UK to Spain without flying:  London to Paris by Eurostar in 2h20 from £78 return ...then Paris to Barcelona by 320 km/h (199 mph) TGV Duplex in 6h30 from €39 each way.
	To Spain in an armchair:  Watch the video!
	Holidays to Spain by train not plane

Breakfast in London, lunch in Paris, dinner in Barcelona

It's easy to travel from the UK to Spain by train.  Take Eurostar to Paris in 2h20 from £78 return, have lunch at the wonderful Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon, then take the afternoon double-deck TGV Duplex from Paris to Figueres (for the Salvador Dali museum), Girona & Barcelona with cafe-bar & free WiFi from €39 each way.  Relax with a glass of wine and watch the pretty French villages of the Rhône Valley pass by, catch up on your reading.  Compared to the stress of airports & flights, it's a revelation and far more environmentally-friendly.  This page explains the best routes & trains from the UK to Spain and how to buy tickets.

Select your destination:     London to... A Coruna Alcudia Algeciras Alicante Almeria Antequera Barcelona Benidorm Bilbao (by ferry) Bilbao (by train) Cadiz Canary Islands Cartagena Cordoba Costa del Sol Estepona Figueres Fuengirola Girona Gran Canaria Granada Ibiza Jerez Las Palmas Madrid Malaga Mallorca (Majorca) Marbella Minorca Murcia Palma de Majorca Pamplona Ronda Salamanca Salou San Sebastian Santander (by sea) Santiago de Compostella Segovia Seville Tarragona Tenerife Toledo Torremolinos Valencia Vigo Zaragoza

UK to Spain by train

  London to Barcelona, Girona, Figueres

  London to Madrid & Zaragoza

  London to Seville, Cordoba, Malaga

  London to Granada

  London to Valencia & Alicante

  London to Tarragona, Salou, Benidorm

  London to Cadiz, Jerez, Almeria & Murcia

  London to Cartagena, Ronda & Algeciras

  London to San Sebastian

  London to Pamplona & Bilbao

  London to Segovia, Toledo, Salamanca

  London to Santiago de Compostela, Vigo, A Coruña

  London to Ibiza

  London to Palma de Mallorca & Menorca

  London to Las Palmas, Tenerife & Canary Islands

  London to Gibraltar

  How to buy train tickets from the UK to Spain

  How to use an Interrail pass from the UK to Spain

  Starting from other UK towns & cities

  UK to Spain by ferry with Brittany Ferries

Train travel in Spain

  Train travel in Spain - a beginner's guide

  How to buy train tickets within Spain

  Trains between Barcelona & Madrid

  Renfe Spain pass

  Free suburban travel with long-distance tickets

  How to transfer between Chamartin & Atocha

  Station guides:

    Barcelona Sants  Madrid Atocha  Madrid Chamartin

    Seville  Malaga  Vigo  Valencia  Alicante & Benidorm

International trains to & from Spain

  Trains from other European cities to Spain

  Trains from Barcelona to other European cities

  Trains from Madrid, Malaga, Alicante to other cities

  Paris to Barcelona by high-speed train

  Madrid to Lisbon by train

Other useful information

  Useful country information: currency, dial code...

  Holidays & tours to Spain by train

  How to cross Paris by metro, taxi or transfer

  Luggage on trains & Left luggage at stations

  Taking your dog - Taking your bike

  Child age limits & travel with children

  Passengers with disabilities

  Train seat numbering plans

  Eurail passes - the pass for overseas visitors

  Interrail passes - the pass for Europeans

  Car hire in Spain

  Recommended guidebooks

  Hotels & accommodation in Spain

  Travel insurance, mobile data, VPN & other tips

Interactive map:  Click on a destination for train times & fares

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Country information

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London to Barcelona

All aboard the high-speed train to Spain! A morning Eurostar to Paris just 2½ hours, lunch at the remarkable Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon, then the afternoon double-deck TGV Duplex to Figueres (for the amazing Salvador Dali museum), Girona & Barcelona.  I recommend a first class Club Duo seat on the upper deck (pictured above), wonderful!  Put your feet up & relax, watch the pretty French villages of the Rhone Valley pass by, catch up on your reading & your emails, perhaps watch a movie on your iPhone.  You can buy some wine from the bar car or feel free to bring your own!  To anyone who has only known the stresses of airports, flights & motorways, chilling out on a high-speed train is a revelation.  Watch the video here.

Breakfast in London, lunch in Paris, dinner in Spain.  You can travel from London to Figueres, Girona or Barcelona by train in a single day with great scenery, a glass of wine to hand and not an airport security queue in sight.

Impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex trains link Paris with Barcelona in around 6h30, 667 miles centre to centre with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, past some great scenery.  There are two Paris-Barcelona TGV trains every day in each direction, with a third in summer.

Stay overnight in Barcelona (I suggest some good hotels near the station) and continue next day to Madrid in 2h30 by AVE, Alicante in 4h45 by Euromed or to Seville or Malaga by AVE in around 5h30.

Avoiding Paris:  If you have lots of luggage, small kids or mobility problems and want to avoid crossing Paris, you can go London-Lille-Nîmes, overnight stop, then Nîmes-Barcelona by AVE or TGV see option 2.

Spain by sleeper:  The Elipsos sleeper trains from Paris to Barcelona & Madrid were sadly discontinued in 2013, but it's still possible to travel by sleeper train from Paris to the Spanish border, see option 3 using the sleeper to Latour de Carol or option 4 using the sleeper to Perpignan & Cerbère.

Which route to choose?

  Option 1, by Eurostar & TGV via Paris - fastest, easiest

    Train times London to Barcelona

    Train times Barcelona to London

    How much does it cost?

    How to buy tickets

    What's the journey like?

  Option 2, by Eurostar & TGV with overnight stop in Nîmes - avoids crossing Paris

  Option 3, by overnight sleeper to Latour de Carol & local train - scenic option through the Pyrenees!

  Option 4, by overnight sleeper to Perpignan or Cerbère - another overnight option

  Option 5, by ferry from Portsmouth to Santander or Bilbao, then train - the ferry alternative!

Option 1, London-Barcelona by high-speed train

This is the fastest & easiest option, by Eurostar from London to Paris and 320 km/h (199 mph) TGV Duplex from Paris to Barcelona.  You can do the trip in a day or break it up with an overnight stop in Paris.  Departures are daily all year round except Christmas Day.

London ► Barcelona (morning departure)

• Step 1, travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 09:31, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 12:50.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include breakfast.

• Cross Paris by metro or taxi to the Gare de Lyon, just 2 stops on RER line D.  Why not take an earlier Eurostar and have lunch at the wonderful Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon?

• Step 2, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 14:42, arriving Figures Vilafant 20:30, Girona 20:47 & Barcelona Sants 21:29.

  The impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has 1st & 2nd class, a café-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  The train speeds along the Rhône valley past pretty villages & picturesque churches, then past Béziers cathedral, flamingos on the étangs (lakes) in southern France, the Fort de Salses approaching Perpignan and the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou in the Pyrenees.  More about the journey.

  Figueres is worth a stop for the remarkable Salvador Dali museum, Dali's home at Port Lligat is a bus or taxi ride away on the coast, also well worth visiting.  Map of Barcelona showing station.

London ► Barcelona (evening departure, overnight in Paris)

• Day 1, travel from London to Paris on any evening Eurostar you like.

  The last Eurostar usually leaves London St Pancras at 20.01 arriving Paris Gare du Nord 23:18, by all means book an earlier one and spend a pleasant evening in Paris.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

  Cross Paris by metro or taxi to the Gare de Lyon.

• Stay overnight in Paris.  If you want a hotel on arrival at the Gare du Nord, I recommend the excellent 25 Hours Terminus Nord, directly across the road from the Gare du Nord with great reviews & great feedback from Seat61 users.  If you'd rather stay at the Gare de Lyon ready for the morning train to Spain, the Mercure Paris Gare De Lyon is part of the Gare de Lyon station complex with great reviews for staff, cleanliness & comfort.  See other suggested hotels near the Gare du Nord or Gare de Lyon.

• Day 2, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 07:42 arriving Figures Vilafant 13:30, Girona 13:47 & Barcelona Sants 14:29.

  Until 14 December 2024, this train is leaves Paris Gare de Lyon at 09:42, arriving Figures Vilafant 15:32, Girona 15:49 & Barcelona Sants 16:31.

  The impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has 1st & 2nd class, a café-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  The train speeds along the Rhône valley past pretty villages & picturesque churches, then past Béziers cathedral, flamingos on the étangs (lakes) in southern France, the Fort de Salses approaching Perpignan and the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou in the Pyrenees.  More about the journey.

  Figueres is worth a stop for the remarkable Salvador Dali museum, Dali's home at Port Lligat is a bus or taxi ride away on the coast, also well worth visiting.  Map of Barcelona showing station.

Barcelona ► London (morning departure)

• Step 1, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex, leaving Barcelona Sants at 09:28, Girona 10:10 or Figueres Vilafant 10:27, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon 16:12.

  The impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has 1st & 2nd class, a café-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.  More about this TGV & the journey.

  In Barcelona there's a brief X-ray baggage check to access the platforms.

  The train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees with views of 2,784m Mt Canigou, after Perpignan it passes the Fort de Salses and colonies of flamingos on the lakes in southern France.  Look out for Béziers cathedral on the left.  It then speeds along the Rhône Valley towards Paris.

• Transfer to the Gare du Nord by metro or taxi, just 2 stops on RER line D.

  Why not have an early dinner in Paris and catch a later Eurostar?  The Brasserie Terminus Nord (www.terminusnord.com) is good and typically French, and it's directly opposite the Gare du Nord.  Oysters and Sancerre?

• Step 2, travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 18:12 Mondays-Fridays & Sundays arriving London St Pancras 19:39, or at 19:12 on Saturdays arriving 20:30.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

Barcelona ► London (afternoon departure, overnight in Paris)

• Day 1, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex, leaving Barcelona Sants at 16:25, Girona 17:07 or Figueres Vilafant 17:24, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon 23:18.

  Until 15 December 2024 this train leaves Barcelona Sants at 13:25, Girona 14:07 or Figueres Vilafant 14:24, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon 20:18.

  The impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has 1st & 2nd class, a café-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.  More about this TGV & the journey.

  In Barcelona there's a brief X-ray baggage check to access the platforms.

  The train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees with views of 2,784m Mt Canigou, after Perpignan it passes the Fort de Salses and colonies of flamingos on the lakes in southern France.  Look out for Béziers cathedral on the left.  It then speeds along the Rhône Valley towards Paris.

• Stay overnight in Paris.   If you want a hotel on arrival at the Gare de Lyon, I suggest the Mercure Paris Gare De Lyon as it's part of the station, just metres from where your train arrives.  If you'd want to stay near the Gare du Nord I suggest the 25 Hours Terminus Nord, directly across the road from the station with great reviews.  Other suggested hotels near the Gare de Lyon or Gare du Nord.

  In the morning, transfer from the Gare de Lyon to the Gare du Nord by metro or taxi, just 2 stops on RER line D.

• Day 2, travel from Paris to London on any morning Eurostar you like. 

  The first Eurostar of the day usually leaves Paris Gare du Nord at 07:12 on Mondays-Saturdays or 08:12 on Sundays, arriving London St Pancras 08:30 Mondays-Saturdays or 09:30 Sundays.

  You can be in central London for the start of the working day!

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include breakfast.

How much does it cost?

• London to Paris by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in Standard, £97 one-way or £168 return in Plus (1st class).

• Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex starts at €39 each way in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class.

• Fares vary like air fares.  Book ahead and avoid busy days or dates for the cheapest fares.  For a more detailed explanation of fares for the TGV see the Paris to Barcelona TGV page, for Eurostar see the London to Paris by Eurostar page.

How to buy tickets

	Book your hotels www.booking.com lets you book accommodation with free cancellation - so you can safely book with zero risk before train bookings open.  Any hotel with a review score over 8.0 will usually be pretty good. Click here for suggested hotels in Barcelona, either near the station or in the old town.

• Book at www.raileurope.com

  Raileurope.com connects to the British, French & Spanish ticketing systems so you can buy all your tickets in one place, in plain English, in €, £ or $.  Small booking fee.  You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.  About Raileurope.

• When does booking open?

  Eurostar opens up to 11 months ahead, Paris-Barcelona TGVs up to 6 months ahead.

  However, it's often less than this and data may be incomplete more than 3-6 months ahead.  I recommend waiting until both trains are open for sale before buying a non-refundable Eurostar ticket.

  On Paris-Barcelona, dates after the mid-December timetable change (including Christmas & New Year) usually open in mid-October.

  Spanish trains open anything from 15 days to 9 months ahead, Renfe loads trains when they feel like it, weeks ahead on some routes, months ahead where they have competition.  Feel free to book Eurostar & TGV first, onward Spanish trains later.

  More about when train bookings open.  You can book hotels before booking trains risk-free if you use www.booking.com with free cancellation.

• Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead

  Fares are dynamic like air fares, so book early and search for the cheapest departures.

• Out one way, back another?

  You can go out one way & back another.  Almost all European trains are priced one-way, where a return is two one-ways.  I find it easier to book one way at a time!

  But Eurostar is an exception with return fares cheaper than two one-ways, so book Eurostar as a London-Paris round trip or London-Lille round trip if you can.

• How to book

  First, a reality check.  You can't just put London to Malaga into a journey planner and expect it to book you from London to Barcelona, arrange a hotel and 8am wake-up call, then book you from Barcelona to Malaga after breakfast.  Systems aren't that clever! 

  You can book from London to Barcelona as one transaction, but if you're going further into Spain, or want to stop overnight in Paris, you need to split the booking.

  Method 1 is easiest.  Use this if you are travelling from London to Barcelona in a single day, one-way or return, with or without an onward train further into Spain the following day.

  Method 2 can cope with more complex journeys, including ones involving an overnight stop in Paris on the way out or the way back, or using different routes out & back.

  Incidentally, there are no through tickets from London to Spain, however you book you get a Eurostar ticket to Paris, a French ticket from Paris to Barcelona and separate onward Renfe tickets.  But connections across Paris are protected by the Railteam/HOTNAT and AJC.

• Method 1

  1.  Go to www.raileurope.com

  2.  Enter London to Barcelona, number of passengers, date of travel, set departure time 07:00.

  3.  If you're coming back and will also be going Barcelona to London in a single day, enter your return date with departure time set to 10:00.

  On French & Spanish trains a return is two one ways, but on Eurostar, return fares are cheaper than two one ways so a round trip involving Eurostar should always be booked as a return.

  4.  Now the science bit.  Click More options and enter Paris Nord as a via station with stopover duration set to 1 hour (to guarantee a minimum acceptable 1 hour between trains in Paris) or 2 hours (a more robust connection, recommended) or 3 hours (for lunch in Paris).  Otherwise the system may offer risky cross-Paris connections as tight as 42 minutes.  Advice on crossing Paris.

  5.  Run the enquiry.  Look in the search results for journeys with 1 change.  Add to basket.

  6.  If you are staying overnight in Barcelona and travelling on to Madrid, Seville, Malaga, Alicante or wherever next day, book a suitable onward train as a second separate booking and add to basket.

  7.  If you're making a round trip, book from Seville, Malaga, Alicante (or wherever) to Barcelona for the day before your return journey from Barcelona to London, as a third separate booking, and add to your basket.

  8.  Check out, paying for all tickets as one transaction.

• Method 2

  First, read the relevant destination section on this page and find a train service that suits you, out & back.  By all means go out one way and back another, or go outward with an overnight stop in Paris, back with an overnight stop in Barcelona, whatever.  Note down each individual train you want to book, on what specific date.  Then go to www.raileurope.com.

  Step 1, book your chosen train from Paris to Barcelona, one-way, add to basket.  This is the key train so do this first & confirm times.

  Step 2, book your chosen train from Barcelona to Paris, one-way, and add to basket.  Confirm times.

  Step 3, book the Eurostar from London to Paris & back as a round trip and add to basket.

  Eurostar return fares are cheaper than two one ways, so a round trip on Eurostar should always be booked as a return.

  Use the suggested Eurostar times on this page as a guide, but by all means book an earlier Eurostar going out, or a later one coming back, if you'd prefer a more robust connection (as I do), if it's cheaper, or if you want to have lunch in Paris (also me!).

  Just remember that with this method, it's up to you to make sure there's at least 60 minutes between trains in Paris southbound, 90 minutes northbound (to include the Eurostar check-in), ideally 2 hours.  Engage brain!  Advice on crossing Paris.

  Step 4, if you are travelling beyond Barcelona, book a suitable train from Barcelona to Seville, Malaga, Alicante (or wherever), add to basket.  If you're making a same-day connection in Barcelona, look for a train leaving Barcelona at least 1 hour after the TGV from Paris arrives.

  Step 5, if you're coming back, book your train from Seville, Malaga, Alicante (or wherever) to Barcelona & add to basket.  If you're making a same-day connection in Barcelona, book a train which arrives in Barcelona at least 1 hour before the TGV to Paris leaves.

  Check out, paying for all tickets as one transaction.

• Travelling from other UK towns & cities

  Raileurope can book journeys starting from any British station, not just London.  It allows about an hour for Eurostar check-in.

  However, consider booking London to Spain first, then buying a separate ticket to London.  There are 2 reasons for this:  First, you might want a more robust connection between trains in London, say 2 hours.  Second, Raileurope doesn't sell the special tickets to London International CIV which might save you money in the weekday morning peak, learn about these here.

• Children & infants

  Children under 12 qualify for the child rate on Eurostar, the TGV and trains in Spain.

  On Eurostar & TGV, infants under 4 travel free, no need to buy them a ticket, just bring them along.  But they don't get their own seat.

  Tip:  You can give an infant their own seat on the Paris-Barcelona TGV for €9 with a Billet Bambin.  Add the infant to your booking with their age.

  Important:  On Spanish long-distance trains, infants under 4 travel free, but need a ticket.  When booking Spanish domestic trains you should add your infant to the booking to get a €0 infant ticket.  If you forget, ask for one at a Renfe ticket office before boarding, see advice here.

• Choosing your seat on Eurostar

  After booking you can go to www.eurostar.com, click Manage your booking and choose better Eurostar seats, see tips for choosing seats.

  You can download the Eurostar app and load your booking into it using the 6-character booking reference.  You can then manage your Eurostar booking in the app should you need to change it.

• Choosing your seat on the TGV

  An upstairs seat gives the best views on the TGV Duplex.  www.raileurope.com allows you to choose upper or lower deck when you book.  Seats 11-58 are lower deck, 61-128 are upper deck, see TGV Duplex seat map, Euroduplex type.

  Unfortunately, Raileurope no longer show seat numbers before you pay.  Both www.thetrainline.com or www.sncf-connect.com show seat numbers so can check they're what you want before you pay, and if booking 1st class you can select your seat from a seat map.

• TGV fare expensive?

  Paris-Barcelona fares start from €39, but if fares on your date of travel are expensive, see these tips that might make it cheaper.

• Seat maps:  See Eurostar, TGV & Spanish train seat maps.

  When two TGV units run coupled, the first unit is numbered 1-8, the second as 11-18, so if you're in car 12, look at car 2 on the seat map.

Or book at Thetrainline.com

• You can also book trains from London to Spain at www.thetrainline.com.

  Like Raileurope, it connects to the Eurostar, SNCF (French Railways) and Renfe (Spanish Railways) ticketing systems so you can easily book all your tickets in one place, in plain English, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem.  About Thetrainline.

  Most of the Raileurope booking tips above also apply to booking on www.thetrainline.com.

  Prices should be the same on both sites, it comes down to personal preference and the few differences listed below:

• Advantages of Thetrainline over Raileurope:

  Thetrainline.com lets you choose your seat from a seat map on the Paris-Barcelona TGV if booking 1st class.  A big plus!

  Thetrainline.com shows your seat or berth numbers before payment (Raileurope now only shows afterwards when it's too late) so you can check that you're happy with your seats and (for example) your family is together.  For me, this is crucial.

  Within Spain, both sites can sell Renfe, Ouigo & Iryo trains, but Thetrainline can also sell lo-cost Avlo trains.

  Thetrainline.com can sell Espace Privatif on overnight trains between Paris and the Spanish border and it can sell tickets with a Carte Avantage discount if you have such a card.  Raileurope can't.

• Advantage of Raileurope over Thetrainline:

  However, Raileurope.com has a key advantage, you can specify a via station with a stopover duration.  This is really useful for a London-Barcelona journey where you want to allow sufficient time in Paris, or time for lunch.

  When using Thetrainline.com you can specify a via, but not the duration, so you may have to split the booking either side of Paris to ensure a robust connection.

  Raileurope has a flat booking fee applied to the whole basket, so is better value when paying for a high-value basket containing multiple tickets, Thetrainline's fee is a small % which is a better deal when booking just one or two lower-value tickets.

Or book at eurostar.com + sncf-connect.com + renfe.com

• You can of course book each train separately with the relevant operator.  It's more work, a bit more fiddly, fares should be the same.  But there are no booking fees and in some cases you can select seats from a seat map.

  Most of the Raileurope booking tips also apply to booking this way.

• Step 1, go to www.sncf-connect.com and book the TGV from Paris to Barcelona & back.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.  When booking 1st class you can choose your seat from a seat map.

• Step 2, go to www.eurostar.com and book the Eurostar from London to Paris & back, allowing at least 60 minutes to cross Paris on the outward, 90 minutes on your return (including the 30-minute Eurostar check-in), ideally more.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.  You can also book Eurostar at www.sncf-connect.com if you prefer, to keep all bookings together.

  Use the Eurostar times on this page as a guide, but by all means choose an earlier Eurostar out or a later Eurostar back if it's cheaper or if you'd like to stop off in Paris.

• Step 3, go to the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com and book trains from Barcelona to Madrid, Seville, Malaga, Alicante and so on.

  However, given Renfe's quirky translations and fussy payment system which has been known to reject some overseas cards, it's easier to use www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com which sell Renfe tickets with a small booking fee. However, on AVE and other high-speed trains, Renfe allows seats election from a seat map for a small fee.

  Remember to include babies and infants in your booking when buying train tickets within Spain, see the advice here.

Or use an Interrail pass

• Pass or point to point?

  Let's be clear, a pass will usually not save money over the cheapest point-to-point advance-purchase fares you might see if you book a few months ahead.  But when point-to-point fares for Eurostar & TGV are expensive (for example, at short notice) OR you want the flexibility to change your mind, re-route or reschedule, you can travel from the UK to Spain & back using an Interrail pass.

  If flexibility is what you want, buy the pass.  If it's about saving money, you'll have to check point-to-point prices and do the maths.

  It's worth doing the maths if you are under 28, if you have kids (kids get a free pass when accompanying an adult but still need to pay reservation fees) or if you live a long way from London (as a pass covers you from your home station to London). Passes are available in 1st & 2nd class.

  Be aware that Spain is not pass-friendly because every long-distance train and even some regional ones requires a reservation and some reservations can be difficult (or even impossible) to make outside Spain.  Within Spain, point-to-point tickets can be easier!  More about passholder reservations in Spain.

• How to use a pass for a trip to Spain

  Step 1, buy a 4-days in 1-month Interrail pass from www.raileurope.com (click Rail passes and select Europe) or www.interrail.eu, see pass prices on the Interrail page.  You load the pass into the Railplanner app on your phone.

  A 4-day pass is sufficient to get from almost anywhere in mainland Britain to Barcelona, Valencia or Alicante & back, or from London to almost anywhere in Spain & back, but you might need a longer pass to get from Inverness to Santiago de Compostela!

