona.

Travel from Madrid Atocha to Barcelona Sants in 2h30 by AVE S-103 high-speed train on any departure you like, or take a competing Iryo, lo-cost Avlo or lo-cost Ouigo train, see the Madrid to Barcelona by train page. You can leave early evening, but trains leave almost every hour so by all means travel earlier and have a pleasant evening in Barcelona. Fares start at around €35 by AVE or from just €7 by Avlo. AVE trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Lo-cost Avlo & Ouigo trains are one-class, no catering, free WiFi.

Buy tickets for any of these trains at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee, overseas cards no problem) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, significantly more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it). Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies. You print your own tickets.

Stay overnight in Barcelona... The Hotel Barcelo Sants is the top choice here, it's part of Barcelona Sants station so easy to use when arriving & departing by train, with great reviews & good feedback from Seat61 users. See other suggested hotels near the station.

Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Barcelona Sants at 10:33 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 17:18.

This impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck.

You'll get great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral, see the photos, tips & journey information here.

Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee). Booking normally opens 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Allow at least 60 minutes to change trains & stations in Paris from the Gare de Lyon to the Gare du Nord.

Step 3, travel from Paris to Amsterdam by Thalys, leaving Paris Nord at 19:25 & arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 22:44.

Thalys trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see more information about Thalys.
Fares start at €35 in 2nd class or €79 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee). Booking normally opens 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket.

Option 3, Madrid & Spain to Amsterdam with overnight stop in Paris

Day 1 from Madrid: Take the 10:30 AVE-S103 high-speed train from Madrid Atocha arriving Barcelona Sants at 13:15, with fares from around €35. By all means take an earlier train and have lunch in Barcelona.
Day 1 from Alicante or Valencia: Take a EuroMed train to Barcelona, leaving Alicante at 07:25 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 09:15 arriving Barcelona Sants at 11:55.

No same-day connection is possible from Malaga, Cordoba or Seville, so see other options.

Day 1, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Barcelona Sants at 14:32, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 21:18.

This impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck.

You'll get great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral, see the photos, tips & journey information here.

Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Stay overnight in Paris. If you want a hotel room on arrival at the Gare de Lyon, I suggest the Mercure Paris Gare De Lyon as it's part of the station complex. If you'd prefer to stay near the Gare du Nord I suggest the excellent 25 Hours Terminus Nord, directly across the road from the Gare du Nord with great reviews & great feedback from Seat61 users. See other suggested hotels near the Gare de Lyon or Gare du Nord.

Day 2, next morning travel from Paris to Amsterdam on any Thalys you like.

The 06:25 from Paris Gare du Nord arrives Amsterdam Centraal at 09:44, but by all means have a leisurely breakfast and take a later one, they leave every hour or two.

Thalys trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the Thalys information page.
Fares start at €35 in 2nd class or €79 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, you can then buy all your tickets together in one place, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem.

First book from any Spanish city to Paris, add to basket, then book from Paris to Amsterdam for the following day and add that to your basket, then check out. You print your own tickets. Booking for the TGV & Thalys usually opens up to 4 months ahead, but only 60 days ahead for Spanish trains. There's a small booking fee.

Alternatively, you can book each train separately, although it's more effort and unlikely to make it materially cheaper, but no booking fee: Book the Spanish trains with Renfe at www.renfe.com, but see advice on using it here. Book from Barcelona to Paris at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com, then also book the Thalys at www.sncf-connect.com.

Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex, a 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck train. Watch TGV Duplex video.

Cafe-bar on the upper deck in car 4, serving tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine, beer, snacks & microwave-style hot dishes..

2nd class seats on upper deck with a mix of tables for 4 & unidirectional seating. 360º photo.

1st class upper deck seats, club duo on the left, a club quatre on the right. 360º photo.

A TGV Duplex. The 1 near the door indicates 1st class, a 2 indicates 2nd class.

Dinner from the cafe-bar.

View from the train, passing Béziers.

Mt Canigou & the Pyrenees. One of the highest peaks in the mighty Pyrenees, the 2,784m (9,137 feet) high Mt Canigou dominates the skyline on the right all the way from Perpignan to Girona, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canigou. More photos of what to see on the Paris-Barcelona train journey.

Paris to Amsterdam by Thalys, seen here at Paris Nord. See 360º photos inside a Thalys. More information about Thalys.

Comfort & Premium seats, 2+1 across the car. Larger photo.

Standard seats, 2+2 across. Larger photo.

The Thalys sweeps across the Moerdijk Bridge over the Hollands Diep one lazy evening, between Rotterdam & Antwerp.

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Spain to Luxembourg

Option 1, Madrid to Luxembourg in a single day

Step 1, travel from Madrid to Barcelona by AVE-S103 high-speed train leaving Madrid Atocha at 06:30 Mondays-Fridays only, arriving Barcelona Sants 09:20. Or on any day of the week, leave Madrid Atocha at 06:20 by lo-cost Avlo train arriving Barcelona Sants at 08:50.
The AVE train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. The lo-cost Avlo train is one-class, no catering, free WiFi. Fares for the AVE start at around €35, Avlo fares start at just €7.
No same-day connection is possible from Alicante, Valencia, Malaga, Cordoba or Seville, so travel the previous day and stay overnight in Barcelona.

Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Barcelona Sants at 10:33 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 17:18.

This impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck.

You'll get great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral, see the photos, tips & journey information here.

Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Allow at least 60 minutes to change trains & stations in Paris from the Gare de Lyon to the Gare de l'Est.

Step 3, travel from Paris to Luxembourg by TGV, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 18:40 Sat & Sun arriving Luxembourg 20:52 or 19:40 Mon-Fri, arriving Luxembourg 21:52. The TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
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.thetrainline.com, you can then buy all your tickets together in one place, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem.

Try booking from Madrid or Valencia to Luxembourg as one transaction, if you have any problems, book each train separately, adding each to your basket and checking out at the end. You print your own tickets. Booking for the TGVs opens up to 4 months ahead, but only 60 days ahead for Spanish trains. There's a small booking fee.

Tip: If booking the whole trip in one go at Raileurope, I recommend clicking More options, entering Paris (any station) as a via station, with a stopover duration of 1 hour. This ensures a robust connection, by default the SNCF ticketing system allows cross-Paris connections as short as 40 minutes, which I consider far too tight for comfort.

Alternatively, you can book each train separately, although it's more effort and unlikely to make it materially cheaper, but no booking fee: Book the Spanish trains with Renfe at www.renfe.com, but see advice on using it here. Book from Barcelona to Paris at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com, then book Paris to Luxembourg at www.sncf-connect.com.

Option 2, Madrid & Spain to Luxembourg with overnight stop in Barcelona

Step 1, travel from Spanish cities to Barcelona in the afternoon or early evening:

Travel from Malaga to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 16:44, arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00. Fares start at around €46.
Travel from Seville or Cordoba to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Seville Santa Justa at 16:07 or Cordoba at 16:52, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:50. Fares start at around €46.
Travel from Granada to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train, leaving Granada at 16:18 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00.

Travel from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona by EuroMed train, leaving Alicante at 16:10 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 19:07, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:05. Fares start at around €30. By all means take an earlier train for more of an evening in Barcelona.

Travel from Madrid Atocha to Barcelona Sants in 2h30 by AVE S-103 high-speed train on any departure you like, or take a competing Iryo, lo-cost Avlo or lo-cost Ouigo train, see the Madrid to Barcelona by train page. You can leave early evening, but trains leave almost every hour so by all means travel earlier and have a pleasant evening in Barcelona. Fares start at around €35 by AVE or from just €7 by Avlo. AVE trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Lo-cost Avlo & Ouigo trains are one-class, no catering, free WiFi.

Buy tickets for any of these trains at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee, overseas cards n o problem) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, significantly more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it). Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies. You print your own tickets.

Stay overnight in Barcelona... The Hotel Barcelo Sants is the top choice here, it's part of Barcelona Sants station so easy to use when arriving & departing by train, with great reviews & good feedback from Seat61 users. See other suggested hotels near the station.

Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Barcelona Sants at 10:33 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 17:18.

This impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck.

You'll get great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral, see the photos, tips & journey information here.

Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train 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 (in €, booking fee). Booking normally opens 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
Allow at least 60 minutes to change trains & stations in Paris from the Gare de Lyon to the Gare de l'Est.

Step 3, travel from Paris to Luxembourg by TGV, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 18:39 Sat & Sun arriving Luxembourg 20:52 or 19:40 Mon-Fri, arriving Luxembourg 21:52. The TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
Fares start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train 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 (in €, no booking fee). Booking normally opens 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket.

Option 3, Madrid & Spain to Luxembourg with overnight stop in Paris

Step 1 from Madrid: Take the 10:30 AVE-S103 high-speed train from Madrid Atocha arriving Barcelona Sants at 13:15, with fares from around €35. By all means take an earlier train and have lunch in Barcelona.
Step 1 from Alicante or Valencia: Take a EuroMed train to Barcelona, leaving Alicante at 07:25 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 09:15 arriving Barcelona Sants at 11:55.

No same-day connection is possible from Malaga, Cordoba or Seville, so see other options.

Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Barcelona Sants at 14:32, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 21:18.

The 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Book an upper deck seat for the best views. It's a scenic ride, see here for the sights to see from the train on the way.

Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Stay overnight in Paris. If you want a hotel room on arrival at the Gare de Lyon, I suggest the Mercure Paris Gare De Lyon as it's part of the station complex. If you'd prefer to stay near the Gare de l'Est I suggest the Libertel Gare de l'Est Français or OKKO Hotels Paris Gare de l'Est, both right next to the station with great reviews. See other suggested hotels near the Gare de Lyon or Gare de l'Est.

Step 3, next morning travel from Paris to Luxembourg by TGV. On Mondays-Fridays the 07:28 from Paris Gare du Nord arrives Luxembourg at 09:44. On Saturdays, the 08:13 from Paris Gare du Nord arrives Luxembourg at 10:32. On Sundays, the 10:40 from Paris Gare du Nord arrives Luxembourg at 12:52. Or there are later trains.

The TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Fares start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class.

Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, you can then buy all your tickets together in one place, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem.

First book from any Spanish city to Paris, add to basket, then book from Paris to Luxembourg for the following day and add that to your basket, then check out. You print your own tickets. Booking for the TGVs opens up to 4 months ahead, but only 60 days ahead for Spanish trains. There's a small booking fee.

Alternatively, you can book each train separately, although it's more effort and unlikely to make it materially cheaper, but no booking fee: Book the Spanish trains with Renfe at www.renfe.com, but see advice on using it here. Book from Barcelona to Paris at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com, then also book Paris-Luxembourg at www.sncf-connect.com.

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Spain to Geneva, Zurich & Switzerland from €59

Option 1, Madrid & Spain to Switzerland in a single day

Step 1 from Madrid: Take the 10:30 AVE-S103 high-speed train from Madrid Atocha arriving Barcelona Sants at 13:15, with fares from around €35. By all means take an earlier train and have lunch in Barcelona.
Step 1 from Alicante or Valencia: Take a EuroMed train to Barcelona, leaving Alicante at 07:25 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 09:15 arriving Barcelona Sants at 11:55.

No same-day connection is possible from Malaga, Cordoba or Seville.
Buy tickets for these trains at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee, overseas cards no problem) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, significantly more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it). Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies. You print your own tickets.

Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Geneva, leaving Barcelona Sants at 14:32, change at Narbonne & Lyon Part Dieu arriving Geneva 22:34.
You travel from Barcelona to Narbonne by impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. You'll get great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks just after Perpignan, see the photos, tips & information here. You then travel from Narbonne to Lyon on another TGV also with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, and from Lyon to Geneva along the Rhône by TER regional train.

For other destinations in Switzerland you'll need to stay overnight in Geneva and continue next day.
Fares from Barcelona to Lyon start at around €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Lyon to Geneva costs a fixed-price €31.90 in 2nd class, €42.40 in 1st class.

Book from Barcelona to Geneva at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee). Then add an onward ticket from Geneva to anywhere in Switzerland also at www.thetrainline.com. If you buy the Swiss ticket in advance (but less than 60 days ahead) you may find Swiss Supersaver fares or a Saver Day Pass available, saving up to 50% off regular Swiss rail fares.

Alternatively, book Barcelona-Geneva at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee) then onward Swiss tickets at the Swiss Railways website www.sbb.ch.

