To buy train tickets within Spain, use the official Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (but see this advice first)  It's easier to use Raileurope.com (in €, £ or $) or www.petrabax.com (US$).

I want to go from Spain to...

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       Click here for journeys starting in another country.  COVID-19 update.

       Click here for Madrid Atocha station information

This page explains how to travel by train from Madrid, Malaga, Granada, Seville, Alicante, Valencia and other cities in Spain to other key European cities, and how to buy tickets the cheapest way.  Train information is current for 2020.

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...

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Buying train tickets for journeys within 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' although although 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 with a cheap Promo or Promo+ fare.  So ideally pre-book if possible.

• How to buy tickets...

  Arguably the quickest and simplest way to buy Spanish train tickets is to buy them online at Raileurope.com with print-at-home tickets and all of Renfe's cheap prices shown.  Raileurope.com links directly to Renfe's ticketing system and sells Renfe's cheap fares at the same prices as Renfe themselves with the same print-your-own tickets, in plain English without any of Renfe's quirky translation or credit card acceptance problems.  Anyone from any country can use Raileurope.com as it accepts all international credit cards.  A small booking fee applies.

  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 buy just as easily at www.thetrainline.com as this also connects to Renfe's system, also with a small booking fee.

• Alternatively, you can buy tickets direct from Spanish Railways at www.renfe.com with no booking fee, also with print-your-own tickets.  The disadvantage is that Renfe.com has more than its fair share of quirks, so if you want to use it please read the advice on using Renfe.com here.  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 it now also accepts PayPal.

• 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.

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Spain to London from €91...

• See the London to Spain page for full details.

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Spain to Paris...

Madrid to Paris by high-speed TGV...

Option 1, Madrid to Paris in a single day - early departure from Madrid, arrival in Paris after lunch...

• Step 1, take the 06:20 AVE-S103 high-speed train from Madrid Atocha arriving Barcelona Sants at 09:34.  Fares from around €40. 

• Step 2, take the 10:10 TGV Duplex from Barcelona Sants arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 16:46.  Fares from €39. 

  It's a comfortable and scenic journey, see here for the sights to see from the train on the way and see the TGV from Paris to Barcelona page for full details of times, fares & a video guide to the journey.  There should be no problem with the 30 minute connection in Barcelona as Spain's AVEs are very, very punctual!

• You can book from Madrid to Paris as one transaction using www.raileurope.com with print-at-home tickets.  Prices are in €, £ or $, anyone from any country can use Raileurope.com as all overseas credit cards are accepted and using Raileurope.com means you can book both tickets in one place.  A small booking fee applies.

• Alternatively, you can book Spanish trains at www.renfe.com (which has a few quirks, see this advice, but no fee) then book the Barcelona-Paris TGV at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $ with a small booking fee) or at French Railways' own site oui.sncf (in €, a little more fiddly but with no booking fee).

Option 2, Madrid to Paris in a single day - mid-morning departure from Madrid, evening arrival in Paris.

• Step 1, take the 10:30 AVE-S103 high-speed train from Madrid Atocha arriving Barcelona Sants at 13:15, with fares from around €40.  By all means take an earlier train and have lunch in Barcelona.

• Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Barcelona Sants at 14:00, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 20:48.  It's a comfortable and scenic journey, see here for the sights to see from the train on the way and see the TGV from Paris to Barcelona page for full details of times, fares & a video guide to the journey.

• The easiest way to buy tickets is to use Raileurope.com.  You can book from Madrid to Paris as one journey with print-at-home tickets.  Prices are in €, £ or $, anyone from any country can use Raileurope.com as all overseas credit cards are accepted and using Raileurope.com means you can book both tickets in one place.  A small booking fee applies.

• Alternatively, you can book Spanish trains at www.renfe.com (which has a few quirks, but no booking fees, see this advice) then book the Barcelona-Paris TGV at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $ with a small booking fee) or oui.sncf (in €, a little more fiddly, but  no booking fee.

Option 3, Madrid to Paris in a single day, late morning departure from Madrid, late evening arrival in Paris.  Runs 29 May to 30 August 2020.

• Step 1, take the 12:30 AVE-S103 high-speed train from Madrid Atocha arriving Barcelona Sants at 15:30, with fares from around €40.  By all means take an earlier train and have lunch in Barcelona.

• Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Barcelona Sants at 16:10, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 22:46.  This train runs from 29 May to 30 August 2020.  It's a comfortable and scenic journey, see here for the sights to see from the train on the way and see the TGV from Paris to Barcelona page for full details of times, fares & a video guide to the journey. 

• The easiest way to buy tickets is to use Raileurope.com.  You can book from Madrid to Paris as one journey with print-at-home tickets.  Anyone from any country can use Raileurope.com as all overseas credit cards accepted and using Raileurope.com means you can book both tickets in one place.  A small booking fee applies.

• Alternatively, you can book Spanish trains at www.renfe.com (much more fiddly to use and may reject some overseas payment cards, but no booking fee, see this advice) then book the Barcelona-Paris TGV at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $ with a small booking fee) or oui.sncf (in €, a little more fiddly, but  no booking fee.

Option 4, Madrid to Paris with overnight stop in Barcelona - a time-effective option!

• Step 1 from Madrid:  Take any evening AVE-S103 high-speed train you like from Madrid Atocha to Barcelona Sants in as little as 2h30 from around €40.  There are departures almost every hour, pick any that suits.  Check times & fares at Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.

• Stay overnight in Barcelona, see suggested hotels near Barcelona Sants station.

• Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV, leaving Barcelona Sants at 10:10 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 16:46.  There's also an earlier 06:00 TGV to Paris from 27 June to 31 August 2020.  Fares from Barcelona to Paris start at €39.

  It's a comfortable and scenic journey, see here for the sights to see from the train on the way and see the TGV from Paris to Barcelona page for full details of times, fares & a video guide to the journey.  There should be no problem with 30 minute connections in Barcelona as Spain's AVEs are very, very punctual!

• The easiest way to buy tickets is to use Raileurope.com.  Book from your Spanish starting city to Barcelona for day 1, add to basket, then book from Barcelona to Paris for day 2, add to basket and check out.  Prices are in €, £ or $, anyone from any country can use Raileurope.com as all overseas credit cards accepted and you'll get print-at-home tickets.  Using Raileurope.com means you can book both tickets in one place.  A small booking fee applies.

• Alternatively, you can book Spanish trains at www.renfe.com (which is much more fiddly and may reject some overseas credit cards, but there's no booking fee, see this advice on using it) then book the Barcelona-Paris TGV at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $ with a small booking fee) or oui.sncf (in €, a little more fiddly, but  no booking fee.

Option 5, Madrid to Paris with overnight stop in San Sebastian - alternative route, slower but cheaper, great stopover opportunity...

• Day 1, travel from Madrid to San Sebastian by air-conditioned Alvia train, leaving Madrid Chamartin at 17:25 and arriving San Sebastian Renfe station at 22:26.  If you'd like an afternoon in San Sebastian, there's also a morning train leaving Madrid Chamartin at 08:00 and arriving San Sebastian at 13:24.

  These smart Alvia 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.

  Book this train at www.raileurope.com from as little as €17 in 2nd class (turista) or €22 in 1st class (preferente).  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), leaving San Sebastian Amara station (10 minutes walk from the Renfe station) every 30 minutes all day, journey time 37 minutes, fare around €2.55, 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 high-speed TGV Duplex using any train you like.  For example, the 09:19 from Hendaye arrives Paris Montparnasse at 14:08, but 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 at Raileurope.com (in €, £ or $ with a small booking fee) or oui.sncf (in €, a little more fiddly, but  no booking fee.

• You can also 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 15:29 TGV to Paris.  Or, daily except Saturdays, have lunch in San Sebastian and take the later 18:29 TGV to Paris.

Malaga, Seville, 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 unless you're travelling between 29 May & 30 August 2020 when a later TGV operates from Barcelona to Paris, this is shown as option 3 below.

• Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Barcelona Sants at 14:00, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 20:48.  It's a comfortable and scenic journey, see here for the sights to see from the train on the way and see the TGV from Paris to Barcelona page for full details of times, fares & a video guide to the journey.

• The easiest way to buy tickets is to use Raileurope.com.  You can book from most Spanish cities to Paris as one journey and print your own tickets.  Prices are in €, £ or $, anyone from any country can use Raileurope.com as all overseas credit cards are accepted and using Raileurope.com means you can book both tickets in one place.  A small booking fee applies.

• Alternatively, you can book Spanish trains at www.renfe.com (much more fiddly to use and may reject some overseas payment cards, but there's no booking fee, see this advice) then book the Barcelona-Paris TGV at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $ with a small booking fee) or oui.sncf (in €, a little more fiddly, but no booking fee).

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

• Step 1 from Malaga, Seville or Cordoba:  Take the afternoon AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 14:35, Seville Santa Justa at 14:50 or Cordoba at 15:42, arriving Barcelona Sants at 20:22, with fares from around €46.  Check times & fares at Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.

  Step 1 from Granada:  Take the once-daily direct AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Granada at 15:35 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 22:00.

  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.  Check train times at Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com and book any train you like.

• Stay overnight in Barcelona, see suggested hotels near Barcelona Sants station.

• Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV, leaving Barcelona Sants at 10:10 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 16:46.  There's also an earlier 06:00 TGV Duplex to Paris from 27 June to 31 August 2020.  Fares from Barcelona to Paris start at €39.

  It's a comfortable and scenic journey, see here for the sights to see from the train on the way and see the TGV from Paris to Barcelona page for full details of times, fares & a video guide to the journey.  There should be no problem with 30 minute connections in Barcelona as Spain's AVEs are very, very punctual!