  A 4-day pass gives you unlimited train travel on any 4 dates you choose in an overall 1 month period.  The first travel day can be any date you select in the 11 months after buying it, the 1 month period starts from that date.  More about how Interrail passes work.

  Step 2, you need a Eurostar passholder ticket from London to Paris & back, see cost of Eurostar reservations & how to make them.  Tip:  Eurostar passholder availability is limited, check availability before buying a pass.

  Step 3, if you're using a Paris-Barcelona TGV you need a passholder reservation, see cost of reservations & how to make them.

  By all means go out one way, back another, with Interrail you can use almost any of the trains & routes to/from Spain shown on this page including the overnight trains to Latour de Carol or Cerbère, find out how to reserve each train using the Interrail reservations guide.

  Step 4, you need a passholder reservation for each high-speed train you take in Spain, see cost of reservations & how to make them.

Or have your trip arranged as a package

• Byway (Byway.travel) is a new UK-based eco-holiday firm with a 5-star TrustPilot rating.  If you're nervous about booking train travel yourself, they'll book a London-Spain journey for you as a package, including overnight hotels, starting from any British station you like.  Byway includes package protection, Covid refund guarantee, free disruption & re-planning & on-demand WhatsApp support while you're away.

  To see pre-configured packages UK to Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Granada or San Sebastian, use the journey planner on their website.

  Tip:  First book a one-way outward journey to your destination city on your outward date.  Then change the direction of the arrow and book an inward journey on your return date.  The journey back to the UK can be from a different location if you like.

  Or they can build a trip to your requirements, call 0300 131 7173 (open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday, from outside the UK call +44 300 131 7173) or email them or use this contact form.  Please say you heard about them from Seat 61.

• Railbookers are a train travel specialist who can put together a holiday or short break to Spain by train as a package, with trains, hotels & transfers.  Their website offers a range of tours, holidays & breaks which can be customised to your requirements.  As you're booking a package, they'll take care of you if anything happens to one part of the itinerary such as a strike or delay.

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

    USA 1-888-829-4775, www.railbookers.com

    Canada 1-855-882-2910, www.railbookers.com

    Australia 1300 971 526, www.railbookers.com.au

    New Zealand 0800 000 554 or see website.

• Tailor Made Rail also offers packages from the UK to Spain by train which can be customised your requirements, one-way or round trip, with stopovers.  Or they can organise a trip entirely based on your requirements, they welcome complex itineraries!  As it's a package, they'll take care of you if anything happens, for example, a national strike.  They're TTA-protected - like ATOL, but not only for agencies that sell air travel.

  Call their dedicated seat61 phone line 020 3778 1461 and quote seat 61 when booking.  From outside the UK call +44 20 3778 1461.  Lines open 09:00-17:30 Monday-Friday.  Their website is www.tailormaderail.com/destinations/spain.

How to buy tickets by phone

• Online booking is cheaper as you avoid phone booking fees and can see which departures are cheapest for each stage of the journey.  You can usually only phone during office hours, online booking is 24/7.  But if you want to book by phone, see my list of UK ticketing agencies.

What's the journey like?

1. London to Paris by Eurostar

Eurostar trains link London & Paris in 2h20, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus and Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in as all border formalities are carried out before you board.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedure.  St Pancras station guide.  Paris Nord station guide.  How to change trains & stations in Paris.

Lunch in Paris?

Why not allow time for lunch at the famous Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon before catching the Barcelona Express?  Or at least have a coffee or beer in the bar, which makes an excellent VIP waiting lounge.  More about the Train Bleu restaurant.

The train to Barcelona leaves from the magnificent Gare de Lyon in central Paris, see station guide.

2. Paris to Barcelona by TGV  See video guide

The Paris-Barcelona trains are impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) TGV Duplex double-deck high-speed trains.  You board through a wide sliding door into a small hall at one end of the lower deck.  An internal door opens into a lower deck seating area and a short & easy flight of stairs leads from the entrance door to a landing at one end of the upper deck.  You walk along the train from car to car at the upper level, the café-bar is also at the upper level.  There are toilets & luggage racks both upstairs & downstairs, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  If you have problems with stairs or very heavy luggage, the lower deck might be best.  But for the best views (over the top of the occasional sound barrier on the high speed lines), choose an upper deck seat.  For couples in first class, an upper deck 'club duo' table-for-two is easily the nicest option.  Paris Gare de Lyon station guide.  Barcelona Sants station guide.

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

2.  Speeding down the Rhone Valley.  The train joins the Sud-Est high-speed line and accelerates smoothly to 186mph through the Paris suburbs, soon emerging into open country.  The train now speeds along the scenic Rhone Valley, passing pretty French villages with picturesque churches.  The dark line of the Massif Central mountains are on the far side of the valley to your right, and on a clear day you can see the snow-capped French Alps in the far distance to your left.  The TGV leaves the high-speed line towards Nîmes, continuing on the classic line.

Between Valence and Nîmes the train crosses a broad stretch of the River Rhone with a view of the wine-producing Chateau de Montfaucon on the right, www.chateaumontfaucon.com.

3.  Béziers.  After calling at Nimes and Montpelier, the train passes non-stop through Béziers station and crosses the River Orb.  Look to your right for a magnificent view of Béziers' 13th century cathedral.

Time for dinner?  Above left, food from the cafe-bar, a magret de canard avec pommes de terre and some wine.  Or feel free to bring your own picnic and bottle of red!

4.  The Mediterranean coast (above left).  Between Montpellier & Perpignan the train skirts the glistening Mediterranean coastline with deserted beaches & marshland.

5.  Vineyards (above right).  The train passes countless vineyards.  Glass o' red from the bar car, anyone?

6.  Étangs & flamingos.  The train passes numerous étangs (lakes), where flocks of flamingos stand one-legged in the shallows.

7. Fort de Salses.  Just before Perpignan, the train passes by the impressive Fort de Salses on the right, a 15th-century Catalan fortress captured in 1642 and French-held ever since, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_de_Salses.

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

9.  Barcelona Sants is in central Barcelona with plenty of taxis and a modern metro to all parts of Barcelona.  There are left luggage lockers (consigna), bars & restaurants.  More about Barcelona Sants station.

Video guide: Barcelona-Paris by TGV

The video takes you on a journey by TGV Duplex from Barcelona to Paris, showing the train & scenery.

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Option 2, London to Barcelona with overnight stop in Nîmes

If you want to avoid having to cross Paris, this is the option for you.  London to Barcelona with two easy same-station changes in Lille & Nimes.  I think Nîmes makes the best stopover given the timings, but the direct AVE from Nimes to Madrid also calls at Avignon TGV, Montpelier and Perpignan, so you could stop overnight at any of those places.

London ► Barcelona

• Day 1, travel from London to Lille by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 13:01 & arriving Lille Europe 15:27.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include lunch with wine.

  At Lille Europe it's an easy same-station change.  You've time for a coffee or beer between trains.

• Day 1, travel from Lille to Nimes by TGV, leaving Lille Europe at 17:01 and arriving Nîmes Centre 21:36.

  The TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Exact times may vary.

• Stay overnight in Nîmes.  The very inexpensive Ibis Budget Nimes Gare is just 50m from the station and gets good reviews.  The Ibis Styles Nimes Gare next door is a more upmarket option, but also inexpensive with good reviews.

• Day 2, travel from Nîmes to Barcelona by AVE, leaving Nîmes Centre at 09:01, arriving Figueres Vilafant 11:39, Girona 11:56, Barcelona Sants 12:38.

  This comfortable AVE S100 high-speed train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Look out for Béziers cathedral on the right, colonies of flamingos on the étangs (lakes) in southern France, the Fort de Salses on the right approaching Perpignan and great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees.

Barcelona ► London

• Day 1, travel from Barcelona to Nîmes by AVE, leaving Barcelona Sants at 16:34, Girona 17:16 or Figueres 17:33, arriving Nîmes Centre 20:32.

  This comfortable AVE S100 high-speed train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  In Barcelona, there's a brief X-ray baggage check at the entrance to the platforms.

  There are great views of Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees.  Look out for the Fort de Salses on the left just after Perpignan, and for colonies of flamingos on the étangs in southern France.

• Stay overnight in Nîmes.  The very inexpensive Ibis Budget Nimes Gare is just 50m from the station and gets good reviews.  The Ibis Styles Nimes Gare next door is a more upmarket option, but also inexpensive with good reviews.

• Day 2, travel from Nîmes to Lille Europe by high-speed TGV with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  On Mondays-Fridays you leave Nimes Pont du Gard at 09:33 and arrive Lille Europe 14:25.

  On Saturdays & Sundays you leave Nimes Centre at 09:25 and arrive Lille Europe 14:27.

  Nimes Centre is the original station in the city centre.  Nimes Pont du Gard is a new out-of-town station several kilometres outside the city, so you'll need a taxi or bus to reach it, or there's a regional train leaving Nîmes' city centre station at 08:50 which connects with the TGV, check times when you book.

  At Lille Europe it's an easy same-station change onto Eurostar.

• Day 2, travel from Lille to London by Eurostar, leaving Lille Europe at 15:30 arriving London St Pancras at 15:57.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

• Alternatively, spend a morning in Nimes and leave Nîmes' city centre station at 15:19, change at Lille and arrive London St Pancras 21:57 (21:27 Saturdays).  See the UK to France page for details of Nimes-London train service.

How much does it cost?

• London to Lille by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way, £78 return in Standard or £97 one-way, £168 return in Plus (1st class).

• Lille to Nimes by TGV starts at €25 each way 2nd class or €45 in 1st class.

• Nimes to Barcelona by AVE high-speed train starts at €35 each way 2nd class or €45 in 1st class.

• These fares work like air fares, so book ahead and avoid busy days or dates for the cheapest rates.  Children under 4 free.

How to buy tickets

• Step 1, book from London to Nîmes at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com and add it to your basket.

  If you're returning, you should book this as a round trip because Eurostar return fares are cheaper than two one-ways.  With the onward French & Spanish trains it doesn't matter, a return is two one-ways.

  If you have any problems getting it to offer a journey via Lille, book London to Lille & back, add to basket, book Lille to Nîmes, add to basket, book Nîmes to Lille, add to basket & check out.  It makes no difference to the price and it's separate tickets either side of Lille in any case.

• Step 2, still on www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, book from Nimes to Barcelona, add to basket and check out.

• Booking for Eurostar opens up to 11 months ahead, for French trains up to 4 months ahead.  Spanish AVE trains open anything between 2 weeks and 9 months ahead depending how Renfe is feeling.  You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.  More about when booking opens.

  After booking, use Manage your booking at www.eurostar.com to choose a better seat from a seat map.  See tips on choosing the best seats.

• Alternatively, you can book Eurostar & TGV with no booking fee at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com and book the Spanish AVE at Renfe's website www.renfe.com (see my advice on using it).

Or use an Interrail pass

• See the advice here.

What's the journey like?

1. London to Lille by Eurostar

Eurostar trains link London & Lille in 1h22, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Plus and Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedure.  St Pancras station guide.  Lille station guide & tips on changing trains.

2. Lille to Nimes by TGV

TGV or Train á Grande Vitesse is French Railways high-speed train, with 1st & 2nd class and a cafe-bar.  They come in various types, some single-deck, some double-deck TGV Duplex, you could get either on cross-France routes from Lille.  Most have power sockets at seats, most now have free WiFi.  The photos below show a single-deck TGV with the Christian Lacroix designer interior.  The direct TGVs from Lille to Lyon by-pass Paris on a high-speed avoiding line via Charles de Gaulle Airport station.  More about TGV.

3. Nimes to Barcelona by AVE

These AVE type S100 have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  They are now run entirely by Renfe (Spanish Railways) with no SNCF (French Railways) involvement.  More about AVE S100 trains.  Barcelona Sants station guide.

2nd class seats (above left), all with power sockets & free WiFi. Panorama photo of 2nd class.

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

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Option 3, London to Barcelona overnight via Latour de Carol

The scenic route!  The Elipsos sleeper trains from Paris to Barcelona & Madrid were sadly discontinued in 2013, but it's still possible to leave London in the late afternoon by Eurostar, sleep in a couchette on an overnight train from Paris to the Pyrenees, then take a local train into Barcelona.  It's an interesting alternative to the high-speed option with great scenery through the mountains, watch the video here.  See route map.

London ► Barcelona

• Step 1, travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 16:31 arriving Paris Gare du Nord 19:58.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

  Cross Paris by taxi or métro to the Gare d'Austerlitz.

  There's a later Eurostar at 16:31, but I recommend taking an earlier departure for a more robust connection and to have dinner in Paris at the Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon.  After dinner, stroll over the bridge across the Seine to the Gare d'Austerlitz.

• Step 2, travel from Paris to Latour de Carol by sleeper train, leaving Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at 22:13, arriving Latour de Carol 10:10.

  The Intercité de Nuit has 1st class 4-berth couchettes, 2nd class 6-berth couchettes & reclining seats.  The train has power sockets at all berths & free WiFi.  More about Intercités de Nuit.

  This sleeper runs Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays all year, daily from June to September.  It should run daily all year, but frequency is reduced in 2025 due to badly-planned trackwork affecting both possible routes between Paris & Toulouse.

  Check your date using www.raileurope.com, www.thetrainline.com or www.sncf-connect.com, this train should appear 4 months out, but usually doesn't, the booking horizon is often much shorter than that for these night trains, occasionally as little as a month ahead.

  If you want privacy you can book a whole 1st class 4-berth compartment for 1, 2 or 3 people (or a whole 2nd class 6-berth compartment for 5 people) by paying the Espace Privatif supplement.

  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 almost unique in being served by trains of three different track gauges:  Spanish broad gauge from Barcelona, French standard gauge to Toulouse and Paris, and French narrow gauge as it's also the terminus for the celebrated Petit Train Jaune.  It's sometimes known as Latour de Carol-Enveitg, and in Catalan it's La Tor de Querol-Enveig.

  You can have breakfast in the Bistro de la Gare on the station forecourt, www.facebook.com/bistrotdutrainjaune.

• Step 3, travel from Latour de Carol to Barcelona by local train, leaving Latour at 10:25, arriving Barcelona Sants 13:45.

  The local train is comfortable, air-conditioned with 2nd class seats, luggage space & toilet.  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.

  If the sleeper is late, the next local train leaves at 13:26.

  You will not, I repeat, not find these local trains listed on normal train journey planners, so pay attention!!!!

  You can check times from La Tor de Querol to Barcelona Sants at the Barcelona suburban trains website, rodalies.gencat.cat/en.

  Do not look too far ahead, timetable data may only be loaded for a month or so ahead.

  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 de Catalunya.  Search from La Tor de Querol-Enveig to Barcelona Sants.  Easy when you know.

Barcelona ► London

• Step 1, travel from Barcelona to La Tour de Carol by local train, leaving Barcelona Sants at 14:31 arriving Latour de Carol 17:51.

  The local train is comfortable, air-conditioned with 2nd class seats, luggage space, toilet.  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 listed on normal train journey planners, so pay attention!!

  Check times for the Barcelona Sants to La Tor de Querol train at the Barcelona suburban trains website rodalies.gencat.cat/en.

  Do not look too far ahead, timetable data may only be loaded for a month or so ahead.

  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 de Catalunya.  Search from Barcelona Sants to La Tor de Querol-Enveig.  Easy when you know how.

• Step 2, travel from Latour de Carol to Paris by sleeper train, leaving Latour de Carol at 18:48 & arriving Paris Gare d'Austerlitz 07:03.

  The Intercité de Nuit has 1st class 4-berth couchettes, 2nd class 6-berth couchettes & reclining seats.  The train has power sockets at all berths & free WiFi.  More about Intercités de Nuit.

  This sleeper runs Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays all year, daily from June to September.  It should run daily all year, but frequency is reduced in 2025 due to badly-planned trackwork affecting both possible routes between Paris & Toulouse.  Times may vary.

  Check your date using www.raileurope.com, www.thetrainline.com or www.sncf-connect.com.  This train should appear 4 months out, but usually doesn't, the booking horizon is often much shorter than that for these night trains, occasionally as little as a month ahead.

  If you want privacy you can book a whole 1st class 4-berth compartment for 1, 2 or 3 people (or a whole 2nd class 6-berth compartment for 5 people) by paying the Espace Privatif supplement.

  In summer when it's light, the first hour and a half snaking through the Pyrenees is beautiful.  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.

  In Paris, cross by métro or taxi to the Gare du Nord.

• Step 3, travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 09:12 and arriving London St Pancras 10:30.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include breakfast.

How much does it cost?

• London to Paris by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in Standard, £97 one-way or £168 return in Plus (1st class).

• Paris to Latour de Carol starts at €22 in a reclining seat, €29 in a 6-berth 2nd class couchette or €60 in a 4-berth 1st class couchette. 

• Latour de Carol to Barcelona costs a fixed-price €12, paid in cash on the train, no reservation or pre-booking necessary or possible.

• Eurostar and sleeper fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

How to buy tickets

• Step 1, book from London to Paris at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com and add to basket.

  Both are easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem.  Small booking fee.

  If you're returning, book Eurostar as a round trip, as return fares are cheaper than two one ways. 

  Booking for Eurostar opens up to 11 months ahead.  You print your own tickets or show them on your phone. 

  After booking, use Manage your booking at www.eurostar.com to choose a better seat from a seat map.  See tips on choosing a seat.

• Step 2, still on www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, book from Paris to Latour de Carol, add to basket and check out.

  Booking for French trains opens up to 4 months ahead, but for Intercités de Nuit it can be less than this, even as little as 1 month. 

  French trains are priced one-way, so if you're returning you can book one way at a time if you find that easier.

• Alternatively, you can book from London to Paris at www.eurostar.com, then book the Paris to Latour train at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com, more work but no booking fee.

• Step 2, the local ticket from Latour de Carol to Barcelona cannot be booked online and doesn't need to be booked in advance.

  Southbound, simply get on the train and pay the conductor on board in cash, no reservation is necessary or possible, it cannot sell out. This ticket can't be bought from the French SNCF-run ticket office at Latour de Carol.  I repeat, simply get on the train and pay on board!  It's a good idea to have cash on you in case their card machine doesn't work, but conductors on this route can normally take credit cards.

  Northbound, buy a ticket from the Rodalies (suburban) ticket office at Barcelona Sants.  You can't buy tickets to Latour using the ticket machines.  Tickets cannot sell out, it's only a local train.

Or use an Interrail pass

• See the advice here.

What's the journey like?

1. London to Paris by Eurostar

Eurostar trains link London & Paris in 2h20, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Plus and Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedure.  St Pancras station guide.  Paris Gare du Nord station guide.  How to change trains & stations in Paris by metro or taxi.

2. Paris to Latour de Carol by French overnight train

The intercité de nuit overnight train from Paris to Latour de Carol has 1st class couchettes in 4-berth compartments & 2nd class couchettes in 6-berth compartments, each bunk supplied with lightweight sleeping-bag & mineral water.  More about intercités de nuit.  Watch the video guide.  Paris Austerlitz station guide.

The sleeper train heads into the Pyrenees beyond Foix.

More mountain scenery in the Pyrenees.

Latour de Carol, where two nations, two trains and three track gauges meet.  This is the huge international station building.  The station bistro is on the forecourt, just out of shot to the left.

The inexpensive Bistro de la Gare (above right) on the forecourt at Latour de Carol is ideal for breakfast or a coffee between trains, check opening hours at www.facebook.com/bistrotdutrainjaune.  Courtesy of Adrian Fuentes.

3. Latour de Carol to  Barcelona by local train

This is a simple local train, technically classified suburban (Cercanias in Spanish, Rodalies in Catalan) even though this is a very rural route.  2nd class only, no catering so have some supplies with you.

Latour de Carol, where two nations, two trains and two track gauges meet.  On the right, the French standard-gauge overnight couchette train arrived from Paris.  On the left, the Spanish broad-gauge suburban train about to leave for Barcelona.  In Fact, there's also a third train & gauge at Latour, the narrow-gauge Petit Train Jaune to Perpignan, its platform is behind the couchette cars shown here.

The air-conditioned local train from Latour to Barcelona.  2nd class only.  Bring your own food & drink.  The 'R' stands for Rodalies, Catalan for suburban network.

The snow gives way to autumnal browns & golds as the train to Barcelona wends its way south.

Watch the video - By slow train across the Pyrenees

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Option 4, London to Barcelona overnight via Perpignan/Cerbère

This runs daily in summer, Fridays & Sundays the rest of the year.  It's similar to option 3, but instead of going through the Pyrenees using the overnight train from Paris to Latour de Carol, you use the Paris-Perpignan-Cerbère night train and go around the southern end of the Pyrenees.  The sleeper runs along the scenic Côte Vermeille coastline through Collioure & Port-Vendres to Cerbère, you then take a local train from Cerbère to Figueres, Girona & Barcelona.  Or you can get off the sleeper at Perpignan and take a high-speed train to Barcelona, which is faster but more expensive.  The Paris-Cerbère sleeper is a useful alternative to the Paris-Latour de Carol train, as sometimes the Paris-Cerbère train runs when the one to Latour de Carol is affected by engineering work.  However, the Paris-Cerbère sleeper isn't daily all year, it's daily in summer, only on Fridays & Sundays at other times.  See route map.

London ► Barcelona

• Step 1, travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 15:31 arriving Paris Gare du Nord 18:50.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

  Cross Paris by taxi or métro to the Gare d'Austerlitz.

  Consider taking an earlier Eurostar for a more robust connection and to have dinner in Paris, perhaps at the Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon.  After dinner, stroll over the bridge across the Seine to the Gare d'Austerlitz.

• Step 2, travel from Paris to Perpignan or Cerbère by Intercité de Nuit, leaving Paris Austerlitz at 20:25, arriving Perpignan 08:38 & Cerbère 09:26.

  The Intercité de Nuit has 1st class 4-berth couchettes, 2nd class 6-berth couchettes & reclining seats.  The train has power sockets at all berths & free WiFi.  More about Intercités de Nuit.

  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.  Timings vary, it leaves Paris at 20:08 some dates.

  If you want privacy you can book a whole 1st class 4-berth compartment for 1, 2 or 3 people (or a whole 2nd class 6-berth compartment for 5 people) by paying the Espace Privatif supplement.

  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.

• Step 3, travel from Perpignan or Cerbère to Barcelona:

  The fastest option is to get off the sleeper at Perpignan and use the high-speed line to Barcelona.  A high-speed AVE leaves Perpignan at 11:18 arriving Barcelona Sants 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 Cerbère and take the slower classic route along the coast.  A local train leaves Cerbère at 12:04 on weekdays, arriving Barcelona Sants 15:10.  On Saturdays & Sundays, leave Cerbère 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.  2nd class only and no catering, so bring your own food & drink.

Barcelona ► London

• Step 1, travel from Barcelona to either Cerbère or Perpignan:

  The cheapest option is to use the slower classic route along the coast.  A local train leaves Barcelona Sants at 15:16 arriving Cerbère 17:56.

  Or an earlier train leaves Barcelona Sants at 13:16 arriving Cerbère 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 with no catering, bring your own food & drink.

  The fastest option is to use the modern high-speed line from Barcelona to Perpignan:  A high-speed AVE train leaves Barcelona Sants at 16:34 arriving Perpignan 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.

• Step 2, travel from Cerbère or Perpignan to Paris by Intercité de Nuit, leaving Cerbère at 18:59 or Perpignan at 19:46, arriving Paris Gare d'Austerlitz at 06:40 next morning.

  The Intercité de Nuit has 1st class 4-berth couchettes, 2nd class 6-berth couchettes & reclining seats.  The train has power sockets at all berths & free WiFi.  More about Intercités de Nuit.