Option 2, Madrid & Spain to Switzerland with overnight stop in Barcelona

Step 1, travel from Spanish cities to Barcelona in the afternoon or early evening:

Travel from Malaga to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 16:44, arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00. Fares start at around €46.
Travel from Seville or Cordoba to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Seville Santa Justa at 16:07 or Cordoba at 16:52, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:50. Fares start at around €46.
Travel from Granada to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train, leaving Granada at 16:18 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00.

Travel from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona by EuroMed train, leaving Alicante at 16:10 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 19:07, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:05. Fares start at around €30. By all means take an earlier train for more of an evening in Barcelona.

Travel from Madrid Atocha to Barcelona Sants in 2h30 by AVE S-103 high-speed train on any departure you like, or take a competing Iryo, lo-cost Avlo or lo-cost Ouigo train, see the Madrid to Barcelona by train page. You can leave early evening, but trains leave almost every hour so by all means travel earlier and have a pleasant evening in Barcelona. Fares start at around €35 by AVE or from just €7 by Avlo. AVE trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Lo-cost Avlo & Ouigo trains are one-class, no catering, free WiFi.

Buy tickets for any of these trains at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, significantly more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it). Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies. You print your own tickets.

Stay overnight in Barcelona... The Hotel Barcelo Sants is the top choice here, it's part of Barcelona Sants station so easy to use when arriving & departing by train, with great reviews & good feedback from Seat61 users. See other suggested hotels near the station.

Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Lyon by AVE high-speed train, leaving Barcelona Sants at 08:22 and arriving Lyon Part Dieu at 13:20.
This train starts running on 28 July 2023, initially only on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays, but daily all year from 1 September 2023.
This comfortable Spanish high-speed train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Look out for great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou on the left as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses on the left by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral on the left, see the photos, tips & journey information here.
Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, significantly more fiddly, see advice on using it). Booking normally opens 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket.

Step 3, travel from Lyon to Geneva by TER regional train, leaving Lyon Part Dieu at 14:38 and arriving Geneva at 16:35.
These TER trains use former inter-city carriages, old but comfortable. There's no catering, so bring your own food & drink. It's a lovely journey along the river Rhône and through the Jura.
Lyon to Geneva costs a fixed-price €31.90 in 2nd class, €42.40 in 1st class.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee). Booking normally opens 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket.

Step 4, take onwards trains from Geneva to anywhere in Switzerland.
Check times and buy tickets at either www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Swiss Railways site www.sbb.ch.

Mt Canigou & the Pyrenees. One of the highest peaks in the mighty Pyrenees, the 2,784m (9,137 feet) high Mt Canigou dominates the skyline on the right all the way from Girona to Perpignan, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canigou.

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Spain to Milan, Venice, Rome & Italy

Option 1, Spain to Italy with an overnight stop in Lyon - from the Pyrenees to the Alps

Day 1 from Madrid: Travel from Madrid to Barcelona by AVE-S103 high-speed train, leaving Madrid Atocha at 10:30 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 13:15. Fares start at around €35. By all means take an earlier train and have lunch in Barcelona.
Day 1 from Alicante or Valencia: Travel from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona by EuroMed train, leaving Alicante at 07:25 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 09:15 arriving Barcelona Sants at 11:55. Fares start at around €35.

No same-day connection is possible from Malaga, Cordoba or Seville.
Book this at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, significantly more fiddly). You print your own ticket.

Day 1, travel from Barcelona to Lyon, leaving Barcelona Sants at 14:32, change at Narbonne, arriving Lyon Part Dieu at 19:48.

You travel from Barcelona to Narbonne by impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, then on another TGV from Narbonne to Lyon, also with with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

You'll get great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral, see the photos, tips & information here.

Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both sites easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee). You print your own ticket.

Stay overnight in Lyon, The Ibis Budget Lyon Centre - Gare Part Dieu is affordable & right next to Lyon Part Dieu station with good reviews, the Radisson Blu Hotel, Lyon also gets great reviews and is just a few minutes walk away.

Day 2, travel from Lyon to Turin & Milan by Frecciarossa, leaving Lyon Part Dieu 09:30 & arriving Turin Porta Susa 13:18 & Milan Centrale 14:07.
This is a lovely ride at low speed snaking through the Alps, see the photos & information here. The train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, sit back and enjoy the ride.

Fares start at €29 in standard (2nd class) or €36 in business (1st class) or €165 in executive class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book from Lyon to anywhere in Italy at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both sites easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Italian Railways website www.trenitalia.com (in €, no booking fee). You print your own ticket.

Day 2, travel from Milan to Verona, Venice, Florence, Rome or Naples by connecting high-speed train.

Fares from Milan to Venice or Florence start at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class. Milan to Rome or Naples starts at €29.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this as a single transaction from Lyon to anywhere in Italy.

Option 2, Madrid & Spain to Italy with overnight stops in Barcelona & Milan

Day 1, travel from Spanish cities to Barcelona in the afternoon or early evening:
Travel from Malaga to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 16:44, arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00. Fares start at around €46.
Travel from Seville or Cordoba to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Seville Santa Justa at 16:07 or Cordoba at 16:52, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:50. Fares start at around €46.
Travel from Granada to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train, leaving Granada at 16:18 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00.

Travel from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona by EuroMed train, leaving Alicante at 16:10 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 19:07, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:05. Fares start at around €30. By all means take an earlier train for more of an evening in Barcelona.

Travel from Madrid Atocha to Barcelona Sants in 2h30 by AVE S-103 high-speed train on any departure you like, or take a competing Iryo, lo-cost Avlo or lo-cost Ouigo train, see the Madrid to Barcelona by train page. You can leave early evening, but trains leave almost every hour so by all means travel earlier and have a pleasant evening in Barcelona. Fares start at around €35 by AVE or from just €7 by Avlo. AVE trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Lo-cost Avlo & Ouigo trains are one-class, no catering, free WiFi.

Buy tickets for any of these trains at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee, overseas cards no problem) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, significantly more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it). Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies. You print your own tickets.

Stay overnight in Barcelona... The Hotel Barcelo Sants is the top choice here, it's part of Barcelona Sants station so easy to use when arriving & departing by train, with great reviews & good feedback from Seat61 users. See other suggested hotels near the station.

Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Lyon by AVE high-speed train, leaving Barcelona Sants at 08:22 and arriving Lyon Part Dieu at 13:20.
This train starts running on 28 July 2023, initially only on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays, but daily all year from 1 September 2023.
This comfortable Spanish high-speed train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Look out for great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou on the left as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses on the left by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral on the left, see the photos, tips & journey information here.
Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, significantly more fiddly, see advice on using it). Booking normally opens 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket.
You've time for lunch in Lyon, see suggested brasserie near the station.

Day 2, travel from Lyon to Turin & Milan by Frecciarossa, leaving Lyon Part Dieu 17:20 & arriving Turin Porta Susa 21:18 & Milan Centrale 22:07.
This is a lovely ride at low speed snaking through the Alps, see the photos & information here. The train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, sit back and enjoy the ride.

Fares start at €29 in standard (2nd class) or €36 in business (1st class) or €165 in executive class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both sites easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Italian Railways website www.trenitalia.com (in €, requires Italian language place names). Booking normally opens 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Stay overnight in either Turin or Milan...
Personally I'd choose Turin, a lovely city even if you're not a fan of the 1969 Michael Caine film The Italian Job which was set there. I'd allow some time for a look around next morning.
In Turin I suggest the Hotel Torino Porta Susa or Hotel Diplomatic, Best Quality Hotel Dock Milano or small Al Porta Susa B&B, all right next to Turin Porta Susa station where the TGV arrives and where your onward train leaves next morning, with good or great reviews. Alternatively, the excellent Turin Palace Hotel is in the centre right next to Porta Nuova station, a 7 minute taxi ride, 3-stop €1.50 metro ride or 20 minute walk from Porta Susa, but next morning you can board your train to Venice, Florence, Rome or Naples at Porta Nuova station where these trains start their journey.

In Milan, hotels near Milan Centrale with good or great reviews include Made to Measure Business, 43 Station Hotel, Starhotel Echo or Starhotel Anderson.

Day 3, take a morning train to anywhere in Italy...

For Florence, Rome or Naples take a 300 km/h (186 mph) Frecciarossa train from Turin Porta Nuova, Turin Porta Susa or Milan Centrale to Florence SMN from €19.90, to Rome Termini or Naples Centrale from €29.90. There are regular departures throughout the day, Turin-Florence takes 2h48, Milan-Florence takes 1h40, Turin-Rome 3h55, Milan-Rome 2h55.

For Verona or Venice take a 186mph Frecciarossa high-speed train from Turin Porta Nuova, Turin Porta Susa or Milan Centrale to Verona Porta Nuova or Venice Santa Lucia. Milan to Venice takes 2h35 from €19.90. Turin to Venice takes 3h25 from €19.90. It's easier to change in Turin as that's a same-station change. In Milan, a transfer from Porta Garibaldi to Centrale is a 25 minute walk or €8 8-minute taxi ride.

For Cinque Terre take a train from Milan Centrale to Monterosso, some direct in as little as 2h57 from €19.90, or there are other departures involving a change. There are also trains from Milan Centrale to Genoa (1h32) and Pisa (3h47).
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both sites easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee). Booking normally opens 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

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Spain to Lisbon & Portugal

Option 1, Madrid to Lisbon in a day, the leisurely direct way

You can travel from Madrid to Lisbon by daytime trains with 2 changes, see the Madrid to Lisbon page for details.

It's cheap, comfortable, scenic, although not fast. A leisurely ride across Extremadura, look out for the beautiful tiling on some of the rural Portuguese stations.

Consider the more round-about journey via Vigo & Porto shown in option 2 below. As each new section of the Madrid-Galicia high-speed line opens the Madrid-Vigo part of the journey gets faster & faster. With the attractions of Porto as an overnight stop then Portugal's premier rail route from Porto to Lisbon next day, you may prefer that option.

Sleeper train discontinued: The Lusitania Trenhotel was suspended in March 2020 due to Covid-19. Renfe did not want to reinstate it, and it has now been permanently discontinued. A direct fast daytime train may start in 2024 when new lines are completed in both Spain & Portugal, but until the only link between Madrid & Lisbon is a 3-train combo by day, see the Madrid to Lisbon page for details.

Wonderful arid scenery on the Spanish plateau between Madrid & Badajoz. Photo courtesy of DiscoverByRail.com.

Changing trains at Badajoz station. The express from Madrid to Badajoz is on the left, the single-coach Allan Railcar from Badajoz to Entroncamento is on the right.. Photo courtesy of Giles Baker.

Option 2, Madrid to Lisbon with overnight stop in Porto - a roundabout route, but with high-speed trains & a great stopover

Day 1, travel from Madrid to Vigo by high-speed Alvia train, leaving Madrid Chamartin at 11:20 and arriving Vigo Urzaiz at 15:38.

Alvia trains are comfortable and air-conditioned with a cafe-bar.

Fares start at €33 in Standard class (2nd class) or €40 in Comfort class (1st class). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy a ticket at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (much more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, in €, see this advice on using it). Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies. You print your own ticket.
Vigo Urzaiz station is a 1.1 km 15-minute walk from Vigo Guixar station, see walking map. Have a wander around Vigo & an early dinner.

Day 1, travel from Vigo to Porto by regional express train, leaving Vigo Guixar at 19:56 and arriving Porto Campanhã at 21:18.

The fare is €14.95, 2nd class only, buy a ticket at the station or at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

Stay overnight in Porto... The Poviera Hotel is a small and very inexpensive hotel with good reviews directly opposite Campanhã station. The Oca Oriental Porto Hotel is also inexpensive, gets great reviews, a stone's throw from Campanhã station. If you'd rather stay in the old town, top choice is the InterContinental Hotel, a 5-star converted monastery-cum-palace a stone's throw from the beautiful Sao Bento railway station. Or try the cheaper PortoBay Teatro Hotel.

Day 2, travel from Porto Campanhã to Lisbon Santa Apolonia on any train you like, the first train gets to Lisbon around 09:30.
The journey takes as little as 2h58, by 200 km/h tilting Alfa Pendular or comfortable 160 km/h Intercity. There are regular departures through the day, spend some time in Porto before taking a train south!
Fares from €15 if you book ahead at www.cp.pt or Omio.com. See the Porto to Lisbon by train page for more information.

Day 1, travel from Madrid to Vigo by Alvia train. Nick-named patito or little duck, for obvious reasons!

Comfort class seats on an Alvia train.

Alvia train at Madrid Chamartin.