• The easiest way to buy tickets is to use Raileurope.com.  Book from your Spanish starting city to Barcelona for day 1, add to basket, then book from Barcelona to Paris for day 2, add to basket and check out.  Prices are in €, £ or $, anyone from any country can use Raileurope.com as all overseas credit cards are accepted and you'll get print-at-home tickets.  Using Raileurope.com means you can book both tickets in one place.  A small booking fee applies.

• Alternatively, you can book Spanish trains at www.renfe.com (much more fiddly to use and may reject some overseas payment cards, but no booking fee, see this advice on using it) then book the Barcelona-Paris TGV at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $ with a small booking fee) or oui.sncf (in €, a little more fiddly, but no booking fee).

Option 3, in a single day.  Runs 29 May to 30 August 2020.

• Step 1 from Seville, Malaga, Cordoba:  Take the morning AVE-S112 high-speed train at 08:40 from Malaga, 08:50 from Seville, 09:43 from Cordoba, arriving Barcelona Sants at 14:25, fares from around €46.

• Step 1 from Alicante or Valencia:  Take a morning EuroMed train to Barcelona, leaving Alicante at 09:25 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 11:15, arriving Barcelona Sants at 13:55.  By all means take an earlier train and have lunch in Barcelona.

• Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Barcelona Sants at 16:10, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 22:46.  This train runs from 29 May to 30 August 2020.

  It's a comfortable and scenic journey, see here for the sights to see from the train on the way and see the TGV from Paris to Barcelona page for full details of times, fares & a video guide to the journey.

• The easiest way to buy tickets is to use Raileurope.com.  You can book from most Spanish cities to Paris as one journey with print-at-home tickets.  You can pay in €, £ or $, anyone from any country can use Raileurope.com as all overseas credit cards are accepted and using Raileurope.com means you can book both tickets in one place.  A small booking fee applies.

• Alternatively, you can book Spanish trains at www.renfe.com (much more fiddly to use and may reject some overseas payment cards, but there's no booking fee, see this advice on using it) then book the Barcelona-Paris TGV at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $ with a small booking fee) or oui.sncf (in €, a little more fiddly, but no booking fee).

San Sebastian to Paris...

• Simply book a TGV from Hendaye to Paris Gare Montparnasse at Raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $ with a small booking fee) or oui.sncf (in €, a little more fiddly, but no booking fee) with fares from just €25 if you pre-book.  There are several departures daily, journey time 4h49 all the way into central Paris.

• Then simply use the frequent Euskotren local train (www.euskotren.eus) from San Sebastian to Hendaye running every 30 minutes throughout the day, fare around €2.55, no reservation necessary, journey time 37 minutes.  Just allow plenty of time so you don't miss the TGV, you can have a coffee at Hendaye station.

• See the Paris-San Sebastian page for full details & photos.

Santiago de Compostela, Vigo & A Coruna to Paris...

Option 1, by daytime trains with overnight stop at the French border.

• Day 1, travel from Galicia to Hendaye on the French border by air-conditioned InterCity train Camino de Santiago, leaving A Coruna at 09:10 or Santiago de Compostela at 09:44 and arriving at Hendaye on the French side of the French border at 20:37.

• Spend the night in a hotel in Hendaye.  Try the Campanille Hendaye, or stay in Irun at the Pension Lizaso (cheap, gets good reviews and only 6 minutes walk from Irun station) or the Alcazar (also getting good reviews, 14 minutes walk from the station).

• Day 2, travel from Hendaye to Paris by high-speed TGV, leaving Hendaye daily at 09:19 and arriving Paris Gare Montparnasse at 14:08.  By all means take a later one, check times from Hendaye to Paris on your date of travel using Raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

• The easy way to buy both tickets is at Raileurope.com.  Book from Santiago, Vigo or A Coruna to Hendaye and add to basket, then book from Hendaye to Paris for the following day, add to basket and check out.  Prices are in €, £ or $ and anyone can use it as international credit cards are accepted and you'll get print-at-home or collect-at-station tickets.  A small booking fee applies.

  Alternatively, you can book Spanish trains at www.renfe.com (much more fiddly to use and may reject some overseas payment cards, but there's no booking fee, see this advice on using it) then book the Barcelona-Paris TGV at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $ with a small booking fee) or oui.sncf (in €, a little more fiddly, but no booking fee).

Option 2, by sleeper train to Barcelona, day there, then late afternoon TGV to Paris...

• Day 1, take the luxurious overnight trainhotel sleeper train from Galicia to Barcelona, arriving Barcelona Sants at 08:49.  It runs daily except Saturday nights.  There's a change or train at A Coruna if you're coming from Santiago.  This modern sleeper train has private 1 & 2 bed compartments with shower & toilet, a cafe-bar and reclining seats (= butacas in Spanish).

• Day 2, You can now take either the 10:10 TGV Duplex from Barcelona Sants arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 16:46 or the later 14:00 TGV Duplex from Barcelona arriving Paris at 20:48.  It's a comfortable and scenic journey, see here for the sights to see from the train on the way and see the TGV from Paris to Barcelona page for full details of times, fares & a video guide to the journey.  In July & August you'll find an additional lunchtime TGV to Paris.

• The easy way to buy both tickets is at Raileurope.com.  Book from Santiago, Vigo or A Coruna to Barcelona looking for the 08:49 arrival and add to basket, then book from Barcelona to Paris for the following day, add to basket and check out.  Prices are in €, £ or $ but anyone can use it as international credit cards are accepted and you'll get print-at-home or collect-at-station tickets.  A small booking fee applies.

  Alternatively, you can book the Galicia to Barcelona sleeper train at www.renfe.com (much more fiddly to use and may reject some overseas payment cards, but there's no booking fee, see this advice) then book the Barcelona-Paris TGV at www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $ with a small booking fee) or oui.sncf (in €, a little more fiddly, but 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 on the morning Alvia train, leaving Madrid Chamartin around 08:00 arriving San Sebastian Renfe station around 13:24.

  Check times & buy tickets at either Raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $ with a small booking fee) or www.renfe.com (in €, much more fiddly to use and may reject some overseas payment cards, but no booking fee) and print them out.

  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.

• Step 2, walk or taxi from San Sebastian Renfe station to San Sebastian Amara station and take the little local Euskotren to Hendaye.  It runs every 30 minutes, journey time 37 minutes, fare around €2.50, 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, take a mainline train from Hendaye to Bordeaux St Jean.  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.  For example, there's usually a TGV around 15:29 arriving Bordeaux St Jean around 17:58, or a TER around 16:37 arriving Bordeaux St Jean at 19:14. 

  The fare is around €36 by TER or €38 for TGV paid on the day, or from €24 by TGV if booked in advance.

  Check times & buy tickets at either Raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $ with a small booking fee) or en.oui.sncf.  By all means have lunch in San Sebastian and take a later onward train!

Option 1, Madrid to Bordeaux with overnight stop in San Sebastian.  A morning to explore San Sebastian?

• Day 1, travel from Madrid to San Sebastian on the afternoon Alvia train, leaving Madrid Chamartin around 16:05 arriving San Sebastian Renfe station around 21:28.

  Check times & buy tickets at either Raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $ with a small booking fee) or www.renfe.com (in €, much more fiddly to use and may reject some overseas payment cards, but no booking fee) and print them out. 

  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.

• 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 around €2.50, 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, now take a mainline train from Hendaye to Bordeaux St Jean, taking 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 €36 by TER or €38 for TGV paid on the day, or from €24 by TGV if booked in advance.

  Check times & buy tickets at either Raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $ with a small booking fee) or en.oui.sncf.  By all means have lunch in San Sebastian and take a later onward train!

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 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.  Check times & buy tickets at either Raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $ with a small booking fee) or www.renfe.com (in €, much more fiddly to use and may reject some overseas payment cards, but no booking fee) and print them out.  Allow at least 45 minutes between trains in Barcelona

• Step 2, from late March to late September there's one direct high-speed AVE S100 train per day from Barcelona to Carcassone & Toulouse, leaving Barcelona Sants at 18:30, see the photos on the AVE S100 page.  There are a variety of other daily departures all year round with one easy change at Narbonne.

  Fares start at just €29 if you pre-book, check times and buy tickets at Raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, a small booking fee applies) or oui.sncf (in €, a little more fiddly, but no booking fee).  Reservation is required, tickets are only valid on the specific train you book, and fares get more expensive as departure date approaches so book in advance.

• Alternatively, consider catching an afternoon train to Barcelona and staying there overnight.  Next morning, either take a high-speed train to Toulouse usually with one 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 Avignon, Marseille, Cannes & Nice...

• Step 1 from Seville, Malaga, Cordoba, Granada:  Take the morning AVE-S112 high-speed train at 08:40 from Malaga, 08:50 from Seville, 09:43 from Cordoba arriving Barcelona Sants at 14:25, fares from around €46.  It also has connections from Granada to Barcelona.

  Step 1 from Alicante or Valencia:  Take a mid-morning EuroMed train to Barcelona, leaving Alicante at 09:25 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 11:15 arriving Barcelona Sants at 13:55.

  Buy Spanish train tickets at either Raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $ with a small booking fee) or at www.renfe.com (in €, much more fiddly to use and may reject some overseas payment cards, but no booking fee).  You print your own tickets.

• Step 2, travel from Madrid or Barcelona to Avignon or Marseille by direct AVE-S100 train, leaving Madrid Atocha at 13:25 or Barcelona Sants at 16:36 and arriving Avignon TGV at 20:50 and Marseille St Charles at 21:33, see the AVE S100 information page.

  Fares start at €49, buy tickets at Raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $ with a small booking fee) or oui.sncf (in €, a little more fiddly, but no booking fee).  You print your own tickets.

• Stay overnight in Marseille.  Suggested inexpensive hotels with good reviews just outside Marseille St Charles station:  Ibis Marseille Centre Gare St Charles, Holiday Inn Express Marseille St Charles.