  If you want privacy you can book a whole 1st class 4-berth compartment for 1, 2 or 3 people (or a whole 2nd class 6-berth compartment for 5 people) by paying the Espace Privatif supplement.

  In summer when it's light, it's a lovely run from Cerbère to Perpignan along the Côte Vermeille coastline through Collioure & Port Vendres.

  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, and early July to late August 2024.  Timings may vary significantly, so check online.

  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.

• Step 3, travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, normally leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 09:12 and arriving London St Pancras 10:30.

How much does it cost?

• London to Paris by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in Standard, £97 one-way or £168 return in Plus (1st class).

• Paris to Perpignan or Cerbère starts at €22 in a reclining seat, €29 in a 6-berth 2nd class couchette or €60 in a 4-berth 1st class couchette.

• Perpignan to Barcelona by high-speed train starts at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class.

• Cerbère to Barcelona by local train costs around €14, fixed-price, unlimited availability, buy at the station.

• All these fares except the last one vary like air fares, so book ahead.

How to buy tickets

• Step 1, book from London to Paris at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com and add to basket.

  Both are easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem.  Small booking fee.

  If you're returning, book Eurostar as a round trip, as return fares are cheaper than two one ways. 

  Booking for Eurostar opens up to 11 months ahead.  You print your own tickets or show them on your phone. 

  After booking, use Manage your booking at www.eurostar.com to choose a better seat from a seat map.  See tips on choosing a seat.

• Step 2, still on www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, book from Paris to Perpignan or Cerbère and add to basket.

  Booking for French trains opens up to 4 months ahead, but for Intercités de Nuit it can be less than this, even as little as 1 month. 

  French trains are priced one-way, so if you're returning you can book one way at a time if you find that easier.

• Step 3, if you plan to use the AVE between Perpignan and Barcelona, book this at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, add to basket and check out.  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.

• Step 3 if you plan to use the local train between Cerbère & Barcelona:

  You cannot book this local ticket online and don't need to.  The price is fixed, it cannot sell out, no reservation necessary.  Southbound, buy it at the station at Cerbère.  Northbound, buy it from the Rodalies (suburban) ticket office at Barcelona Sants.

• Alternatively, you can book direct with the operators with no booking fee, although it means more work on multiple websites:  Book from London to Paris at www.eurostar.com, then book the Paris to Perpignan/Cerbère train at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com.  Perpignan-Barcelona can be booked at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com.

Or use an Interrail pass

• See the advice here.

What's the journey like?

1. London to Paris by Eurostar

Eurostar trains link London & Paris in 2h20, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Plus and Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedure.  St Pancras station guide.  Paris Gare du Nord station guide.  How to change trains & stations in Paris by metro or taxi.

Eurostar e320 at St Pancras.  More about Eurostar.		1st class: Plus or Premier seating.

Standard class.  Larger photo.		One of two cafe-bars, cars 8 & 9.  Larger photo.

2. Paris to Perpignan or Cerbère by French overnight train

The intercité de nuit overnight train from Paris to Perpignan & Cerbère has 1st class couchettes in 4-berth compartments & 2nd class couchettes in 6-berth compartments, each bunk supplied with lightweight sleeping-bag & mineral water.  More about intercités de nuit.  Watch the video guide.  Paris Austerlitz station guide.

Intercité de nuit sleeper train at Paris Gare d'Austerlitz.  More about Intercités de Nuit.

2nd class 6-berth couchettes.		A cosy 2nd class couchette.

1st class couchette, made up for the night.		1st class 4-berth couchettes.

Wake up to coastal views like this.  Photo courtesy of Philip Dyer-Perry.

3. Cerbère to Figueres, Girona & Barcelona by local train

This is a simple local train, technically classified suburban (Cercanias in Spanish, Rodalies in Catalan).  2nd class only, no catering so have some supplies with you.

The local train from Cerbère to Barcelona.  Courtesy of Philip Dyer-Perry.

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London to Madrid & Zaragoza

The Elipsos sleeper train from Paris to Madrid was discontinued in 2013 and is sadly missed, but it's still easy to travel from London or Paris to Madrid by train, with an overnight stop in Paris or Barcelona.  If you want to avoid crossing Paris, option 2 takes you London-Lille-Nîmes on day 1, overnight stop, then Nîmes to Madrid by direct high-speed AVE on day 2.  Also worth considering is the northern route in option 3 with an overnight stop in San Sebastian, this can often be cheaper.

For Zaragoza, use either option 1 or 2, simply book from Barcelona or Nîmes to Zaragoza instead of Madrid.

Which route to choose?

  Option 1, by Eurostar & Paris-Barcelona TGV with overnight stop in either Paris or Barcelona - fastest, with two departures per day

  Option 2, by Eurostar & Lille-Nîmes TGV, with overnight stop in Nîmes - avoids crossing Paris if that's important to you

  Option 3, by Eurostar & Paris-Hendaye TGV with overnight stop in San Sebastian - often cheapest, with a chance to see Basque country.

  Option 4, by ferry from Portsmouth to Santander or Bilbao then train - the ferry alternative!

Option 1, London to Madrid via Barcelona

London ► Madrid (morning departure, overnight in Barcelona)

• Day 1, travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 09:31 every day, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 12:50.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include breakfast.

  Cross Paris by metro or taxi to the Gare de Lyon, just 2 stops on RER line D.  Why not book an earlier Eurostar and have lunch at the wonderful Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon?

• Day 1, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 14:42, arriving Barcelona Sants 21:29.

  The impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has 1st & 2nd class, a café-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  The train speeds along the Rhône valley past pretty villages & picturesque churches, then past Béziers cathedral, flamingos on the étangs (lakes) in southern France, the Fort de Salses approaching Perpignan and the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou in the Pyrenees.  More about the journey.

• Stay overnight in Barcelona.  The Hotel Barcelo Sants is top choice here, it's located above Barcelona Sants station itself and gets great reviews, with nice rooms, a great breakfast buffet and a delightfully kitsch space theme.  Alternatively, the Nobu Hotel and AC Sants Hotel by Marriot are both just across the road from the station.  Other suggested hotels near the station.

• Day 2, travel from Barcelona Sants to Madrid Atocha by AVE high-speed train using any suitable departure.

  These leave almost every hour taking as little as 2h30 at up to 320 km/h.  For example, you could leave Barcelona Sants at 07:00 arriving Madrid Atocha at 09:30, or at 09:00 arriving Madrid Atocha 11:45, or there are earlier or later trains.

  See www.raileurope.com, www.thetrainline.com or www.renfe.com for train times & fares.

  You can also travel from Barcelona to Madrid by Iryo, or lo-cost Ouigo or Avlo train, see the Barcelona to Madrid page.

  Remember that at Spanish stations there's a brief X-ray baggage check at the entrance to the platforms for long-distance & high-speed trains.  If you buy a Premium ticket you can use the Sala Club 1st class lounge at Barcelona Sants for up to 2 hours before your train leaves.

London ► Madrid (evening departure, overnight in Paris)

• Day 1, travel from London to Paris by any evening Eurostar you like.

  The last Eurostar leaves London St Pancras at 20.01 arriving Paris Gare du Nord 23:18, but by all means book an earlier one.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

  Cross Paris by metro or taxi to the Gare de Lyon.

• Stay overnight in Paris.  If you want a hotel on arrival at the Gare du Nord, I recommend the excellent 25 Hours Terminus Nord, directly across the road from the Gare du Nord with great feedback from Seat61 users.  If you'd rather stay at the Gare de Lyon ready for the morning train to Spain, the Mercure Paris Gare De Lyon is part of the Gare de Lyon station complex with great reviews for staff, cleanliness & comfort.  Other suggested hotels near the Gare du Nord or Gare de Lyon.

• Day 2, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 07:42 daily & arriving Barcelona Sants at 14:29.

  Until 14 December 2024 this train leaves Paris Gare de Lyon at 09:42, arriving Barcelona Sants 16:31.

  The impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has 1st & 2nd class, a café-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  The train speeds along the Rhône valley past pretty villages & picturesque churches, then past Béziers cathedral, flamingos on the étangs (lakes) in southern France, the Fort de Salses approaching Perpignan and the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou in the Pyrenees.  More about the journey.

• Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Madrid by AVE S103, leaving Barcelona Sants at 15:25 Mondays-Fridays arriving Madrid Atocha 17:55.

  Or leave Barcelona Sants by Iryo at 15:55 daily except Saturdays, arriving Madrid Atocha 18:40.

  Or leave Barcelona Sants by AVE S103 at 16:00 every day, arriving Madrid Atocha 19:12.

  Until 14 December, you leave Barcelona Sants at 18:25 arriving Madrid Atocha 20:55.

  If you pay the AVE Premium fare you can use the Sala Club 1st class lounge at Barcelona Sants for up to 2 hours before your train leaves.  Remember that at Spanish stations there's a brief X-ray baggage check at the entrance to the platforms for long-distance & high-speed trains.

Madrid ► London (in a single day)

• Step 1, travel from Madrid to Barcelona by lo-cost Avlo train, leaving Madrid Atocha at 06:15 arriving Barcelona Sants at 08:45.

  The lo-cost Avlo train is one-class only, no catering, free WiFi.  Check the baggage limits & fees carefully.

• Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex, leaving Barcelona Sants at 09:28, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon 16:12.

  The impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has 1st & 2nd class, a café-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.  More about this TGV & the journey.

  In Barcelona there's a brief X-ray baggage check to access the platforms.

  The train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees with views of 2,784m Mt Canigou, after Perpignan it passes the Fort de Salses and colonies of flamingos on the lakes in southern France.  Look out for Béziers cathedral on the left.  It then speeds along the Rhône Valley towards Paris.

  Cross Paris by metro or taxi, just 2 stops on RER line D.

  Why not have an early dinner in Paris and catch a later Eurostar?  The Brasserie Terminus Nord (www.terminusnord.com) is good and typically French, and it's directly opposite the Gare du Nord. Oysters and Sancerre!

• Step 3, travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 19:12 arriving London St Pancras 20:30.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

Madrid ► London (with overnight stop in Paris)

• Day 1, travel from Madrid to Barcelona by AVE, leaving Madrid Atocha at 11:30, arriving Barcelona Sants 14:42.

  Or on Mondays-Saturdays, you can leave Madrid Atocha by Iryo at 12:25, arriving Barcelona Sants 15:10.

  Until 14 December 2024, leave Madrid Atocha at 09:30, arriving Barcelona Sants 12:37.

  AVE & Iryo high-speed trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• Day 1, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex, leaving Barcelona Sants at 16:25, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon 23:18.

  Until 14 December 2024, this train leaves Barcelona Sants at 13:25, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon 20:18.

  The impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has 1st & 2nd class, a café-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.  More about this TGV & the journey.

  In Barcelona there's a brief X-ray baggage check to access the platforms.

  The train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees with views of 2,784m Mt Canigou, after Perpignan it passes the Fort de Salses and colonies of flamingos on the lakes in southern France.  Look out for Béziers cathedral on the left.  It then speeds along the Rhône Valley towards Paris.

  Change stations in Paris by metro or taxi from the Gare de Lyon to the Gare du Nord.

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

• Day 2, travel from Paris to London on any Eurostar you like.

  The first Eurostar leaves Paris Gare du Nord at 07:12 Mondays-Saturdays arriving London St Pancras 08:30, or at 08:12 on Sundays, arriving 09:30.

  You can reach central London for the start of the working day!

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

How much does it cost?

• London to Paris by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in Standard, £97 one-way or £168 return in Plus (1st class).

• Paris to Barcelona by TGV starts at €39 each way 2nd class, €59 each way 1st class.

• Barcelona to Madrid by AVE high-speed train starts at €17.05 in standard class or €68.05 in comfort class.

• All these fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.  Children under 4 free.

• Free suburban train travel in Barcelona & Madrid:  If you have a long-distance Barcelona-Madrid train ticket you can get free suburban train (Cercanias) travel between any Renfe Rodalies (suburban) station in the Barcelona area and Barcelona Sants, and between Madrid Atocha and any Renfe Cercanias (suburban) station in the Madrid area with CombinadoCercanias.

How to buy tickets

• Buy tickets from London to Madrid at Raileurope.com as explained here.

• If you want to go from London to Madrid in a single day, book from London to Madrid all in one go.

• If overnighting in Barcelona, you should book from London to Barcelona on day 1, add to basket, then book from Barcelona to Madrid on day 2, add to basket and check out, paying for both journeys as one transaction.

• If overnighting in Paris, you should book from London (or any other station in Britain) to Paris on day 1, add to basket, then book from Paris to Madrid as one journey on day 2, add to basket, and check out, paying for both journeys as one transaction.

• Raileurope doesn't sell Avlo trains, if you need an Avlo use www.thetrainline.com.

• Book a hotel in Barcelona here.

Or use an Interrail pass

• See the advice here.

What's the journey like?

1. London to Paris by Eurostar

Eurostar trains link London & Paris in 2h20, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Plus and Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in at London St Pancras as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedure.  St Pancras station guide.  Paris Gare du Nord station guide.  How to change trains & stations in Paris by metro or taxi.

Eurostar e320 at St Pancras.  More about Eurostar.		1st class: Plus or Premier seating.

Standard class.  Larger photo.		One of two cafe-bars, cars 8 & 9.  Larger photo.

2. Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex

Sit back with a glass of red and enjoy the ride - book an upper deck seat for the best views.  The train has power sockets at all seats & free WiFi in both classes, a cafe-bar serves drinks, snacks & microwaved hot dishes.  More about Paris-Barcelona TGVs.  Paris Gare de Lyon station guide.  Barcelona Sants station guide.

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

Cafe-bar on upper deck car 4, serving tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine, beer, snacks & microwaved hot dishes.		2nd class seats on upper deck with a mix of tables for 4 & unidirectional seating.  360º photo.

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

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

3. Barcelona to Madrid by AVE

AVEs have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Madrid Atocha station guide.

A Barcelona-Madrid AVE (type S103) at Barcelona Sants.  See virtual tour

Comfort (1st) class seating on an AVE train.		Cafe-bar on an S103 AVE train.

A meal is included if you pay the Premium fare.		Standard (2nd class) seating on an AVE.

View shortly after leaving Barcelona, the jagged mountain in the distance is Montserrat, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montserrat_(mountain).  Courtesy of www.youtube.com/c/nonstopeurotrip.

Scenery from an AVE train from Barcelona to Madrid.

Mountain ridge.

Central Spain.

Poppies colour the fields red.

Madrid Atocha station:  One of my favourite stations, the old trainshed has been preserved and turned into a tropical garden, see Madrid Atocha station guide.

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Option 2, London to Madrid with overnight stop in Nîmes

If you want to avoid having to cross Paris, this is the option for you.  London to Madrid with just one easy same-station change in Lille and another in Nimes.  I reckon Nîmes makes the best stopover given the timings, but the direct AVE from Nimes to Madrid also calls at Avignon TGV, Montpelier and Perpignan, so you could stop overnight at any of those places instead.

London ► Madrid

• Day 1, travel from London to Lille by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 13:01 & arriving Lille Europe 15:27.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

  At Lille Europe it's an easy same-station change, with time for a coffee or beer between trains.

• Day 1, travel from Lille to Nimes by TGV, leaving Lille Europe at 17:01 & arriving Nîmes Centre at 21:36.

  The TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  This train by-passes Paris to the east.

• Stay overnight in Nîmes.  The inexpensive Ibis Budget Nimes Gare is just 50m from the station and gets good reviews.  The Ibis Styles Nimes Gare next door is a more upmarket option, but also inexpensive with good reviews.

• Day 2, travel from Nîmes to Madrid by AVE, leaving Nîmes Centre at 09:01 and arriving Madrid Atocha 15:45.

  This comfortable AVE S100 high-speed train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Look out for Béziers cathedral, colonies of flamingos on the étangs (lakes) in southern France, the Fort de Salses approaching Perpignan and views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees.  This train also calls at Zaragoza.

Madrid ► London

• Day 1, travel from Madrid to Nîmes by AVE, leaving Madrid Atocha at 13:25, arriving Nîmes Centre 20:32.

  This comfortable AVE S100 high-speed train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  There are views of Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees.  Look out for the Fort de Salses on the left just after Perpignan, and for colonies of flamingos on the lakes in southern France.  This train also calls at Zaragoza.

• Stay overnight in Nîmes.  The inexpensive Ibis Budget Nimes Gare is just 50m from the station and gets good reviews.  The Ibis Styles Nimes Gare next door is a more upmarket option, but also inexpensive with good reviews.

• Day 2, travel from Nîmes to Lille Europe by high-speed TGV with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  On Mondays-Fridays you leave Nimes Pont du Gard at 09:33 and arrive Lille Europe at 14:25.

  On Saturdays & Sundays you leave Nimes Centre at 09:25 and arrive Lille Europe at 14:27.

  Nimes Centre is the original station in the city centre.  Nimes Pont du Gard is a new out-of-town station several kilometres outside the city, so you'll need a taxi or bus to reach it, or there's a regional train leaving Nîmes' city centre station at 08:45 which connects with the TGV, check times when you book.

  At Lille Europe it's an easy same-station change onto Eurostar.

• Day 2, travel from Lille to London by Eurostar, leaving Lille Europe at 15:30 arriving London St Pancras 15:57.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

• Alternatively, spend a morning in Nimes and leave Nimes Centre at 15:19, change at Lille, arriving London St Pancras 21:57 (21:27 Saturdays), see the Nimes-London timetable here.

How much does it cost?

• London to Lille by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way, £78 return in Standard or £97 one-way, £168 return in Plus (1st class).

• Lille to Nîmes by TGV starts at €25 each way 2nd class or €45 in 1st class.

• Nîmes to Madrid by AVE starts at €44 each way 2nd class or €54 in 1st class.

• These fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.  Children under 4 free.

How to buy tickets

• Step 1, book London to Nîmes at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com and add to basket.

  These sites allow you to book all your trains together in one place, in plain English, in €, £ or $.  Small booking fee.

  If you're returning, book this as a round trip because Eurostar return fares are cheaper than two one-ways.  With onward French & Spanish trains it doesn't matter, a return is simply two one-ways.

  If you have any problems finding a journey via Lille, book London to Lille & back, add to basket, book Lille to Nîmes, add to basket, book Nîmes to Lille, add to basket & check out.  It makes no difference to the price as you get separate tickets either side of Lille in any case.

• Step 2, still on www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, book from Nimes to Madrid one-way and add to basket.  If returning, book Madrid to Nimes one-way, add to basket and check out.

• Booking for Eurostar opens up to 11 months ahead, for French trains up to 4 months ahead.  Spanish trains open anything between 2 weeks and 9 months ahead depending how Renfe is feeling.  You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.  More about when booking opens.

  After booking, use Manage your booking at www.eurostar.com to choose a better seat from a seat map.  See tips on choosing the best seats.

• Alternatively, you can book Eurostar & TGV with no booking fee at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com and book the Spanish AVE between Nîmes & Madrid using Renfe's website www.renfe.com (see my advice on using it).

Or use an Interrail pass

• See the advice here.

What's the journey like?

1. London to Lille by Eurostar

Eurostar trains link London & Lille in 1h22, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Plus and Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedure.  St Pancras station guide.  Lille station guide & tips on changing trains.

2. Lille to Nîmes by TGV

TGV or Train á Grande Vitesse is French Railways high-speed train, with 1st & 2nd class and a cafe-bar.  They come in various types, some single-deck, some double-deck TGV Duplex, you could get either on cross-France routes from Lille.  Most have power sockets at seats, most now have free WiFi.  The photos below show a single-deck TGV with the Christian Lacroix designer interior.  The direct TGVs from Lille to Lyon by-pass Paris on a high-speed avoiding line via Charles de Gaulle Airport station.  More about TGV.

3. Nîmes to Madrid by AVE

These AVE type S100 have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  They are now run entirely by Renfe (Spanish Railways) with no SNCF (French Railways) involvement.  More about AVE S100 trains.  Madrid Atocha station guide.

2nd class seats (above left), all with power sockets & free WiFi. Panorama photo of 2nd class.

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

Scenery from the high-speed AVE between Barcelona & Madrid.  Courtesy of DiscoverByRail.com.

Madrid Atocha station:  One of my favourite stations, the grand old trainshed has been preserved and turned into a tropical garden.  See the Madrid Atocha station guide.

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Option 3, London to Madrid with overnight stop in San Sebastian

This is slower than options 1 or 2, but often cheaper.  And what's not to like about a stopover in San Sebastian?

London ► Madrid

• Day 1, travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 10:24, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 13:50.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include breakfast.

  Cross Paris by metro or taxi to the Gare Montparnasse.

• Day 1, travel from Paris to Hendaye by TGV Duplex Océane, leaving Paris Gare Montparnasse at 16:11 arriving Hendaye 20:47.

  The TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the TGV photos above.  Times vary, check your date at www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com.  Make sure you allow around 90 minutes between trains across Paris.

  Hendaye is a small town on the French side of the Spanish border.  If you've time for coffee, I recommend the Cafe Olé across the road.

• Day 1, at Hendaye walk out of the station and turn right to the little Euskotren station just 50m away.  Buy a ticket from the ticket machines or staffed counter with cash or card and hop on the half-hourly metro train from Hendaye to San Sebastian Amara.

  These run every 30 minutes taking 37 minutes, check times at www.euskotren.eus.  More about Hendaye-San Sebastian by Euskotren.

  In San Sebastian it's a 10 minute walk from Euskotren's Amara station to the Renfe station, see walking map.  The Renfe station is currently being reconstructed, access to the platforms is on the far side of the tracks so allow a little extra time.

• Stay overnight in San Sebastian, 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.   If you want to push the boat out, San Sebastian's most venerable hotel (which I can recommend personally, having stayed there) is the Hotel de Londres y Inglaterra, on the sea front.

• Day 2, travel from San Sebastian to Madrid by Alvia train, leaving San Sebastian Renfe station at 09:02 arriving Madrid Chamartin 13:56.

  If you need to be in Madrid earlier, on Mondays-Fridays an Intercity train leaves San Sebastian at 05:02 arriving Madrid Chamartin 09:57.

  If you'd like a day in San Sebastian, there are afternoon trains too, check at www.thetrainline.com, www.raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.

  These Alvia S120 & Intercity trains have a cafe-bar and power sockets at all seats, a pleasure to travel in.  There's great scenery winding down out of the Pyrenees after leaving San Sebastian.  They have an interesting party trick:  Half way through the journey they pass slowly through a shed, wheels adjust from Iberian gauge (5'6") to standard gauge (4'8½") before joining the modern high-speed line to Madrid.

Madrid ► London

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

  Alternatively, an earlier Intercity train leaves Madrid Chamartin at 14:46 daily except Saturdays, arriving San Sebastian Renfe station 19:33.

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

  These Alvia S120 & Intercity trains have a cafe-bar.  They have an interesting party trick:  After travelling at up to 250 km/h on the high-speed line from Madrid, they slow down and pass through a shed at 20 km/h where wheels 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.

  In San Sebastian it's a 10 minute walk from the Renfe station to Euskotren's Amara station, see walking route.

• Stay overnight in San Sebastian, 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, travel from San Sebastian Amara to Hendaye on the 07:45 or 08:15 Euskotren.  These metro trains run every 30 minutes, journey time 37 minutes, you can check times at www.euskotren.eus.  Buy a ticket from the ticket machines or staffed counter with cash or card and hop on the next train.  More about San Sebastian to Hendaye by Euskotren.

  At Hendaye the Euskotren station is just 50m from the mainline SNCF French Railways station, but allow plenty of time between trains.  The friendly Cafe Olé directly across the road from Hendaye SNCF station does excellent coffee and the best chocolatine you'll ever taste.