Day 1, travel from Vigo to Porto by regional express train. Photos courtesy of Martin Hill.

Day 2, travel from Porto to Lisbon by Alfa Pendular. Photo courtesy of Matt from www.youtube.com/c/nonstopeurotrip.

1st class on an Alfa Pendular train. Photo courtesy of @rexybexy

Option 3, Malaga, Granada, Cordoba or Seville to Lisbon

Step 1, travel from Malaga Maria Zambrano, Granada or Cordoba to Seville Santa Justa by train. Check times & buy a ticket at www.raileurope.com, www.thetrainline.com or www.renfe.com.

Step 2, travel from Seville to Faro by bus, journey time 2h30 to 3h15, with a departure roughly every 2-3 hours.
Several bus companies run on this route including Also, Damas, EuroLines and Iberobus. Buses typically leave Seville at 08:30, 09:30, 11:30 & 16:00, but it varies so check online at Omio.com. If you're starting in Malaga, look for buses that start from Seville Santa Justa station, so it's an easy same-station train-bus interchange.
The fare is around €17-€21 each way.
Check times and buy tickets for all these companies at Omio.com and print your own ticket.

Step 3, travel from Faro to Lisbon Oriente by train, various departures through the day, journey time 3h05-3h41.
Fares start at €15 if you book ahead.
Check times and buy a ticket at the Portuguese Railways website www.cp.pt (in €) or at Omio.com (in €, £ or $). You print your own ticket.
I'd allow at least 1 hour between bus and train in Faro.

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Spain to Porto

Madrid to Porto

Option 1, Madrid to Porto using a Madrid-Vigo high-speed train - the comfortable daytime train option

Step 1, travel from Madrid to Vigo by high-speed Alvia train, leaving Madrid Chamartin at 11:20 and arriving Vigo Urzaiz at 15:38.

Alvia trains are comfortable and air-conditioned with a cafe-bar.

Fares start at €33 in Standard class (2nd class) or €40 in Comfort class (1st class). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy a ticket at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (much more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, in €, see this advice on using it). Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies. You print your own ticket.
Vigo Urzaiz station is a 1.1 km 15-minute walk from Vigo Guixar station, see walking map. Have a wander around Vigo & an early dinner.

Step 2, travel from Vigo to Porto by regional express train, leaving Vigo Guixar at 19:56 and arriving Porto Campanhã at 21:18.

The fare is €14.95, 2nd class only, buy a ticket at the station or at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

An Alvia train. It's nick-named patito or little duck, for obvious reasons!

Comfort class seats on an Alvia train.

Alvia train at Madrid Chamartin.

The regional express train between Vigo & Porto. Photos courtesy of Martin Hill.

Option 2, Madrid to Porto with overnight hotel in Vigo - same as option 1, but with overnight stop. Can be more time-effective

Day 1, travel from Madrid to Vigo by high-speed Alvia train, leaving Madrid Chamartin at 16:00 & arriving Vigo Urzaiz at 20:12.

Daily except Saturdays you may find a later 19:15 departure arriving 23:46.

Alvia trains are comfortable and air-conditioned with a cafe-bar. Have lunch and spend a pleasant afternoon in Vigo.

Fares start at €33 in Standard class (2nd class) or €40 in Comfort class (1st class). Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy a ticket at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (much more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, in €, see this advice on using it). Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies. You print your own ticket.
Vigo Urzaiz station is a 1.1 km 15-minute walk from Vigo Guixar station, see walking map.

Stay overnight in Vigo. The NH Collection Vigo hotel & cheaper Hotel Atlantico Vigo are both near the station with great reviews.

Day 2, travel from Vigo to Porto by regional express train, leaving Vigo Guixar at 08:58 and arriving Porto Campanhã at 10:20.

The fare is €14.95, 2nd class only, buy a ticket at the station or at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

Malaga & Seville to Porto

Step 1, trains link Malaga Maria Zambrano station with Seville Santa Justa in 1h55 several times through the day. Check times & buy a ticket at www.raileurope.com, www.thetrainline.com or www.renfe.com.

Step 2, travel from Seville to Faro by bus, journey time 2h30 to 3h15, with a departure roughly every 2-3 hours.
Several bus companies run on this route including Also, Damas, EuroLines and Iberobus. Buses typically leave Seville at 08:30, 09:30, 11:30 & 16:00, but it varies so check online at Omio.com. If you're starting in Malaga, look for buses that start from Seville Santa Justa station, so it's an easy same-station train-bus interchange.
The fare is around €17-€21 each way.
Check times and buy tickets for all these companies at Omio.com and print your own ticket.

Step 3, travel from Faro to Porto by train, usually with a change at Lisbon Oriente, but there's usually a late afternoon direct train.
Fares start at €20.50 if you book ahead.
Check times and buy a ticket at the Portuguese Railways website www.cp.pt (in €) or at Omio.com (in €, £ or $). Booking opens 60 days ahead. You print your own ticket.

I'd allow at least 1 hour between bus and train in Faro.

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Spain to Faro & the Algarve

Madrid to Faro

Step 1, travel from Madrid Atocha to Seville Santa Justa in 2h35, trains run every couple of hours through the day.

Check times & buy a ticket at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy, small booking fee) or www.renfe.com (more fiddly). Booking opens 60 days ahead, though this varies.

Step 2, travel from Seville to Faro by bus, journey time 2h30 to 3h15, with a departure roughly every 2-3 hours.
Several bus companies run on this route including Also, Damas, EuroLines and Iberobus. Buses typically leave Seville at 08:30, 09:30, 11:30 & 16:00, but it varies so check online at Omio.com. If you're starting in Malaga, look for buses that start from Seville Santa Justa station, so it's an easy same-station train-bus interchange. I'd allow at least 40 minutes between train & bus.
The fare is around €17-€21 each way.
Check times and buy tickets for all these companies at Omio.com and print your own ticket.

Madrid to Seville by AVE. An AVE-S100 high-speed train ready to leave Madrid Atocha.

An AVE S100 high-speed train boarding at Madrid Atocha.

Cafe-bar. All AVEs and most Intercity & Alvia trains have a cafe-bar serving snacks, hot & cold dishes, tea, coffee, beer & wine.

Comfort class (Premium 1st class) with reclining seats, power sockets for laptops & mobiles.

A hot at-seat meal with wine is available in Comfort class on some trains, see info above.

Comfort class (1st class) with reclining seats, power sockets for laptops & mobiles.

Standard class (2nd class) with comfortable seats with power sockets.

Malaga, Granada, Cordoba or Seville to Faro

Step 1, travel from Malaga Maria Zambrano station to Seville Santa Justa in 1h55, trains run at various times through the day. Trains also run from Granada & Cordoba to Seville Santa Justa.

Check times & buy a ticket at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy, small booking fee) or www.renfe.com (more fiddly).

Step 2, travel from Seville to Faro by bus, journey time 2h30 to 3h15, with a departure roughly every 2-3 hours.
Several bus companies run on this route including Also, Damas, EuroLines and Iberobus. Buses typically leave Seville at 08:30, 09:30, 11:30 & 16:00, but it varies so check online at Omio.com. If you're starting in Malaga, look for buses that start from Seville Santa Justa station, so it's an easy same-station train-bus interchange.
The fare is around €17-€21 each way.
Check times and buy tickets for all these companies at Omio.com and print your own ticket.

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Spain to Andorra

Step 1, take a train from anywhere in Spain to Barcelona Sants, there are direct trains to Barcelona Sants from Madrid Atocha, Malaga, Seville, Cordoba, Alicante and Valencia, to name just a few.

Check times and buy a ticket at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (much more fiddly, in €, see this advice on using it) or www.petrabax.com (in $, with small mark-up). I'd allow at least an hour between train & bus in Barcelona.

Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Andorra by bus. 6 or 7 buses leave Barcelona Sants station every day for Andorra La Vella, capital of Andorra, journey time 3 hours, fare around €29, see www.autocarsnadal.com.

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Spain to Cologne, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Berlin & Germany from €79

Option 1, Madrid to Cologne or Frankfurt in a single day

Step 1, travel from Madrid to Barcelona by AVE-S103 high-speed train leaving Madrid Atocha at 06:30 Mondays-Fridays only, arriving Barcelona Sants 09:20. Or on any day of the week, leave Madrid Atocha at 06:20 by lo-cost Avlo train arriving Barcelona Sants at 08:50.
The AVE train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. The lo-cost Avlo train is one-class, no catering, free WiFi. Fares for the AVE start at around €35, Avlo fares start at just €7.
No same-day connection is possible from Alicante, Valencia, Malaga, Cordoba or Seville, so see other options.

Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Barcelona Sants at 10:33 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 17:18.

This impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck.

You'll get great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral, see the photos, tips & journey information here.

Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Allow at least 1 hour to change trains & stations from Paris Gare de Lyon to the Gare du Nord (for Cologne) or Gare de l'Est (for Frankfurt).

Step 3, travel from Paris to Germany by ICE, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 19:07 and arriving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 22:59.

Change at Mannheim for Cologne Hbf, arriving 00:07.

Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, you can then buy all your tickets together in one place, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem.

Try booking from Madrid or Valencia to Germany as one transaction, if you have any problems, book each train separately, adding each to your basket and checking out at the end. You print your own tickets. Booking for the TGV & Thalys opens up to 4 months ahead, but only 60 days for Spanish trains. There's a small booking fee.

Tip: If booking the whole trip in one go at Raileurope, I recommend clicking More options, entering Paris (any station) as a via station, with a stopover duration of 1 hour. This gets you a more robust connection, by default the SNCF ticketing system allows cross-Paris connections as short as 40 minutes, which I consider far too tight for comfort.

Alternatively, you can book each train separately, although it's more effort and unlikely to make it materially cheaper, but no booking fee: Book the Spanish trains with Renfe at www.renfe.com (much m ore fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it here). Book from Barcelona to Paris at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com, then book the Thalys to Cologne at www.sncf-connect.com or the ICE to Frankfurt at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

Option 2, Madrid & Spain to Germany with overnight stop in Barcelona

Step 1, travel from Spanish cities to Barcelona in the afternoon or early evening:
Travel from Malaga to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 16:44, arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00. Fares start at around €46.
Travel from Seville or Cordoba to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Seville Santa Justa at 16:07 or Cordoba at 16:52, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:50. Fares start at around €46.
Travel from Granada to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train, leaving Granada at 16:18 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00.

Travel from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona by EuroMed train, leaving Alicante at 16:10 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 19:07, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:05. Fares start at around €30. By all means take an earlier train for more of an evening in Barcelona.

Travel from Madrid Atocha to Barcelona Sants in 2h30 by AVE S-103 high-speed train on any departure you like, or take a competing Iryo, lo-cost Avlo or lo-cost Ouigo train, see the Madrid to Barcelona by train page. You can leave early evening, but trains leave almost every hour so by all means travel earlier and have a pleasant evening in Barcelona. Fares start at around €35 by AVE or from just €7 by Avlo. AVE trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Lo-cost Avlo & Ouigo trains are one-class, no catering, free WiFi.

Buy tickets for any of these trains at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee, overseas cards no problem) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, significantly more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it). Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies. You print your own tickets.

Stay overnight in Barcelona... The Hotel Barcelo Sants is the top choice here, it's part of Barcelona Sants station so easy to use when arriving & departing by train, with great reviews & good feedback from Seat61 users. See other suggested hotels near the station.

Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Barcelona Sants at 10:33 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 17:18.

This impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck.

You'll get great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral, see the photos, tips & journey information here.

Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Allow at least 1 hour to change trains & stations in Paris from the Gare de Lyon to the Gare du Nord (for Cologne) or Gare de l'Est (for Frankfurt).

Step 3, travel from Paris to Germany by ICE, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 19:07 and arriving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 22:59.

Change at Mannheim for Cologne Hbf, arriving 00:07.

Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Step 4 for Hamburg, Berlin: Stay overnight in Cologne and take any onward train you like next day.

How to buy tickets

Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, you can then buy all your tickets together in one place, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem.

First book from any Spanish city to Barcelona, add to basket, then book from Barcelona to Cologne or Frankfurt all in one go for the following day & add to your basket, also book any onward train from Cologne to Hamburg or Berlin, add to basket then check out. You print your own tickets. Booking for the TGV & Thalys opens up to 4 months ahead, but only 60 days ahead for Spanish trains. There's a small booking fee.

Tip: When booking Barcelona to Germany at Raileurope I recommend clicking More options, entering Paris (any station) as a via station, with a stopover duration of 1 hour (or longer, if you'd like more time in Paris). This gets you a more robust connection, by default the SNCF ticketing system allows cross-Paris connections as short as 40 minutes, which I consider far too tight for comfort.