• Step 3, travel from Marseille to Cannes or Nice on any suitable train, you can check times and buy tickets at Raileurope.com or oui.sncf.  For example, the 07:58 TER local train from Marseille St Charles arrives Nice Ville 10:39, or an 08:28 TGV arrives Nice 11:07, and so on.   But why not spend a morning in Marseille?  It's a wonderful city, well worth a look around, see the Marseille page.

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Spain to Brussels from €68...

Option 1, Spain to Brussels in a single day...

• Step 1 from Madrid:  Take the 06:20 AVE-S103 high-speed train from Madrid Atocha arriving Barcelona Sants at 09:34, fares from around €40.

• Step 1 from Valencia:  Take the 07:05 EuroMed train from Valencia Joaquin Sorolla to Barcelona Sants, arriving 09:45, Mondays-Fridays only.

• No same-day connection is possible from Alicante, Malaga, Cordoba or Seville, or from Valencia at weekends, so see options 3 & 4.

• Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Barcelona Sants at 10:10 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 16:46.  Fares from €39.  It's a comfortable and scenic journey, see here for the sights to see from the train on the way and see the TGV from Paris to Barcelona page for full details of times, fares & a video guide to the journey.  Allow at least 60 minutes to change trains & stations in Paris from Paris Gare de Lyon to the Gare du Nord.

• Step 3, take a high-speed Thalys train from Paris Gare du Nord to Brussels Midi in 1h22 from €29.  There's usually one leaving Paris at 18:25 arriving Brussels Midi at 19:47.

• The easiest way to buy tickets is using Raileurope.com as you can buy all your tickets in one place in one place, in €, £ or $.

  Simply book from any Spanish city to Barcelona, add to basket, then book from Barcelona to Brussels all in one go as one easy transaction and add that to your basket, then check out.  You get print-at-home or collect-at-station tickets for all three trains.  Prices are in €, £ or $ and you can use it wherever you live as all overseas credit cards are accepted.  A small booking fee applies.  Booking for the TGV usually opens 120 days ahead, 92 days ahead for Thalys, 90 days for Spanish AVEs.

  Tip: I recommend an upstairs seat on the TGV Duplex for the best views.  Raileurope.com shows you your seat number before you confirm & pay, and any seat number over 60 is on the upper deck.  If you don't get an upper deck seat, simply leave it in your basket & try again until you get an upstairs seat, then delete the tickets you don't want from your basket.

• Alternatively, you can book each train separately, although this takes more effort and is unlikely to make materially cheaper:  Book from Barcelona to Paris at oui.sncf with print-at-home tickets, then book the Thalys at www.b-europe.com or www.thalys.com also with print-at-home tickets and no booking fees.  Connecting tickets within Spain can be booked direct with Renfe at www.renfe.com (but see advice on using it here) or (if you have any problems at the payment stage) alternative sites raileurope.com (in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or www.petrabax.com (in $, with a small mark-up).

Option 2, with overnight stop in Barcelona...

• Step 1 from Madrid:  Take any evening AVE-S103 high-speed train you like from Madrid Atocha to Barcelona Sants in as little as 2h30 from around €40.  There are departures almost every hour, pick any that suits.  Check times & fares at Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com. 

  Step 1 from Malaga, Seville or Cordoba:  Take the afternoon AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 14:35, Seville Santa Justa at 14:50 or Cordoba at 15:42, arriving Barcelona Sants at 20:22, with fares from around €46.  Check times & fares at Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.

• Step 1 from Granada:  Take the once-daily direct AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Granada at 15:35 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 22:00.

• Step 1 from Alicante or Valencia:  Take any afternoon or evening EuroMed train you like from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona.  On Mondays-Fridays a 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.  Check train times at Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com and book any train you like, why not have a pleasant evening in Barcelona?

• Stay overnight in Barcelona, see suggested hotels near Barcelona Sants station.

• Step 2, take the 10:10 double-decker TGV Duplex from Barcelona Sants to Paris Gare de Lyon arriving 16:46, with fares from €39.  This is a comfortable and scenic journey, watch the video here.

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

• Step 3, take a high-speed Thalys train from Paris Gare du Nord to Brussels Midi in 1h22 from €35.  There's usually one leaving Paris Nord around 18:25, arriving Brussels 19:47.

• The easiest way to buy tickets is using Raileurope.com as you can buy all your tickets in one place, in one place, in €, £ or $.

  Simply book from any Spanish city to Barcelona on day 1, add to basket, then book from Barcelona to Brussels all in one go as one easy transaction and add that to your basket, then check out.  You get print-at-home or collect-at-station tickets for all three trains.  Prices are in €, £ or $ and you can use it wherever you live as all overseas credit cards are accepted.  A small booking fee applies.  Booking for the TGV usually opens 120 days ahead, 92 days ahead for Thalys, 90 days for Spanish AVEs.

  Tip: I recommend an upstairs seat on the TGV Duplex for the best views.  Raileurope.com shows you your seat number before you confirm & pay, and any seat number over 60 is on the upper deck.  If you don't get an upper deck seat, simply leave it in your basket & try again until you get an upstairs seat, then delete the tickets you don't want from your basket.

• Alternatively, you can book each train separately, although this takes more effort and is unlikely to make materially cheaper:  Book from Barcelona to Paris at oui.sncf with print-your-own tickets and no booking fee, then book the Thalys at www.b-europe.com or www.thalys.com also with print-at-home tickets and no booking fee.  Connecting tickets within Spain can be booked direct with Renfe at www.renfe.com (but see advice on using it here) or much easier-to-use sites Raileurope.com (in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or www.petrabax.com (in $, with small mark-up).

Option 3, by high-speed TGV with overnight stop in Paris...  Runs from 29 May to 30 August 2020.

• Step 1 from Madrid:  Take the 12:30 AVE-S103 high-speed train from Madrid Atocha arriving Barcelona Sants at 15:30, with fares from around €40.  By all means take an earlier train and have lunch in Barcelona.

• Step 1 from Seville, Malaga, Cordoba, Granada:  Take the morning AVE-S112 high-speed train at 08:40 from Malaga, 08:50 from Seville, arriving Barcelona Sants at 14:25, fares from around €46.

• Step 1 from Alicante or Valencia:  Take a morning EuroMed train to Barcelona, leaving Alicante at 09:25 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 11:15, arriving Barcelona Sants 13:55.  By all means take an earlier train and have lunch in Barcelona.

• You can check times & prices & buy tickets online from any Spanish city to Barcelona at either Raileurope.com (easiest to use, in €, £ or £, a small booking fee applies) or www.renfe.com (in €, much more fiddly to use and can reject some overseas payment cards, but no booking fee).  Just make sure you allow at least 40 minutes to change trains in Barcelona.

• Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Barcelona Sants at 16:10, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 22:46.  Spend the night in Paris, see suggested hotels near the station.  This train runs from 29 May to 30 August 2020.

• Step 3, next morning, take any Thalys you like from Paris Gare du Nord to Brussels Midi, they leave every hour or so, journey time 1h20, fare from €35.  This way, you can arrive in central Brussels before 08:00 if you like.

• Booking at Raileurope.com as above, this time you'd book from Madrid, Malaga, Seville, Alicante or wherever to Paris as one journey on day 1, add this to your basket, then book Paris to Brussels on day 2, add to basket and check out, paying for all tickets at one transaction.

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Spain to Amsterdam from €74...

Option 1, by high-speed TGV with overnight stop in Barcelona...

• Step 1 from Madrid:  Take an evening AVE-S103 high-speed train from Madrid Atocha to Barcelona Sants in as little as 2h30 from around €40.  There are departures almost every hour, pick any that suits you.  Check times & fares at Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.

Step 1 from Malaga, Seville or Cordoba:  Take the afternoon AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 14:35, Seville Santa Justa at 14:50 or Cordoba at 15:42, arriving Barcelona Sants at 20:22, with fares from around €46.  Check times & fares at Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.

Step 1 from Granada:  Take the once-daily direct AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Granada at 15:35 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 22:00.

Step 1 from Alicante or Valencia:  Take any afternoon or evening EuroMed train you like from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona.  On Mondays-Fridays a 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.  Check train times at Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com and book any train you like.  Why not have a pleasant evening in Barcelona?

• Stay overnight in Barcelona, see suggested hotels near Barcelona Sants station.

• Step 2, take the 10:10 TGV Duplex from Barcelona Sants arriving at Paris Gare de Lyon at 16:46 with fares from €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class.  This is a comfortable and scenic journey on an impressive double-deck high-speed train, watch the Barcelona-Paris TGV video here. 

  From 27 June to 31 August 2020 there will be an earlier train if you prefer, leaving Barcelona Sants at 06:00.

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

• Step 3, take a high-speed Thalys train from Paris to Amsterdam in just 3h20 from €35.  There's usually one leaving Paris Nord at 19:25 and arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 22:44.

• The easiest way to buy tickets is using Raileurope.com as you can buy all your tickets in one place, in €, £ or $.

  Simply book from any Spanish city to Barcelona on day 1, add to basket, then book from Barcelona to Amsterdam all in one go as one easy transaction and add that to your basket, then check out.  You get print-at-home or collect-at-station tickets for all three trains.  Prices are in €, £ or $ and you can use it wherever you live as all overseas credit cards are accepted.  A small booking fee applies.  Booking for the TGV usually opens 120 days ahead, 92 days ahead for Thalys, 90 days for Spanish AVEs.

  Tip: I recommend an upstairs seat on the TGV Duplex for the best views.  Raileurope.com shows you your seat number before you confirm & pay, and any seat number over 60 is on the upper deck.  If you don't get an upper deck seat, simply leave it in your basket & try again until you get an upstairs seat, then delete the tickets you don't want from your basket.

• Alternatively, you can book each train separately, although this clearly takes more effort and is unlikely to make it materially cheaper:  Book from Barcelona to Paris at oui.sncf with print-your-own tickets and no booking fee, then book the Paris-Amsterdam Thalys at www.b-europe.com or www.thalys.com also with print-at-home tickets and no added fee.  Connecting tickets within Spain can be booked direct with Renfe at www.renfe.com (but see advice on using it here) or much easier-to-use sites Raileurope.com (in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or www.petrabax.com (in $, with small mark-up).

Option 2, by high-speed train 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 14:00, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 20:48.  It's a comfortable and scenic journey, see here for the sights to see from the train on the way and see the TGV from Paris to Barcelona page for full details of times, fares & a video guide to the journey.

• Spend the night in Paris, see suggested hotels near the station.

• Step 3, take a high-speed Thalys train from Paris to Amsterdam in just 3h20 from €35.  There's usually one leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 07:25 and arriving Amsterdam Centraal at 10:44, but by all means have a leisurely breakfast and take a later one.

• The easiest way to buy tickets is using Raileurope.com as you can buy all your tickets in one place.  Simply book from any Spanish city to Paris on day 1, add to basket, then book from Paris to Amsterdam on day 2 and add that to your basket, then check out.  You get print-at-home or collect-at-station tickets for all three trains.  Prices are in €, £ or $ and you can use it wherever you live as all overseas credit cards are accepted.  A small booking fee applies.  Booking for the TGV usually opens 120 days ahead, 92 days ahead for Thalys, 90 days for Spanish AVEs.

  Tip: I recommend an upstairs seat on the TGV Duplex for the best views.  Raileurope.com shows you your seat number before you confirm & pay, and any seat number over 60 is on the upper deck.  If you don't get an upper deck seat, simply leave it in your basket & try again until you get an upstairs seat, then delete the tickets you don't want from your basket.

• Alternatively, you can book each train separately, although this clearly takes more effort and is unlikely to make it materially cheaper:  Book from Barcelona to Paris at oui.sncf with print-your-own tickets and no booking fee, then book the Paris-Amsterdam Thalys at www.b-europe.com or www.thalys.com also with print-at-home tickets and no booking fee.  Connecting tickets within Spain can be booked direct with Renfe at www.renfe.com (but see advice on using it here) or (if you have any problems at the payment stage) alternative sites Raileurope.com (in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or www.petrabax.com (in $, with small mark-up).

Option 3, by high-speed TGV with overnight stop in Paris - with later departure time, runs 29 May to 30 August 2020.

• Step 1 from Madrid:  Take the 12:30 AVE-S103 high-speed train from Madrid Atocha arriving Barcelona Sants at 15:30, with fares from around €40.  By all means take an earlier train and have lunch in Barcelona.

• Step 1 from Seville, Malaga, Cordoba:  Take the morning AVE-S112 high-speed train at 08:40 from Malaga, 08:50 from Seville, 09:43 from Cordoba, arriving Barcelona Sants at 14:25, fares from around €46.

• Step 1 from Alicante or Valencia:  Take a morning EuroMed train to Barcelona, leaving Alicante at 09:25 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 10:55 arriving Barcelona Sants at 13:55.  By all means take an earlier train and have lunch in Barcelona.

• You can check times & prices & buy tickets online from any Spanish city to Barcelona at either Raileurope.com (easiest to use, in €, £, $, small booking fee applies) or www.renfe.com (in €, much more fiddly to use, but no booking fee).   Just make sure you allow at least 30 minutes to change trains in Barcelona.

• Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex leaving Barcelona Sants at 16:10, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 22:46. This train runs from 29 May to 30 August 2020.

• Spend the night in Paris, see suggested hotels near the station.

• Step 3, next morning take any Thalys you like from Paris Gare du Nord to Amsterdam Centraal, journey time 3h20 with fares from €35.  The 06:25 from Paris arrives Amsterdam 09:44, but by all means have a leisurely breakfast and take a later one, they leave every hour or two.

• Book at Raileurope.com as above, but this time you'd book from Madrid, Malaga, Seville, Alicante or wherever to Paris on day 1, add this to your basket, then book Paris to Brussels on day 2, add to basket and check out, paying for all tickets at one transaction.  Booking for the TGV usually opens 120 days ahead, 92 days ahead for Thalys.  Use the More options feature and enter Paris if you want more time in Paris.

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Spain to Luxembourg...

By daytime TGV trains...

• You can do this with an overnight stop in Barcelona, or with an overnight stop in Paris, the choice is yours...

• Step 1, travel from Madrid, Malaga, Seville, Cordoba to Barcelona by any suitable train.  You can check times & prices & buy tickets online for all these Spanish trains at either Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.

• Step 2, travel from Barcelona Sants to Paris Gare de Lyon by TGV, see the Barcelona to Paris by TGV page.

• Allow at least an hour to change trains & stations in Paris, if making a same-day connection.

• Step 3, travel from Paris Gare de l'Est to Luxembourg by direct TGV, fares from €25 upwards, book this at Raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

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Spain to Switzerland from €59...

Option 1, by high-speed trains with overnight stop in Barcelona...

• Step 1 from Madrid:  Take an evening AVE-S103 high-speed train from Madrid Atocha to Barcelona Sants in as little as 2h30 from around €40.  There are departures almost every hour, pick any that suits you.  Check times & fares and buy tickets at Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.

  Step 1 from Malaga, Seville or Cordoba:  Take the afternoon AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 14:35, Seville Santa Justa at 14:50 or Cordoba at 15:42, arriving Barcelona Sants at 20:22, with fares from around €46.  Check times & fares at Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.

  Step 1 from Granada:  Take the once-daily direct AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Granada at 15:35 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 22:00.

  Step 1 from Alicante or Valencia:  Take any afternoon or evening EuroMed train you like from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona.  On Mondays-Fridays a 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.  Check train times at Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com and book any train you like, why not have a pleasant evening in Barcelona?

• Stay overnight in Barcelona, see suggested hotels near Barcelona Sants station.

• Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Lyon by AVE-S100 high-speed train, leaving Barcelona Sants at 08:20 weekdays or 08:10 weekends, arriving Lyon Part Dieu at 13:20 weekdays or 13:10 weekends.

  This is a comfortable and scenic journey around the southern end of the Pyrenees with great views of Mt Canigou, along the south of France past the flamingos on the étangs (lakes) and Béziers cathedral, then up the Rhone valley.  It takes exactly the same scenic route as the TGVs from Barcelona to Paris as far as Lyon, so watch the first part of the Barcelona to Paris video here to see what the journey is like.  The excellent Spanish AVE S100 train has a cafe-bar and all seats have power sockets.

  Fares for this train start at €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class, fares are dynamic so book early for the cheapest prices.

• Step 3, travel from Lyon to Geneva by TER regional train, leaving Lyon Part Dieu at 14:38 and arriving Geneva at 16:35.  This is a lovely ride through the Jura mountains and along the Rhône.  The fare for this train is a fixed €28.60.

  To buy tickets, book from Barcelona to Geneva at Raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, a small booking fee applies) or oui.sncf (in €, a little more fiddly but no booking fee)..  You print your own tickets.

• Step 4, take an onward train from Geneva to anywhere in Switzerland, check times and buy tickets at the Swiss Railways website www.sbb.ch.  If you buy in advance (but less than 30 days ahead) you may find Swiss Supersaver fares available, saving up to 50% off regular Swiss rail fares.

Option 2, Madrid to Avignon or Marseille in the afternoon, overnight stop & morning free, then afternoon TGV to Geneva...

• This option is well worth considering as Avignon & Marseille are both great stopover cities.  Avignon town centre is 3 miles from Avignon TGV station, there is a shuttle train or plenty of taxis available.  Marseille St Charles station is in Marseille city centre a stroll from the Vieux Port.

• Day 1 if coming from Seville, Malaga, Cordoba, Granada, Alicante or Valencia:  Take a morning train to Barcelona Sants arriving any time before 16:00, so as to pick up the Madrid-Marseille train in Barcelona.  You can check times & prices and buy tickets from any of these Spanish cities to Marseille as one transaction at Raileurope.com with print-at-home tickets.

• Day 1, travel from Madrid (if coming from Madrid) or Barcelona (if coming from Malaga, Seville, Alicante and so on) to Avignon or Marseille by direct AVE-S100 high-speed train, leaving Madrid Atocha at 13:25 or Barcelona Sants at 16:36 and arriving Avignon TGV at 20:50 and Marseille St Charles at 21:33.

  Fares from €29 in 2nd class or €49 in 1st class, book this train at either Raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com and print your own ticket.

  Enjoy the scenery round the southern end of the Pyrenees and across the south of France, watch the first part of the Barcelona to Paris video here.  The train has a cafe-bar and power sockets at all seats.

• Stay overnight in Avignon or Marseille and enjoy a free morning there next day.  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 Avignon or Marseille to Geneva by direct TGV high-speed train leaving Marseille St Charles at 13:46 or Avignon TGV at 14:28 and arriving Geneva at 17:18.

  Fares from €39, book this train at either Raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, a small booking fee applies) or oui.sncf (in €, a little more fiddly but no booking fee). and print your own ticket.

  There's more great scenery up the Rhone Valley and through the mountains to Geneva.  There's a cafe-bar on board and power sockets at all seats.  Change in Geneva for onward trains to Lausanne, Montreux, Bern, Zurich, booking onward tickets at www.sbb.ch.

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Spain to Italy from €81...

Option 1, by high-speed train from Madrid to Marseille, overnight stop, Thello train from Marseille to Milan.

• Day 1, travel from Madrid to Marseille by AVE-S100 high-speed train, leaving Madrid Atocha at 13:25 or Barcelona Sants at 16:36, arriving Marseille St Charles at 21:33.

  Coming from Seville, Malaga, Cordoba, Granada, Alicante or Valencia, take a morning train to Barcelona and pick up the AVE to Marseille there.

  You can check times & prices and buy tickets from any of these Spanish cities to Marseille as one transaction at Raileurope.com with print-at-home tickets.  I'd allow at least 45 minutes between trains in Barcelona.