• Day 2, travel from Hendaye to Paris by high-speed TGV Duplex Océane, leaving Hendaye at 09:34 & arriving Paris Gare Montparnasse 14:22.

  The TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the TGV photos above.  Times vary (and earlier or later departures are possible), so check train times for your date of travel using www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.  Cross Paris by metro or taxi to the Gare du Nord.

• Day 2, travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 17:12 arriving in London St Pancras 18:32.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

How much does it cost?

• London to Paris by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in Standard, £97 one-way or £168 return in Plus (1st class).

• Paris to Hendaye by TGV starts at €25 each way 2nd class, €45 each way 1st class.

• Hendaye to San Sebastian costs €2.75, paid at the station on the day.

• San Sebastian to Madrid starts at €17 in standard or €22 in comfort.

• All these fares (except Hendaye-San Sebastian) vary like air fares so book ahead.

How to buy tickets

• Step 1, book London to Paris at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com and add to basket.

  These sites allow you to book all your trains together in one place, in plain English, in €, £ or $.  Small booking fee.

  If you're returning, book Eurostar as a round trip because Eurostar return fares are cheaper than two one-ways.  With onward French & Spanish trains it doesn't matter, a return is simply two one-ways.

• Step 2, still on www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, book from Paris to Hendaye one-way and add to basket.  If returning, book Hendaye to Paris one-way, add to basket.

• Step 3, still on www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, book from San Sebastian to Madrid one-way and add to basket.  If returning, book to Madrid to San Sebastian one-way, add to basket and check out.

• Booking for Eurostar opens up to 11 months ahead, for French trains up to 4 months ahead.  Spanish trains open anything between 2 weeks and 9 months ahead depending how Renfe is feeling.  You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.  More about when booking opens.

  After booking, use Manage your booking at www.eurostar.com to choose a better seat from a seat map.  See tips on choosing the best seats.

• Alternatively, you can book Eurostar & TGV with no booking fee at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com and book the Spanish train between San Sebastian & Madrid using Renfe's website www.renfe.com (see my advice on using it).

• The Euskotren ticket from Hendaye to San Sebastian can be bought on the day at the station with coins or debit/credit card, no problem.

How to buy tickets by phone

• Online booking is cheaper as you avoid phone booking fees and can see which departures are cheapest for each stage of the journey.  You can usually only phone during office hours, online booking is 24/7.  But if you want to book by phone, see my list of UK ticketing agencies.

Or use an Interrail pass

• See the advice here.

What's the journey like?

1. London to Paris by Eurostar:  More about Eurostar

2. Paris to Hendaye by TGV Duplex Océane:  More about TGV Duplex Océane

3. Hendaye to San Sebastian by Euskotren:  See the San Sebastian section below

4. San Sebastian to Madrid by Alvia train

These smart S120 Alvia trains have a cafe-bar, some but not all have power sockets at seats.  There's great scenery winding down out of the Pyrenees after leaving San Sebastian.  Alvia trains have adjustable axles so they can leave San Sebastian on the classic Iberian-gauge line, at some point during the journey they pass through a gauge-changing shed at 20 km/h, then they run on the standard-gauge high-speed line at up to 250km/h the rest of the way to Madrid Chamartin.

Back to top

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London to Malaga, Cordoba, Seville

Which route to choose?

Here are several good options for travel from the UK to Andalusia & the Costa del Sol.  Option 1 is fastest, simplest and usually cheapest, if you don't mind changing trains & stations in Paris.  It's too far to do in a day, so you need to stop overnight in either Paris or Barcelona.  Option 2 takes a little longer, but involves a same-station change in Lille with no need to cross Paris and an overnight stop in Nîmes in the south of France.  Option 3 uses a French couchette train so saves on hotels and shows you some nice scenery.  You can of course go out one way and back another.

  Option 1, London to Cordoba, Seville, Malaga by Eurostar & TGV via Paris, with overnight stop in Paris or Barcelona - simplest, fastest, usually cheapest.

 Option 2, London to Cordoba, Seville, Malaga by Eurostar, TGV & AVE via Lille, with overnight stop in Nîmes - avoids crossing Paris, also fast.

  Option 3, London to Cordoba & Seville by Eurostar, French sleeper train & onward connections - the sleeper option!

  Option 4, London to Spain using a ferry from Portsmouth to Santander or Bilbao - the ferry alternative.

For Torremolinos, Fuengirola, Marbella & Estepona, travel to Malaga then take a frequent local train as explained here.

Option 1, London to Seville & Malaga via Barcelona

You can easily travel from London to Seville or Malaga by high-speed trains with an overnight stop in either Paris or Barcelona.

London ► Malaga, Cordoba, Seville (morning departure)

• Day 1, travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 09:31 every day, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 12:50.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include breakfast.

  Cross Paris by metro or taxi to the Gare de Lyon, just 2 stops on RER line D.

  Why not book an earlier Eurostar and have lunch at the wonderful Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon?

• Day 1, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 14:42 and arriving Barcelona Sants 21:29.

  The impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has 1st & 2nd class, a café-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  The train speeds along the Rhône valley past pretty villages & picturesque churches, then past Béziers cathedral, flamingos on the étangs (lakes) in southern France, the Fort de Salses approaching Perpignan and the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou in the Pyrenees.  More about the journey.

• Stay overnight in Barcelona.  The Hotel Barcelo Sants is top choice here, it's located above Barcelona Sants station itself and gets great reviews, with nice rooms, a great breakfast buffet and a delightfully kitsch space theme.  Alternatively, the Nobu Hotel and AC Sants Hotel by Marriot are both just across the road from the station.  Other suggested hotels near the station.

• Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Malaga by AVE, leaving Barcelona Sants at 08:35 arriving Malaga Maria Zambrano 14:51.

  Or to Cordoba & Seville by AVE, leaving Barcelona Sants at 08:35 arriving Cordoba 13:42 & Seville Santa Justa 14:32.

  These AVE S103 high-speed trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  If you pay the Premium fare, breakfast is included, served at your seat.  More about Renfe's fares & classes.

  Alternatively, spend the morning in Barcelona, an afternoon AVE leaves Barcelona Sants at 15:15 arriving Cordoba 20:32, Seville Santa Justa 21:25 and Malaga Maria Zambrano at 21:42.

  Remember that at Spanish stations there's a brief X-ray baggage check at the entrance to the platforms for high-speed trains.  If you've paid the Premium fare you can use the Sala Club 1st class lounge at Barcelona Sants, Malaga, Cordoba or Seville for up to 2 hours before your train leaves.

London ► Seville & Malaga (evening departure)

• Day 1, travel from London to Paris by any evening Eurostar you like.

  The last Eurostar leaves London St Pancras at 20.01 arriving Paris Gare du Nord 23:18, but by all means book an earlier one.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

  Cross Paris by metro or taxi to the Gare de Lyon.

• Stay overnight in Paris.  I recommend staying near the Gare de Lyon ready for the early train to Spain, the Mercure Paris Gare De Lyon is part of the Gare de Lyon station complex with great reviews for staff, cleanliness & comfort.  See other suggested hotels near the Gare de Lyon.

• Day 2, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 07:42 & arriving Barcelona Sants 14:29.

  The impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has 1st & 2nd class, a café-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  The train speeds along the Rhône valley past pretty villages & picturesque churches, then past Béziers cathedral, flamingos on the étangs (lakes) in southern France, the Fort de Salses approaching Perpignan and the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou in the Pyrenees.  More about the journey.

• Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Andalucía by AVE, leaving Barcelona Sants at 15:15 and arriving Cordoba 20:10 & Seville Santa Justa 21:25, with a portion for Malaga Maria Zambrano arriving 21:45.

  The AVE S103 high-speed train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

Malaga & Seville ► London (morning departure)

• Day 1, travel from Seville to Barcelona by AVE, leaving Seville Santa Justa at 08:40 or Cordoba 09:35, arriving Barcelona Sants 14:21.

  Or travel from Malaga to Barcelona by AVE, leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 08:25, arriving Barcelona Sants 14:21.

  These AVE S103 high-speed trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• Day 1, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex, leaving Barcelona Sants at 16:25, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon 23:18.

  The impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has 1st & 2nd class, a café-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.  More about this TGV & the journey.

  In Barcelona there's a brief X-ray baggage check to access the platforms.

  The train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees with views of 2,784m Mt Canigou, after Perpignan it passes the Fort de Salses and colonies of flamingos on the lakes in southern France.  Look out for Béziers cathedral on the left.  It then speeds along the Rhône Valley towards Paris.

• Stay overnight in Paris.   If you want a hotel room on arrival at the Gare de Lyon, I suggest the Mercure Paris Gare De Lyon as it's part of the station complex, just a few metres from where your train arrives.  See other suggested hotels near the Gare de Lyon or Gare du Nord.

  Change stations in Paris by metro or taxi from the Gare de Lyon to the Gare du Nord.

• Day 2, travel from Paris to London on any Eurostar you like.

  The first Eurostar usually leaves Paris Gare du Nord at 07:12 on Mondays-Saturdays arriving London St Pancras 08:30, or at 08:12 on Sundays, arriving 09:30.  You can reach central London for the start of the working day!

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include breakfast.

Malaga, Seville, Cordoba ► London (afternoon departure)

• Day 1, travel to Barcelona by AVE, leaving Seville Santa Justa at 16:29 or Cordoba at 17:27, arriving Barcelona Sants 22:35.

  Or travel from Malaga to Barcelona by AVE, leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano at 16:23, arriving Barcelona Sants 22:35.

  These AVE S103 high-speed trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  If you pay the Premium fare, a meal with wine is included, served at your seat.  More about Renfe's fares & classes.

  Alternatively, take the morning AVE train from Seville & Cordoba to Barcelona and spend a pleasant afternoon in Barcelona.

• Stay overnight in Barcelona.  The Hotel Barcelo Sants is top choice here, it's located above Barcelona Sants station itself and gets great reviews, with nice rooms, a great breakfast buffet and a delightfully kitsch space theme.  Alternatively, the Nobu Hotel and AC Sants Hotel by Marriot are both just across the road from the station.  Other suggested hotels near the station.

• Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex, leaving Barcelona Sants at 09:28 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon 16:12.

  The impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has 1st & 2nd class, a café-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  In Barcelona there's a brief X-ray baggage check to access the platforms.

  The train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees with views of 2,784m Mt Canigou, after Perpignan it passes the Fort de Salses, colonies of flamingos on the lakes in southern France, and Béziers cathedral.  It then speeds along the Rhône Valley towards Paris.  More about the journey.

  Cross Paris by metro or taxi, just 2 stops on RER line D.

  Why not have an early dinner in Paris and catch a later Eurostar?  The Brasserie Terminus Nord (www.terminusnord.com) is good and typically French, directly opposite the Gare du Nord.  Oysters & Sancerre!

• Day 2, travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 18:12 Mondays-Fridays & Sundays arriving London St Pancras 19:39, or at 19:12 on Saturdays arriving 20:30.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

How much does it cost?

• London to Paris by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in Standard, £97 one-way or £168 return in Plus (1st class).

• Paris to Barcelona by TGV starts at €39 each way 2nd class, €59 each way 1st class.

• Barcelona to Malaga, Seville or Cordoba by AVE starts at around €46 each way in Standard class, €56 in Comfort class.

• All these fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.  Children under 4 free.

How to buy tickets

• Buy tickets from London to Malaga, Cordoba or Seville as explained here.

• If overnighting in Barcelona, you should book from London to Barcelona on day 1, add to basket, then book from Barcelona to Malaga, Cordoba or Seville on day 2, add to basket and check out, paying for both journeys as one transaction.

• If overnighting in Paris, you should book from London to Paris on day 1, add to basket, then book from Paris to Malaga, Cordoba or Seville on day 2, add to basket, and check out, paying for both journeys as one transaction.

• Book your hotel in Barcelona here.

How to buy tickets by phone

• Online booking is cheaper as you avoid phone booking fees and can see which departures are cheapest for each stage of the journey.  You can usually only phone during office hours, online booking is 24/7.  But if you want to book by phone, see my list of UK-based ticketing agencies.

Or use an Interrail pass

• See the advice here.

Or let Byway arrange it

• Byway (Byway.travel) is a new UK-based eco-holiday firm, with a 5-star TrustPilot rating.  If you're nervous about booking train travel yourself, they'll book a trip from the UK to Spain for you as a package, including hotels and starting from any British station you like.  Byway also includes package protection, a 100% Covid refund guarantee, free disruption and re-planning and on-demand WhatsApp support while you're away.

  They can build a trip to your requirements if you phone 0300 131 7173 (open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday, from outside the UK call +44 300 131 7173) or email them or use this contact form.  Please say you heard about them from Seat 61.

Or let Railbookers arrange it

• If you need hotels as well, the easy option is to get specialist agency Railbookers to arrange your whole trip as a package, with trains, hotels & transfers sorted in one phone call.  As they are selling you a package they'll look after you if anything happens such as a strike or major delay.  Tell them when and where you want to go and they'll advise you on the best trains, routes & hotels and sort it out for you.  They get positive reviews.

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

    US 1-888-829-4775, see website

    Canada 1-855-882-2910, see website

    Australia 1300 971 526, see website

    New Zealand 0800 000 554 or see website

What's the journey like?

1. London to Paris by Eurostar

Eurostar trains link London & Paris in 2h20, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Plus and Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in at London St Pancras as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedure.  St Pancras station guide.  Paris Gare du Nord station guide.  How to change trains & stations in Paris by metro or taxi.

2. Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex

Sit back with a glass of red and enjoy the ride - book an upper deck seat for the best views.  The train has power sockets at all seats & free WiFi in both classes, a cafe-bar serves drinks, snacks & microwaved hot dishes.  More about Paris-Barcelona TGVs.  Paris Gare de Lyon station guide.  Barcelona Sants station guide.

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

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

3. Barcelona to Malaga, Cordoba or Seville by AVE

Superb AVE S103 trains are now used on this route, with Standard (2nd) class & Comfort (1st) class seats.  The trains have a cafe-bar serving beer, wine, tea, coffee, snacks and some hot dishes.  The train has power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  If you pay the Premium fare you get access to the Sala Club lounge in Barcelona, and a meal with wine served at your seat.  More about Renfe's fares & classes.

A type S103 AVE at Barcelona Sants.  See virtual tour

Comfort (1st) class seating on an AVE train.		Cafe-bar on an S103 AVE train.

A meal is included if you pay the Premium fare.		Standard (2nd class) seating on an AVE.

View shortly after leaving Barcelona.  The jagged mountain in the distance is Montserrat, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montserrat_(mountain).  Courtesy of www.youtube.com/c/nonstopeurotrip.

Scenery between Barcelona and Seville, on the section between Barcelona and Madrid.

Mountain ridge, also between Barcelona & Madrid.

Arid Andalusian scenery on the section from Madrid to Seville.

The high-speed line to Seville passes through the mountains on an impressive succession of bridge and tunnels.

Option 2, London to Seville & Malaga with overnight stop in Nîmes

If you want to avoid having to cross Paris, this is the option for you.  London to Spain with one easy same-station change in Lille and another in Nimes.  I think Nîmes makes the best stopover given the timings, but the direct AVE from Nimes to Madrid also calls at Avignon TGV, Montpelier and Perpignan, so you could stop overnight at any of those places instead.

London ► Cordoba, Seville, Malaga

• Day 1, travel from London to Lille by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 13:01 & arriving Lille Europe 15:27.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

  At Lille Europe it's an easy same-station change, with time for a coffee or beer between trains.

• Day 1, travel from Lille to Nimes by TGV, leaving Lille Europe at 17:01 & arriving Nîmes Centre at 21:39.

  The TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• Stay overnight in Nîmes.  The inexpensive Ibis Budget Nimes Gare is just 50m from the station and gets good reviews.  The Ibis Styles Nimes Gare next door is a more upmarket option, but also inexpensive with good reviews.

• Day 2, travel from Nîmes to Madrid by AVE, leaving Nîmes Centre at 09:01 and arriving Madrid Atocha 15:45.

  This comfortable AVE S100 high-speed train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Look out for Béziers cathedral on the right, colonies of flamingos on the étangs (lakes) in southern France, the Fort de Salses on the right approaching Perpignan and views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees.

• Day 2, travel from Madrid to Cordoba & Malaga by AVE, leaving Madrid Atocha at 16:35, arriving Cordoba 18:34 & Malaga Maria Zambrano 19:43.

  Or travel from Madrid to Seville by AVE, leaving Madrid Atocha at 17:07 daily except Saturdays arriving Seville Santa Justa at 19:53.

  Or on any day of the week you can leave Madrid Atocha at 18:00 arriving Seville Santa Justa at 20:43.

  All these AVE high-speed trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  It's an exhilarating high-speed run through the mountains on a succession tunnels and bridges across deep valleys.

Malaga, Seville, Cordoba ► London

• Day 1, travel from Seville to Madrid by AVE, leaving Seville Santa Justa at 09:36 every day, arriving Madrid Atocha 12:12.

  Or travel from Malaga by AVE, leaving Malaga Maria Zambrano 08:58 or Cordoba 10:02 daily except Saturdays arriving Madrid Atocha 12:03.

  On Saturdays, leave Malaga Maria Zambrano at 08:05 arriving Madrid Atocha 10:43 or leave Cordoba 09:21 arriving Madrid Atocha 11:16.

  All these AVE high-speed trains have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  It's an exhilarating high-speed run through the mountains on a succession tunnels and bridges across deep valleys.

• Day 1, travel from Madrid to Nîmes by AVE, leaving Madrid Atocha at 13:25, arriving Nîmes Centre 20:23.

  This comfortable AVE S100 high-speed 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.  Look out for the Fort de Salses on the left just after Perpignan, and for colonies of flamingos on the étangs in southern France.

• Stay overnight in Nîmes.  The inexpensive Ibis Budget Nimes Gare is just 50m from the station and gets good reviews.  The Ibis Styles Nimes Gare next door is a more upmarket option, but also inexpensive with good reviews.

• Day 2, travel from Nîmes to Lille Europe by high-speed TGV with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  On Mondays-Fridays you leave Nimes Pont du Gard at 09:33 and arrive Lille Europe at 14:25.

  On Saturdays & Sundays you leave Nimes Centre at 09:27 and arrive Lille Europe at 14:27.

  Nimes Centre is the original station in the city centre.  Nimes Pont du Gard is a new out-of-town station several kilometres outside the city, so you'll need a taxi or bus to reach it, or there's a regional train leaving Nîmes' city centre station at 08:50 which connects with the TGV, check times when you book.

  At Lille Europe it's an easy same-station change onto Eurostar.

• Day 2, travel from Lille to London by Eurostar, leaving Lille Europe at 15:30 arriving London St Pancras 15:57.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

• Alternatively, spend a morning in Nimes and leave Nîmes Centre at 15:19, change at LIlle, arriving London St Pancras 21:57 (21:27 Saturdays), see the Nîmes to London timetable here.

How much does it cost?

• London to Lille by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way, £78 return in Standard or £97 one-way, £168 return in Plus (1st class).

• Lille to Nîmes by TGV starts at €25 each way 2nd class or €45 in 1st class.

• Nîmes to Madrid by AVE starts at €44 each way 2nd class or €54 in 1st class.

• Madrid to Cordoba, Malaga or Seville starts at around €30 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class.

• These fares work like air fares, so book ahead.  Children under 4 free.

How to buy tickets

• Step 1, book London to Nîmes at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com and add to basket.

  These sites allow you to book all your trains together in one place, in plain English, in €, £ or $.  Small booking fee.

  If you're returning, book this as a round trip because Eurostar return fares are cheaper than two one-ways.  With onward French & Spanish trains it doesn't matter, a return is simply two one-ways.

  If you have any problems finding a journey via Lille, book London to Lille & back, add to basket, book Lille to Nîmes, add to basket, book Nîmes to Lille, add to basket & check out.  It makes no difference to the price as you get separate tickets either side of Lille in any case.

• Step 2, still on www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, book from Nimes to Madrid one-way and add to basket.  If returning, book Madrid to Nimes one-way, add to basket.

• Step 3, still on www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, book from Madrid to Cordoba, Malaga or Seville one-way and add to basket.  If returning, book the other way too, add to basket and check out.

• Booking for Eurostar opens up to 11 months ahead, for French trains up to 4 months ahead.  Spanish trains open anything between 2 weeks and 9 months ahead depending how Renfe is feeling.  You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.  More about when booking opens.

  After booking, use Manage your booking at www.eurostar.com to choose a better seat from a seat map.  See tips on choosing the best seats.

• Alternatively, you can book Eurostar & TGV with no booking fee at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com and book the Spanish AVE between Nîmes & Madrid and the onward AVE using Renfe's website www.renfe.com (see my advice on using it).

Or use an Interrail pass

• See the advice here.

What's the journey like?

1. London to Lille by Eurostar

Eurostar trains link London & Lille in 1h22, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Plus and Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedure.  St Pancras station guide.  Lille station guide & tips on changing trains.

2. Lille to Nîmes by TGV

TGV or Train á Grande Vitesse is French Railways high-speed train, with 1st & 2nd class and a cafe-bar.  They come in various types, some single-deck, some double-deck TGV Duplex, you could get either on cross-France routes from Lille.  Most have power sockets at seats, most now have free WiFi.  The photos below show a single-deck TGV with the Christian Lacroix designer interior.  The direct TGVs from Lille to Lyon by-pass Paris on a high-speed avoiding line via Charles de Gaulle Airport station.  More about TGV.

3. Nîmes to Madrid by direct AVE

These AVE type S100 have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  They are now run entirely by Renfe (Spanish Railways) with no SNCF (French Railways) involvement.  More about AVE S100 trains.  Madrid Atocha station guide.

Option 3, London to Cordoba & Seville via sleeper train

The Paris-Barcelona trainhotel was sadly discontinued in 2013, but you can still use a French sleeper train between Paris and the Spanish border, then onward trains.  This can be a useful alternative to using daytime TGV service, which requires an overnight stop along the way.  You can of course go one way by TGV, the other way using a sleeper train, just remember to book the Eurostar as a round trip, because Eurostar return fares are significantly less than two one-ways.

London ► Cordoba, Seville, Malaga

• Step 1, travel from London to Barcelona using Eurostar to Paris, a French sleeper train and an onward Spanish train:

  Either use the sleeper train from Paris to Latour de Carol as shown here.

  Or the sleeper train from Paris to Perpignan & Cerbère as shown here.

• Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Cordoba, Seville or Malaga by AVE S103 train leaving Barcelona Sants at 15:15 arriving Cordoba 20:32, Seville Santa Justa 21:25 and Malaga Maria Zambrano 21:42.

  The AVE S103 has standard & comfort class seats, a cafe-bar, power sockets & free WiFi.

Seville, Cordoba ► London

• This route doesn't work in this direction as you can't reach Barcelona in time for the local train to the French border - please choose another option.

How much does it cost?

• London to Paris by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in Standard, £97 one-way or £168 return in Plus (1st class).

• Paris to Latour de Carol or Cerbère starts at €22 in a reclining seat, €29 in a 6-berth 2nd class couchette or €60 in a 4-berth 1st class couchette.  A couchette is recommended whatever your budget, for comfort & security.  Like Eurostar, fares vary dynamically.

• If you go via Latour de Carol, Latour to Barcelona costs a fixed-price €12.  If you go via Cerbère, Cerbère to Barcelona costs a fixed-price €14 or so.  No reservation or pre-booking is necessary or possible for these tickets.