Alternatively, you can book each train separately, although it's more effort and unlikely to make it materially cheaper, other than avoiding the booking fee: Book the Spanish trains with Renfe at www.renfe.com, but see advice on using it here. Book from Barcelona to Paris at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com, then book Paris to Germany at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

Option 3, Madrid & Spain to Germany with overnight stop in Paris

Step 1 from Madrid: Take the 10:30 AVE-S103 high-speed train from Madrid Atocha arriving Barcelona Sants at 13:15, with fares from around €35. By all means take an earlier train and have lunch in Barcelona.
Step 1 from Alicante or Valencia: Take a EuroMed train to Barcelona, leaving Alicante at 07:25 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 09:15 arriving Barcelona Sants at 11:55.

No same-day connection is possible from Malaga, Cordoba or Seville, so see other options.

Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Barcelona Sants at 14:32, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 21:18.

This impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck.

You'll get great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral, see the photos, tips & journey information here.

Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Stay overnight in Paris. If you want a hotel room on arrival at the Gare de Lyon, I suggest the Mercure Paris Gare De Lyon as it's part of the station complex. If you'd prefer to stay near the Gare de l'Est I suggest the Libertel Gare de l'Est Français or OKKO Hotels Paris Gare de l'Est, both right next to the station with great reviews. See other suggested hotels near the Gare de Lyon or Gare de l'Est.

Step 3, take onward high-speed trains to anywhere in Germany next morning. Leaving Paris around 07:00 you could be in Frankfurt at 10:58, Cologne 11:15, Berlin at 15:25, Munich at 13:27. Or by all means have a leisurely breakfast and take later trains.

Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

How to buy tickets

Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, you can then buy all your tickets together in one place, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem.

First book from any Spanish city to Paris, add to basket, then book from Paris to Germany for the following day and add that to your basket, then check out. You print your own tickets. Booking for the TGV & onward trains opens up to 4 months ahead, but only 60 days ahead for Spanish trains. There's a small booking fee.

Alternatively, you can book each train separately, although it's more effort and unlikely to make it materially cheaper, but no booking fee: Book the Spanish trains with Renfe at www.renfe.com, but see advice on using it here. Book from Barcelona to Paris at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com, then book Paris to Cologne by Thalys at www.sncf-connect.com or Paris to Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin and other stations in Germany at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

Option 4, Madrid & Spain to Germany with overnight stop in Marseille, avoids changing stations in Paris

Day 1, take a morning train from Spanish cities to Madrid or Barcelona:

Travel from Malaga to Madrid by AVE high-speed train, leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 08:54 daily except Saturdays, arriving Madrid Atocha at 12:07. On Saturdays, leave Malaga Maria Zambrano at 07:55 arriving Madrid Atocha at 10:50. Fares start at around €30.

Travel from Seville or Cordoba to Barcelona by AVE S112 high-speed train, leaving Seville Santa Justa at 08:55 or Cordoba at 09:44 arriving Barcelona Sants at 14:45. Fares start at around €45.

Travel from Granada to Madrid by AVE high-speed train leaving Granada at 06:00 arriving Madrid Atocha at 09:47. Fares start at around €30.

Travel from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona by EuroMed train, leaving Alicante at 09:20 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 11:20 arriving Barcelona Sants at 14:15. Fares start at around €35.

Book these trains at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, significantly more fiddly, see this advice on using it). Booking for Spanish domestic trains normally opens 60 days ahead, but this varies.

Day 1, travel from Madrid or Barcelona to Marseille by direct AVE high-speed train, leaving Madrid Atocha at 13:25 or Barcelona Sants at 16:34 and arriving Marseille St Charles at 21:30.
This train starts running on 28 July 2023, initially only on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays, but becoming daily all year from 29 September 2023.
This comfortable Spanish high-speed train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Look out for great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou on the left as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses on the left by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral on the left, see the photos, tips & journey information here.
Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both sites easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, significantly more fiddly). Booking normally opens 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket.

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.

Day 2, travel from Marseille to Frankfurt by direct TGV Duplex leaving Marseille St Charles 08:10 and arriving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf 15:58.

Change at Karlsruhe, Mannheim or Frankfurt for onward ICE & IC trains to Cologne, Hamburg, Berlin, Munich, int.bahn.de will give you train times from Marseille to anywhere in Germany on this departure.

Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book from Marseille to anywhere in Germany at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You can also book at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com at the same prices, which would keep all your bookings in one place with one retailer. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.

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Spain to Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck & Austria from €88

Option 1, Spain to Austria using the Paris-Vienna sleeper - the most comfortable & time-effective option, 3 times per week

Step 1, travel from Spanish cities to Barcelona in the afternoon or early evening:
Travel from Malaga to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 16:44, arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00. Fares start at around €46.
Travel from Seville or Cordoba to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Seville Santa Justa at 16:07 or Cordoba at 16:52, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:50. Fares start at around €46.
Travel from Granada to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train, leaving Granada at 16:18 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00.

Travel from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona by EuroMed train, leaving Alicante at 16:10 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 19:07, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:05. Fares start at around €30. By all means take an earlier train for more of an evening in Barcelona.

Travel from Madrid Atocha to Barcelona Sants in 2h30 by AVE S-103 high-speed train on any departure you like, or take a competing Iryo, lo-cost Avlo or lo-cost Ouigo train, see the Madrid to Barcelona by train page. You can leave early evening, but trains leave almost every hour so by all means travel earlier and have a pleasant evening in Barcelona. Fares start at around €35 by AVE or from just €7 by Avlo. AVE trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Lo-cost Avlo & Ouigo trains are one-class, no catering, free WiFi.

Buy tickets for any of these trains at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee, overseas cards no problem) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, significantly more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it). Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies. You print your own tickets.

Stay overnight in Barcelona... The Hotel Barcelo Sants is the top choice here, it's part of Barcelona Sants station so easy to use when arriving & departing by train, with great reviews & good feedback from Seat61 users. See other suggested hotels near the station.

Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex, leaving Barcelona Sants at 10:33 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 17:18.

This impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck.

You'll get great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral, see the photos, tips & journey information here.

Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy a ticket at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.

Transfer from the Gare de Lyon to the Gare de l'Est by taxi or metro. Have dinner in Paris, see suggested restaurants.

Step 3, travel from Paris to Salzburg or Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 18:58 on Tuesdays, Fridays & Sundays, arriving Salzburg Hbf at 07:26 and Vienna Hbf at 10:12.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet train has two air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-cars each with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has a couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and an ordinary seats car. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video.

Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in plain English, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways www.oebb.at (more fiddly, in €, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.

Paris to Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train. More information about Nightjets.

Deluxe sleeper. Each compartment can be used as a 1, 2 or 3-bed room. Larger photo. Video of deluxe room

The same deluxe sleeper in evening/morning mode with beds folded away, seats folded out. Larger photo.

Deluxe rooms have a compact shower & toilet, towels & hair/body wash provided. Larger photo.

Standard sleeper set up as 2-berth, washstand open. It can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth. Larger photo.

6-berth couchettes.

4-berth couchettes.

Couchette car.

Option 2, Madrid & Spain to Innsbruck, Salzburg & Vienna with overnight stop in Geneva - the scenic option

Day 1, travel from Spanish cities to Barcelona in the afternoon or early evening:
Travel from Malaga to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 16:44, arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00. Fares start at around €46.
Travel from Seville or Cordoba to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Seville Santa Justa at 16:07 or Cordoba at 16:52, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:50. Fares start at around €46.
Travel from Granada to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train, leaving Granada at 16:18 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00.

Travel from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona by EuroMed train, leaving Alicante at 16:10 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 19:07, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:05. Fares start at around €30. By all means take an earlier train for more of an evening in Barcelona.

Travel from Madrid Atocha to Barcelona Sants in 2h30 by AVE S-103 high-speed train on any departure you like, or take a competing Iryo, lo-cost Avlo or lo-cost Ouigo train, see the Madrid to Barcelona by train page. You can leave early evening, but trains leave almost every hour so by all means travel earlier and have a pleasant evening in Barcelona. Fares start at around €35 by AVE or from just €7 by Avlo. AVE trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Lo-cost Avlo & Ouigo trains are one-class, no catering, free WiFi.

Buy tickets for any of these trains at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee, overseas cards no problem) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, significantly more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it). Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies. You print your own tickets.

Stay overnight in Barcelona... The Hotel Barcelo Sants is the top choice here, it's part of Barcelona Sants station so easy to use when arriving & departing by train, with great reviews & good feedback from Seat61 users. See other suggested hotels near the station.

Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Lyon by AVE high-speed train, leaving Barcelona Sants at 08:22 and arriving Lyon Part Dieu at 13:20.
This train starts running on 28 July 2023, initially only on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays, but daily all year from 1 September 2023.
This comfortable Spanish high-speed train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Look out for great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou on the left as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses on the left by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral on the left, see the photos, tips & journey information here.
Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, significantly more fiddly, see advice on using it). Booking normally opens 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket.

Day 2, travel from Lyon to Geneva by TER regional train, leaving Lyon Part Dieu at 14:38 and arriving Geneva at 16:35.
These TER trains use former inter-city carriages, old but comfortable. There's no catering, so bring your own food & drink. It's a lovely journey along the river Rhône and through the Jura.
Lyon to Geneva costs a fixed-price €31.90 in 2nd class, €42.40 in 1st class.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee). Booking normally opens 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket.

Stay overnight in Geneva. Suggested hotels with good reviews near the station include Hotel Cornavin Geneve, Hotel Les Arcades, ibis Styles Geneva Gare. Hotels in Switzerland can be expensive, if you're on a budget you can book budget private rooms in a one-star hotel or backpacker hostel near the station using www.hostelworld.com.

Day 3, take a frequent Swiss domestic train from Geneva to Zurich HB then a smart Austrian railjet train from Zurich HB to Innsbruck, Salzburg, Linz or Vienna. This is a lovely journey through the wonderful Arlberg Pass, see the photos & video on the Arlberg Railway page.
Geneva to Innsbruck starts at €29.90, to Salzburg or Vienna at €39.90. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book from Geneva to anywhere in Austria at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian railways website www.oebb.at (in €, more fiddly). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.

A railjet to Innsbruck, Salzburg & Vienna about to leave Zurich HB.

Railjet first class, with black leather seats.

Business class. About.

The restaurant.

Railjet is Austrian Railways premier train. More photos & information about railjet trains

Economy class on railjet, in open saloons with large windows. Some seats around tables, most unidirectional.

The mountains keep on coming, see the photos & video on the Arlberg Railway page.

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Spain to Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo & Scandinavia

Option 1, Madrid & Spain to Scandinavia with overnight stops in Marseille & Hamburg

Day 1, take a morning train from Spanish cities to Madrid or Barcelona:

Travel from Malaga to Madrid by AVE high-speed train, leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 08:54 daily except Saturdays, arriving Madrid Atocha at 12:07. On Saturdays, leave Malaga Maria Zambrano at 07:55 arriving Madrid Atocha at 10:50. Fares start at around €30.

Travel from Seville or Cordoba to Barcelona by AVE S112 high-speed train, leaving Seville Santa Justa at 08:55 or Cordoba at 09:44 arriving Barcelona Sants at 14:45. Fares start at around €45.

Travel from Granada to Madrid by AVE high-speed train leaving Granada at 06:00 arriving Madrid Atocha at 09:47. Fares start at around €30.

Travel from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona by EuroMed train, leaving Alicante at 09:20 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 11:20 arriving Barcelona Sants at 14:15. Fares start at around €35.

Book these trains at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, significantly more fiddly, see this advice on using it). Booking for Spanish domestic trains normally opens 60 days ahead, but this varies.

Day 1, travel from Madrid or Barcelona to Marseille by direct AVE high-speed train, leaving Madrid Atocha at 13:25 or Barcelona Sants at 16:34 and arriving Marseille St Charles at 21:30.
This train starts running on 28 July 2023, initially only on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays, but becoming daily all year from 29 September 2023.
This comfortable Spanish high-speed train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Look out for great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou on the left as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses on the left by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral on the left, see the photos, tips & journey information here.
Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both sites easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, significantly more fiddly). Booking normally opens 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket.

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.

Day 2, travel from Marseille to Hamburg, leaving Marseille St Charles at 08:11 by TGV Duplex, changing at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf and arriving Hamburg Hbf at 20:30.

Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book from Marseille to Hamburg at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.

Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. Tip: Change Transfer time from Normal to minimum 30 minutes to avoid tight connections. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.

Stay overnight in Hamburg. The Hotel Reichshof Hamburg is the top choice here, just across the road 100m from the station's Kirchenallee exit, with art deco-based design and great reviews. Other hotels near Hamburg Hbf with good or great reviews include (starting with the cheapest) the Hotel Continental Novum, Hotel Furst Bismarck, Hotel Europaischer Hof, Hotel Atlantic Kempinski. If you're on a budget, cheap private rooms in the A&O Hotel near Hamburg Hbf can be booked at www.hostelworld.com.

Day 3, travel from Hamburg to Copenhagen by Danish intercity train leaving Hamburg Hbf at 08:56 and arriving Copenhagen 13:34.
An altered timetable applies from 17 June to 20 August 2023, see the timetable here.
Fares start at €27.90 in 2nd class or €59.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
If you're only going as far as Copenhagen, book from Hamburg to Copenhagen at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or phone.

For Stockholm, take an X2000 train from Copenhagen Stockholm, leaving Copenhagen at 14:21 and arriving Stockholm Central at 19:36.
From 17 June to 20 August 2023, either take the 06:45 from Hamburg Hbf to connect with the 12:21 from Copenhagen arriving Stockholm 17:37, or the 10:53 from Hamburg Hbf to connect with the 16:21 from Copenhagen arriving Stockholm 21:38.

You should book from Hamburg to Stockholm as one transaction from €59.90 at int.bahn.de and print your own ticket. Book Hamburg to Stockholm departing 08:56 using this special link which I have set up with the necessary parameters.

For Malmö or Gothenburg, Öresund trains run hourly from Copenhagen to Gothenburg in 3h53 and every 20 minutes from Copenhagen to Malmö in 39 minutes.
Book from Hamburg to Malmö or Gothenburg (= Göteborg Central) as one transaction from €39.90 at int.bahn.de and print your own ticket.

Option 2, Madrid & Spain to Scandinavia with overnight stops in Barcelona & Frankfurt

Day 1, travel from Spanish cities to Barcelona in the afternoon or early evening:
Travel from Malaga to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 16:44, arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00. Fares start at around €46.
Travel from Seville or Cordoba to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Seville Santa Justa at 16:07 or Cordoba at 16:52, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:50. Fares start at around €46.
Travel from Granada to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train, leaving Granada at 16:18 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00.

Travel from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona by EuroMed train, leaving Alicante at 16:10 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 19:07, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:05. Fares start at around €30. By all means take an earlier train for more of an evening in Barcelona.

Travel from Madrid Atocha to Barcelona Sants in 2h30 by AVE S-103 high-speed train on any departure you like, or take a competing Iryo, lo-cost Avlo or lo-cost Ouigo train, see the Madrid to Barcelona by train page. You can leave early evening, but trains leave almost every hour so by all means travel earlier and have a pleasant evening in Barcelona. Fares start at around €35 by AVE or from just €7 by Avlo. AVE trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Lo-cost Avlo & Ouigo trains are one-class, no catering, free WiFi.

Buy tickets for any of these trains at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee, overseas cards no problem) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, significantly more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it). Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies. You print your own tickets.

Stay overnight in Barcelona... The Hotel Barcelo Sants is the top choice here, it's part of Barcelona Sants station so easy to use when arriving & departing by train, with great reviews & good feedback from Seat61 users. See other suggested hotels near the station.

Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Barcelona Sants at 10:33 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 17:18.

This impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck.

You'll get great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral, see the photos, tips & journey information here.

Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee). Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can select a mobile ticket to show on your phone.
Change stations in Paris by metro or taxi from the Gare de Lyon to the Gare de l'Est.

Day 2, travel from Paris to Frankfurt by ICE, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 19:07 and arriving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 22:59.
The ICE has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com. Booking normally opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.

Stay overnight in Frankfurt. Hotels next to the station with good or great reviews include the Flemings Express Hotel & Hotel Hamburger Hof, both of which I have stayed at and can recommend. There's also The Frankfurt and the inexpensive Hotel Topas.

Day 3 for Copenhagen
Travel from Frankfurt to Copenhagen by train, taking an ICE train from Frankfurt to Hamburg then a Danish intercity train to Copenhagen. For example the 08:58 from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen at 17:34. But times may vary.
Fares start at from €37.90 in 2nd class or €59.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book from Frankfurt to Copenhagen at int.bahn.de looking for departures with 1 change. Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.
Tip: It's a good idea to change Transfer time from Normal to minimum 30 minutes, to ensure robust connections.

Day 3 for Stockholm

It's just about possible to travel from Frankfurt to Stockholm in a day with changes at Hamburg, Copenhagen & Malmo, using a through ticket from just €59.90 booked at int.bahn.de. Depending on the day and date, you can leave Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 08:58 and arrive at 23:41, see what bahn.de gives you. There may be some tight connections but with a through ticket you're protected and will be taken forward by later trains if there's a delay and you miss the onward train. Alternatively, stay overnight in Copenhagen and take an onward 200 km/h X2000 train to Stockholm on day 3, from around €23 booked at www.sj.se (Swedish Railways).

Day 3 for Oslo & Norway
Take an ICE from Frankfurt to Hamburg and Intercity train to Copenhagen. Book this at int.bahn.de and you'll see various departures from €39.90 with 1 change, for example the 08:58 from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, change at Hamburg Hbf, arriving Copenhagen at 17:34. You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. Stay overnight in Copenhagen, then take a train from Copenhagen to Oslo with 1 easy change at Gothenburg, booked from €46 at www.sj.se (Swedish Railways). Alternatively, spend the morning exploring Copenhagen and take the overnight cruise ferry to Oslo with comfortable en suite cabins, bars and restaurants, see www.dfds.co.uk. See more information on Copenhagen-Oslo options here.

Hamburg to Copenhagen by Intercity train. From June 2023, these trains are temporarily being operated by former German Railways intercity cars and a Danish electric locomotive, until new trains being built by Talgo arrive in 2024. The current trains have 1st & 2nd class, power sockets at seats, but no catering so bring your own food & drink. More information about the Hamburg-Copenhagen journey.

2nd class seats are almost all open-plan like this. There are a handful of 6-seat 2nd class compartments in one of the coaches, but only a few.

The 1st class car has 6-seater compartments like this. Larger photo. Larger photo.

Copenhagen to Stockholm by tilting 200km/h X2000, seen at Stockholm Central. More about X2000 trains.

1st class on an X2000. Larger photo.

2nd class on an X2000. Larger photo.

Bistro seating on an X2000 train. Larger photo.

Bistro on an X2000 train. Larger photo.

Crossing the impressive Öresund bridge from Denmark to Sweden.

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Spain to Helsinki & Finland

Option 1, Madrid & Spain to Helsinki using a Finnlines ferry from Germany - the easiest option

Day 1 from Madrid: Travel from Madrid to Barcelona by AVE-S103 high-speed train, leaving Madrid Atocha at 10:30 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 13:15. Fares start at around €35. By all means take an earlier train and have lunch in Barcelona.
Day 1 from Alicante or Valencia: Travel from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona by EuroMed train, leaving Alicante at 07:25 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 09:15 arriving Barcelona Sants at 11:55. Fares start at around €35.

No same-day connection is possible from Malaga, Cordoba or Seville, so travel the previous day or use another option.
Buy tickets for these trains at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, much more fiddly to use, may reject some overseas payment cards, see this advice on using it). Booking for Spanish trains normally opens 60 days ahead, but it varies. You print your own ticket.

Day 1, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Barcelona Sants at 14:32, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 21:18.
This impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck.

You'll get great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral, see the photos, tips & journey information here.

Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee). Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can select a mobile ticket to show on your phone.
Change trains & stations in Paris by metro or taxi.

Stay overnight in Paris. If you want a hotel room on arrival at the Gare de Lyon, I suggest the Mercure Paris Gare De Lyon as it's part of the station complex. If you'd prefer to stay near the Gare de l'Est I suggest the Libertel Gare de l'Est Français or OKKO Hotels Paris Gare de l'Est, both right next to the station with great reviews. See other suggested hotels near the Gare de Lyon or Gare de l'Est.

Day 2, travel from Paris to Hamburg, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 09:06, changing at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf and arriving Hamburg Hbf 17:36.

Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy a ticket 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 laptop or phone.

Day 2, transfer from Hamburg Hbf to the Travemünde ferry terminal by train+bus and sail from Travemünde to Helsinki with Finnlines, see the Trains from Hamburg page for full details of the transfer, check-in arrangements & ferry crossing.

Finnlines sail from Travemünde in northern Germany to Helsinki every day, boarding at 23:30, sailing at 02:45 (the exact time varies) and arriving at Helsinki's Hansa Terminal in Vuosaari at 09:15 2 nights later (Day 4 from Spain).

Check sailing dates, times & book the ferry at www.finnlines.com or using the Direct Ferries website.

Book onward trains within Finland at the Finnish Railways website www.vr.fi.

Finnlines operate the Finnstar, Finnmaid & Finnlady on the Travemünde-Helsinki route. Photo courtesy of Hubert Bartkowiak. Photos below courtesy of Chris Russell.

Standard cabin. Larger photo.

Gym with a view.

Sauna.

Option 2, Madrid & Spain to Helsinki by train to Stockholm, then ferry

Step 1, travel from Spain to Stockholm as shown above.

Step 2, travel from Stockholm to Helsinki either by direct overnight cruise ferry, or by daytime or overnight ferry to Turku and connecting train to Helsinki as shown on the Trains & ferries from Stockholm page.

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Spain to Prague & the Czech Republic

Option 1, Madrid & Spain to Prague with overnight stop in Paris

Step 1 from Madrid: Travel from Madrid to Barcelona by AVE-S103 high-speed train, leaving Madrid Atocha at 10:30 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 13:15. Fares start at around €35. By all means take an earlier train and have lunch in Barcelona.
Step 1 from Alicante or Valencia: Travel from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona by EuroMed train, leaving Alicante at 07:25 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 09:15 arriving Barcelona Sants at 11:55. Fares start at around €35.

No same-day connection is possible from Malaga, Cordoba or Seville, so travel the previous day & stay in Barcelona.
Buy tickets for these trains at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, much more fiddly to use, may reject some overseas payment cards, see this advice on using it). Booking for Spanish trains normally opens 60 days ahead, but it varies. You print your own ticket.

Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Barcelona Sants at 14:32 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon 21:18.
This impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck.

You'll get great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral, see the photos, tips & journey information here.

Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both sites easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee). Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
Change stations by metro or taxi from the Gare de Lyon to Gare de l'Est.

Stay overnight in Paris. If you want a hotel room on arrival at the Gare de Lyon, I suggest the Mercure Paris Gare De Lyon as it's part of the station complex. If you'd prefer to stay near the Gare de l'Est I suggest the Libertel Gare de l'Est Français or OKKO Hotels Paris Gare de l'Est, both right next to the station with great reviews. See other suggested hotels near the Gare de Lyon or Gare de l'Est.

Step 3, travel from Paris to Munich, leaving Paris Est at 09:06 by TGV Duplex, changing at Mannheim & arriving Munich Hbf 15:13.
Fares start at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.raileurope.com (in €, £ or €, small booking fee) or the German Railways website int.bahn.de (in €, no booking fee). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

Step 4, travel from Munich to Prague by express train, leaving Munich Hbf at 16:43 and arriving Prague Hlavni at 22:17.
This train is fully air-conditioned with power sockets at all seats and free WiFi in most cars, see the Munich to Prague page for more details & photos of these trains.
Fares start at €15 in 2nd class or €35 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz & print your own ticket or show it in the CD app. Booking normally opens 90 days ahead.

Option 2, Madrid & Spain to Prague using the Paris-Linz sleeper - the most comfortable & time-effective option, 3 times per week

Day 1, travel from Spanish cities to Barcelona in the afternoon or early evening:
Travel from Malaga to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 16:44, arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00. Fares start at around €46.
Travel from Seville or Cordoba to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Seville Santa Justa at 16:07 or Cordoba at 16:52, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:50. Fares start at around €46.
Travel from Granada to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train, leaving Granada at 16:18 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00.

Travel from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona by EuroMed train, leaving Alicante at 16:10 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 19:07, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:05. Fares start at around €30. By all means take an earlier train for more of an evening in Barcelona.

Travel from Madrid Atocha to Barcelona Sants in 2h30 by AVE S-103 high-speed train on any departure you like, or take a competing Iryo, lo-cost Avlo or lo-cost Ouigo train, see the Madrid to Barcelona by train page. You can leave early evening, but trains leave almost every hour so by all means travel earlier and have a pleasant evening in Barcelona. Fares start at around €35 by AVE or from just €7 by Avlo. AVE trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Lo-cost Avlo & Ouigo trains are one-class, no catering, free WiFi.

Buy tickets for any of these trains at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee, overseas cards no problem) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, significantly more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it). Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies. You print your own tickets.

Stay overnight in Barcelona... The Hotel Barcelo Sants is the top choice here, it's part of Barcelona Sants station so easy to use when arriving & departing by train, with great reviews & good feedback from Seat61 users. See other suggested hotels near the station.

Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex, leaving Barcelona Sants at 10:33 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 17:18.

This impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck.

You'll get great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral, see the photos, tips & journey information here.

Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy a ticket at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee.

Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.

Transfer from the Gare de Lyon to the Gare de l'Est by taxi or metro. Have dinner in Paris, see suggested restaurants.

Day 2, travel from Paris to Linz by Nightjet, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 18:58 on Tuesdays, Fridays & Sundays, arriving Linz at 08:46.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has two air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-cars each with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has a couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and an ordinary seats car. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video.

Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in plain English, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways www.oebb.at (more fiddly, in €, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.

Day 3, travel from Linz to Prague by EuroCity train, leaving Linz at 11:54 and arriving Prague Hlavni at 15:39.
The modern Czech EuroCity train has a bistro car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

Fares start at €19 in 2nd class or €29 in 1st class.

Buy tickets for this train at the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz. Booking opens 90 days ahead. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

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Spain to Bratislava & Slovakia

Option 1, Madrid & Spain to Bratislava using the Paris-Vienna sleeper - the most comfortable & time-effective option, 3 times per week

Day 1, travel from Spanish cities to Barcelona in the afternoon or early evening:
Travel from Malaga to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 16:44, arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00. Fares start at around €46.
Travel from Seville or Cordoba to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Seville Santa Justa at 16:07 or Cordoba at 16:52, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:50. Fares start at around €46.
Travel from Granada to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train, leaving Granada at 16:18 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00.

Travel from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona by EuroMed train, leaving Alicante at 16:10 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 19:07, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:05. Fares start at around €30. By all means take an earlier train for more of an evening in Barcelona.

Travel from Madrid Atocha to Barcelona Sants in 2h30 by AVE S-103 high-speed train on any departure you like, or take a competing Iryo, lo-cost Avlo or lo-cost Ouigo train, see the Madrid to Barcelona by train page. You can leave early evening, but trains leave almost every hour so by all means travel earlier and have a pleasant evening in Barcelona. Fares start at around €35 by AVE or from just €7 by Avlo. AVE trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Lo-cost Avlo & Ouigo trains are one-class, no catering, free WiFi.

Buy tickets for any of these trains at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee, overseas cards no problem) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, significantly more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it). Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies. You print your own tickets.

Stay overnight in Barcelona... The Hotel Barcelo Sants is the top choice here, it's part of Barcelona Sants station so easy to use when arriving & departing by train, with great reviews & good feedback from Seat61 users. See other suggested hotels near the station.

Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex, leaving Barcelona Sants at 10:33 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 17:18.

This impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck.

You'll get great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral, see the photos, tips & journey information here.

Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy a ticket at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee.

Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.

Transfer from the Gare de Lyon to the Gare de l'Est by taxi or metro. Have dinner in Paris, see suggested restaurants.

Day 2, travel from Paris to Vienna by Nightjet, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 18:58 on Tuesdays, Fridays & Sundays, arriving Vienna Hbf 10:12.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has two air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-cars each with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has a couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and an ordinary seats car. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video.

Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in plain English, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways www.oebb.at (more fiddly, in €, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.

Day 3, travel from Vienna Hbf to Bratislava Hlavna by regional express train. These run every hour taking 1h06, fare €10.20, no reservation necessary or even possible, just buy a ticket at the station and hop on the next train. More about these Vienna-Bratislava trains.
You can check train times & prices at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (a bit more fiddly, same prices, in €) and buy a ticket if you like, just to save time at the station.

Paris to Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train. More information about Nightjets.

Deluxe sleeper. Each compartment can be used as a 1, 2 or 3-bed room. Larger photo. Video of deluxe room

The same deluxe sleeper in evening/morning mode with beds folded away, seats folded out. Larger photo.

Deluxe rooms have a compact shower & toilet, towels & hair/body wash provided. Larger photo.

Standard sleeper set up as 2-berth, washstand open. It can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth. Larger photo.

6-berth couchettes.

4-berth couchettes.

Couchette car.

Option 2, Spain to Bratislava with an overnight stop in Geneva - the most scenic option

Step 1, travel from Spanish cities to Barcelona in the afternoon or early evening:
Travel from Malaga to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 16:44, arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00. Fares start at around €46.
Travel from Seville or Cordoba to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Seville Santa Justa at 16:07 or Cordoba at 16:52, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:50. Fares start at around €46.
Travel from Granada to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train, leaving Granada at 16:18 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00.

Travel from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona by EuroMed train, leaving Alicante at 16:10 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 19:07, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:05. Fares start at around €30. By all means take an earlier train for more of an evening in Barcelona.

Travel from Madrid Atocha to Barcelona Sants in 2h30 by AVE S-103 high-speed train on any departure you like, or take a competing Iryo, lo-cost Avlo or lo-cost Ouigo train, see the Madrid to Barcelona by train page. You can leave early evening, but trains leave almost every hour so by all means travel earlier and have a pleasant evening in Barcelona. Fares start at around €35 by AVE or from just €7 by Avlo. AVE trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Lo-cost Avlo & Ouigo trains are one-class, no catering, free WiFi.

Buy tickets for any of these trains at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee, overseas cards no problem) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, significantly more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it). Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies. You print your own tickets.

Stay overnight in Barcelona... The Hotel Barcelo Sants is the top choice here, it's part of Barcelona Sants station so easy to use when arriving & departing by train, with great reviews & good feedback from Seat61 users. See other suggested hotels near the station.

Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Lyon by AVE high-speed train, leaving Barcelona Sants at 08:22 and arriving Lyon Part Dieu at 13:20.
This train starts running on 28 July 2023, initially only on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays, but daily all year from 1 September 2023.
This comfortable Spanish high-speed train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Look out for great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou on the left as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses on the left by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral on the left, see the photos, tips & journey information here.
Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, significantly more fiddly, see advice on using it). Booking normally opens 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket.

Day 2, travel from Lyon to Geneva by TER regional train, leaving Lyon Part Dieu at 14:38 and arriving Geneva at 16:35.
These TER trains use former inter-city carriages, old but comfortable. There's no catering, so bring your own food & drink. It's a lovely journey along the river Rhône and through the Jura.
Lyon to Geneva costs a fixed-price €31.90 in 2nd class, €42.40 in 1st class.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee). Booking normally opens 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket.

Stay overnight in Geneva. Suggested hotels with good reviews near the station include Hotel Cornavin Geneve, Hotel Les Arcades, ibis Styles Geneva Gare. Hotels in Switzerland can be expensive, if you're on a budget you can book budget private rooms in a one-star hotel or backpacker hostel near the station using www.hostelworld.com.

Day 3, travel from Geneva to Bratislava, leaving Geneva at 09:15 by Swiss Intercity train and changing onto the 12:40 railjet train from Zurich HB to Bratislava Hlavna, arriving 21:51.
This direct Zurich-Bratislava train started running in December 2018, with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. The journey takes you through the beautifully scenic Arlberg Pass, see the photos & video on the Arlberg Pass page. Have your camera to hand!
Book from Geneva to Bratislava at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, a bit more fiddly, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.

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Spain to Budapest & Hungary

Option 1, Barcelona to Budapest using the Paris-Vienna sleeper - the most comfortable & time-effective option, 3 times per week

Day 1, travel from Spanish cities to Barcelona in the afternoon or early evening:
Travel from Malaga to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 16:44, arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00. Fares start at around €46.
Travel from Seville or Cordoba to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Seville Santa Justa at 16:07 or Cordoba at 16:52, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:50. Fares start at around €46.
Travel from Granada to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train, leaving Granada at 16:18 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00.

Travel from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona by EuroMed train, leaving Alicante at 16:10 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 19:07, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:05. Fares start at around €30. By all means take an earlier train for more of an evening in Barcelona.

Travel from Madrid Atocha to Barcelona Sants in 2h30 by AVE S-103 high-speed train on any departure you like, or take a competing Iryo, lo-cost Avlo or lo-cost Ouigo train, see the Madrid to Barcelona by train page. You can leave early evening, but trains leave almost every hour so by all means travel earlier and have a pleasant evening in Barcelona. Fares start at around €35 by AVE or from just €7 by Avlo. AVE trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Lo-cost Avlo & Ouigo trains are one-class, no catering, free WiFi.

Buy tickets for any of these trains at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee, overseas cards no problem) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, significantly more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it). Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies. You print your own tickets.

Stay overnight in Barcelona... The Hotel Barcelo Sants is the top choice here, it's part of Barcelona Sants station so easy to use when arriving & departing by train, with great reviews & good feedback from Seat61 users. See other suggested hotels near the station.

Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex, leaving Barcelona Sants at 10:33 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 17:18.

This impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck.

You'll get great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral, see the photos, tips & journey information here.

Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy a ticket at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee.

Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.

Transfer from the Gare de Lyon to the Gare de l'Est by taxi or metro. Have dinner in Paris, see suggested restaurants.

Day 2, travel from Paris to Vienna by Nightjet, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 18:58 on Tuesdays, Fridays & Sundays, arriving Vienna Hbf 10:12.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has two air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-cars each with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has a couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and an ordinary seats car. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video.

Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in plain English, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways www.oebb.at (more fiddly, in €, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.

Day 3, travel from Vienna to Budapest by railjet train, leaving Vienna Hbf at 11:40 & arriving Budapest Keleti at 14:19.
The swish modern railjet has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. An earlier connection is possible, but I'd allow at least an hour between trains when connecting with a sleeper train just in case of delay.
Fares start at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easiest to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways' own site www.oebb.at (same prices, in €, a bit more fiddly). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.

Paris to Vienna by Nightjet sleeper train. More information about Nightjets.

Deluxe sleeper. Each compartment can be used as a 1, 2 or 3-bed room. Larger photo. Video of deluxe room

The same deluxe sleeper in evening/morning mode with beds folded away, seats folded out. Larger photo.

Deluxe rooms have a compact shower & toilet, towels & hair/body wash provided. Larger photo.

Standard sleeper set up as 2-berth, washstand open. It can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth. Larger photo.

6-berth couchettes.

4-berth couchettes.

Couchette car.

Option 2, Barcelona to Budapest with an overnight stop in Geneva - the most scenic option

Day 1, travel from Spanish cities to Barcelona in the afternoon or early evening:
Travel from Malaga to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 16:44, arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00. Fares start at around €46.
Travel from Seville or Cordoba to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Seville Santa Justa at 16:07 or Cordoba at 16:52, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:50. Fares start at around €46.
Travel from Granada to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train, leaving Granada at 16:18 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00.

Travel from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona by EuroMed train, leaving Alicante at 16:10 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 19:07, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:05. Fares start at around €30. By all means take an earlier train for more of an evening in Barcelona.

Travel from Madrid Atocha to Barcelona Sants in 2h30 by AVE S-103 high-speed train on any departure you like, or take a competing Iryo, lo-cost Avlo or lo-cost Ouigo train, see the Madrid to Barcelona by train page. You can leave early evening, but trains leave almost every hour so by all means travel earlier and have a pleasant evening in Barcelona. Fares start at around €35 by AVE or from just €7 by Avlo. AVE trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Lo-cost Avlo & Ouigo trains are one-class, no catering, free WiFi.

Buy tickets for any of these trains at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee, overseas cards no problem) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, significantly more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it). Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies. You print your own tickets.

Stay overnight in Barcelona... The Hotel Barcelo Sants is the top choice here, it's part of Barcelona Sants station so easy to use when arriving & departing by train, with great reviews & good feedback from Seat61 users. See other suggested hotels near the station.

Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Lyon by AVE high-speed train, leaving Barcelona Sants at 08:22 and arriving Lyon Part Dieu at 13:20.
This train starts running on 28 July 2023, initially only on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays, but daily all year from 1 September 2023.
This comfortable Spanish high-speed train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Look out for great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou on the left as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses on the left by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral on the left, see the photos, tips & journey information here.
Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, significantly more fiddly, see advice on using it). Booking normally opens 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket.

Day 2, travel from Lyon to Geneva by TER regional train, leaving Lyon Part Dieu at 14:38 and arriving Geneva at 16:35.
These TER trains use former inter-city carriages, old but comfortable. There's no catering, so bring your own food & drink. It's a lovely journey along the river Rhône and through the Jura.
Lyon to Geneva costs a fixed-price €31.90 in 2nd class, €42.40 in 1st class.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee). Booking normally opens 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket.

Stay overnight in Geneva. Suggested hotels with good reviews near the station include Hotel Cornavin Genève, Hotel Les Arcades, ibis Styles Geneva Gare. Hotels in Switzerland can be expensive, if you're on a budget you can book budget private rooms in a one-star hotel or backpacker hostel near the station using www.hostelworld.com.

Day 3, travel from Geneva to Zurich by Swiss train leaving Geneva at 07:15, change onto the 10:40 railjet train from Zurich HB to Budapest Keleti arriving 21:19.
The railjet train has a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.
This journey passes through the beautifully scenic Arlberg Pass, see the photos & video on the Arlberg Pass page. Have your camera to hand!
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easiest to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways' own site www.oebb.at (same prices, in €, a bit more fiddly). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.

Zurich to Budapest by railjet. A railjet about to leave Zurich HB.

Business class. About.

Restaurant car.

First class.

Economy class.

Soon after leaving Zurich, the railjet runs alongside the Zürichsee, then along the Walensee..

In the Arlberg pass itself, the railway hugs the valley side, past fir forests and meadows.

In railjet first & business class, a steward takes your order & serves lunch at your seat.

The mountains keep on coming...

The railjet has landed! Arrived on platform 9 at Budapest Keleti station.

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Spain to Brasov, Bucharest & Romania

Step 1, travel from Spain to Budapest as shown above.

Step 2. travel from Budapest to Brasov & Bucharest as shown here.

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Spain to Ljubljana, Zagreb, Belgrade & Sofia

Option 1, Spain to Ljubljana & Zagreb using the Paris-Salzburg sleeper - the most comfortable & time-effective option, 3 times per week

Day 1, travel from Spanish cities to Barcelona in the afternoon or early evening:
Travel from Malaga to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 16:44, arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00. Fares start at around €46.
Travel from Seville or Cordoba to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Seville Santa Justa at 16:07 or Cordoba at 16:52, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:50. Fares start at around €46.
Travel from Granada to Barcelona by AVE-S112 high-speed train, leaving Granada at 16:18 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 23:00.

Travel from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona by EuroMed train, leaving Alicante at 16:10 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 19:07, arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:05. Fares start at around €30. By all means take an earlier train for more of an evening in Barcelona.

Travel from Madrid Atocha to Barcelona Sants in 2h30 by AVE S-103 high-speed train on any departure you like, or take a competing Iryo, lo-cost Avlo or lo-cost Ouigo train, see the Madrid to Barcelona by train page. You can leave early evening, but trains leave almost every hour so by all means travel earlier and have a pleasant evening in Barcelona. Fares start at around €35 by AVE or from just €7 by Avlo. AVE trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Lo-cost Avlo & Ouigo trains are one-class, no catering, free WiFi.

Buy tickets for any of these trains at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee, overseas cards no problem) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, significantly more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it). Spanish trains normally open for booking 60 days ahead, but this varies. You print your own tickets.

Stay overnight in Barcelona... The Hotel Barcelo Sants is the top choice here, it's part of Barcelona Sants station so easy to use when arriving & departing by train, with great reviews & good feedback from Seat61 users. See other suggested hotels near the station.

Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex, leaving Barcelona Sants at 10:33 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 17:18.

This impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck.

You'll get great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral, see the photos, tips & journey information here.

Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy a ticket at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee.

Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.

Transfer from the Gare de Lyon to the Gare de l'Est by taxi or metro. Have dinner in Paris, see suggested restaurants.

Day 2, travel from Paris to Salzburg by Nightjet, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 18:58 on Tuesdays, Fridays & Sundays, arriving Salzburg Hbf 07:26.
This comfortable Austrian Nightjet sleeper train has two air-conditioned Comfortline sleeping-cars each with nine 1, 2 & 3-berth standard compartments with washbasin and three 1, 2 or 3-berth deluxe compartments with shower & toilet. There are toilets & a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the regular sleepers. The sleeping-car attendant can serve drinks, snacks & light meals from a room service menu. The train has a couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and an ordinary seats car. A light breakfast is included in sleepers & couchettes, served in your compartment. See the Nightjet page for a guide to on-board accommodation, travel tips, photos & video.

Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €89.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €109.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €159.90 in a single-bed sleeper, all per person per berth. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Buy tickets at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in plain English, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways www.oebb.at (more fiddly, in €, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.

Day 3, travel from Salzburg to Ljubljana & Zagreb by EuroCity train, leaving Salzburg Hbf at 14:12 & arriving Lesce-Bled 17:50, Ljubljana 18:32 & Zagreb 20:45.
This comfortable EuroCity train has a restaurant car between Salzburg & Villach on the Slovenian border, reached late afternoon. It's a spectacular journey through the mountains of Austria on the Tauern route, then into Slovenia and along the Sava river to Croatia & Zagreb.
Fares start at €29.90 in 2nd class or €49.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easiest to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or Austrian Railways www.oebb.at (same prices, in €, a bit more fiddly). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead. You print your own ticket.

Stay overnight in Zagreb and continue to Belgrade next day, see here for details.

Scenery between Ljubljana & Zagreb along the river Sava..

Option 2, Madrid & Spain to Ljubljana & Zagreb via Marseille & Venice.

Day 1, travel from Spain to Marseille as shown above.

Stay overnight in Marseille. Suggested inexpensive hotels with good reviews near Marseille St Charles station include the Ibis Marseille Centre Gare St Charles, Holiday Inn Express Marseille St Charles.

Day 2, travel from Marseille to Nice, Ventimiglia, on to Milan and then Venice.

See the Spain to Venice section for full details & how to buy tickets from Spain to Venice, and suggested hotels in Marseille.

Day 3 early morning (Monday-Friday only), travel from Venice to Trieste then Trieste to Ljubljana by regional trains, then on to Zagreb, see the timetable & Venice-Ljubljana-Zagreb journey information here. Alternatively, any day of the week, spend a morning & early afternoon in Venice then take the afternoon train Venice-Trieste-Ljubljana, see the timetable & journey information here.

Inside the ETR563. Larger photo.

The train to Ljubljana about to leave Trieste. Courtesy of Marc Williams.

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Spain to Warsaw, Krakow & Poland

Option 1, Madrid & Spain to Warsaw, with overnight stop in Paris - the fastest option, runs Sunday to Thursday only

Day 1 from Madrid: Travel from Madrid to Barcelona by AVE-S103 high-speed train, leaving Madrid Atocha at 10:30 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 13:15. Fares start at around €35. By all means take an earlier train and have lunch in Barcelona.
Day 1 from Alicante or Valencia: Travel from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona by EuroMed train, leaving Alicante at 07:25 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 09:15 arriving Barcelona Sants at 11:55. Fares start at around €35.

No same-day connection is possible from Malaga, Cordoba or Seville, so travel the previous day and stay in Barcelona.

Buy tickets for these trains at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, much more fiddly to use, may reject some overseas payment cards, see this advice on using it). Booking for Spanish trains normally opens 60 days ahead, but it varies. You print your own ticket.

Day 1, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Barcelona Sants at 14:32, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 21:18.
This impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck.

You'll get great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral, see the photos, tips & journey information here.

Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee). Booking opens up to 4 months ahead. You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.
Change trains & stations in Paris by metro or taxi.

Stay overnight in Paris. If you want a hotel room on arrival at the Gare de Lyon, I suggest the Mercure Paris Gare De Lyon as it's part of the station complex. If you'd prefer to stay near the Gare de l'Est I suggest the Libertel Gare de l'Est Français or OKKO Hotels Paris Gare de l'Est, both right next to the station with great reviews. See other suggested hotels near the Gare de Lyon or Gare de l'Est.

Day 2, travel from Paris to Warsaw in a day. Remarkably, high-speed trains make it possible to travel from Paris to Warsaw in a single day, at least on Mondays-Fridays. It's not possible at weekends.
You'll usually find a journey leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 07:20, changing Mannheim & Berlin Hbf, arriving Warsaw Centralna 23:16.

It's a chill-out journey across Europe, using a 320 km/h double-deck TGV Duplex with cafe-bar & power sockets at all seats between Paris & Mannheim, a superb high-speed ICE train with restaurant car, free WiFi & power sockets at all seats from Mannheim to Berlin, and a EuroCity train with restaurant car from Berlin to Warsaw. In Berlin, you have time between trains to wander past the Reichstag to the Brandenburg Gate, just 15 minutes walk from Berlin Hbf.

Paris-Berlin starts at €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest fares.

Berlin-Warsaw starts at €27.90 in 2nd class or €37.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest fares.

Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de. First run a Paris to Warsaw enquiry, but before you run it, change Transfer time from Normal to minimum 40 minutes. I also recommend entering Mannheim as a stopover station.

It should show a 2-change option, although you'll only see silly-money €240+ fares. Ignore these, note down the trains you need.

Then split the booking like this: First use the German Railways website int.bahn.de to book from Paris to Berlin. Booking for this opens up to 6 months ahead, look for a journey with 1 change. Then use int.bahn.de again to book from Berlin to Warsaw. Booking for Berlin-Warsaw trains only opens 60 days ahead.
You print your own tickets or can show them on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in & check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.

Option 2, Spain to Warsaw & Krakow with overnight stops in Paris & Berlin - runs daily

Day 1 from Madrid: Travel from Madrid to Barcelona by AVE-S103 high-speed train, leaving Madrid Atocha at 10:30 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 13:15. Fares start at around €35. By all means take an earlier train and have lunch in Barcelona.
Day 1 from Alicante or Valencia: Travel from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona by EuroMed train, leaving Alicante at 07:25 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 09:15 arriving Barcelona Sants at 11:55. Fares start at around €35.

No same-day connection is possible from Malaga, Cordoba or Seville, so travel the previous day and stay in Barcelona.

Buy tickets for these trains at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (in €, much more fiddly to use, may reject some overseas payment cards, see this advice on using it). Booking for Spanish trains normally opens 60 days ahead, but it varies. You print your own ticket.

Day 1, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex, leaving Barcelona Sants at 14:32 & arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 21:18.
This impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck.

You'll get great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees, you'll pass the historic Fort de Salses right by the tracks just after Perpignan, flamingos on the lakes in the South of France between Narbonne & Montpelier, and Béziers cathedral, see the photos, tips & journey information here.

Fares start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee). You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone. Change trains & stations in Paris.

Stay overnight in Paris. If you want a hotel room on arrival at the Gare de Lyon, I suggest the Mercure Paris Gare De Lyon as it's part of the station complex. If you'd prefer to stay near the Gare de l'Est I suggest the Libertel Gare de l'Est Français or OKKO Hotels Paris Gare de l'Est, both right next to the station with great reviews. See other suggested hotels near the Gare de Lyon or Gare de l'Est.

Day 2, travel from Paris to Berlin, there are various options from €39.90 in 2nd class or €69.90 in 1st class with a change at either Mannheim, Frankfurt or Cologne. For example, leave Paris Gare de l'Est at 09:06, change at Mannheim and arrive Berlin Hbf at 18:29.
Check prices at www.raileurope.com (in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or int.bahn.de (in €, no booking fee) and print your own ticket.

Stay overnight in Berlin. Top choice here is the InterCity Hotel Berlin Hbf (my favourite), only 200m from Berlin Hbf's main entrance, relatively inexpensive with great reviews, or if you're in the money, the excellent 5-star Steigenberger Hotel just outside the station. If you're on a budget, the cheaper 3-star Motel One Berlin-Hbf is behind the station or use www.hostelworld.com. Of course, if you really want to push the boat out, the famous Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is next to the Brandenburg Gate just 17 minutes walk away.

Day 3 for Warsaw: Travel from Berlin Hbf to Warsaw Centralna in 5h30 on any EuroCity train you like, see the timetable here.

On Mondays-Saturdays the 05:52 from Berlin Hbf will get you to Warsaw Centralna at 11:16 with breakfast in the restaurant car. Or have a leisurely breakfast and take the daily 09:51 arriving 15:22. By all means take a later train to have a morning in Berlin.

Fares start at €27.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book at int.bahn.de and print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or phone.

Day 3 for Krakow, Katowice, Wroclaw: Travel from Berlin to Krakow by air-conditioned EuroCity train Wawel, leaving Berlin Hbf at 10:52 every day, arriving Wroclaw 14:50, Katowice 16:58 & Krakow Glowny 18:01. The Wawel is comfortable & air-conditioned with restaurant car, treat yourself to lunch and a beer or two.

Fares start at €27.90 in 2nd class or €39.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

Book at int.bahn.de and print your own ticket or show it on your laptop or phone.

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Spain to Vilnius, Riga, Tallinn

Step 1, travel from Spain to Warsaw as shown above.

Stay overnight in Warsaw. The Polonia Palace Hotel is excellent, historic, relatively inexpensive for such a good hotel, and it's just across the road from the station. For something much cheaper, but still with great reviews and near the station, try the Hotel Metropol next door to the Polonia Palace or the nearby Novotel Warsaw Centrum. Also see the Warsaw Centralna station & city information.

Step 2, travel from Warsaw to Vilnius as shown here.

Step 3, for onward travel from Vilnius to Riga, see here.

Step 4, for onward travel from Riga to Tallinn, see here.

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Spain to Kyiv, Lviv & Ukraine

Step 1, travel from Spain to Vienna as shown in the Spain to Vienna section above.

Step 2, travel from Vienna to Lviv & Kyiv by direct sleeping-car as shown on the Trains from Vienna page.

The Vienna-Kyiv sleeping-car at Kyiv Pass. Photos courtesy of Helmut Uttenthaler.

The Vienna-Kyiv sleeper about to leave Vienna Hbf. Courtesy of Helmut Uttenthaler.

The sleeper corridor. Courtesy Helmut Uttenthaler.

1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper compartment.

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Spain to Moscow, St Petersburg & Russia

There is currently no service to Russia from anywhere.

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Spain to Athens & Greece

Step 1, travel from Spain to Milan as shown in the Spain to Italy section above.

You travel to Barcelona on day 1 and stay overnight. Then Barcelona to Lyon and on to Milan on day 2.

Stay overnight in Milan: Affordable hotels with good or great reviews just outside Milan Centrale include the Hotel Bristol, Hotel Bernina, 43 Station Hotel, B&B Hotel Milano Central Station, Guesthouse Teodora. Pricier more upmarket hotels include HD8 Hotel, Glam Hotel, Made to Measure Business, Starhotel Echo or Starhotel Anderson.

Step 2, travel from Milan to Athens as shown on the Italy to Athens page.

You travel from Milan to Bari by train, then sail overnight from Bari to Patras in Greece. A bus/train combo gets you to Athens early evening (day 4 from Spain).

The ferry Superfast II from Bari to Patras, boarding at Bari. Photos courtesy of DiscoverByRail.com.

The passenger gangway, onto the ferry.

Reception desk & lounge on the ferry.

Lounge and bar on the Superfast II.

Self-service restaurant.

Private cabin with en suite toilet & shower.

The ferry passes Cephalonia & Ithaca then approaches mainland Greece. This is what travel to Greece should be like!

The ferry approaches the new port of Patras.

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Spain to Istanbul & Turkey

Step 1, travel from Spain to Budapest as shown in the Spain to Budapest section above.

Step 2, travel from Budapest to Bucharest and on to Istanbul as shown on the Trains from Budapest page.

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Railbookers custom-made tours

If you just want to buy train tickets at the cheapest price, book online as shown on this page. However, if you want someone to sort out your whole trip for you, arranging all your trains, hotels and transfers, and to look after you if anything affects your arrangements, talk to Railbookers. Railbookers can custom-make a train trip around Europe to your own specification. Just tell them what you want and they'll advise you on the best trains, routes & hotels. They get good reports and a lot of repeat business! They now have offices in the UK, North America and Australia.

UK call 0207 864 4600, www.railbookers.co.uk.

US call free 1-888-829-4775, see website.

Canada call free 1-855-882-2910, see website.

Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526, see website.

New Zealand call toll-free 0800 000 554 or see website.

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Find hotels in Europe

My favourite hotel search: www.booking.com

Booking.com is my favourite hotel booking site and I generally use it to book all my hotels in one place. I've come to trust booking.com's review scores, you won't be disappointed with any hotel that scores 8.0 or more. Crucially, booking.com usually lets you book with free cancellation, which means you can confirm accommodation risk-free before train booking opens and/or you can hold accommodation while you finalise your itinerary and alter your plans as they evolve - a feature I use all the time when planning a trip. I never book hotels non-refundably!

Tip: It's sometimes worth comparing prices across multiple hotel booking sites: HotelsCombined.com compares hotel prices on Booking.com, Hotels.com, Expedia, Agoda & many others. If there's not much in it, I prefer to keep all my bookings together at www.booking.com, but it's sometimes worth checking!

Backpacker hostels

www.hostelworld.com: If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels. Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in most cities at rock-bottom prices.

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Travel insurance & VPN

Always take out travel insurance

Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover. It should also cover cancellation and loss of cash and belongings, up to a sensible limit. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy with Staysure.co.uk myself. Here are some suggested insurers. Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.

www.staysure.co.uk offers enhanced Covid-19 protection & gets 4.7 out of 5 on Trustpilot.

www.columbusdirect.com is also a well-know brand.

If you live in the USA try Travel Guard USA.

Get an eSIM with mobile data package

Don't rely on WiFi, download an eSIM with a mobile data package for the country you're visiting and stay connected. Most newer mobile phones can download a virtual SIM card so you don't need to buy a physical SIM, including iPhone 11 & later, see device compatibility list. Maya.net is a reliable eSIM data retailer with a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating and a range of packages including unlimited data.

Get a Curve card for foreign travel

Most banks give you a poor exchange rate, then add a foreign transaction fee on top. A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month at time of writing. The money you spend on your Curve card goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards.

How it works: 1. Download the Curve app for iPhone or Android. 2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to the UK and most European addresses. 3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app, you can link up to two cards with the free version of Curve, I link my normal debit card and my normal credit card. 4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, exactly like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance in your own currency onto whichever debit or credit card is currently selected in the Curve app. You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.

I have a Curve Blue card myself, it means I can buy a coffee on a foreign station on a card without being stung by fees and lousy exchange rates, just by tapping the Curve card on their card reader. The money goes through Curve to my normal debit card and is taken directly from my account (in fact I have the Curve card set up as payment card on Apple Pay on my iPhone, so can double-click my phone, let it do Face ID then tap the reader with the phone - even easier than digging a card out). I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I recommend it here because I think it's great. See details, download the app and get a Curve card, they'll give you £5 cashback through that link.

Get a VPN for safe browsing. Why you need a VPN

When you're travelling you often use free WiFi in public places which may not be secure. A VPN encrypts your connection so it's always secure, even on unsecured WiFi. It also means you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geoblocking which a surprising number of websites apply. See VPNs & why you need one explained. ExpressVPN is a best buy with a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot ranking which I use myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using the links on this page, you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription. I get a small commission to help support this site.

Carry an Anker powerbank

Tickets, reservations, vaccination records and Interrail or Eurail passes are often held digitally on your mobile phone, so it's vital to keep it charged. I always carry an Anker powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over if I can't get to a power outlet. Buy from Amazon.co.uk or from Buy from Amazon.com.

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Europe by train introduction
How to buy European train tickets...
London to Paris or Brussels by Eurostar...
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Cafe-bar on the upper deck in car 4, serving tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine, beer, snacks & microwave-style hot dishes.		2nd class seats on upper deck with a mix of tables for 4 & unidirectional seating. 360º photo.


1st class upper deck seats, club duo on the left, a club quatre on the right. 360º photo.		A TGV Duplex. The 1 near the door indicates 1st class, a 2 indicates 2nd class.


Dinner from the cafe-bar.		View from the train, passing Béziers.


Comfort & Premium seats, 2+1 across the car. Larger photo.		Standard seats, 2+2 across. Larger photo.


Comfort class seats on an Alvia train.		Alvia train at Madrid Chamartin.


Day 1, travel from Vigo to Porto by regional express train. Photos courtesy of Martin Hill.


The regional express train between Vigo & Porto. Photos courtesy of Martin Hill.


An AVE S100 high-speed train boarding at Madrid Atocha.		Cafe-bar. All AVEs and most Intercity & Alvia trains have a cafe-bar serving snacks, hot & cold dishes, tea, coffee, beer & wine.


Comfort class (Premium 1st class) with reclining seats, power sockets for laptops & mobiles.		A hot at-seat meal with wine is available in Comfort class on some trains, see info above.


Comfort class (1st class) with reclining seats, power sockets for laptops & mobiles.		Standard class (2nd class) with comfortable seats with power sockets.


Deluxe sleeper. Each compartment can be used as a 1, 2 or 3-bed room. Larger photo. Video of deluxe room		The same deluxe sleeper in evening/morning mode with beds folded away, seats folded out. Larger photo.		Deluxe rooms have a compact shower & toilet, towels & hair/body wash provided. Larger photo.		Standard sleeper set up as 2-berth, washstand open. It can be used as a 1, 2 or 3 berth. Larger photo.


Railjet first class, with black leather seats.		Business class. About.		The restaurant.


Railjet is Austrian Railways premier train. More photos & information about railjet trains		Economy class on railjet, in open saloons with large windows. Some seats around tables, most unidirectional.


1st class on an X2000. Larger photo.		2nd class on an X2000. Larger photo.


Bistro seating on an X2000 train. Larger photo.		Bistro on an X2000 train. Larger photo.


In the Arlberg pass itself, the railway hugs the valley side, past fir forests and meadows.		In railjet first & business class, a steward takes your order & serves lunch at your seat.


Inside the ETR563. Larger photo.		The train to Ljubljana about to leave Trieste. Courtesy of Marc Williams.


The Vienna-Kyiv sleeper about to leave Vienna Hbf. Courtesy of Helmut Uttenthaler.		The sleeper corridor. Courtesy Helmut Uttenthaler.		1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper compartment.


The passenger gangway, onto the ferry.		Reception desk & lounge on the ferry.

Trains between European cities

Trains from Madrid & Spain

Train travel UK & Ireland...

Train travel in Europe...

Train travel in Asia...

Train travel in Africa...

Train travel in America...

Train travel in Australasia

I want to go from Spain to...

Before you buy your tickets

European train travel FAQ

Buy train tickets for Spain: See the train travel in Spain page

Madrid to Barcelona

Ferries to Ibiza & Mallorca

Ferries to Tenerife, Gran Canaria & the Canary islands

Other Spanish cities to Gibraltar

Spain to Dublin & Ireland

Madrid to Paris by high-speed TGV

Malaga, Seville, Cordoba, Granada, Alicante, Valencia to Paris

Vigo, A Coruna & Santiago de Compostela to Paris

Spain to Brussels from €68

Spain to Amsterdam from €74

Spain to Geneva, Zurich & Switzerland from €59

Madrid to Porto

Malaga & Seville to Porto

Madrid to Faro

Malaga, Granada, Cordoba or Seville to Faro

Spain to Cologne, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Berlin & Germany from €79

Spain to Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck & Austria from €88

Spain to Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo & Scandinavia

Spain to Helsinki & Finland

Spain to Prague & the Czech Republic

Spain to Bratislava & Slovakia

Spain to Budapest & Hungary

Spain to Ljubljana, Zagreb, Belgrade & Sofia

Spain to Warsaw, Krakow & Poland

Spain to Vilnius, Riga, Tallinn

Spain to Kyiv, Lviv & Ukraine

Spain to Moscow, St Petersburg & Russia

Spain to Athens & Greece

Spain to Istanbul & Turkey

Railbookers custom-made tours

UK call 0207 864 4600, www.railbookers.co.uk.

US call free 1-888-829-4775, see website.

Canada call free 1-855-882-2910, see website.

Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526, see website.

New Zealand call toll-free 0800 000 554 or see website.

Find hotels in Europe

My favourite hotel search: www.booking.com

Backpacker hostels

Travel insurance & VPN

Always take out travel insurance

Get an eSIM with mobile data package

Get a Curve card for foreign travel

Get a VPN for safe browsing. Why you need a VPN

Carry an Anker powerbank

Train travel
UK & Ireland...

Train travel
in Europe...

Train travel
in Asia...

Train travel
in Africa...

Train travel
in America...

Train travel
in Australasia