  Madrid-Marseille starts at €49 or Barcelona-Marseille from €39, booked at Raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, a small booking fee applies) or oui.sncf (in €, more fiddly but no booking fee). You print your own ticket.

• Stay overnight in Marseille and spend next morning exploring the city - see the Vieux Port, Eglise Notre Dame de la Garde, and maybe even take a ferry to the fearsome Chateau d'If, of Count of Monte Cristo fame.  Suggested 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 Genoa & Milan by direct Thello train, leaving Marseille St Charles at 11:28 every day and arriving Genoa Piazza Principe at 17:05 and Milan Centrale at 18:53.  This comfortable Thello train has a cafe counter and power sockets at all seats, fares start from just €15 if you book ahead.  There's lovely scenery along the Italian Riviera, too.  There's more lovely scenery along the Italian Riviera.

  You can book from Marseille to anywhere in Italy using either Raileurope.com or www.italiarail.com.  For Thello & other Italian trains it's ticketless, you just quote the booking reference on board.

• Day 2 change at Milan for a Frecciarossa high-speed train leaving Milan Centrale at 19:25 and Rome Termini 22:40.  Another Frecciarossa leaves Milan Centrale at 19:10 and arrives Florence SMN 21:04.  Another Frecciarossa leaves Milan Centrale at 19:15 arriving Verona Porta Nuova at 20:28 & Venice Santa Lucia at 21:42.  Fares from Milan to Florence or Venice start at €19.90, to Rome or Naples from €29.90.  Connections to Pisa & Rome are also possible changing at Genoa rather than Milan, see what the system suggests.

Barcelona to Marseille by AVE high-speed train...

Marseille to Milan by Thello train...

Option 2, by TGV to Geneva & scenic train through the Alps to Italy.  Runs every day.

• Step 1 from Madrid:  Take an evening AVE-S103 high-speed train from Madrid Atocha to Barcelona Sants in as little as 2h30 from around €40.  There are departures almost every hour, pick any that suits you.  Check times & fares at Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.

  Step 1 from Malaga, Seville or Cordoba:  Take the afternoon AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 14:35, Seville Santa Justa at 14:50 or Cordoba at 15:42, arriving Barcelona Sants at 20:22, with fares from around €46.  Check times & fares at Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.

  Step 1 from Granada:  Take the once-daily direct AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Granada at 15:35 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 22:00.

  Step 1 from Alicante or Valencia:  Take any afternoon or evening EuroMed train you like from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona.  On Mondays-Fridays a 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.  Check train times at Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com and book any train you like, why not have a pleasant evening in Barcelona?

• Stay overnight in Barcelona, see suggested hotels near Barcelona Sants station.

• Step 2, a Spanish AVE-S100 high-speed train leaves Barcelona Sants at 08:20 weekdays or 08:10 at weekends, change at Lyon Part Dieu onto the 14:38 TER regional train arriving Geneva at 16:35.  Other options also available, but they vary a lot, so check for your date of travel online as shown below.

• This is a comfortable and scenic journey.  As far as Valence you take exactly the same route as the TGVs from Barcelona to Paris, so watch the first part of the Barcelona to Paris video here to see what the journey is like.

• Book from Barcelona Sants to Geneva at Raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, a small booking fee applies) or oui.sncf (in €, a little more fiddly but no booking fee).  You print your own tickets.

• Step 3, take a train from Geneva to Milan leaving Geneva at 18:39 and arriving Milan Centrale at 22:40, from €29 booked at either www.italiarail.com (easiest, their €3.50 booking fee will be refunded if you email them afterwards at seat61@italiarail.com) or www.trenitalia.com.  It's ticketless, you just quote your booking reference on board.

• Step 4, stay overnight in Milan and book any onward trains from Milan to Venice or Florence from €19.90, or to Rome or Naples from €29.90 at either www.italiarail.com or www.trenitalia.com.  It's ticketless, you just quote your booking reference on board the train.

• Alternative step 3:  Stay overnight in Geneva and travel from Geneva to Italy next day.  There's even a direct 07:39 from Geneva to Venice Santa Lucia arriving 14:40, with fares from €32 booked at www.sbb.ch.

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Spain to Portugal:  Madrid-Lisbon from €33, Barcelona-Lisbon from €78...

Madrid to Lisbon option 1:  By direct sleeper train Lusitania...

• There's an excellent trainhotel sleeper train leaving Madrid Chamartin at 21:50 and arriving Lisbon Oriente at 07:20 and Lisbon Santa Apolonia at 07:30 called the Lusitania.  It runs every day, and will save a hotel bill too.

• It has 4-berth tourist class sleepers (Cama Turista), 1 & 2 berth Preferente class sleepers with washbasin, and 1 & 2 berth Gran Class sleepers with private shower & toilet.  There are also reclining seats (not recommended, always book a bed in a tourist sleeper), and a café-bar serving drinks, snacks & meals.  See photos & more information about the Trenhotel Lusitania.

• As little as €33 gets you a comfortable bed for the night in a safe and cosy shared 4-bed sleeper if you find a cheap Promo fare in advance, or it costs €84 full-price at short notice.  A bed in a private 2-bed Gran Clase sleeper with shower costs around €146 per person, see full details of the fares here.

• The easiest way to buy tickets is using Raileurope.com, and you simply print out your own ticket.  Raileurope.com connects to the Spanish (Renfe) ticketing system to sell the same cheap prices as Renfe themselves, but in Plain English with no card acceptance problems.  Prices are in €, £ or $ and you can use Raileurope.com wherever you live, it accepts all international credit cards.  A small booking fee applies.

  Tips:  Booking for the Lusitania opens 60 days before departure, you can't buy tickets before booking opens.  Raileurope.com defaults to Lisbon Oriente, so I recommend selecting Lisbon Santa Apolonia (for the city centre) specifically. 

• You can also book direct with Spanish Railways at www.renfe.com in € with no booking fee, but see this advice on using renfe.com as it explains all the odd translations and types of fare and sleeper, with help if your credit card is rejected.  It's usually easier to use Raileurope.com.

Gran Clase sleeper, in evening mode with the seats folded out...		...return from dinner to find the attendant has made up the beds...		Gran Clase sleepers have a private toilet & shower...		The trainhotel from Madrid to Lisbon is an articulated Spanish Talgo train.  Seen here at Madrid Chamartin station.

The trainhotel's café-bar serves drinks & food.  Grab a barstool early, it gets crowded later on!		4-berth tourist class sleepers (Turista Cama) are cosy & inexpensive...  They convert from beds to seats as shown.

Madrid to Lisbon option 2:  By daytime trains...

Since August 2017 it's once more possible to travel between Madrid and Lisbon by comfortable daytime trains, albeit with 2 changes.  Here's how:

• Step 1, travel from Madrid to Badajoz Mondays-Saturdays only by comfortable air-conditioned Media Distancia express, leaving Madrid Atocha Cercanias (cercanias simply means suburban platforms, not the terminus part used by AVEs) at 08:04 arriving Badajoz at 13:57.  The train is a smart air-conditioned series 599 train, Turista class only with power sockets at all seats, there are vending machines but no cafe-bar so bring your own food and drink.  Have lunch in Badajoz.

  The fare is €34.10 whether you book in advance or buy on the day, but as places are all reserved booking ahead is better even though there are usually places available right up until departure.  You can easily book this train online at Raileurope.com and print your own ticket.

• Step 2, travel from Badajoz to Entroncamento by regional train, leaving Badajoz at 16:24 and arriving in Entroncamento at 18:25.  The train is a single-coach air-conditioned Allan railcar, built in 1954-55 but completely modernised in 2000.  There is no 1st class or catering on this train, so bring your own food and drink.

  The fare is a fixed €12.30 in 2nd class.  You cannot book online or even buy a ticket at Badajoz station, you simply board the train & pay on board.  There are no reservations, and it cannot sell out.

• Step 3, travel from Entroncamento to Lisbon by InterCity train leaving Entroncamento at 18:58 and arriving Lisbon Santa Apolonia at 20:00.

  Fares from €6 in 2nd class or €12.50 if you book in advance at Portuguese Railways www.cp.pt and print your own ticket, or buy at the station on the day for around €13 in 2nd class or €17 in 1st class.

• Feedback or photos if you take this route would be appreciated!

The modern air-conditioned train from Madrid to Badajoz, at Madrid Atocha.  Courtesy of DiscoverByRail.com.

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

The single-coach Allan railcar from Badajoz to Entroncamento.  It's comfortable and looks modern, but in fact dates from 1954-55.  Photo courtesy of DiscoverByRail.com

Madrid to Porto or Faro...

• Book the Lusitania sleeper train from Madrid to Lisbon Oriente overnight as shown above.  Book a fast train from Lisbon Oriente to Faro or Porto Campanhã at Portuguese Railways www.cp.pt.

Malaga, Cordoba or Seville to Lisbon...

• There's no rail link from southern Spain into the Algarve, but there are Seville-Faro buses leaving roughly every 2-3 hours, journey time 2h30 to 3h15, fare €17-€21.

• There are various buses run by Damas, Alsa, EuroLines or Iberobus, buses typically leave at 08:30, 09:30, 11:30, 16:00, 16:30 & 20:00 but it varies by day.  Check times and buy tickets for all these buses at Omio.com (formerly GoEuro.com) and print your own ticket. 

• Coming from Malaga or Cordoba, take a train to Seville Santa Justa station to connect with a bus to Faro, check train times & buy tickets at Raileurope.com, then buy the bus ticket at Omio.com.  Many of the Seville-Faro buses leave from Seville Santa Justa station, which makes for an easy same-station interchange with the trains.

San Sebastian to Lisbon...

• You'll also find a direct trainhotel sleeper train from San Sebastian, Burgos and Valladolid direct to Lisbon, bookable in exactly the same way as the Lusitania at Raileurope.com (€ or £, a small booking fee applies) or www.renfe.com (in €) or www.petrabax.com (US$, with small mark-up).  See the Sud Express page for full details.

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Spain to Andorra...

• Take a train from anywhere in Spain to Barcelona Sants, booked at either Raileurope.com (easiest, in €, £ or $, a small booking fee applies) or www.renfe.com (much more fiddly, in €, but no booking fee) or www.petrabax.com (in $, with small mark-up).  There are direct trains to Barcelona Sants from Madrid, Malaga, Seville, Cordoba, Alicante and Valencia, to name just a few.

• There are then 6 or 7 buses every day from Barcelona Sants station to Andorra La Vella, capital of Andorra, journey time 3 hours, fare around €29, see www.autocarsnadal.com.

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Spain to Germany from €79...

Option 1, with overnight stop in Barcelona...

• Step 1 from Madrid:  Take an evening AVE-S103 high-speed train from Madrid Atocha to Barcelona Sants in as little as 2h30 from around €40.  There are departures almost every hour, pick any that suits you.  Check times & fares at raileurope.com (easiest) or www.renfe.com.

  Step 1 from Malaga, Seville or Cordoba:  Take the afternoon AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 14:35, Seville Santa Justa at 14:50 or Cordoba at 15:42, arriving Barcelona Sants at 20:22, with fares from around €46.  Check times & fares at raileurope.com (easiest) or www.renfe.com.

  Step 1 from Granada:  Take the once-daily direct AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Granada at 15:35 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 22:00.

  Step 1 from Alicante or Valencia:  Take any afternoon or evening EuroMed train you like from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona.  On Mondays-Fridays a 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.  Check train times at raileurope.com or www.renfe.com and book any train you like.  Why not have a pleasant evening in Barcelona?

• Stay overnight in Barcelona, see suggested hotels near Barcelona Sants station.

• Step 2, take a morning TGV Duplex from Barcelona to Paris leaving Barcelona Sants at 10:10 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 16:46.  Fares from €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class.  Book at raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, a small booking fee applies) or oui.sncf (in €, a little more fiddly to use but no booking fee).  You print your own tickets.

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

• Step 3 for Cologne, take a high-speed Thalys train from Paris Gare du Nord to Cologne Hbf in 3h20 from €35, booked at raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com and print your own ticket.  For example, the 17:55 from Paris arrives Cologne 21:15.

  Step 3 for Frankfurt, take a high-speed TGV from Paris Gare de l'Est to Frankfurt (Main) Hbf in 3h48 from €39 booked at www.bahn.de.  For example, there's usually one around 19:06 arriving Frankfurt around 22:58.

• How to book all these trains in one place...  This whole trip can easily be booked in one place at Raileurope.com, as this connects directly to the Renfe system and the French SNCF system and the German DB system.  Book from your Spanish starting station to Barcelona and add to your basket.  Then book from Barcelona to Cologne, Frankfurt or other German city for the following day, add to your basket and check out, paying for all tickets as one transaction.  If you want a longer stopover in Paris, simply click More options and enter Paris (any station) and however many hours you want.  You'll get print-at-home or collect-at-station tickets for all three trains.

Option 2, with overnight stop in Paris...  Runs from 29 May to 30 August 2020.

• Step 1 from Madrid:  Take the 12:30 AVE-S103 high-speed train from Madrid Atocha arriving Barcelona Sants at 15:30, with fares from around €40.  By all means take an earlier train and have lunch in Barcelona.

• Step 1 from Seville, Malaga, Cordoba,:  Take the morning AVE-S112 high-speed train at 08:40 from Malaga, 08:50 from Seville, 09:43 from Cordoba, arriving Barcelona Sants at 14:25, fares from around €46.

• Step 1 from Alicante or Valencia:  Take a morning EuroMed train to Barcelona, leaving Alicante at 09:25 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 11:15 arriving Barcelona Sants at 13:55.  By all means take an earlier train and have lunch in Barcelona.

• You can check times & prices & buy tickets online from any Spanish city to Barcelona at either Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.   Just make sure you allow at least 30 minutes to change trains in Barcelona.

• Step 2, take a TGV Duplex leaving Barcelona Sants at 16:10 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 22:46 - This train runs from 29 May to 30 August 2020.  Fares start at €39 booked at Raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, a small booking fee applies) or oui.sncf (in €, a little more fiddly but no booking fee).

• Spend the night in Paris, see suggested hotels near the station.

• Step 3, take onward high-speed trains to anywhere in Germany next morning, from €39.  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.  You can get Paris to Germany times, prices & print-at-home tickets using the German Railways website www.bahn.de.

• How to book all these trains in one place...   This whole trip can easily be booked in one place at Raileurope.com, as this connects directly to the Renfe system and the French SNCF system and the German DB system.  Book from your Spanish starting station to Paris, ideally looking for convenient options with 1 change and add to your basket.  Then book from Paris to Cologne, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Berlin, Munich or any other German city for the following day, add to your basket and check out, paying for all tickets as one transaction.  You'll get print-at-home or collect-at-station tickets for all trains.

Option 3, with overnight stop in Marseille...

• Step 1, from Madrid:  Travel from Madrid to Marseille by direct AVE-S100 high-speed train, leaving Madrid Atocha at 13:25 and arriving Marseille St Charles at 21:33 with fares from €49.

• Step 1 from Seville, Malaga, Granada:  Take the morning AVE-S112 high-speed train from Malaga, Seville, Cordoba to Barcelona from around €46.  There are two or three direct trains every day.  Then travel from Barcelona to Marseille by direct AVE-S100 high-speed train leaving Barcelona Sants at 16:36 and arriving Marseille St Charles at 21:33 with fares from around €49.

• Step 1 from Alicante or Valencia:  Take the EuroMed train leaving Alicante at 09:25 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 11:15 arriving Barcelona Sants at 13:55.  By all means take an earlier train and have lunch in Barcelona.  Then travel from Barcelona to Marseille by direct AVE-S100 leaving Barcelona Sants at 16:36 and arriving Marseille St Charles at 21:33.

• You can check times & prices & buy tickets online for all these Spanish trains at either Raileurope.com (easiest to use, in €, £ or $, a small booking fee applies) or www.renfe.com (in €, much more fiddly to use and may reject some overseas payment cards, but no booking fee).   Allow at least 40 minutes to change trains in Barcelona.

• Spend the night in Marseille, suggested inexpensive hotels with good reviews just outside Marseille St Charles station:  Ibis Marseille Centre Gare St Charles, Holiday Inn Express Marseille St Charles.

• Step 3, next morning take the direct TGV Duplex leaving Marseille St Charles at 08:10 arriving Frankfurt (Main) Hbf at 15:58, changing for onward ICE & IC trains to Hamburg, Cologne, Berlin with fares from €39 booked as one Marseille to Germany transaction at the German railways website www.bahn.de - if booking to a destination beyond Frankfurt, it can help to click Add intermediate stops and enter Frankfurt (Main) Hbf.  You can also book at Raileurope.com at the same prices, which keeps all your bookings in one place with one retailer.

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

Option 2, Spain to Geneva by TGV, Zurich to Vienna by Night sleeper train - the most time-effective option...

• Step 1 from Madrid:  Take an evening AVE-S103 high-speed train from Madrid Atocha to Barcelona Sants in as little as 2h30 from around €40.  There are departures almost every hour, pick any that suits you.  Check times & fares at Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.

  Step 1 from Malaga, Seville or Cordoba:  Take the afternoon AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 14:35, Seville Santa Justa at 14:50 or Cordoba at 15:42, arriving Barcelona Sants at 20:22, with fares from around €46.  Check times & fares at Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.

  Step 1 from Granada:  Take the once-daily direct AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Granada at 15:35 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 22:00.

  Step 1 from Alicante or Valencia:  Take any afternoon or evening EuroMed train you like from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona.  On Mondays-Fridays a 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.  Check train times at Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com and book any train you like.  Why not have a pleasant evening in Barcelona?

• Stay overnight in Barcelona, see suggested hotels near Barcelona Sants station.

• Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Lyon by AVE-S100 high-speed train leaving Barcelona Sants at 08:20 weekdays or 08:10 at weekends, arriving Lyon Part Dieu at 13:20 weekdays or 13:10 at weekends.  This is a comfortable and scenic journey.  As far as Valence you take exactly the same route as the TGVs from Barcelona to Paris, so watch the first part of the Barcelona to Paris video here to see what the journey is like.  Have lunch in Lyon, there are many restaurants just outside the station.  Fares from €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class.

• Step 3, now take the 14:38 TER regional train from Lyon Part Dieu arriving Geneva at 16:35, fixed fare €28.60.

  Book from Barcelona Sants to Geneva as one journey at Raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, a small booking fee applies) or oui.sncf (in €, a bit more fiddly, but no booking fee).  You print your own ticket.

• Step 4, take a Swiss domestic train from Geneva to Zurich, these run every half hour, there's usually one around 17:15 arriving Zurich HB at 19:56.  You can buy a ticket at the station, no prior reservation necessary, or save time by buying it online at www.sbb.ch and printing it out.  There may be supersaver fares available if you pre-book.

• Step 5, take the Nightjet sleeper train from Zurich to Vienna,  leaving Zurich HB at 21:40 and arriving Vienna Hbf at 07:55.  The train has couchettes (4-berth & 6-berth compartments) and modern double-deck sleeping-cars with 4-berth sleepers, 1 & 2 berth sleepers with washbasin, and 1 & 2-berth deluxe sleepers with en suite shower & toilet.

  Fares start at €49.90 in 6-berth couchettes, €59.90 in 4-berth couchettes, €69.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €89.90 in a 2-bed sleeper or €139.90 in a single-bed sleeper.

  Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easiest to use, overseas payment cards no problem, a small booking fee applies) or Austrian Railways' own site www.oebb.at (same prices, more fiddly, bit no booking fee) and print your own ticket.

Option 2, Spain to Geneva by TGV, overnight stop, Geneva to Austria next day - the scenic option...

• Step 1 from Madrid:  Take an evening AVE-S103 high-speed train from Madrid Atocha to Barcelona Sants in as little as 2h30 from around €40.  There are departures almost every hour, pick any that suits you.  Check times & fares at Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.

  Step 1 from Malaga, Seville or Cordoba:  Take the afternoon AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 14:35, Seville Santa Justa at 14:50 or Cordoba at 15:42, arriving Barcelona Sants at 20:22, with fares from around €46.  Check times & fares at Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.

  Step 1 from Granada:  Take the once-daily direct AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Granada at 15:35 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 22:00.

  Step 1 from Alicante or Valencia:  Take any afternoon or evening EuroMed train you like from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona.  On Mondays-Fridays a 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.  Check train times at Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com and book any train you like.  Why not have a pleasant evening in Barcelona?

• Stay overnight in Barcelona, see suggested hotels near Barcelona Sants station.

• Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Lyon by AVE-S100 high-speed train leaving Barcelona Sants at 08:20 weekdays or 08:10 at weekends, arriving Lyon Part Dieu at 13:20 weekdays or 13:10 at weekends.  This is a comfortable and scenic journey.  As far as Valence you take exactly the same route as the TGVs from Barcelona to Paris, so watch the first part of the Barcelona to Paris video here to see what the journey is like.  Have lunch in Lyon, there are many restaurants just outside the station.  Fares from €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class.

• Step 3, now take the 14:38 TER regional train from Lyon Part Dieu to Geneva, arriving 16:35, fixed fare €28.60.

  Book from Barcelona Sants to Geneva as one journey at Raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, a small booking fee applies) or oui.sncf (in €, a little more fiddly but no booking fee).  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.

• Step 4, next day, 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, Geneva to Salzburg or Vienna from €39, book this as one Geneva-to-Austria transaction at either www.thetrainline.com (in €, £ or $, a small booking fee applies) or the Austrian railways website www.oebb.at (in €), and print your own ticket.

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Spain to Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo...

• Step 1 from Madrid:  Take an evening AVE-S103 high-speed train from Madrid Atocha to Barcelona Sants in as little as 2h30 from around €40.  There are departures almost every hour, pick any that suits you.  Check times & fares at raileurope.com (easiest) or www.renfe.com.

  Step 1 from Malaga, Seville or Cordoba:  Take the afternoon AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 14:35, Seville Santa Justa at 14:50 or Cordoba at 15:42, arriving Barcelona Sants at 20:22, with fares from around €46.  Check times & fares at raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.

  Step 1 from Granada:  Take the once-daily direct AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Granada at 15:35 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 22:00.

  Step 1 from Alicante or Valencia:  Take any afternoon or evening EuroMed train you like from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona.  On Mondays-Fridays a 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.  Check train times at raileurope.com or www.renfe.com and book any train you like.  Why not have a pleasant evening in Barcelona?

• Stay overnight in Barcelona, see suggested hotels near Barcelona Sants station.

• Step 2, take the 10:10 TGV Duplex from Barcelona Sants to Paris Gare de Lyon arriving 16:46.  Fares start at €39, booked at raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, a small booking fee applies) or oui.sncf (in €, a little more fiddly but no booking fee).  See here for more photos, video guide & booking advice.

  Change trains & stations in Paris.

• Step 3, take the Thalys high-speed train leaving Paris Gare du Nord around 17:55 arriving Cologne Hbf at 21:15.  Book this at raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com from just €35.  You print your own ticket.

• Stay overnight in Cologne.  Suggested hotels near to Cologne Hbf with good reviews (and starting with the cheapest) include the Breslauer Hof Am Dom, Hotel Domspitzen, CityClass Hotel Europa am Dom, Hilton Cologne, Excelsior Hotel Ernst am Dom.

• Step 4 if you're going to Copenhagen:  Take an InterCity train to Hamburg and an onward train to Copenhagen.  Book from Cologne to Copenhagen at www.bahn.de and you'll see various departures from €39.90 with 1 change, for example the 08:09 from Cologne arriving Copenhagen at 17:33 or 12:09 arriving Copenhagen at 21:33.  You print your own ticket.

  Step 4 if you're going to Stockholm:  It's just about possible to travel from Cologne to Stockholm in a day with changes at Hamburg, Copenhagen & Malmo, using a through ticket from just €39.90 booked at www.bahn.de.  Depending on the day and date, you can leave Cologne at 08:09 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 125mph X2000 train to Stockholm on day 3, from around €23 booked at www.sj.se (Swedish Railways).

  Step 4 if you're going to Oslo & Norway:  Take an InterCity train to Hamburg and onward Intercity train to Copenhagen.  Book this at www.bahn.de and you'll see various departures from €39 with 1 change, for example the 09:09 from Cologne arriving Copenhagen at 18:26.  You print your own ticket.  Stay overnight in Copenhagen, then take a train from Copenhagen to Oslo with 1 change at Gothenburg, booked from €46 at www.sj.se (Swedish Railways).  Alternatively, spend a day exploring Copenhagen and take the overnight cruise ferry to Oslo with comfortable en suite cabins, bars and restaurants, see www.dfds.co.uk.

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Spain to Prague...

• Day 1 from Madrid:  Take an evening AVE-S103 high-speed train from Madrid Atocha to Barcelona Sants in as little as 2h30 from around €35.  There are departures almost every hour, pick any that suits you.  Check times & fares at Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.

  Day 1 from Malaga, Seville or Cordoba:  Take the afternoon AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 14:35, Seville Santa Justa at 14:50 or Cordoba at 15:42, arriving Barcelona Sants at 20:22, with fares from around €46.  Check times & fares at Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.

  Day 1 from Granada:  Take the once-daily direct AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Granada at 15:35 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 22:00.

  Day 1 from Alicante or Valencia:  Take any afternoon or evening EuroMed train you like from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona.  On Mondays-Fridays a 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.  Check train times at Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com and book any train you like.  Why not have a pleasant evening in Barcelona?

• Stay overnight in Barcelona, see suggested hotels near Barcelona Sants station.

• Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Lyon by AVE-S100 high-speed train leaving Barcelona Sants at 08:20 weekdays or 08:10 at weekends, arriving Lyon Part Dieu at 13:20 weekdays or 13:10 at weekends.  This is a comfortable and scenic journey.  As far as Valence you take exactly the same route as the TGVs from Barcelona to Paris, so watch the first part of the Barcelona to Paris video here to see what the journey is like.  Have lunch in Lyon, there are many restaurants just outside the station.  Fares from €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class.

• Day 2, now take the 14:38 TER regional train from Lyon Part Dieu to Geneva, arriving 16:35, fixed fare €28.60.

  Book from Barcelona Sants to Geneva as one journey at Raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, a small booking fee applies) or oui.sncf (in €, a little more fiddly but no booking fee).  You print your own ticket.

• Day 2, catch a Swiss domestic train from Geneva to Zurich HB, these run twice every hour taking 2h45.

• Day 2, take the excellent EuroNight sleeper train leaving Zurich HB at 21:40 and arriving Prague Hlavni at 10:57 (day 3 from Spain). 

  This train has an excellent modern Czech sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartment (choice of standard with washbasin or deluxe with shower & toilet) - there are no couchettes on this train, just a sleeping-car.  There's no restaurant car, so feel free to take you own picnic and bottle of wine aboard.  The beds convert to seats for the daytime part of the journey, and there's a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in the standard sleepers.  The train arrives at Prague Hlavni station, just 15 minutes walk from Prague's historic old town.  Click for map of Prague showing stations.  Prague Hlavni station information.

  Fares start at €79 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, €99 with a bed in a cosy 2-bed sleeper or €129 in a single-bed sleeper.  Deluxe sleepers cost a bit more.

  Book the Zurich-Prague sleeper online at Czech Railways www.cd.cz/eshop and print your own ticket.  This is the only website where this sleeper can be booked online, with all the cheap fares available.  If you want a deluxe sleeper, select 1st class, if you're happy with a standard sleeper leave 2nd class selected.

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Spain to Budapest...

• Day 1 from Madrid:  Take an evening AVE-S103 high-speed train from Madrid Atocha to Barcelona Sants in as little as 2h30 from around €35.  There are departures almost every hour, pick any that suits you.  Check times & fares at Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.

  Day 1 from Malaga, Seville or Cordoba:  Take the afternoon AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 14:35, Seville Santa Justa at 14:50 or Cordoba at 15:42, arriving Barcelona Sants at 20:22, with fares from around €46.  Check times & fares at Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.

  Day 1 from Granada:  Take the once-daily direct AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Granada at 15:35 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 22:00.

  Day 1 from Alicante or Valencia:  Take any afternoon or evening EuroMed train you like from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona.  On Mondays-Fridays a 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.  Check train times at Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com and book any train you like.  Why not have a pleasant evening in Barcelona?

• Stay overnight in Barcelona, see suggested hotels near Barcelona Sants station.

• Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Lyon by AVE-S100 high-speed train leaving Barcelona Sants at 08:20 weekdays or 08:10 at weekends, arriving Lyon Part Dieu at 13:20 weekdays or 13:10 at weekends.  This is a comfortable and scenic journey.  As far as Valence you take exactly the same route as the TGVs from Barcelona to Paris, so watch the first part of the Barcelona to Paris video here to see what the journey is like.  Have lunch in Lyon, there are many restaurants just outside the station.  Fares from €39 in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class.

• Day 2, now take the 14:38 TER regional train from Lyon Part Dieu to Geneva, arriving 16:35, fixed fare €28.60.

  Book from Barcelona Sants to Geneva as one journey at Raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, a small booking fee applies) or oui.sncf (in €, a little more fiddly but no booking fee).  You print your own ticket.

• Day 2, catch a Swiss domestic train from Geneva to Zurich HB, these run twice every hour taking 2h45.

• Day 2, take the Hungarian EuroNight sleeper train leaving Zurich HB at 21:40 and arriving Budapest Keleti at 08:19 (day 3 from Spain). 

  It has a comfortable Hungarian air-conditioned sleeping car (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin) and Hungarian couchettes (4 berth & 6 berth compartments).  The sleeping-car is identical to the Hungarian sleeping-car shown in this video.  In sleepers, morning tea or coffee is included.

  Fares start at €59 with a couchette in a 6-berth, €69 with a couchette in a 4-berth, €99 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper with washbasin or €129 in a single-bed sleeper with washbasin.

  You can easily book this train at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at and print your own ticket.  You may be able to book through from other Swiss stations to Budapest, which saves money over buying a separate Swiss ticket to Zurich.

  Tip:  There's no restaurant car, so have dinner before boarding your sleeper, see suggested restaurants on the Zurich HB station page.  That page also explains where you can stock up with snacks & a bottle of wine for that midnight feast in your sleeper.

  Tip:  If you like, you can check the consist for this train, check car numbers & see in what order cars for different destinations are marshalled using the excellent www.vagonweb.cz.  Change cs to English upper left, then click Train formations, scroll down to Switzerland & click nj.

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Spain to Ljubljana, Zagreb & Belgrade...

Option 1, using the Zurich-Zagreb sleeper...

• Day 1 from Madrid:  Take an evening AVE-S103 high-speed train from Madrid Atocha to Barcelona Sants in as little as 2h30 from around €40.  There are departures almost every hour, pick any that suits you.  Check times & fares at Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.

  Day 1 from Malaga, Seville or Cordoba:  Take the afternoon AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 14:35, Seville Santa Justa at 14:50 or Cordoba at 15:42, arriving Barcelona Sants at 20:22, with fares from around €46.  Check times & fares at Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.

  Day 1 from Granada:  Take the once-daily direct AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Granada at 15:35 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 22:00.

  Step 1 from Alicante or Valencia:  Take any afternoon or evening EuroMed train you like from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona.  On Mondays-Fridays a 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.  Check train times at Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com and book any train you like.  Why not have a pleasant evening in Barcelona?

• Stay overnight in Barcelona, see suggested hotels near Barcelona Sants station.

• Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Geneva by daytime trains as shown above.

• Day 2 evening, travel from Geneva to Zurich by Swiss domestic train then take the comfortable Croatian sleeper train from Zurich to Ljubljana & Zagreb as shown in detail here.  You arrive Ljubljana at 05:57 & Zagreb at 08:35 on day 3.

• Day 3, travel from Zagreb to Belgrade.  Until 4 October 2020 it leaves Zagreb at 11:03 and arrives Novi Beograd at 18:00 & Belgrade Centar at 18:07.  From 5 October 2020 onwards it leaves Zagreb at 13:04 and arrives Novi Beograd at 20:17 & Belgrade Centar at 20:25, see details here.  This train cannot be booked online, just buy at the station for around €29.

Option 2, via Marseille & Venice...

• Day 1, travel from Malaga, Seville, Cordoba, Granada, Alicante, Valencia or Madrid to Barcelona, using any suitable morning train.  Allow at least 1 hour in Barcelona.  Then take the afternoon AVE direct from Barcelona to Marseille.

• 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, 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.

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Spain to Warsaw, Kiev & Moscow...

Option 1, using the Paris-Moscow Express, runs once a week, recommended.

• Day 1 from Madrid:  Take any afternoon or early evening AVE-S103 high-speed train you like from Madrid Atocha to Barcelona Sants, with fares from around €40.  You can check times & prices & buy tickets online at either Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.

• Day 1 from Alicante, Valencia, Malaga, Cordoba or Seville:  Take any train you like to Barcelona.  You can check times & prices & buy tickets online from any Spanish city to Barcelona at either Raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.

• Stay overnight in Barcelona, see suggested hotels near the station.

• Step 2, take the 10:10 TGV Duplex from Barcelona Sants to Paris Gare de Lyon arriving 16:46 with fares from €39, booked at Raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, a small booking fee applies) or oui.sncf (in €, a little more fiddly but no booking fee).  You print your own ticket.

• Step 3, take the Paris-Moscow Express, run by Russian railways once a week, leaving Paris Gare de l'Est at 18:58 on Thursdays and arriving Moscow Byelorruski around 10:10 two nights later (i.e. day 4 from Madrid).  This train passes through Belarus, you will need a Belarus transit visa.  See the London to Moscow page for full details, how to buy tickets, photos & video guide.

Option 2, via Paris & Warsaw, runs every day.

• Day 1 from Madrid:  Take an evening AVE-S103 high-speed train from Madrid Atocha to Barcelona Sants in as little as 2h30 from around €40.  There are departures almost every hour, pick any that suits you.  Check times & fares at raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.

Day 1 from Malaga, Seville or Cordoba:  Take the afternoon AVE-S112 high-speed train leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 14:35, Seville Santa Justa at 14:50 or Cordoba at 15:42, arriving Barcelona Sants at 20:22, with fares from around €46.  Check times & fares at raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.

Day 1 from Alicante or Valencia:  Take any afternoon or evening EuroMed train you like from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona.  On Mondays-Fridays a 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.  Check train times at raileurope.com or www.renfe.com and book any train you like.  Why not have a pleasant evening in Barcelona?

• Stay overnight in Barcelona, see suggested hotels near Barcelona Sants station.

• Day 2, take the 10:10 TGV Duplex from Barcelona Sants to Paris Gare de Lyon arriving 16:46, with fares from €39, booked at raileurope.com (can be used by anyone, print-at-home tickets) or www.thetrainline.com (can be used by anyone, print-at-home tickets).  Change trains & stations in Paris.

• Day 2, take the Thalys high-speed train leaving Paris Gare du Nord around 17:55 arriving Cologne Hbf at 21:15, from €35 booked at raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

• Stay overnight in Cologne.  Suggested hotels near to Cologne Hbf with good reviews include the Breslauer Hof Am Dom, Hotel Domspitzen, CityClass Hotel Europa am Dom, Hilton Cologne, Excelsior Hotel Ernst am Dom

• Day 3, travel from Cologne to Berlin and on to Warsaw, fares from €59.90 booked at www.bahn.de.

• Stay overnight in Warsaw.  If your budget will stretch, the Polonia Palace Hotel is just across the road from both the Palace of Culture skyscraper and Warsaw Centralna station, and 25 minutes walk from Warsaw's old town. Opened in 1913, it was one of the few hotels to emerge unscathed from WW2, and has been used by many famous people including General (later President) Eisenhower and General de Gaulle.

• Day 4 for Moscow via Belarus, catch the overnight sleeper train to Moscow, leaving Warsaw Centralna at 19:15 daily and arriving Moscow Belorussky at 16:58 next day (day 5).  You can check times at the Russian Railways website www.rzd.ru.

  This train uses impressive Austrian-built sleeping-cars with 4-berth compartments built in 2014, see photos of this type of sleeper here & see panorama photo inside one of these modern sleepers.  Each compartment can be sold as 1st class 1-berth, 1st class 2-berth or 2nd class 4-berth.  The train consist of two or three sleeping-car which start their journey in Prague.  There's a bistro car in Poland and a Russian restaurant car is attached between Brest (on the Polish/Belarus border) & Moscow.

  You can book this train by contacting reliable Polish train ticketing agency www.polrail.com - their booking system is at http://booking.polrail.com.  Tickets can be collected in Warsaw or (at extra charge) shipped to any address worldwide.

Alternatively, you can book with Russian Railways at www.rzd.ru although it's a little quirky and may not accept some overseas credit cards.

Don't forget to arrange both your Russian visa & Belarus transit visa as the train runs via Belarus. See my important update about travel to Russia through Belarus.

• Day 4 for Kiev (and for Moscow avoiding Belarus), take the daily Kiev Express with 1, 2 & 3 bed sleepers leaving Warsaw Centralna at 18:05 every day and arriving Kiev at 11:00 next morning.  For full details of this train & how to buy tickets, see here.  If going to Moscow, spend a day in Kiev then take an overnight train from Kiev to Moscow, there's usually one leaving Kiev around 19:36 arriving Moscow Kievskaya at 10:09 next morning, see details here.

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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

Other hotel sites worth trying...

• www.tripadvisor.com is the place to find independent travellers' reviews of all the main hotels.

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 myself.  Here are some suggested insurers.  Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.

In the UK, reliable insurers include Columbus Direct.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65, see www.JustTravelCover.com - 10% discount with code seat61.

You can use Confused.com to compare prices & policies from many different insurers.

        If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try Columbus Direct's other websites.

  If you live in the USA try Travel Guard USA.

A Curve card saves on foreign transaction fees...

Most banks give you a poor exchange rate, then charge you a currency conversion fee.  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 balance goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards.

How it works:  1. Download the app for iPhone or Android.  2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to most European addresses including the UK.  3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app.  4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, just like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance onto whichever of your debit or credit cards you choose.  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 - I get some commission if you sign up to Curve, but I'm recommending it here because it's great.  See details, download the app and get a Curve card. Use code MAN61 to get £5 cashback after signing up and using your Curve card the first time.

Get a VPN for safe browsing.  VPNs & why you need one explained...

When you're travelling you often use free WiFi in public places which may not be secure.  A VPN means your connection to the internet is encrypted & always secure, even using unsecured WiFi.  In countries such as China where access to Twitter & Facebook is restricted, a VPN gets around these restrictions.  And lastly, you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geographic restrictions which some websites apply - for example one booking site charges a booking fee to non-European visitors but none to European visitors, so if you're not located in Europe you can avoid this fee by browsing with a UK IP address using a VPN.  VPNs & why you need one explained.  NordVPN & ExpressVPN are the two best buys and I use ExpressVPN myself.

 

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