• Barcelona to Cordoba or Seville starts at around €45.  Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

How to buy tickets

• Step 1, book from London to Barcelona as shown in the relevant London-Barcelona sleeper train section.

• Step 2, book from Barcelona to Cordoba or Seville using www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

  Alternatively you can book this at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com, in €, more fiddly, see advice for using it.

• Step 3, the local ticket from Latour de Carol to Barcelona cannot be booked online and doesn't need to be booked in advance.  It can't even be bought from the SNCF ticket office at Latour de Carol.  Southbound, simply get on the train and pay the conductor on board, no reservation necessary, it cannot sell out.  I repeat, simply get on the train and pay on board!  Northbound, buy a ticket to Latour de Carol on the day at Barcelona Sants station and hop on the next train.  It cannot sell out, it's only a local train.

  Similarly, Cerbère to Barcelona can be bought at the station on the day.

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London to Granada

London ► Granada

• Day 1, travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 09:31 every day, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 12:50.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

  Cross Paris by metro or taxi to the Gare de Lyon, just 2 stops on RER line D.

  Why not book an earlier Eurostar and have lunch at the wonderful Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon?

• Day 1, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 14:42 and arriving Barcelona Sants 21:29.

  The impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has 1st & 2nd class, a café-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  The train speeds along the Rhône valley past pretty villages & picturesque churches, then past Béziers cathedral, flamingos on the étangs (lakes) in southern France, the Fort de Salses approaching Perpignan and the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou in the Pyrenees.  More about the journey.

• Stay overnight in Barcelona.  The Hotel Barcelo Sants is top choice here, it's located above Barcelona Sants station itself and gets great reviews, with nice rooms, a great breakfast buffet and a delightfully kitsch space theme.  Alternatively, the Nobu Hotel and AC Sants Hotel by Marriot are both just across the road from the station.  Other suggested hotels near the station.

• Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Granada by AVE S103 high-speed train leaving Barcelona Sants at 06:45 and arriving Granada 13:10.

  This is an AVE S112 high-sped train with standard & comfort class, cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  This direct AVE runs once a day.  Later departures are possible using an AVE to Madrid & changing onto another AVE to Granada.

• Remember that at Spanish stations there's a brief X-ray baggage check at the entrance to the platforms for high-speed trains.  If you have a 1st class ticket of the Premium type you can use the Sala Club 1st class lounge at Barcelona Sants for up to 2 hours before your train leaves.

Granada ► London

• Day 1, travel from Granada to Barcelona by AVE, leaving Granada at 15:30, arriving Barcelona Sants 21:52.

  This is an AVE S112 high-sped train with standard & comfort class, cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  This direct AVE runs once a day.  Earlier departures are possible with a change of train in Madrid.

• Stay overnight in Barcelona.  The Hotel Barcelo Sants is top choice here, it's located above Barcelona Sants station itself and gets great reviews, with nice rooms, a great breakfast buffet and a delightfully kitsch space theme.  Alternatively, the Nobu Hotel and AC Sants Hotel by Marriot are both just across the road from the station.  Other suggested hotels near the station.

• Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex, leaving Barcelona Sants at 09:28 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon 16:12.

  The impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has 1st & 2nd class, a café-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  In Barcelona there's a brief X-ray baggage check to access the platforms.

  The train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees with views of 2,784m Mt Canigou, after Perpignan it passes the Fort de Salses, colonies of flamingos on the lakes in southern France, and Béziers cathedral.  It then speeds along the Rhône Valley towards Paris.  More about the journey.

• Cross Paris by metro or taxi, just 2 stops on RER line D.

• Why not have an early dinner in Paris and catch a later Eurostar?  The Brasserie Terminus Nord (www.terminusnord.com) is good and typically French, and it's directly opposite the Gare du Nord.  Oysters & Sancerre?

• Day 2, travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 18:12 Mondays-Fridays & Sundays arriving London St Pancras 19:39, or at 19:12 on Saturdays arriving 20:30.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

How much does it cost?

• London to Paris by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in Standard, £97 one-way or £168 return in Plus (1st class).

• Paris to Barcelona starts at €39 each way 2nd class, €59 each way 1st class.

• Barcelona to Granada by AVE train starts at €45 in Standard class, €55 in Comfort class.

• Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.  Children under 4 free.

How to buy tickets

• Buy tickets from London or any station in Britain to Granada using Raileurope.com as explained here.

• If overnighting in Barcelona, you should book from London (or another British station) to Barcelona on day 1, add to basket, then book from Barcelona to Granada on day 2, add to basket and check out, paying for both journeys as one transaction.

How to buy tickets by phone

• Online booking is cheaper as you avoid phone booking fees and can see which departures are cheapest for each stage of the journey.  You can usually only phone during office hours, online booking is 24/7.  But if you want to book by phone, see my list of UK-based ticketing agencies.

Or use an Interrail pass

• See the advice here.

Or ask Railbookers to arrange it as a package

• If you need hotels booked for you as well, the easy option is to get specialist agency Railbookers to arrange your whole trip as a package, with train bookings, hotels & transfers all sorted in one phone call.  Tell them when and where you want to go and they'll advise you on the best trains, routes & hotels and sort it all out.  They get very positive reviews.

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

    US 1-888-829-4775, see website

    Canada 1-855-882-2910, see website

    Australia 1300 971 526, see website

    New Zealand 0800 000 554 or see website

Other routes & options

• You can of course use any of the routes & options between London & Barcelona suggested in the London to Barcelona section above, including options using the overnight couchette train between Paris & Latour de Carol or Paris & Perpignan/Cerbère.  Then use onward trains between Barcelona and Granada, booked at www.raileurope.com.

What's the journey like?

1. London to Paris by Eurostar

Eurostar trains link London & Paris in 2h20, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Plus and Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in at London St Pancras as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedure.  St Pancras station guide.  Paris Gare du Nord station guide.  How to change trains & stations in Paris by metro or taxi.

2. Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex

Sit back with a glass of red and enjoy the ride - book an upper deck seat for the best views.  The train has power sockets at all seats & free WiFi in both classes, a cafe-bar serves drinks, snacks & microwaved hot dishes.  More about Paris-Barcelona TGVs.  Paris Gare de Lyon station guide.  Barcelona Sants station guide.

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

3. Barcelona to Granada by AVE

These AVE high speed trains are amongst the classiest in Europe.  They have standard & comfort class, cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  The trains used on the Barcelona-Granada route are the AVE S112 type shown below, built by the Talgo company.  Two duck-billed power cars sandwich a rake of small articulated carriages with just one pair of wheels beneath each articulation, a system unique to Talgo.  Renfe staff call these trains pato, Spanish for duck, no prizes for guessing why.

A distinctive AVE type S112 at Valencia.  Known by Renfe staff as Pato (duck), for obvious reasons.

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London to Valencia & Alicante

Which route to choose?

Here are three good options for travel from the UK to Valencia, Alicante, Benidorm and the Costa Blanca.  Option 1 is fastest and simplest, if you don't mind changing trains & stations in Paris.  It's too far to do in a day, so you need to stay overnight in either in Paris or Barcelona.  Option 2 takes a little longer, but with a same-station connection in Lille and no need to cross Paris, and an overnight stop in Nîmes.  Option 3 uses a French couchette train so saves a hotel bill and shows you some nice scenery.  You can of course go out one way and back another.

  Option 1, London to Valencia & Alicante by Eurostar & TGV with overnight hotel stop in either Paris or Barcelona.  Simplest, fastest and usually cheapest.

  Option 2, London to Valencia & Alicante by Eurostar & TGV with overnight hotel stop in Nîmes.  Slightly slower, but avoids crossing Paris.

  Option 3, London to Valencia & Alicante by Eurostar, French sleeper train & onward connections - the sleeper option!

  Option 4, London to Alicante using a ferry from Portsmouth to Santander - the ferry alternative!

Option 1, London to the Costa Blanca by high-speed train

This is the fastest and most comfortable option, by high-speed train with an overnight stop in either Paris or Barcelona.

London ► Valencia, Alicante (morning departure)

• Day 1, travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 09:31 every day, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 12:50.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include breakfast.

  Cross Paris by metro or taxi to the Gare de Lyon, just 2 stops on RER line D.

  Why not book an earlier Eurostar and have lunch at the wonderful Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon?

• Day 1, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 14:42 and arriving Barcelona Sants 21:29

  The impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has 1st & 2nd class, a café-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  The train speeds along the Rhône valley past pretty villages & picturesque churches, then past Béziers cathedral, flamingos on the étangs (lakes) in southern France, the Fort de Salses approaching Perpignan and the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou in the Pyrenees.  More about the journey.

• Stay overnight in Barcelona.  The Hotel Barcelo Sants is top choice here, it's located above Barcelona Sants station itself and gets great reviews, with nice rooms, a great breakfast buffet and a delightfully kitsch space theme.  Alternatively, the Nobu Hotel and AC Sants Hotel by Marriot are both just across the road from the station.  Other suggested hotels near the station.

• Day 2, for Valencia & Alicante:  A Euromed train leaves Barcelona Sants at 07:15 Mondays-Fridays arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 10:10 & Alicante 12:38.

  Or have a leisurely breakfast, then take the Euromed train leaving Barcelona Sants at 10:15 every day arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 13:13 & Alicante 15:32.

  Check train times at www.raileurope.com or www.renfe.com, you can book any train you like through the day.  Says one traveller:  "Barcelona to Valencia was mostly very scenic - mountains and pine trees on one side and the sparkling Mediterranean on the other..."

• Day 2, for Tarragona or Valencia:  An air-conditioned Intercity train leaves Barcelona Sants at 09:00 arriving Tarragona 10:00 and Valencia Nord at 12:20.  You can check train times at www.raileurope.com or www.renfe.com, there are lots of trains through the day.

• Remember that at Spanish stations there's a brief X-ray luggage check at the entrance to the platforms for high-speed trains.  If you have a premium fare ticket you can use the Sala Club lounge at Barcelona Sants or in Alicante for up to 2 hours before your train leaves.

London ► Valencia, Alicante (evening departure)

• Day 1, travel from London to Paris by any evening Eurostar you like.

  The last Eurostar leaves London St Pancras at 20.01 arriving Paris Gare du Nord 23:18, but by all means book an earlier one.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

  Cross Paris by metro or taxi to the Gare de Lyon.

• Stay overnight in Paris.  If you want a hotel room on arrival at the Gare du Nord, I recommend the excellent 25 Hours Terminus Nord, directly across the road from the Gare du Nord with great reviews & great feedback from Seat61 users.  If you'd rather stay at the Gare de Lyon ready for the morning train to Spain, the Mercure Paris Gare De Lyon is part of the Gare de Lyon station complex with great reviews for staff, cleanliness & comfort.  See other suggested hotels near the Gare du Nord or Gare de Lyon.

• Day 2, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 07:42 arriving Barcelona Sants at 14:29.

  Until 14 December 2024, this train leaves Paris Gare de Lyon at 09:42 arriving Barcelona Sants 16:31.

  The impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has 1st & 2nd class, a café-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  The train speeds along the Rhône valley past pretty villages & picturesque churches, then past Béziers cathedral, flamingos on the étangs (lakes) in southern France, the Fort de Salses approaching Perpignan and the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou in the Pyrenees.  More about the journey.

• Day 2, travel from Barcelona by Euromed train, leaving Barcelona Sants at 16:10 arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 19:02 & Alicante 21:34.

  Until 14 December 2024, you leave Barcelona Sants at 18:15 arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 21:07 & Alicante 23:40.

  Euromed trains have a cafe bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  If you pay the premium fare, a meal within wine is included.

  You can check train times at www.raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.

• For Tarragona, check Barcelona-Tarragona times at www.raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.  Plain Tarragona is in the city centre, Camp Tarragona is a an out-of-town high-speed station.

• Remember that at Spanish stations there's a brief X-ray baggage check at the entrance to the platforms for high-speed trains.  If you have a Premium ticket you can use the Sala Club lounge at Barcelona Sants or in Alicante for up to 2 hours before your train leaves.

Alicante, Valencia ► London (morning departure)

• Day 1, travel from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona by Euromed train, leaving Alicante at 09:15 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 11:25, arriving Barcelona Sants 14:33.

  Until 14 December 2024, you leave Alicante at 06:55 & Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 09:05, arriving Barcelona Sants 12:16.

  Euromed trains have a cafe bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  If you pay the premium fare, a meal within wine is included.

  From Tarragona, check Tarragona-Barcelona times at www.raileurope.com or www.renfe.com.  Plain Tarragona is in the city centre, Camp Tarragona is a an out-of-town high-speed station.

• Day 1 afternoon, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex, leaving Barcelona Sants at 16:25, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon 23:18.

  Until 14 December 2024, this train leaves Barcelona Sants at 13:25, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon 20:18.

  The impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has 1st & 2nd class, a café-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  In Barcelona there's a brief X-ray baggage check to access the platforms.

  The train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees with views of 2,784m Mt Canigou, after Perpignan it passes the Fort de Salses, colonies of flamingos on the lakes in southern France, and Béziers cathedral.  It then speeds along the Rhône Valley towards Paris.  More about the journey.

  Change stations in Paris by metro or taxi from the Gare de Lyon to Gare du Nord.

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

• Day 2, travel from Paris to London on any Eurostar you like.

  The first Eurostar of the day usually leaves Paris Gare du Nord at 07:12 on Mondays-Saturdays arriving London St Pancras at 08:30, or at 08:12 on Sundays arriving 09:30.  You can be in central London for the start of the working day!

Alicante, Valencia ► London (afternoon departure)

• Day 1, from Alicante or Valencia:  A Euromed train leaves Alicante at 16:50 & Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 18:55, arriving Barcelona Sants 22:04.

  Or book an earlier train, of course.  Check train times at www.raileurope.com or www.renfe.com and book any train you like.

• Day 1, from Valencia or Tarragona:  An Intercity train leaves Valencia Nord at 17:12 or Tarragona at 19:54 arriving Barcelona Sants at 21:07.

  By all means take an earlier train, they run regularly.  You can check train times at www.raileurope.com or www.renfe.com and book any train you like.

• Stay overnight in Barcelona.  The Hotel Barcelo Sants is top choice here, it's located above Barcelona Sants station itself and gets great reviews, with nice rooms, a great breakfast buffet and a delightfully kitsch space theme.  Alternatively, the Nobu Hotel and AC Sants Hotel by Marriot are both just across the road from the station.  Other suggested hotels near the station.

• Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex, leaving Barcelona Sants at 09:28, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon 16:12.

  The impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has 1st & 2nd class, a café-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  In Barcelona there's a brief X-ray baggage check to access the platforms.

  The train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees with views of 2,784m Mt Canigou, after Perpignan it passes the Fort de Salses, colonies of flamingos on the lakes in southern France, and Béziers cathedral.  It then speeds along the Rhône Valley towards Paris.  More about the journey.

  Cross Paris by metro or taxi, just 2 stops on RER line D.

  Why not have an early dinner in Paris and catch a later Eurostar?  The Brasserie Terminus Nord (www.terminusnord.com) is good and typically French, and it's directly opposite the Gare du Nord.  Oysters & Sancerre!

• Day 2, travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 18:12 Mondays-Fridays & Sundays arriving London St Pancras 19:39, or at 19:12 Saturdays arriving 20:30.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

The Benidorm connection

• To reach Benidorm, travel to Alicante then use the Alicante-Benidorm tram as shown here.

How much does it cost?

• London to Paris by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in Standard, £97 one-way or £168 return in Plus (1st class).

• Paris to Barcelona by TGV starts at €39 each way 2nd class, €59 each way 1st class.

• Barcelona to Alicante starts at around €23 in standard class or €47 in comfort class.

  Barcelona to Valencia starts at around €18 in standard class or €37 in comfort class.

• Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.  Children under 4 free.

How to buy tickets

• Buy tickets from London to Valencia, Alicante using Raileurope.com as explained here.

• If overnighting in Barcelona, book from London to Barcelona on day 1, add to basket, then book from Barcelona to Valencia, Alicante or wherever on day 2, add to basket and check out, paying for both journeys as one transaction.

• If overnighting in Paris, you should book from London to Paris on day 1, add to basket, then book from Paris to Valencia or Alicante on day 2, add to basket, and check out, paying for both journeys as one transaction.

How to buy tickets by phone

• Online booking is cheaper as you avoid phone booking fees and can see which departures are cheapest for each stage of the journey.  You can usually only phone during office hours, online booking is 24/7.  But if you want to book by phone, see my list of UK ticketing agencies.

Or use an Interrail pass

• See the advice here.

Or let Railbookers arrange it

• If you need hotels as well, the easy option is to get specialist agency Railbookers to arrange your whole trip, with trains, hotels & transfers sorted in one phone call.  As they are selling you a package they'll look after you if anything happens such as a strike or major delay.  Tell them when and where you want to go and they'll advise you on the best trains, routes & hotels and sort it all out for you.

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

    US 1-888-829-4775, see website

    Canada 1-855-882-2910, see website

    Australia 1300 971 526, see website

    New Zealand 0800 000 554 or see website

Or let Byway arrange it

• Byway (Byway.travel) is a new UK-based eco-holiday firm, with a 5-star TrustPilot rating.  If you're nervous about booking train travel yourself, they'll book a trip from the UK to Spain for you as a package, including hotels and starting from any British station you like.  Byway includes package protection, a 100% Covid refund guarantee, free disruption and re-planning and on-demand WhatsApp support while you're away.

  They can build a trip to your requirements if you phone 0300 131 7173 (open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday, from outside the UK call +44 300 131 7173) or email them or use this contact form.  Please say you heard about them from Seat 61.

What's the journey like?

1. London to Paris by Eurostar

Eurostar trains link London & Paris in 2h20, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Plus and Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in at London St Pancras as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedure.  St Pancras station guide.  Paris Gare du Nord station guide.  How to change trains & stations in Paris by metro or taxi.

2. Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex

Sit back with a glass of red and enjoy the ride - book an upper deck seat for the best views.  The train has power sockets at all seats & free WiFi in both classes, a cafe-bar serves drinks, snacks & microwaved hot dishes.  More about Paris-Barcelona TGVs.  Paris Gare de Lyon station guide.  Barcelona Sants station guide.

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

3. Barcelona to Valencia & Alicante by Euromed train

Euromed trains operate the fastest services on the Barcelona-Valencia-Alicante corridor.  Slower services are operated by Intercity trains.  Valencia stations guide. Alicante station guide.

Euromed train at Barcelona Sants.  These S130 trains are known as Patito (little duck) by staff, no prizes for guessing why.

Scenery between Valencia and Alicante.  You'll glimpse the Med in places, with mountains inland.

Option 2, London to Valencia & Alicante with overnight stop in Nîmes

This is well worth considering as it runs daily all year and avoids having to cross Paris.  I think Nîmes makes the best stopover point, but you could equally well stop for the night at Montpellier.

London ► Valencia, Alicante

• Day 1, travel from London to Lille by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 13:01 & arriving Lille Europe 15:27.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

  At Lille Europe it's an easy same-station change.  You've time for a coffee or beer between trains.

• Day 1, travel from Lille to Nimes by TGV, leaving Lille Europe at 17:01 & arriving Nimes at 21:36.

  The TGV has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• Stay overnight in Nîmes.  The very inexpensive Ibis Budget Nimes Gare is just 50m from the station and gets good reviews.  The Ibis Styles Nimes Gare next door is a more upmarket option, but also inexpensive with good reviews.

• Day 2, travel from Nîmes to Barcelona by AVE, leaving Nîmes Centre at 09:01 and arriving Barcelona Sants 12:38.

  This comfortable AVE S100 high-speed train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Look out for Béziers cathedral on the right, colonies of flamingos on the étangs in southern France, the Fort de Salses on the right approaching Perpignan and great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees.

• Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Valencia or Alicante by Euromed, leaving Barcelona Sants at 16:10, arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 18:57, Alicante 21:05.

  The Euromed train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

Alicante, Valencia ► London

• Day 1, travel to Barcelona by Euromed train, leaving Alicante 09:20 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 11:20, arriving Barcelona Sants 13:40.

  The Euromed train has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Have lunch in Barcelona.

• Day 1, travel from Barcelona to Nîmes by AVE, leaving Barcelona Sants at 16:34 and arriving Nîmes Centre 20:23.

  This comfortable AVE S100 high-speed 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.  Look out for the Fort de Salses on the left just after Perpignan, and for colonies of flamingos on the étangs in southern France.

• Stay overnight in Nîmes.  The very inexpensive Ibis Budget Nimes Gare is just 50m from the station and gets good reviews.  The Ibis Styles Nimes Gare next door is a more upmarket option, but also inexpensive with good reviews.

• Day 2, travel from Nîmes to Lille Europe by TGV with cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  On Mondays-Fridays you leave Nimes Pont du Gard at 09:33 and arrive Lille Europe at 14:25.

  On Saturdays & Sundays you leave Nimes Centre at 09:27 and arrive Lille Europe at 14:27.

  Nimes Centre is the original station in the city centre.  Nimes Pont du Gard is a new out-of-town station several kilometres outside the city, so you'll need a taxi or bus to reach it, or there's a regional train leaving Nîmes' city centre station at 08:50 which connects with the TGV, check times when you book.

  At Lille Europe it's an easy same-station change onto Eurostar.

• Day 2, travel from Lille to London by Eurostar, leaving Lille Europe at 15:30 arriving London St Pancras 15:57.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

• Alternatively, you could spend a morning in Nimes and leave Nîmes' city centre station at 15:19 arriving London St Pancras 21:57 (21:27 Saturdays), see the Nîmes-London timetable here.

How much does it cost?

• London to Lille by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way, £78 return in Standard or £97 one-way, £168 return in Plus (1st class).

• Lille to Nimes by TGV starts at €25 each way 2nd class, €45 in 1st class.

• Nîmes to Barcelona by AVE starts at €39 each way 2nd class or €79 in 1st class.

• Barcelona to Valencia starts at around €18 in Standard class or €37 in Comfort class.

  Barcelona to Alicante train starts at around €23 in Standard class or €47 in Comfort class.

• All these fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.  Children under 4 free.

How to buy tickets

• Step 1, book London to Nîmes at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com and add to basket.

  These sites allow you to book all your trains together in one place, in plain English, in €, £ or $.  Small booking fee.

  If you're returning, book this as a round trip because Eurostar return fares are cheaper than two one-ways.  With onward French & Spanish trains it doesn't matter, a return is simply two one-ways.

  If you have any problems finding a journey via Lille, book London to Lille & back, add to basket, book Lille to Nîmes, add to basket, book Nîmes to Lille, add to basket & check out.  It makes no difference to the price as you get separate tickets either side of Lille in any case.

• Step 2, still on www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, book from Nimes to Barcelona one-way and add to basket.  If returning, book Barcelona to Nimes one-way, add to basket.

• Step 3, still on www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, book from Barcelona to Valencia or Alicante one-way and add to basket.  If returning, book the other way too, add to basket and check out.

• Booking for Eurostar opens up to 11 months ahead, for French trains up to 4 months ahead.  Spanish trains open anything between 2 weeks and 9 months ahead depending how Renfe is feeling.  You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.  More about when booking opens.

  After booking, use Manage your booking at www.eurostar.com to choose a better seat from a seat map.  See tips on choosing the best seats.

• Alternatively, you can book Eurostar & TGV with no booking fee at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com and book the Spanish train between Nîmes & Barcelona and the onward Euromed using Renfe's website www.renfe.com (see my advice on using it).

Or use an Interrail pass

• See the advice here.

What's the journey like?

1. London to Lille by Eurostar

Eurostar trains link London & Lille in 1h22, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Plus and Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in at London St Pancras as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedure.  St Pancras station guide.  Lille station guide & tips on changing trains.

2. Lille to Nimes by TGV

TGV or Train á Grande Vitesse is French Railways high-speed train, with 1st & 2nd class and a cafe-bar.  They come in various types, some single-deck, some double-deck TGV Duplex, you could get either on cross-France routes from Lille.  Most have power sockets at seats, most now have free WiFi.  The photos below show a single-deck TGV with the Christian Lacroix designer interior.  The direct TGVs from Lille to Lyon by-pass Paris on a high-speed avoiding line via Charles de Gaulle Airport station.  More about TGV.

3. Nimes to Barcelona by AVE

These AVE type S100 have a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  They are now run entirely by Renfe (Spanish Railways) with no SNCF (French Railways) involvement.  More about AVE S100 trains.  Barcelona Sants station guide.

A Spanish S100 AVE at  Barcelona Sants.  It's cool, smooth and quiet on board.		2nd class seats, all with power sockets & free WiFi. Panorama photo of 2nd class.

1st class seats on an S100 AVE, all with power sockets.  Panorama photo of 1st class.		Cafe-bar on an S100 AVE serving tea, coffee, beer, wine, soft drinks, snacks & hot dishes.

Option 3, London to Valencia & Alicante via sleeper train

The Paris-Barcelona trainhotel was sadly discontinued in 2013, but you can still use a French sleeper train between Paris and the Spanish border, then onward trains.  This can be a useful alternative to using daytime TGV service, which requires an overnight stop along the way.  You can of course go one way by TGV, the other way using a sleeper train, just remember to book the Eurostar as a round trip, because Eurostar return fares are significantly less than two one-ways.

London ► Valencia, Alicante

• Step 1, travel from London to Barcelona using Eurostar to Paris, a French sleeper train and an onward Spanish train:

  Either use the sleeper train from Paris to Latour de Carol as shown here.

  Or the sleeper train from Paris to Perpignan & Cerbère as shown here.

• Step 2, travel from Barcelona to Valencia or Alicante by Euromed train, leaving Barcelona Sants at 16:10, arriving Valencia Joaquin Sorolla 19:02 & Alicante 21:34.

Alicante, Valencia ► London

• Step 1, travel from Alicante or Valencia to Barcelona by Euromed train, leaving Alicante at 06:55 or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla at 09:05 and arriving Barcelona Sants at 12:16.  Have lunch in Barcelona.

• Step 2, travel from Barcelona to London using a Spanish train, a French sleeper train and Eurostar:

  Either use the sleeper train from Latour de Carol to Paris as shown here.

  Or the sleeper train from Cerbère or Perpignan to Paris as shown here.

• Step 2, travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 09:12 and arriving London St Pancras 10:30.

How much does it cost?

• London to Paris by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in Standard, £97 one-way or £168 return in Plus (1st class).

• Paris to Latour de Carol or Cerbère starts at €22 in a reclining seat, €29 in a 6-berth 2nd class couchette or €60 in a 4-berth 1st class couchette.  A couchette is recommended whatever your budget, for comfort & security.  Like Eurostar, fares vary dynamically.

• If you go via Latour de Carol, Latour to Barcelona costs a fixed-price €12.  If you go via Cerbère, Cerbère to Barcelona costs a fixed-price €14 or so.  No reservation or pre-booking is necessary or possible for these tickets.

• Barcelona to Valencia or Alicante starts at around €23.  Fares vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

How to buy tickets

• Step 1, book from London to Barcelona as shown in the relevant London-Barcelona sleeper train section.

• Step 2, book from Barcelona to Valencia or Alicante using www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, add to basket & check out.

  Alternatively you can book this at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com, in €, much more fiddly, see my advice for using it.

Or use an Interrail pass

• See the advice here.

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London to Cadiz, Algeciras etc.

London ► Cadiz, Jerez, Almeria, Murcia, Cartagena, Ronda, Algeciras

• Day 1, travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 09:31 every day, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 12:50.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

  Cross Paris by metro or taxi to the Gare de Lyon, just 2 stops on RER line D.

  Why not book an earlier Eurostar and have lunch at the wonderful Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon?

• Day 1, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 14:42 and arriving Barcelona Sants 21:29.

  The impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has 1st & 2nd class, a café-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  The train speeds along the Rhône valley past pretty villages & picturesque churches, then past Béziers cathedral, flamingos on the étangs (lakes) in southern France, the Fort de Salses approaching Perpignan and the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou in the Pyrenees.  More about the journey.

• Stay overnight in Barcelona.  The Hotel Barcelo Sants is top choice here, it's located above Barcelona Sants station itself and gets great reviews, with nice rooms, a great breakfast buffet and a delightfully kitsch space theme.  Alternatively, the Nobu Hotel and AC Sants Hotel by Marriot are both just across the road from the station.  Other suggested hotels near the station.

• Day 2, take an air-conditioned train from Barcelona into the heart of Spain.

  For Algeciras & Ronda:  Travel from Barcelona to Madrid by AVE leaving Barcelona Sants at 11:00 and arriving Madrid Atocha 13:45, then travel from  Madrid to Algeciras by Intercity train, leaving Madrid Atocha at 15:16 and arriving Ronda 19:42, Algeciras 21:13.

  For Murcia:  Travel by direct Intercity train leaving Barcelona Sants at 12:00 arriving Murcia 19:42.

  For Cartagena:  Travel by direct Intercity train leaving Barcelona Sants at 15:00 arriving Cartagena 23:49.  Earlier departures are available with a change of train.

  For Almeria:  Travel from Barcelona to Almeria leaving Barcelona Sants by AVE at 06:45, change at Granada, arriving Almeria 17:52.

  For Jerez & Cadiz:  Travel from Barcelona to Jerez or Cadiz with a simple change at Seville, leaving Barcelona Sants by AVE at 08:35 arriving Jerez de la Frontera 16:04 and Cadiz 16:41.

• Remember that at Spanish stations there's a brief X-ray baggage check at the entrance to the platforms for long-distance & high-speed trains.  If you have a 1st class ticket you can use the Sala Club 1st class lounge at Barcelona Sants for up to 2 hours before your train leaves.

Algeciras, Ronda, Almeria, Cartagena, Murcia, Cadiz, Jerez ► London

• Day 1, take an air-conditioned train to Barcelona.

  From Algeciras or Ronda:  Travel from Algeciras to Antequera-Santa Ana, leaving Algeciras at 10:30 & Ronda at 12:24 by Media Distancia train, change at Antequera Santa Ana (arrive 13:25, depart 16:44) arriving Barcelona Sants 22:35.

  From Cartagena or Murcia:  Take the direct Intercity train leaving Cartagena at 12:00 or Murcia at 13:07 arriving Barcelona Sants 21:07.

  From Almeria:  Leave Almeria at 07:32 by Intercity train, change at Madrid Atocha onto a high-speed AVE, arriving Barcelona Sants 17:20.

  From Jerez or Cadiz:  Leave Cadiz at 14:02 or Jerez de la Frontera at 14:38 by fast Alvia train and change at Madrid Atocha onto a high-speed AVE arriving Barcelona Sants 21:30.  Earlier departures are available.

• Stay overnight in Barcelona.  The Hotel Barcelo Sants is top choice here, it's located above Barcelona Sants station itself and gets great reviews, with nice rooms, a great breakfast buffet and a delightfully kitsch space theme.  Alternatively, the Nobu Hotel and AC Sants Hotel by Marriot are both just across the road from the station.  Other suggested hotels near the station.

• Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex, leaving Barcelona Sants at 09:28 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon 16:12.

  The impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has 1st & 2nd class, a café-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  In Barcelona there's a brief X-ray baggage check to access the platforms.

  The train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees with views of 2,784m Mt Canigou, after Perpignan it passes the Fort de Salses, colonies of flamingos on the lakes in southern France, and Béziers cathedral.  It then speeds along the Rhône Valley towards Paris.  More about the journey.

  Cross Paris by metro or taxi, just 2 stops on RER line D.

  Why not have an early dinner in Paris and catch a later Eurostar?  The Brasserie Terminus Nord (www.terminusnord.com) is good and typically French, and it's directly opposite the Gare du Nord.  Oysters & Sancerre?

• Day 2, travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 18:12 Mondays-Fridays & Sundays arriving London St Pancras 19:39, or at 19:12 on Saturdays arriving 20:30.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

How much does it cost?

• London to Paris by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in Standard, £97 one-way or £168 return in Plus (1st class).

• Paris to Barcelona starts at €39 each way 2nd class, €59 each way 1st class.

• Barcelona to Cadiz, Jerez, Algeciras or Ronda by AVE+IC train starts at around €55 in Standard class.

• All these fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.  Children under 4 free.

How to buy tickets

• Buy tickets from London to Spain using Raileurope.com as explained here.

• If overnighting in Barcelona, you should book from London (or another British station) to Barcelona on day 1, add to basket, then book from Barcelona to Cadiz, Algeciras etc. on day 2, add to basket and check out, paying for both journeys as one transaction.

• If overnighting in Paris, you should book from London (or any other station in Britain) to Paris on day 1, add to basket, then book from Paris to Cadiz, Algeciras etc. on day 2, add to basket, and check out, paying for both journeys as one transaction.

How to buy tickets by phone

• Online booking is cheaper as you avoid phone booking fees and can see which departures are cheapest for each stage of the journey.  You can usually only phone during office hours, online booking is 24/7.  But if you want to book by phone, see my list of UK-based ticketing agencies.

Or use an Interrail pass

• See the advice here.

Or let Railbookers arrange it

• If you need hotels as well, the easy option is to get specialist agency Railbookers to arrange your whole trip as a package, with trains, hotels & transfers sorted in one phone call.  As they are selling you a package they'll look after you if anything happens such as a strike or major delay.  Tell them when and where you want to go and they'll advise you on the best trains, routes & hotels.  They get very positive reviews.

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

    US 1-888-829-4775, see website.

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

    Australia 1300 971 526, see website. 

    New Zealand 0800 000 554 or see website.

Other routes & options

• You can of course use any of the routes & options between London & Barcelona listed in the London to Barcelona section above, including options using the overnight couchette train between Paris & Latour de Carol or Paris & Perpignan/Cerbère.  Then use any suitable train between Barcelona and your final Spanish destination, booked at www.raileurope.com.

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London to San Sebastian

San Sebastian is a popular destination, rightly so as it's a wonderful place.  It can help to know that it's Basque name is Donostia, you'll often see it shown as Donostia not San Sebastian.  If your budget allows, look no further than the wonderful Hotel de Londres y Inglaterra, located right on the seafront.  Paris to Hendaye on the Spanish border takes as little as 4h36 by high-speed TGV, the half-hourly metro train from Hendaye to San Sebastian then takes just 37 minutes.  You can also take a ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao then a local train to San Sebastian, see the ferry to Spain page.

London ► San Sebastian in a day, 07:01 departure

• Step 1, travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 07:01 Monday-Friday or 06:31 on Saturdays, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 10:19 weekdays or 09:48 Saturdays.  There's no sufficiently early train on Sundays.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include breakfast.

  Cross Paris by metro or taxi to the Gare Montparnasse.

• Step 2, travel from Paris to Hendaye by TGV Duplex Océane, leaving Paris Gare Montparnasse at 12:11 and arriving Hendaye 16:47.

  The impressive double-deck TGV Duplex Océane has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  Times vary so check for your date at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.  Hendaye is on the French side of the Spanish border.

• Step 3, travel from Hendaye to San Sebastian Amara on the air-conditioned Euskotren metro, www.euskotren.eus.

  At Hendaye, walk off the platform, through the ticket hall and out of the main station exit.  The little Euskotren station is 50m to your right, see the photo below.  Buy a ticket from the machines or staffed ticket counter with cash or card, go through the ticket gates and hop on the next train.  The station only has two platforms and all trains go to San Sebastian Amara, .  Metro trains leave every 30 minutes until about 23:00, taking 37 minutes.  The station in San Sebastian is San Sebastian-Donostia Amara, called San Sebastian-Donostia on the information screens but plain Amara on the station signs when you get there.  The final destination of the train is usually shown as Lasarte.  See the Euskotren photos below

London ► San Sebastian in a day, 08:01 departure on Saturdays

• Step 1, travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 08:01, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 11:20.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include breakfast.

  Cross Paris by metro or taxi to the Gare Montparnasse.

• Step 2, travel from Paris to Hendaye by TGV Duplex Océane, leaving Paris Gare Montparnasse at 14:05 & arriving Hendaye 18:47.

  This runs on Saturdays.  The impressive double-deck TGV Duplex Océane has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the TGV photos below.  I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  Times vary so check for your date at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.  Hendaye is on the French side of the Spanish border.

• Step 3, travel from Hendaye to San Sebastian Amara on the excellent air-conditioned Euskotren metro, www.euskotren.eus.

  At Hendaye, walk off the platform, through the ticket hall and out of the main station exit.  The little Euskotren station is 50m to your right, see the photo below.  Buy a ticket from the machines or staffed counter with cash or card, go through the ticket gates and hop on the next train.  The station only has two platforms and all trains go to San Sebastian, a 37 minute journey.  Metro trains leave every 30 minutes until about 23:00.  The station in San Sebastian is San Sebastian-Donostia Amara, called San Sebastian-Donostia on the information screens but plain Amara on the station signs when you get there.  The final destination of the train is usually shown as Lasarte.  See the Euskotren photos below

London ► San Sebastian in a day, 10:24 departure, daily except Saturdays

• Step 1, travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 10:24 every day, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 13:50.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include breakfast.

  Cross Paris by metro or taxi to the Gare Montparnasse.

• Step 2, travel from Paris to Hendaye by TGV Duplex Océane, leaving Paris Gare Montparnasse at 16:11 & arriving Hendaye 20:47.

  This runs daily except Saturdays.  The impressive double-deck TGV Duplex Océane has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the TGV photos below.  I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  Times vary so check for your date at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.  Hendaye is on the French side of the Spanish border.

• Step 3, travel from Hendaye to San Sebastian Amara on the excellent air-conditioned Euskotren metro, www.euskotren.eus.

  At Hendaye, walk out of the main station exit and the little Euskotren station is 50m to your right, see the photo below.  Buy a ticket from the machines or staffed ticket office with cash or card, go through the ticket gates and hop on the next train.  The station only has one platform and all trains go to San Sebastian, a 37 minute journey.  Metro trains leave every 30 minutes until about 23:00.  The station in San Sebastian is San Sebastian-Donostia Amara, called San Sebastian-Donostia on the information screens but plain 'Amara' on the station nameboards when you get there.  The final destination of the train is usually shown as Lasarte.  See the Euskotren photos below

London ► San Sebastian evening departure, overnight stop in Paris

• Day 1, travel from London to Paris by any evening Eurostar you like.

  The last Eurostar leaves London St Pancras at 20.01 arriving Paris Gare du Nord 23:18, but by all means book an earlier one.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

  Cross Paris by metro or taxi to the Gare Montparnasse.

• Stay overnight in Paris, see suggested hotels near the stations.

• Day 2, travel from Paris to Hendaye by TGV Duplex Océane, leaving Paris Montparnasse at 07:11 Mondays-Saturdays arriving Hendaye 11:47, or at 10:11 on Sundays arriving Hendaye 14:47.

  The impressive double-deck TGV Duplex Océane has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the TGV photos below.  I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  Times vary so check for your date at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.  Hendaye is on the French side of the Spanish border.

• Step 3, travel from Hendaye to San Sebastian Amara on the excellent air-conditioned Euskotren metro, www.euskotren.eus.

  At Hendaye, walk off the platform, through the ticket hall and out of the main station exit.  The little Euskotren station is 50m to your right, see the photo below.  Buy a ticket from the machines or staffed ticket counter with cash or card, go through the ticket gates and hop on the next train.  The station only has two platforms and all trains go to San Sebastian, a 37 minute journey.  Metro trains leave every 30 minutes until about 23:00.  The station in San Sebastian is San Sebastian-Donostia Amara, called San Sebastian-Donostia on the information screens but plain Amara on the station signs when you get there.  The final destination of the train is usually shown as Lasarte.  See the Euskotren photos below

San Sebastian ► London in a day by 09:34 TGV

• Step 1, travel from San Sebastian to Hendaye on the excellent air-conditioned metro train run by Euskotren.

  These run every 30 minutes from San Sebastian Amara station to Hendaye (Hendaia in Spanish), journey time 37 minutes.  Buy a ticket from the machines or staffed counter with cash or card, go through the ticket gates and hop on the next train.  At Hendaye, the mainline SNCF station is just 50m from the little Euskotren station.  See the Euskotren photos below.

  Always allow plenty of time for connections.  The friendly Cafe Olé directly across the road from Hendaye SNCF station does the best coffee and chocolatine you'll ever taste.

• Step 2, travel from Hendaye to Paris by TGV Duplex Océane, leaving Hendaye at 09:34 every day, arriving Paris Gare Montparnasse 14:22.

  The impressive double-deck TGV Duplex Océane has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the TGV photos below.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  Times may vary so check for your date at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.  Hendaye is on the French side of the Spanish border.

  Cross Paris by métro or taxi to the Gare du Nord.

• Step 3, travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 17:03 every day arriving London St Pancras 18:32.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

San Sebastian ► London in a day by 13:06 TGV

• Step 1, travel from San Sebastian to Hendaye on the excellent air-conditioned metro train run by Euskotren.

  These run every 30 minutes from San Sebastian Amara station to Hendaye (Hendaia in Spanish), journey time 37 minutes.  Buy a ticket from the machines or staffed counter with cash or card, go through the ticket gates and hop on the next train.

  At Hendaye, the mainline SNCF station is just 50m from the little Euskotren station.  See the Euskotren photos below.

  Always allow plenty of time for connections.  The friendly Cafe Olé directly across the road from Hendaye SNCF station does excellent coffee and the best chocolatine you'll ever taste.

• Step 2, travel from Hendaye to Paris by TGV Duplex Océane, leaving Hendaye at 13:06 daily arriving Paris Gare Montparnasse 17:49.

  The impressive double-deck TGV Duplex Océane has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the TGV photos below.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  Times vary so check for your date at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.  Hendaye is on the French side of the Spanish border.

  Cross Paris by métro or taxi to the Gare du Nord.

• Step 3, travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 20:12, arriving London St Pancras 21:30.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

San Sebastian ► London by 18:07 TGV with overnight in Paris

• Step 1, travel from San Sebastian to Hendaye on the excellent air-conditioned metro train run by Euskotren.

  These run every 30 minutes from San Sebastian Amara station to Hendaye (Hendaia in Spanish), journey time 37 minutes.  Buy a ticket from the machines or staffed ticket office with cash or card, go through the ticket gates and hop on the next train.

  At Hendaye, the mainline SNCF station is just 50m from the little Euskotren station.  Always allow plenty of time for connections!  See the Euskotren photos below.

• Step 2, travel from Hendaye to Paris by TGV Duplex Océane, leaving Hendaye at 18:07 Monday-Friday or 18:12 Sunday, arriving Paris Montparnasse 22:53.

  Alternatively, you can leave Hendaye at 16:11 on any day of the week, arriving Paris Montparnasse 20:55.

  By all means book an earlier train & spend a pleasant evening in Paris.  The impressive double-deck TGV Duplex Océane has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the TGV photos below.  I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  Times vary so check for your date at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.  Hendaye is on the French side of the Spanish border.

  Cross Paris by métro or taxi to the Gare du Nord.

• Stay overnight in Paris.  See suggested hotels.

• Step 3, travel from Paris Gare du Nord to London St Pancras by Eurostar on any morning train you like.  The first train is at 07:12 on Mondays-Saturdays arriving London 08:30, or at 08:12 on Sundays arriving 09:30.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include breakfast.

How much does it cost?

• London to Paris by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in Standard, £97 one-way or £168 return in Plus (1st class).

• Paris to Hendaye by TGV starts at €25 each way 2nd class or €45 in 1st class.

• The Euskotren local train from Hendaye to San Sebastian costs around €2.75 one-way, fixed price.

• Eurostar & TGV fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.  Children under 4 go free.

How to buy tickets

• Buy tickets from London to Hendaye at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

  Both sites are easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, you print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.  There's a small booking fee.

  Booking for Eurostar opens 11 months ahead, booking for TGVs opens up to 4 months ahead.

  Tip:  If using www.raileurope.com, click More options, enter Paris and at least 1h15 stopover duration to ensure a robust connection in Paris.

  Tip:  After booking, use Manage your booking at www.eurostar.com to choose a better seat from a seat map.  See tips on choosing the best seats.

  You can also book using the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com, a little more fiddly but no booking fee.

• Buy the Euskotren ticket from Hendaye to San Sebastian at the station when you get there.  Tickets are easily bought from the staffed counter or self-service ticket machines at Hendaye Euskotren station, they accept euro coins or debit/credit cards.

How to buy tickets by phone

• Online booking is cheaper as you avoid phone booking fees and can see which departures are cheapest for each stage of the journey.  You can usually only phone during office hours, online booking is 24/7.  But if you want to book by phone, see my list of UK-based ticketing agencies.

Or let Railbookers arrange it

• If you need hotels as well, the easy option is to get specialist agency Railbookers to arrange your whole trip as a package, with trains, hotels & transfers sorted in one phone call.  As they are selling you a package they'll look after you if anything happens such as a strike or major delay.  Tell them when and where you want to go and they'll advise you on the best trains, routes & hotels.  They get very positive reviews.

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

    US 1-888-829-4775, see website

    Canada 1-855-882-2910, see website

    Australia 1300 971 526, see website

    New Zealand 0800 000 554 or see website

What's the journey like?

1. London to Paris by Eurostar

Eurostar trains link London & Paris in 2h20, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Plus and Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in at London St Pancras as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedure.  St Pancras station guide.  Paris Gare du Nord station guide.  How to cross Paris by metro or taxi.

2. Paris to Hendaye by TGV

Paris-Hendaye trains are double-deck TGV Duplex with the Océane interior shown below, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Paris Montparnasse station guide.

A TGV Duplex at Paris Gare Montparnasse. 

Boarding at Paris Montparnasse.  Note the automatic ticket gates at the entrance to the platforms, just scan the QR code on your ticket.

TGV Océane cafe-bar on the upper deck in car 4 or 14 (above left) and 2nd class seats (above right).

TGV Océane 1st class seats.  All 1st class seats (except the end ones) rotate to face direction of travel.  There are USB & 2-pin outlets above each drop-down table.

TGV Océane stairs, just 9 easy shallow steps.  There are toilets & luggage racks upstairs & downstairs.  Above right, luggage racks upstairs.

Scenery under cloudy skies as the train crosses France at up to 320 km/h (199 mph).

Get off the TGV at Hendaye, walk off the platform and through the SNCF station ticket hall.  Incidentally, Hendaye station is where Hitler met Franco on 23 October 1940, you'll be treading the same platforms!  If you need a coffee, I recommend the Cafe Olé just across the road.

3. Hendaye to San Sebastian by Euskotren

At Hendaye, the little Euskotren station is just outside and to your right, 50m from the SNCF station exit.  Buy a ticket from the easy-to-use ticket machines, these have a touch screen with English-language button, they accept euro coins, notes & contactless debit/credit cards, or buy at the staffed ticket counter.  Then go through the ticket gates onto the platform.  All trains go to San Sebastian-Donostia Amara station, shown on screens & timetables as San Sebastian-Donostia, shown on the ticket machines as just Donostia and on station name boards when you get there as plain Amara.  It's all the same place!  The final destination of the train is usually Lasarte.  Map of San Sebastian showing stations.

Walk out of Hendaye mainline station & turn right.  The Euskotren station is just 50m away.

Hendaye Euskotren station has a staffed ticket counter & ticket machines, cash & cards accepted.  Buy a ticket and go through the ticket gates onto the platforms.

The Euskotren station has just two platforms, it's the terminus from which trains start, all trains go to San Sebastian Amara!  These air-conditioned metro trains leave every 30 minutes.  There's plenty of space for luggage and they even have a wheelchair-accessible toilet.

San Sebastian Amara station is a terminus with 7 platforms, see station guide.  Map of San Sebastian showing stations

San Sebastian.  The sea front is 10 min walk from San Sebastian Amara station where Euskotren arrives.

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London to Pamplona & Bilbao

This is a fast and comfortable option, with all-daytime travel by Eurostar & TGV high-speed train and an overnight stop in wonderful San Sebastian on the Basque coast.  The times below show the new faster TGV service from Paris to the Spanish border starting on 2 July 2017, made possible by the new Tour-Bordeaux high-speed line.

London ► Pamplona, Bilbao

• Day 1, travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 10:24, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 13:50.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include breakfast.

  Cross Paris by metro or taxi to the Gare Montparnasse.

• Day 1, travel from Paris to Hendaye by TGV Duplex Océane, leaving Paris Montparnasse at 16:11 & arriving Hendaye 20:47.

  This runs daily except Saturdays.  On Saturdays, leave London 08:01 then the 14:05 TGV from Paris to Hendaye, arriving 18:47.

  The impressive double-deck TGV Duplex Océane has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the TGV photos above.  I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  Times vary so check for your date at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.  Hendaye is on the French side of the Spanish border.

• Day 1, travel from Hendaye to San Sebastian Amara on the excellent air-conditioned Euskotren metro, www.euskotren.eus.

  At Hendaye, you simply walk out of the main station exit and the tiny Euskotren station is to your right in the corner of the forecourt, see the photo above.  Buy a ticket from the machines or staffed ticket office, go through the ticket gates and hop on the next train.  The station only has one platform and all trains go to San Sebastian, a 37 minute journey.  Metro trains leave every 30 minutes until about 23:00.  The station in San Sebastian is San Sebastian-Donostia Amara, called San Sebastian-Donostia on the information screens but plain 'Amara' on the station name-boards when you get there.  The final destination of the train is usually shown as Lasarte.  See the Euskotren photos above.

• Stay overnight in San Sebastian, a lovely city, 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 for Pamplona:

  Travel from San Sebastian to Pamplona by smart modern air-conditioned Alvia train, leaving San Sebastian Renfe station at 07:10 every day, arriving Pamplona at 09:00.

  It's a lovely ride, twisting through the mountains then descending onto the plain, in a swish air-conditioned Alvia train with cafe car.  If you'd like to spend a day in San Sebastian, there's a daily 14:04 from San Sebastian-Donostia Renfe station, change at Vitoria, arriving Pamplona at 17:22.

• Day 2 for Bilbao:

  Hop on the hourly narrow gauge train from San Sebastian Amara station to either Bilbao's Zazpi Kaleak station (journey time 2h29 from Amara) or Bilbao's Matiko station (the train's final stop, 2h35 from Amara), fare €6.50, buy a ticket at the station.

  The trains used on this route are similar to the Hendaye-San Sebastian trains pictured above, along a route with some good countryside and coastal views.   In Bilbao, Matiko station is 18 minutes walk from the Guggenheim Museum, Zazpi Kaleak station is further from the Guggenheim (22 minutes walk) but closer to both the old quarter and the 19th century new town.

  You can check train times & fares from San Sebastian to Bilbao at www.euskotren.eus, selecting Donostia-San Sebastian and Amara-Donostia, then Bilbao and Matiko-Bilbao.  The adult one-way fare is shown as ida.

  Incidentally, you can just about travel from London to Bilbao in a day if you leave London early, meaning around 07:00, but as the last train to Bilbao leaves Amara around 19:50 I've assumed an overnight stop here.

  Alternatively, there are buses from San Sebastian to Bilbao run by www.alsa.es.  The buses run every hour or two, journey time 1h30, fare €8 one way, €16 return.

  You can also sail direct from Portsmouth to Bilbao by ferry with Brittany Ferries, or sail Portsmouth or Plymouth to Santander and take a narrow gauge train from Santander to Bilbao three times daily, see www.renfe.com, look for Cercanias (commuter) then Cercanias-AM.

Pamplona, Bilbao ► London

• Day 1 from Pamplona:

  Travel from Pamplona to San Sebastian by smart modern air-conditioned Alvia train, leaving Pamplona at 19:30 and arriving San Sebastian Renfe station at 21:16.

  If you'd like an evening in San Sebastian, there's also a daily 13:08 from Pamplona, change at Vitoria, arriving San Sebastian Renfe station 16:34.

• Day 1 from Bilbao:

  Hop on one of the hourly narrow gauge trains run by Euskotren from Bilbao Matiko station to San Sebastian Amara station, journey time 2h35, fare €6.50, buy a ticket at the station and hop on the next train.

  You can check train times from Bilbao to San Sebastian at www.euskotren.eus, remember that Bilbao to San Sebastian will be listed as Matiko to Amara as those are the station names.

• Stay overnight in San Sebastian - a lovely city, 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, travel from San Sebastian to Hendaye on the excellent air-conditioned metro train run by Euskotren.

  These run every 30 minutes from San Sebastian Amara station to Hendaye (Hendaia in Spanish), journey time 37 minutes.  Just buy a ticket at the ticket counter or from the ticket machines, go through the ticket gates and hop on the next train.  At Hendaye, the mainline SNCF station is just across the forecourt from the little Euskotren station.  See the Euskotren photos above.

  Always allow plenty of time in Hendaye, the friendly Café Olé across the road does the best coffee & chocolatine you'll ever taste.

• Day 2, travel from Hendaye to Paris by TGV Duplex Océane, leaving Hendaye at 09:34 every day, arriving Paris Montparnasse 14:22.

  The impressive double-deck TGV Duplex Océane has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the TGV photos above.  I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck. 

  Times vary so check for your date at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

  Cross Paris by métro or taxi to the Gare du Nord.

• Day 2, travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 17:12 every day arriving London St Pancras 18:32.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

How much does it cost?

• London to Paris by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in Standard, £97 one-way or £168 return in Plus (1st class).

• Paris to Hendaye by TGV starts at €25 each way 2nd class or €45 in 1st class.

• Hendaye to San Sebastian Amara by Euskotren costs €2.75.

• San Sebastian to Pamplona costs around €23 each way in standard, €30 each way in comfort, but if you pre-book, cheaper advance-purchase fares are often available from just €14 standard or €18 comfort.

• Eurostar & TGV fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

How to buy tickets

• Step 1, go to www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com and book from London to Hendaye.

  Both sites are easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, you print your ticket or can show it on your phone.  There's a small booking fee.

  Booking for Eurostar opens up to 11 months ahead, booking for TGVs opens up to 4 months ahead.  Booking for Spanish trains opens anything from 15 days to 9 months depending how Renfe is feeling.

  Tip:  If using www.raileurope.com, click More options, enter Paris and at least 1h15 stopover duration to ensure a robust connection in Paris.

• Step 2, still on www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, book San Sebastian to Pamplona for the following day, add to basket & check out.

  After booking, use Manage your booking at www.eurostar.com to choose a better seat from a seat map.  See tips on choosing the best seats.

• Alternatively, you can book as follows, which means more work and it's more fiddly, but with no booking fee:

  Book from London to Paris at www.eurostar.com.

  Book from Paris to Hendaye at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com.  Make sure you allow at least 60 minutes to change trains & stations in Paris southbound, 90 minutes northbound (as you have to include the 30 minute Eurostar check-in)

  Book from San Sebastian to Pamplona using the Spanish Railways website, www.renfe.com, see this step-by-step guide to booking tickets with renfe.com.  If you have any problems with Renfe.com, stick with www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

How to buy tickets by phone

• Online booking is cheaper as you avoid phone booking fees and can see which departures are cheapest for each stage of the journey.  You can usually only phone during office hours, online booking is 24/7.  But if you want to book by phone, see my list of UK-based ticketing agencies.

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London to Segovia, Toledo, Avila & Salamanca

• Travel from London to Madrid, as shown in the London to Madrid section.

• Madrid-Toledo:  Regular air-conditioned high-speed Avant trains link Madrid Atocha with Toledo in around 33 minutes, see www.raileurope.com or www.renfe.com for train times, fares & tickets.

• Madrid-Segovia:  Regular air-conditioned high-speed Avant trains link Madrid Chamartin with Segovia Guiomar station in around 27 minutes, see www.renfe.com or www.raileurope.com for train times, fares & tickets.  There are also a handful of services on the old classic line from Madrid Chamartin to Segovia's original central station, but these involve a change of train and take 1h50.

• Madrid-Salamanca:  Regular air-conditioned Media Distancia regional trains link Madrid Chamartin with Avila  & Salamanca via the classic and quite scenic route, see www.renfe.com or www.raileurope.com for train times, fares & tickets.  Madrid-Salamanca by MD train takes 2h40.  In addition, there are now 4 daily high-speed air-conditioned Alvia trains routed via the new high-speed line taking just 1h36.

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London to Santiago de Compostela, Vigo & A Coruña

Option 1 is to go via San Sebastian, a lovely city for a stopover and it's the quickest and usually cheapest route.  However, if you'd like a simpler journey with fewer changes, option 2 is to go via Barcelona.  Why not go out one way and back another?  Apart from the London-Paris Eurostar (which should always be booked as a round trip as return fares are significantly cheaper than two one-ways), all these trains are one-way ticketed, so there is no cost penalty in going out one way and back the other.

Option 1, London to Galicia via San Sebastian

This is a comfortable all-daytime journey through interesting scenery with an overnight stop in a hotel in lovely San Sebastian. 

London ► Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Vigo

• Day 1, travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 10:24, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 13:50.

  On Saturdays you can leave London St Pancras at 12:31, arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 15:50.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include breakfast (until 11:00) or a meal with wine.

  Cross Paris by metro or taxi to the Gare Montparnasse.

• Day 1, travel from Paris to Hendaye by TGV Duplex Océane, leaving Paris Montparnasse at 16:11 daily except Saturdays, arriving Hendaye 20:47.

  On Saturdays, leave Paris Gare Montparnasse at 18:11, arriving Hendaye 22:47.

  The impressive double-deck TGV Duplex Océane has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the TGV photos below.  I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  Times vary so check for your date at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.  Hendaye is on the French side of the Spanish border.

• Day 1, travel from Hendaye to San Sebastian Amara on the air-conditioned Euskotren metro, www.euskotren.eus.

  At Hendaye, you walk out of the main station exit and the tiny Euskotren station is to your right in the corner of the forecourt, see the photo here.  Buy a ticket from the machines or staffed counter, go through the ticket gates and hop on the next train.  The station only has two platforms and all trains go to San Sebastian Amara, a 37 minute journey.  Metro trains leave every 30 minutes until about 23:00.  The station in San Sebastian is San Sebastian-Donostia Amara, called San Sebastian-Donostia on the information screens but plain 'Amara' on the station nameboards when you get there.  The final destination of the train is usually shown as Lasarte.  See the Euskotren photos here.

  Euskotren's San Sebastian-Donostia Amara station is 10 minutes walk from the Renfe station, see walking map.

• Stay overnight in San Sebastian.  The Pension Regil is close to the old town with great reviews, 10 minutes walk from the Renfe station, 7 minutes walk from the Amara Euskotren station.  If you want something in the old town itself, try the Pension Garibai or Pension Alameda.  If you want to push the boat out, San Sebastian's most venerable hotel (which I can recommend personally, having stayed there) is the Hotel de Londres y Inglaterra, on the sea front.

• Day 2, travel from San Sebastian to Madrid by Alvia train, leaving San Sebastian Renfe station at 09:02 arriving Madrid Chamartin 13:56.

  The high-speed Alvia train has a cafe-bar and standard & comfort class seats.  It's a lovely run down out of the Pyrenees onto the plains.  For the first part of the journey the train uses classic lines, then it passes slowly through a shed and automatically changes track gauge from Spanish 5'6" broad gauge to standard gauge 4' 8½".  It then joins the high-speed line for a final dash at up to 250 km/h (155 mph) to Madrid.

• Day 2, travel from Madrid to Galicia by air-conditioned Alvia train.

  A train leaves Madrid Chamartin at 16:00 and arrives Vigo Urzaiz 20:12.

  Another leaves Madrid Chamartin at 17:45 & arrives Santiago de Compostela 21:28 & A Coruña 21:59.

  These high-speed Alvia trains have standard & comfort class and cafe-bar.

• Alternatively, there's a later departure from San Sebastian to Galicia, depending on the day of the week.

  An Intercity train leaves San Sebastian at 11:58 every day arriving Vitoria/Gasteiz 13:43.  This is a guaranteed connection into the Barcelona-Galicia Alvia train leaving Vitoria/Gasteiz at 14:03 every day.  On Wednesdays, Fridays & Sundays it goes to Vigo Guixar arriving 23:35.  On Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays it goes to Santiago de Compostela (arriving 22:22) and A Coruña (arriving 22:54).

Vigo, A Coruña, Santiago de Compostela ► London

• Day 1, travel from Galicia to San Sebastian on one of these two departures:

  Early departure, 3 times a week:

  Leave Vigo Guixar at 07:20 Mondays, Thursdays & Saturdays by Alvia train arriving Vitoria/Gasteiz 16:24.

  Leave A Coruña 07:45 & Santiago de Compostela 08:14 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays & Sundays by Alvia train, arriving Vitoria/Gasteiz 16:24.

  An Intercity train provides a guaranteed connection every day, leaving Vitoria/Gasteiz at 16:40, arriving San Sebastian Renfe station at 18:31.

  San Sebastian Renfe station is 10 minutes walk from Amara (Euskotren) station, see walking map.

  Mid-morning departure, every day:

  Leave Vigo Urzaiz at 09:20 or Santiago de Compostela at 10:20 every day by high-speed Alvia train, arriving Madrid Chamartin at 13:42. 

  Leave Madrid Chamartin at 17:38 by high-speed Alvia train arriving San Sebastian Renfe station at 22:40.

  San Sebastian Renfe station is 10 minutes walk from Amara (Euskotren) station, see walking map.

• Stay overnight in San Sebastian.  The Pension Regil is close to the old town with great reviews, 10 minutes walk from the Renfe station, 7 minutes walk from the Amara Euskotren station.  If you want something in the old town itself, try the Pension Garibai or Pension Alameda.  If you want to push the boat out, San Sebastian's most venerable hotel (which I can recommend personally, having stayed there) is the Hotel de Londres y Inglaterra, on the sea front.

• Day 2, take the 07:45 or 08:15 Euskotren metro from San Sebastian Amara station to Hendaye next morning.  These narrow-gauge local trains run every 30 minutes, journey time 37 minutes, buy a ticket at the station and hop on the next train.  You can check times at www.euskotren.eus.

  At Hendaye the Euskotren station is just 50m from the mainline SNCF French Railways station, but allow plenty of time between trains.  The friendly Cafe Olé directly across the road from Hendaye SNCF station does excellent coffee and the best chocolatine you'll ever taste.

• Day 2, travel from Hendaye to Paris by TGV Duplex Océane, leaving Hendaye at 09:34 every day, arriving Paris Gare Montparnasse 14:22.

  The impressive double-deck TGV Duplex Océane has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi, see the TGV photos below.  Times vary so check for your date at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  Cross Paris by metro or taxi to the Gare du Nord.

• Day 2, travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 17:12 every day arriving in London St Pancras 18:32.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

How much does it cost?

• London to Paris by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in Standard, £97 one-way or £168 return in Plus (1st class).

• Paris to Hendaye by TGV starts at €25 each way 2nd class or €45 in 1st class.

• Hendaye to San Sebastian by Euskotren costs €2.75, paid at the station on the day.

• San Sebastian to Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña or Vigo starts at €23 each way standard class or €29 comfort class.

• All these fares (apart from the Euskotren fare) vary like air fares, book ahead for the cheapest prices.

How to buy tickets

• Buy tickets at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

  Using these sites means you can book all your tickets in one place, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee.

  Booking for Eurostar opens up to 11 months ahead, booking for TGVs opens up to 4 months ahead.  Booking for Spanish trains opens anywhere between 15 days and 9 months depending how Renfe is feeling.

• Step 1, book from London or any station in Britain to Hendaye (and back, if returning) and add to your basket.

  Tip:  If using www.raileurope.com, click More options, enter Paris and at least 1h15 stopover duration to ensures a robust connection in Paris.

• Step 2, book from San Sebastian to Santiago de Compostela, Vigo or Coruña one-way and add this to your basket.

  If returning, book Coruña, Vigo or Santiago to Hendaye as a second one-way journey and add that to your basket.

  Then check out and pay for all bookings as one transaction.

  Tip:  If you have any problems getting the system to show the whole journey across Spain, split the booking and book each train separately, using the times above as a guide.

• Buy a ticket for Euskotren between Hendaye & San Sebastian at the station on the day, there are ticket machines & a staffed counter, coins, notes and credit/debit cards are accepted.

How to buy tickets, advanced

• Alternatively, you can book each train separately at the relevant train operator website, more work but no booking fee.  I'd do a dry run on all 3 sites first.

• Step 1, book from London to Paris (and back, if returning) at www.eurostar.com.

• Step 2, book from Paris to Hendaye at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com.

  Make sure you allow at least 60 minutes to change trains & stations in Paris southbound, 90 minutes northbound as this needs to include the 30-minute Eurostar check-in.  Ideally more.

• Step 3, book the trains from San Sebastian to Santiago de Compostela, Vigo or Coruña at the Spanish Railways website, www.renfe.com, see this advice on using it.  If you have any problems with renfe.com's quirky English translations or credit card payment stage, stick with www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

• Buy a ticket for the Euskotren metro at the station on the day.

How to buy tickets by phone

• Online booking is cheaper as you avoid phone booking fees and can see which departures are cheapest for each stage of the journey.  You can usually only phone during office hours, online booking is 24/7.  But if you want to book by phone, see my list of UK-based ticketing agencies.

What's the journey like?

1. London to Paris by Eurostar

Eurostar trains link London & Paris in 2h20, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Plus and Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in at London St Pancras as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedure.  St Pancras station guide.  Paris Gare du Nord station guide.  How to cross Paris by metro or taxi.

2. Paris to Hendaye by TGV Duplex Océane

Most Paris-Hendaye trains are double-deck TGV Duplex, usually with the Océane interior as shown below.  There are power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

A TGV Duplex at Paris Gare Montparnasse. 

Boarding at Paris Montparnasse.  Note the automatic ticket gates at the entrance to the platforms, just scan the QR code on your ticket.

TGV Océane cafe-bar on the upper deck in car 4 or 14 (above left) and 2nd class seats (above right).

TGV Océane 1st class seats.  All 1st class seats (except the end ones) rotate to face direction of travel.  There are USB & 2-pin outlets above each drop-down table.

3. Hendaye to San Sebastian by Euskotren

At Hendaye, the little Euskotren station is just outside and to your right, 50m from the SNCF station exit.  Buy a ticket from the easy-to-use ticket machines, these have a touch screen with English-language button, they accept euro coins, notes & contactless debit/credit cards, or buy at the staffed ticket counter.  Then go through the ticket gates onto the platform.  All trains go to San Sebastian-Donostia Amara, shown on screens & timetables as San Sebastian-Donostia, shown on the ticket machines as just Donostia and on station name boards when you get there as plain Amara.  It's all the same place!  The final destination of the train is usually Lasarte.  Map of San Sebastian showing stations.

Walk out of Hendaye mainline station & turn right.  The Euskotren station is just 50m away.

Hendaye Euskotren station has a staffed ticket counter & ticket machines, cash & cards accepted.  Buy a ticket and go through the ticket gates onto the platforms.

The Euskotren station has just two platforms, it's the terminus from which trains start, all trains go to San Sebastian-Donostia Amara!  These air-conditioned metro trains leave every 30 minutes.  There's plenty of space for luggage and they even have a wheelchair-accessible toilet.

4. San Sebastian to Madrid by Alvia train

These comfortable Alvia S120 trains have standard & comfort class, a cafe-bar.  They may or may not have power outlets.  The train leaves from San Sebastian's Renfe station, 10 minutes walk from the city centre.  The journey starts slowly with the train wending its way through the Pyrenean foothills as the morning mist clears, then it emerges from the hills and gather speed across the plains.  During the journey the train passes slowly through a shed and changes from Iberian gauge (5' 6") used on the main Spanish network to standard gauge (4' 8½") used for most Spanish high-speed lines.  Once on the high-speed line it reaches 250 km/h (155 mph).

In Madrid it's an easy same-station change at Madrid Chamartin.  I suggest a beer or a meal between trains at the bar or restaurant on the 2nd floor of the Hotel Chamartin The One, away from the bustle of the station.

5. Madrid to Santiago de Compostela, Coruña or Vigo.

These Alvia S730 trains have standard & comfort class, a cafe-bar and power sockets at all seats.  They travel at up to 250 km/h (155 mph) on high-speed lines and can change gauge when necessary, from standard gauge (4' 8½") used for most Spanish high-speed lines to Iberian gauge (5' 6") used on the main Spanish network.

Above left, comfort (1st) class seats on an Alvia S730 train, recently refurbished in tan leather.

The cafe-bar.  Above right, an Iberico meal deal from the cafe-bar on an Alvia train.

Above left, boarding at Madrid Chamartin.  Above right, standard (2nd) class seats on an Alvia S730 from Madrid to Vigo.

Scenery at high-speed, north of Madrid.

Scenery between Madrid & Vigo, a little way south of Ourense.

Option 2, London to Galicia via Barcelona

This takes a couple of hours longer overall compared to option 1 and usually costs a few euros more, but it's a simpler journey using a direct train from Paris to Barcelona and a direct train from Barcelona to Galicia, with no need to walk across San Sebastian!

London ► Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Vigo

• Day 1, travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 09:31 every day, arriving Paris Gare du Nord 12:50.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include breakfast.

  Cross Paris by metro or taxi to the Gare de Lyon, just 2 stops on RER line D.

  Why not book an earlier Eurostar and have lunch at the wonderful Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon?

• Day 1, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 14:42 and arriving Barcelona Sants 21:29.

  The impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has 1st & 2nd class, a café-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  The train speeds along the Rhône valley past pretty villages & picturesque churches, then past Béziers cathedral, flamingos on the étangs (lakes) in southern France, the Fort de Salses approaching Perpignan and the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou in the Pyrenees.  More about the journey.

• Stay overnight in Barcelona.  The Hotel Barcelo Sants is top choice here, it's located above Barcelona Sants station itself and gets great reviews, with nice rooms, a great breakfast buffet and a delightfully kitsch space theme.  Alternatively, the Nobu Hotel and AC Sants Hotel by Marriot are both just across the road from the station.  Other suggested hotels near the station.

• Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Galicia by high-speed air-conditioned Alvia train with cafe-bar.

  On Wednesdays, Fridays & Sundays it leaves Barcelona Sants at 09:05 and goes to Vigo Guixar, arriving 23:35.

  On Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays it leaves Barcelona Sants at 09:05 and arrives Santiago de Compostela 22:22 & A Coruña 22:54.

Vigo, A Coruña, Santiago de Compostela ► London

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

  On Mondays, Thursdays & Saturdays it leaves Vigo Guixar at 07:20 and arrives Barcelona Sants 21:35.

  On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays & Sundays it leaves A Coruña at 07:45 & Santiago de Compostela at 08:14, arriving Barcelona Sants 21:35.

  The Alvia train is comfortable, air-conditioned with cafe-bar and power sockets at all seats.

• Stay overnight in Barcelona.  The Hotel Barcelo Sants is top choice here, it's located above Barcelona Sants station itself and gets great reviews, with nice rooms, a great breakfast buffet and a delightfully kitsch space theme.  Alternatively, the Nobu Hotel and AC Sants Hotel by Marriot are both just across the road from the station.  Other suggested hotels near the station.

• Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex, leaving Barcelona Sants at 09:28 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon 16:12.

  The impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has 1st & 2nd class, a café-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  In Barcelona there's a brief X-ray baggage check to access the platforms.

  The train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees with views of 2,784m Mt Canigou, after Perpignan it passes the Fort de Salses, colonies of flamingos on the lakes in southern France, and Béziers cathedral.  It then speeds along the Rhône Valley towards Paris.  More about the journey.

  Cross Paris by metro or taxi, just 2 stops on RER line D. 

  Why not have an early dinner in Paris and catch a later Eurostar?  The Brasserie Terminus Nord (www.terminusnord.com) is good and typically French, and it's directly opposite the Gare du Nord.  Oysters & Sancerre?

• Day 2, travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 18:12 Mondays-Fridays & Sundays arriving London St Pancras 19:39, or at 19:12 on Saturdays arriving 20:30.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

How much does it cost?

• London to Paris by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in Standard, £97 one-way or £168 return in Plus (1st class).

• Paris to Barcelona by TGV starts at €39 each way 2nd class or €59 1st class.

• Barcelona to Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña or Vigo starts at €25 each way standard class or €29 comfort class. 

• All these fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.  Children under 4 free.

How to buy tickets

• Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

  Using either of these means you can book all your tickets in one place, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee.

  Booking for Eurostar opens up to 11 months ahead, booking for TGVs opens up to 4 months ahead.  Booking for Spanish trains opens anywhere between 15 days and 9 months depending how Renfe is feeling.

• Step 1, book from London to Barcelona (and back, if returning) and add to your basket.

  Tip:  If using www.raileurope.com, click More options, enter Paris and at least 1h15 stopover duration to ensure a robust connection in Paris.

• Step 2, book from Barcelona to Santiago de Compostela, Vigo or Coruña one-way for the following day and add this to your basket.  If returning, book Coruña, Vigo or Santiago to Barcelona as a second one-way journey and add that to your basket.

  Check out and pay for all bookings as one transaction.

  After booking, use Manage your booking at www.eurostar.com to choose a better seat from a seat map.  See tips on choosing the best seats.

Another way to buy tickets

• Alternatively, you can book each train at the relevant train operator website, more work but no booking fee.  Do a dry run on all three sites first.

• Step 1, book from London to Paris (and back, if returning) at www.eurostar.com.

• Step 2, book from Paris to Barcelona at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com.

  Make sure you allow at least 60 minutes to change trains & stations in Paris southbound, 90 minutes northbound as this needs to include the 30-minute Eurostar check-in.  Ideally more.

• Step 3, book the trains from Barcelona to Santiago de Compostela, Vigo or A Coruña using the Spanish Railways website, www.renfe.com, see this advice on using it.  If you have any problems with renfe.com's quirky English translations or credit card payment stage, stick with www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

How to buy tickets by phone

• It's better to book online to avoid additional phone booking fees and so you can see for yourself which departures are cheapest for each stage of the journey.  Most ticketing agencies only work office hours on weekdays, but online booking is possible 24/7.  However, if you want to book by phone, see my list of UK-based ticketing agencies.

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London to Ibiza

It's easy to travel from London to Ibiza by train & ferry, no airports, no flights.  You take a Eurostar to Paris, a high-speed double-deck TGV to Barcelona, then sail overnight on a comfortable ferry from Barcelona to Ibiza.  Here, I explain how.

London ► Ibiza

• Day 1, travel from London to Paris by any evening Eurostar you like.

  The last Eurostar usually leaves London St Pancras at 20.01 arriving Paris Gare du Nord 23:18, but by all means book an earlier one.

  Cross Paris by metro or taxi to the Gare de Lyon.

• Stay overnight in Paris.  If you want a hotel room on arrival at the Gare du Nord, I recommend the excellent 25 Hours Terminus Nord, directly across the road from the Gare du Nord with great reviews & great feedback from Seat61 users.  If you'd rather stay at the Gare de Lyon ready for the morning train to Spain, the Mercure Paris Gare De Lyon is part of the Gare de Lyon station complex with great reviews for staff, cleanliness & comfort.  See other suggested hotels near the Gare du Nord or Gare de Lyon.

• Day 2, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 09:42 arriving Barcelona Sants 16:31.

  From 15 December 2024, this train leaves Paris Gare de Lyon at 07:42 arriving Barcelona Sants 14:29.

  The TGV Duplex is a 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck high-speed train with 1st & 2nd class, café-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  I recommend an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number >60 is upper deck.

  The train speeds along the Rhône valley past pretty French villages & picturesque churches, then look out for colonies of flamingos on the étangs in southern France, the Fort de Salses on the right and great views of Mt Canigou in the Pyrenees.  Map of Barcelona showing railway station.

• In Barcelona, it's a 4 km 46-minute walk from Barcelona Sants station to the Trasmed and Balearia ferry terminal at the foot of La Rambla, near the Columbus monument, see walking map.  A taxi costs around €20 & takes 13 minutes or take metro line L3 from Barcelona Sants to Drassane metro station (see www.tmb.cat), from where the Balearia terminal is 7 minutes walk, the Trasmed terminal is 9 minutes walk.  Map of Barcelona showing station and Trasmed/Balearia ferry terminals.

• Day 2, sail from Barcelona to Ibiza by overnight ferry.

  There are two ferry companies, both with lounges, bar, restaurant, reclining seats & cosy private cabins with shower & toilet:

  Trasmed operate an overnight ferry to Ibiza on most nights of the week, times vary but it typically sails at 22:00, arriving in Ibiza town (Ibiza Ciudad) at 07:00.  Check sailing dates & times at the Direct Ferries website (in English) or www.trasmed.com (only in Spanish or Catalan).

  Balearia also operate an overnight ferry to Ibiza on most nights of the week, sailing times vary but it typically sails at 22:00, arriving in Ibiza town (Ibiza Ciudad) at 06:00.  Check sailing dates & times at the Direct Ferries website or www.balearia.com.

Ibiza ► London

• Day 1, sail from Ibiza to Barcelona by ferry.

  In this direction sailings are usually daytime ones.  There are two ferry companies, both with lounges, bar, restaurant, reclining seats & cosy private cabins with shower & toilet:

  Trasmed operate a ferry from Ibiza to Barcelona on most days of the week, sailing times vary but it typically sails from Ibiza town (Ibiza Ciudad) around 11:00, arriving in Barcelona at 19:30.  It occasionally sails overnight.  Check sailing dates and times at the Direct Ferries website or www.trasmed.com.

  Balearia operate a ferry from Ibiza to Barcelona on most days of the week, sailing times vary but it typically sails from Ibiza town (Ibiza Ciudad) around 10:00, arriving in Barcelona at 19:00.  Check sailing dates and times at the Direct Ferries website or www.balearia.com.

  The ferries arrive walking distance from Barcelona's old town, Map of Barcelona showing station and Trasmed/Balearia ferry terminals.

• Stay overnight in Barcelona, see suggested hotels either near Barcelona Sants station or in the historic old town.

• Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex, leaving Barcelona Sants at 09:28, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon 16:12.

  The TGV Duplex is a 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck high-speed train with 1st & 2nd class, café-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Book an upper deck seat for the best views as the train rolls past Mt Canigou in the Pyrenees, colonies of flamingos on the étangs in southern France, then speeds along the Rhone Valley towards Paris.  A cafe-bar is available.  In Barcelona, there's a brief X-ray baggage check at the entrance to the platforms.

  Cross Paris by metro or taxi, just 2 stops on RER line D.  Why not have an early dinner in Paris and catch a later Eurostar?  The Brasserie Terminus Nord (www.terminusnord.com) is good and typically French, and it's directly opposite the Gare du Nord.

• Day 2, travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 18:12 Mondays-Fridays & Sundays arriving London St Pancras at 19:39, or at 19:12 on Saturdays arriving 20:30.

How much does it cost?

• London to Paris by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in Standard, £97 one-way or £168 return in Plus (1st class).

  Fares vary like air fares.  Book early and avoid busy days or dates for the cheapest fares.

• Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex starts at €39 each way in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class.

  Fares vary like air fares.  Book early and avoid busy days or dates for the cheapest fares.

• Barcelona to Ibiza by ferry starts at €32.20 in a seat with Trasmed or €26.50 with Balearia. 

  If you want to travel in a private cabin with shower & toilet, the fare varies, but typically starts at around €184 for one person or €262 for two people sharing.  Compare prices with both ferry companies.

How to buy tickets

• Step 1, book the ferry from Barcelona to Ibiza using the Direct Ferries website.  This can book tickets for both ferry operators.

  The operators' own websites are www.trasmed.com (only in Catalan or Spanish) and www.balearia.com.

• Step 2, now book the trains from London to Barcelona as shown in the London to Barcelona section above.

  Obviously, do a dry run on the ferry and train booking websites first to check sailing dates, availability and prices.

Or let Byway arrange it

• Byway (Byway.travel) is a UK-based eco-holiday firm with a 5-star TrustPilot rating.  If you're nervous about booking yourself, they'll book a trip from the UK to Ibiza for you as a package, including hotels and starting from any British station you like.  Byway also includes package protection, a 100% Covid refund guarantee, free disruption and re-planning and on-demand WhatsApp support while you're away.

  They can build a trip to your requirements if you phone 0300 131 7173 (open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday, from outside the UK call +44 300 131 7173) or email them or use this contact form.  Please say you heard about them from Seat 61.

The ferry to Ibiza...

Balearia ferry in Ibiza harbour.  Courtesy of Discoverbyrail.com.

Useful alternatives

• There are several alternatives between London & Barcelona, if they suit you better:

• Earlier departure from London to give a free day in Barcelona:  On Day 1, take a morning Eurostar from London to Paris then the afternoon TGV from Paris to Barcelona, as shown in the London to Barcelona section above.  Stay overnight in Barcelona, see suggested hotels near the station.  You then have the whole of Day 2 free to explore Barcelona before taking the overnight ferry from Barcelona to Ibiza.

• Travel via Lille & Nimes to avoid having to cross Paris:  If you're not keen on having to change stations in Paris by metro or taxi, this option has a simple same-station change in Lille.  Day 1, travel from London to Lille by Eurostar then Lille to Nimes by TGV, then stay overnight in Nimes.  On Day 2, take the morning TGV from Nimes to Barcelona.  You'll find this London-Nimes-Barcelona option explained here.  Then take the overnight ferry from Barcelona to Ibiza.

• Take a sleeper from Paris to the Spanish border:  On Day 1, you can take a late afternoon Eurostar from London to Paris, have dinner, then snuggle down on a sleeper train to either Cerbère or Latour de Carol on the Spanish border, with a connection to Barcelona arriving lunchtime on Day 2.  Then take the overnight ferry from Barcelona to Ibiza.  You'll find the sleeper options explained here.

• These alternatives work in the northbound direction, too.

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London to Mallorca & Minorca

It's easy to travel from London to Mallorca or Menorca without flying.  Take Eurostar to Paris, a high-speed TGV to Barcelona, and board the daily overnight ferry from Barcelona to Palma de Mallorca.  In summer there's an even easier route to Menorca & Mallorca using a summer-only overnight ferry from Toulon in the south of France which runs several times a week.

Incidentally, the larger island is Mallorca in Spanish, but often written Majorca in English.  The smaller island is Menorca in Spanish, often written Minorca in English.

Option 1, via Barcelona

London ► Palma de Mallorca

• Day 1, travel from London to Paris by any evening Eurostar you like.

  The last Eurostar usually leaves London St Pancras at 20.01 arriving Paris Gare du Nord 23:18, but by all means book an earlier one.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

  Cross Paris by metro or taxi to the Gare de Lyon.

• Stay overnight in Paris.  If you want a hotel room on arrival at the Gare du Nord, I recommend the excellent 25 Hours Terminus Nord, directly across the road from the Gare du Nord with great reviews & great feedback from Seat61 users.  If you'd rather stay at the Gare de Lyon ready for the morning train to Spain, the Mercure Paris Gare De Lyon is part of the Gare de Lyon station complex with great reviews for staff, cleanliness & comfort.  See other suggested hotels near the Gare du Nord or Gare de Lyon.

• Day 2, travel from Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 07:42 arriving Barcelona Sants 14:29.

  The impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has 1st & 2nd class, a café-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  The train speeds along the Rhône valley past pretty villages & picturesque churches, then past Béziers cathedral, flamingos on the étangs (lakes) in southern France, the Fort de Salses approaching Perpignan and the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou in the Pyrenees.  More about the journey.

• In Barcelona, it's a 4 km 46-minute walk from Barcelona Sants station to the Trasmed and Balearia ferry terminal at the foot of La Rambla, near the Columbus monument, see walking map.  A taxi costs around €20 & takes 13 minutes or take metro line L3 from Barcelona Sants to Drassane metro station (see www.tmb.cat), from where the Balearia terminal is 7 minutes walk, the Trasmed terminal is 9 minutes walk.

  Map of Barcelona showing station & Trasmed/Balearia ferry terminals.

• Day 2, sail from Barcelona to Palma de Mallorca by overnight ferry.

  There are two ferry companies, both with lounges, bar, restaurant, reclining seats & cosy private cabins with shower & toilet:

  Trasmed operate an overnight ferry to Palma on most nights of the week, times vary but it typically sails at 22:45, arriving in Palma at 06:00.  Check sailing dates & times at the Direct Ferries website (in English) or www.trasmed.com (only in Spanish or Catalan).

  Balearia also operate an overnight ferry to Palma on most nights of the week, sailing times vary but it typically sails at 22:15, arriving in Palma at 05:30.  Check sailing dates & times at the Direct Ferries website or www.balearia.com.

  Trasmed have the bigger, nicer ships and they usually sail from right alongside the terminal so you can walk straight onto the ship.  The smaller Balearia ferry requires a shuttle bus transfer between the terminal and the ferry in both Barcelona and Palma.

• Or stay overnight in Barcelona & take a daytime fast ferry to Alcudia.

  On many days in summer Balearia operate a daytime fast ferry (SeaCat) from Barcelona to Alcudia on the northeast corner of Mallorca near Pollensa, calling at Menorca on the way.  This leaves from directly alongside the Balearia terminal in central Barcelona around 16:30, arriving Menorca at 20:00 & Alcudia on Mallorca at 22:00.

  See www.balearia.com or use the Direct Ferries website to check whether it is running on your dates of travel.  There will be plenty of taxis waiting at Alcudia ferry terminal, it's a 10 minute taxi ride to Pollensa.

Palma de Mallorca ► London

• Day 1, sail from Palma de Mallorca to Barcelona by ferry.

  In this direction sailings are usually daytime.  There are two ferry companies, both with lounges, bar, restaurant, reclining seats & cosy private cabins with shower & toilet.

  Trasmed operate a ferry from Palma de Mallorca to Barcelona on most days of the week, sailing times vary but it typically sails from Palma around 11:30, arriving in Barcelona at 19:00.  It occasionally sails overnight.  Check sailing dates and times at the Direct Ferries website or www.trasmed.com.

  Balearia operate a ferry from Palma de Mallorca to Barcelona on most days of the week, sailing times vary but it typically sails from Palma around 11:30, arriving in Barcelona at 19:30.  Check sailing dates and times at the Direct Ferries website or www.balearia.com.

  The ferries arrive walking distance from Barcelona's old town.  Map of Barcelona showing station & Trasmed/Balearia ferry terminals.

  Trasmed have the bigger, nicer ships and they usually arrive right alongside the terminal in Barcelona so you can walk straight off the ship.  The smaller Balearia ship requires a shuttle bus transfer between the ferry and the terminal building in both Barcelona and Palma.

• Or take a daytime fast ferry from Alcudia to Barcelona.

  Alternatively, on many days in summer Balearia operate a fast ferry (SeaCat) from Alcudia to Barcelona, calling at Menorca on the way.  It typically leaves Alcudia at 08:30 and Menorca at 10:30, arriving Barcelona at 14:30, but times vary.  See www.balearia.com or use the Direct Ferries website to check sailing dates & times.  Alcudia is just 10 minutes by taxi from Pollensa.

• Stay overnight in Barcelona, see suggested hotels either near Barcelona Sants station or in the historic old town.

• Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Paris by TGV Duplex, leaving Barcelona Sants at 09:28, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon 16:12.

  The impressive 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex has 1st & 2nd class, a café-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Book an upper deck seat for the best views, any seat number above 60 is upper deck.

  In Barcelona there's a brief X-ray baggage check to access the platforms.

  The train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees with views of 2,784m Mt Canigou, after Perpignan it passes the Fort de Salses, colonies of flamingos on the lakes in southern France, and Béziers cathedral.  It then speeds along the Rhône Valley towards Paris.  More about the journey.

  Cross Paris by metro or taxi, just 2 stops on RER line D.

  Why not have an early dinner in Paris and catch a later Eurostar?  The Brasserie Terminus Nord (www.terminusnord.com) is good and typically French, and it's directly opposite the Gare du Nord.  Oysters & Sancerre?

• Day 2, travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 18:12 Mondays-Fridays & Sundays arriving London St Pancras 19:39, or at 19:12 on Saturdays arriving 20:30.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

How much does it cost?

• London to Paris by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in Standard, £97 one-way or £168 return in Plus (1st class).

• Paris to Barcelona by TGV Duplex starts at €39 each way in 2nd class or €59 in 1st class.

• Barcelona to Palma de Mallorca by ferry starts at €40 in a seat with Trasmed or €24.50 with Balearia. 

  If you want to travel in a private cabin with shower & toilet, the fare varies, but typically might be around €180 for one person or €250 for two people sharing.  Compare prices with both ferry companies.

• All these fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

How to buy tickets

• Step 1, book the ferry from Barcelona to Palma de Mallorca using the Direct Ferries website.  This can book both ferry operators.

  The operators' own websites are www.trasmed.com (only in Catalan or Spanish) and www.balearia.com.

• Step 2, now book the trains from London to Barcelona as shown in the London to Barcelona section.

  Obviously, first do a dry run on both the ferry and train booking websites to check sailing dates, availability and prices.

• Or book a UK to Palma de Mallorca journey as a package with travel company Byway, see trip.byway.travel.

• Trains on Mallorca:  There are two train lines on Majorca, from Palma to Inca & Soller, see www.tib.org & (for Soller) trendesoller.com.

• Hotels on Mallorca:  There are of course many hotels and resorts on Mallorca, but I can recommend the Pollentia Club Resort near Pollensa.

Or let Byway arrange it

• Byway (Byway.travel) is a UK-based eco-holiday firm with a 5-star TrustPilot rating.  If you're nervous about booking yourself, they'll book a trip from the UK to Palma de Mallorca for you as a package, including hotels and starting from any British station you like.  Byway also includes package protection, a 100% Covid refund guarantee, free disruption and re-planning and on-demand WhatsApp support while you're away.

  They can build a trip to your requirements if you phone 0300 131 7173 (open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday, from outside the UK call +44 300 131 7173) or email them or use this contact form.  Please say you heard about them from Seat 61.

Useful alternatives

• There are several alternatives between London & Barcelona worth considering:

• Earlier departure from London to give a free day in Barcelona:

  On Day 1, take a morning Eurostar from London to Paris then the afternoon TGV from Paris to Barcelona, as shown in the London to Barcelona section above.  Stay overnight in Barcelona, see suggested hotels near the station.  You then have the whole of Day 2 free to explore Barcelona before taking the overnight ferry from Barcelona to Palma.

• Travel via Lille & Nimes to avoid having to cross Paris:

  If you're not keen on having to change stations in Paris by metro or taxi, this option has a simple same-station change in Lille.  Day 1, travel from London to Lille by Eurostar then Lille to Nimes by TGV, then stay overnight in Nimes.  On Day 2, take the morning TGV from Nimes to Barcelona.  You'll find this London-Nimes-Barcelona option explained here.  Then take the overnight ferry from Barcelona to Palma.

• Take a sleeper from Paris to the Spanish border:

  On Day 1, you can take a late afternoon Eurostar from London to Paris, have dinner, then snuggle down on a sleeper train to either Cerbère or Latour de Carol on the Spanish border, with a connection to Barcelona arriving lunchtime on Day 2.  Then take the overnight ferry from Barcelona to Palma.  You'll find the sleeper options explained here.

• These alternatives work in the northbound direction, too.

Barcelona ferry terminal

This shows the summer fast ferry from Barcelona to Alcudia, near Pollensa on Mallorca

Blue arrow = Balearia ferry terminal, white arrow = Trasmed terminal.  Above right, the Balearia terminal.  See map of Barcelona showing ferry terminals

Ferry to Palma

Grimaldi Trasmed's ferry Ciudad de Barcelona, at Barcelona port.  Photo courtesy of Luke Sibieta.

Balearia ferry.  Photo courtesy of Luke Sibieta.

Fast ferry to Alcudia

Balearia's fast ferry from Barcelona to Alcudia.  That's the Columbus Monument at the foot of La Rambla in the background - it's that central!

Sailing out of Barcelona

No easyJet, no Ryanair.  We left London in the morning and spent the following day exploring Barcelona.  Now on board the late afternoon fast ferry to Alcudia on Mallorca, the sun sets as we speed across the Med.  We spotted some dolphins earlier.

Option 2, via Toulon

This is in many ways the most convenient option if you're travelling between April & October, using a comfortable overnight ferry which sails several times a week from Toulon in the south of France.  Some sailings go to both Menorca and Alcudia (on Mallorca, near Pollensa), some just go to Alcudia.

London ► Menorca, Mallorca

• Day 1, travel from London to Paris by any evening Eurostar you like.

  The last Eurostar leaves London St Pancras at 20.01 arriving Paris Gare du Nord 23:18, but by all means book an earlier one.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

  Cross Paris by metro or taxi to the Gare de Lyon.

• Stay overnight in Paris, see suggested hotels near the Gare de Lyon.

• Day 2, travel from Paris to Toulon by TGV Duplex, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 09:09 and arriving Toulon at 13:11.

  The TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

• Day 2, sail from Toulon to Menorca or Alcudia on Mallorca with Corsica Ferries.

  This comfortable overnight ferry has a lounge, bar, restaurant and private cabins with en suite toilet & shower.

  Sailings operate several times a week from April to October, typically sailing around 18:00 & arriving around 09:00, some going to Menorca and others to Alcudia on Mallorca near Pollensa.  Check times, fares & buy tickets at the Direct Ferries website or www.corsica-ferries.co.uk.

Mallorca, Menorca ► London

• Day 1, sail from Alcudia on Mallorca or Menorca to Toulon with Corsica Ferries.

  This comfortable overnight ferry has a lounge, bar, restaurant and private cabins with en suite toilet & shower.

  Sailings operate several times a week from April to October, typically sailing from Alcudia at around 17:00 or from Menorca around 21:00 & arriving in Toulon around 11:00.  Check times, fares & buy tickets at the Direct Ferries website or www.corsica-ferries.co.uk.

• Day 2, travel from Toulon to Paris by TGV Duplex, leaving Toulon at 15:09 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 19:22.

  The TGV Duplex has a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

  Do not risk any tight connections with the ferry, in case of delay.  I have deliberately allowed plenty of time here.

• