 Sleep in a comfortable couchette from Paris to the Spanish border, with pillow, sleeping bag, bottled water & amenities kit. |
Paris to Barcelona by sleeper
The direct trainhotel from Paris to Barcelona was sadly withdrawn in 2013. But you can still travel between Paris & Barcelona overnight, using a French overnight train from Paris to either Latour de Carol for a local train through the scenic Pyrenees to Barcelona, or to Cerbčre on the Spanish border for a local train to Barcelona. This page tells you how, in either direction. Information good for 2024.
Option 1, Paris-Barcelona by sleeper via Latour de Carol
Train times, Paris to Barcelona
Train times, Barcelona to Paris
Option 2, Paris-Barcelona by sleeper via Cerbčre
Train times, Paris to Barcelona
Train times, Barcelona to Paris
Option 3, Paris-Barcelona by daytime train
See the Paris-Barcelona by TGV page
Option 1, via Latour de Carol
This is a relaxed & scenic but time-effective option, straight through the Pyrenees via the remote and lonely yet imposing international station at Latour de Carol. Although seeing only a trickle of passengers, Latour de Carol's grand station is almost unique in being served by trains of three different track gauges: Spanish broad gauge from Barcelona, French standard gauge to Toulouse & Paris, and French narrow gauge as it's the terminus for the celebrated Petit Train Jaune.
Paris ► Barcelona
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Step 1, travel from Paris to Latour de Carol by sleeper train, leaving Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at 21:40, arriving Latour de Carol at 10:07.
This is an Intercité de Nuit overnight train with 1st class 4-berth couchettes, 2nd class 6-berth couchettes & 2nd class seats. If you want privacy you can book a whole 1st or 2nd class couchette compartment. There are power sockets & free WiFi. More about Intercités de Nuit.
This train runs every day all year round, but trackwork sometimes affects it so check that it's running on your date using www.raileurope.com, www.thetrainline.com or www.sncf-connect.com. It should open for booking 4 months ahead, but sometimes less than this.
The last hour into the Pyrenees is wonderfully scenic, past the castle at Foix (on the right hand side just after the station) and up into the mountains - at Porté-Puymorens (the last station just before Latour) the train reaches the highest point on any normal standard-gauge railway in Europe, 1,562m (5,125 feet) above sea level. The railway from Toulouse to Foix opened in 1862, but the difficult line beyond Foix through the Pyrenees to Latour de Carol only opened in 1929.
Latour de Carol is a vast but little-used border station in the middle of nowhere, ringed by mountains, where the French Railways standard gauge line ends and the Spanish Railways Iberian gauge line to Barcelona begins. It's sometimes known as Latour de Carol-Enveitg, and in Catalan it's La Tor de Querol-Enveig.
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Step 2, travel from Latour de Carol to Barcelona by local train, leaving Latour at 10:26 & arriving Barcelona Sants at 13:46.
The local train is comfortable, air-conditioned with 2nd class seats. It's a lovely & scenic run, twisting through the Spanish side of the Pyrenees before reaching the Barcelona suburbs. There's no catering, so bring your own food & drink.
You will not, I repeat, not find this local train on normal train booking systems, so read the following paragraphs carefully!!
You can easily check times for the La Tor de Querol to Barcelona Sants train for your date of travel at the special Barcelona suburban trains website rodalies.gencat.cat/en, as this route is classed as a Barcelona suburban train in spite of being very rural.
You can also check times at www.renfe.com, but it will not be shown in the main Renfe journey planner, you have to do it like this: Click the globe symbol top right & select Ingles for English. Ignore the main journey planner, hover over Cercanias (Commuter) top left and click on Rodalies Catalunya. Search from La Tor de Querol-Enveig to Barcelona Sants. Easy when you know how.
Tip: After the 10:26, the next local train leaves at 13:26. You can have lunch in the Bistro de la Gare on Latour de Carol station forecourt, www.facebook.com/bistrotdutrainjaune.
Barcelona ► Paris
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Step 1, travel from Barcelona to La Tour de Carol by local train, leaving Barcelona Sants at 14:31 arriving Latour de Carol at 17:51.
The local train is comfortable, air-conditioned with 2nd class seats. There's no catering, so bring your own food & drink. It's a lovely scenic run up into the Pyrenees. There's not much at Latour de Carol, a huge but under-used border station in the middle of nowhere, ringed by mountains, so bring your own supplies or check if the Bistro de la Gare on the station forecourt will be open, see www.facebook.com/bistrotdutrainjaune.
You will not, I repeat, not find this local train on normal train booking systems, so read the following paragraphs carefully!!
You can easily check times for the Barcelona Sants to La Tor de Querol train for your date of travel at the special Barcelona suburban trains website rodalies.gencat.cat/en, as this route is classed as a Barcelona suburban train in spite of being very rural.
You can also check times at www.renfe.com, but it will not be shown in the main Renfe journey planner, you have to do it like this: Click the globe symbol top right & select Ingles for English. Ignore the main journey planner, hover over Cercanias (Commuter) top left and click on Rodalies Catalunya. Search from Barcelona Sants to La Tor de Querol-Enveig. Easy when you know how.
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Step 2, travel from Latour de Carol to Paris by sleeper train, leaving Latour de Carol at 18:50 & arriving Paris Gare d'Austerlitz 07:03.
This is an Intercité de Nuit overnight train with 1st class 4-berth couchettes, 2nd class 6-berth couchettes & 2nd class seats. If you want privacy you can book a whole 1st or 2nd class couchette compartment. There are power sockets & free WiFi. More about Intercités de Nuit.
This train runs every day all year round, but trackwork sometimes affects it so check that it's running on your date using www.raileurope.com, www.thetrainline.com or www.sncf-connect.com. It should open for booking 4 months ahead, but sometimes less than this.
In summer when it's light, the first hour and a half twisting and turning through the Pyrenees is beautifully scenic. At Porté-Puymorens, the first station after Latour, the train passes the highest point on any normal standard-gauge railway in Europe, 1,562m (5,125 feet) above sea level. Watch out for the impressive castle at Foix, on the left. The railway from Foix to Toulouse opened in 1862, but the difficult line through the Pyrenees from Latour de Carol to Foix only opened in 1929.
How much does it cost?
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Paris to Latour de Carol starts at €20 in a reclining seat, €35 in a 2nd class 6-berth couchette, €63 in a 1st class 4-berth couchette.
A couchette is recommended! Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Sole occupancy of a 2nd class 6-berth couchette compartment for 1-6 people starts at €150, sole occupancy of a 1st class 4-berth compartment for 1-4 people starts at €180. More about Espace Privatif.
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Latour de Carol to Barcelona costs €12.
This is a fixed price, any day, any date, paid in cash (not card) on the train southbound, or at the station in Barcelona northbound.
How to buy tickets
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Step 1, buy tickets for the overnight train between Paris & Latour de Carol at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, no booking fee) or www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, Ł or $, small booking fee).
If you want sole occupancy of a whole couchette compartment, see the Espace Privatif instructions on the Intercité de Nuit page.
You print your own ticket or can choose a mobile ticket to show on your phone.
Booking should open up to 4 months ahead, but these night trains often open less than this, sometimes as little as 2 months, so don't be impatient. There are odd dates when this train is affected by engineering work, and its timings can vary, but in principle at least it should run every day.
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Step 2, buy the ticket between Latour de Carol & Barcelona on the day, as follows:
Southbound, just buy the ticket from the conductor on board the train. Yes, it's that simple. You cannot buy it online and don't need to, there are no reservations, just hop on & go. And no, you can't buy this Renfe ticket from the SNCF ticket office at Latour de Carol, either! It's a good idea to have cash on you in case their card machine doesn't work, but conductors on this route now normally take credit cards.
Northbound, buy a ticket at Barcelona Sants, either from the staffed counters or self-service ticket machines. There is no need to buy it in advance, it cannot sell out, it's just a local ticket.
What's the journey like?
Travel tips
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Always book a couchette rather than just a seat, so you can sleep lying down in a safely-locked compartment. To see more about what the sleeper train is like, watch the Intercité de Nuit video.
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You take luggage onto the train with you and put it on the racks. There are no airline-style luggage limits, if you can manage it yourself it's fine. On the sleeper, luggage fits under the lower berths, on a rack above the window, or in a big recess above the compartment door that projects over the ceiling of the corridor. On the local train, it goes on the overhead racks or simply goes on the floor near your seat.
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There's no cafe car on the sleeper or the local train, so eat before boarding and take some supplies, perhaps a bottle of wine for the evening.
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There aren't many great eateries at the Gare d'Austerlitz, but when heading south from Paris, why not have dinner at the celebrated Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon? It's an experience in itself. After dinner, it takes just 10 minutes to walk across the bridge over the Seine from the Gare de Lyon to the Gare d'Austerlitz on the far bank.
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At Latour de Carol, you can use the Bistro de la Gare on the station forecourt between trains, check opening times at www.facebook.com/bistrotdutrainjaune.
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Latour de Carol, Latour de Carol-Enveitg and (in Catalan) La Tor de Querol-Enveig are all the same place.
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To see what the scenery is like between Toulouse, Latour de Carol & Barcelona, watch the Slow train through the Pyrenees video.
Route map
Option 2, via Cerbčre
This is similar to option 1, but uses the Paris-Perpignan-Cerbčre Intercité de Nuit rather than the Paris-Latour one. It runs daily in summer, but usually only Fridays & Sundays in winter, leaving Paris coupled to the train to Latour de Carol. It's a lovely scenic run along the coast between Perpignan & Cerebčre, through Port Vendres & Collioure. You then take a Spanish local train on the classic line from Cerbčre (on the French side of the Spanish border) through Portbou, Figueres (for the wonderful Salvador Dali museum) & Girona to Barcelona. Alternatively, you can take the sleeper to Perpignan and use a high-speed train to Barcelona, which is faster, but a little more expensive.
Paris ► Barcelona
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Step 1, travel from Paris to Perpignan or Cerbčre by sleeper train
The sleeper train leaves Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at 21:22, arriving Perpignan at 08:38 & Cerbčre at 09:27.
This sleeper train runs Fridays & Sundays all year, every day in summer, but SNCF doesn't issue a timetable so until you see it in the booking system, nobody's really sure. It also runs daily 9-25 February, 5-21 April 2024. Timings vary, leaves Paris at 20:08 some dates.
This is an Intercité de Nuit overnight train with 1st class 4-berth couchettes, 2nd class 6-berth couchettes & 2nd class seats. If you want privacy you can book a whole 1st or 2nd class couchette compartment. There are power sockets & free WiFi. More about Intercités de Nuit.
Check if it's running using www.raileurope.com, www.thetrainline.com or www.sncf-connect.com, it should appear 4 months out, but usually doesn't, the booking horizon is often much shorter than that for these night trains. I've seen it open for booking as little as a month ahead.
Beyond Perpignan, the train runs along the beautiful Côte Vermeille through Port Vendres & Collioure, with great sea views.
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Step 2, travel from Perpignan or Cerbčre to Barcelona
The fastest option is to get off the sleeper at Perpignan and use the new high-speed line to Barcelona. A high-speed AVE leaves Perpignan at 11:18 arriving Barcelona Sants at 12:38. It also calls at Figueres Vilafant & Girona.
This train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. There are great views of Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees. More about AVE S100 trains.
The cheapest option is to stay on the sleeper to Cerbčre and use the classic slow but scenic route along the coast. A local train leaves Cerbčre 12:04 on weekdays, arriving Barcelona Sants 15:10. On Saturdays & Sundays, leave Cerbčre 11:46, arriving Barcelona Sants 15:10.
These are local trains which you won't find in normal train booking systems, to check times use rodalies.gencat.cat/en. These trains also stop at Figueres (for the wonderful Salvador Dali museum) and Girona. It's 2nd class only, there's no catering so bring your own food & drink.
Barcelona ► Paris
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Step 1, travel from Barcelona to either Cerbčre or Perpignan
The cheapest option is to use the classic slow but scenic route along the coast. A local train leaves Barcelona Sants at 15:16 arriving Cerbčre 17:56.
Or an earlier train leaves Barcelona Sants at 13:16 arriving Cerebčre 15:56 if you prefer a more robust connection.
This is the original line to the French border via Girona & Figueres. It's a local train, you won't find it in normal train booking systems, check times using rodalies.gencat.cat/en. It's 2nd class only, there's no catering so bring your own food & drink.
The fastest option is to use the modern high-speed line from Barcelona to Perpignan and pick up the sleeper there. A high-speed AVE train leaves Barcelona Sants at 16:34 arriving Perpignan at 17:56. It also calls at Girona & Figueres Vilafant.
The train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi. There are great views of Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees. More about AVE S100 trains.
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Step 2, travel from Cerebčre or Perpignan to Paris by sleeper train
The sleeper train leaves Cerebčre at 18:59 or Perpignan at 19:46, arriving Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at 06:40 next morning.
This sleeper train runs Fridays & Sundays all year, every day in summer, but SNCF doesn't issue a timetable, so until you see it in the booking system, nobody is really sure. It also runs daily 9-25 February, 5-21 April 2024. Timings may vary significantly, so check online.
This is an Intercité de Nuit overnight train with 1st class 4-berth couchettes, 2nd class 6-berth couchettes & 2nd class seats. If you want privacy you can book a whole 1st or 2nd class couchette compartment. There are power sockets & free WiFi. More about Intercités de Nuit.
In summer when it's light, it's a lovely run from Cerebčre to Perpignan along the Côte Vermeille coastline through Collioure & Port Vendres.
When does this sleeper train run? Good question! It should run on Fridays & Sundays all year round and every day in summer, but SNCF doesn't issue a timetable, so until you see it in the booking system, nobody knows. Also runs daily 9-25 February, 5-21 April 2024.
Check if it's running using www.raileurope.com, www.thetrainline.com or www.sncf-connect.com, it should appear 4 months out, but usually doesn't, the booking horizon is often much shorter than that for these night trains. I've seen it open for booking as little as a month ahead.
How much does it cost?
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Paris to Perpignan or Cerbčre starts at €22 in a reclining seat, €29 in a 2nd class 6-berth couchette, €60 in a 1st class 4-berth couchette.
A couchette is recommended! Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Sole occupancy of a 2nd class 6-berth couchette compartment for 1-6 people starts at €150, sole occupancy of a 1st class 4-berth compartment for 1-4 people starts at €180. More about Espace Privatif.
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Perpignan to Barcelona by high-speed train starts at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
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Cerbčre to Barcelona by local train costs a fixed-price €14 or so, any day, any date, buy at the station.
How to buy tickets
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Step 1, buy tickets between Paris & Perpignan or Cerbčre at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, Ł or $, small booking fee) or the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com (in €, same fares, no fee).
If you want sole occupancy of a private couchette compartment, see the Espace Privatif instructions on the Intercité de Nuit page.
You print your own ticket or can choose a mobile ticket to show on your phone.
Booking should open up to 4 months ahead, but these night trains often open less than this, sometimes as little as 2 months, so don't be impatient. There are odd dates when this train is affected by engineering work, remember this train only runs daily in summer and other peak periods, weekends only the rest of the year.
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Step 2 if you want the local train between Cerbčre & Barcelona:
Buy the local ticket from Cerbčre to Barcelona at the station in Cerbčre, buy the northbound ticket from Barcelona to Cerebčre at the station in Barcelona. It cannot sell out, there are no seat reservations, it's just a local ticket.
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Step 2 if you want the high-speed train between Perpignan & Barcelona:
Book this at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com or (more fiddly) www.renfe.com (see my advice on using it).
Travel tips
-
Always book a couchette rather than just a seat, so you can sleep lying down in a safely-locked compartment. To see more about what the overnight train is like, watch the Intercité de Nuit video.
-
You take luggage onto the train with you and put it on the racks. There are no airline-style luggage limits, if you can manage it yourself it's fine. On the sleeper, luggage fits under the lower berths, on a rack above the window, or in a big recess above the compartment door that projects over the ceiling of the corridor. On the local train, it goes on the overhead racks or simply goes on the floor near your seat.
-
There's no cafe car, so eat before boarding and take some supplies, maybe even a bottle of wine!
-
There aren't many great eateries at the Gare d'Austerlitz, but when heading south from Paris, why not have dinner at the celebrated Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon? It's an experience in itself. After dinner, it takes 10 minutes to walk over the bridge across the Seine from the Gare de Lyon to the Gare d'Austerlitz on the far bank.
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The local train between Cerbčre & Barcelona Sants also calls at Barcelona Plaza Catalunya which may be more convenient for you.
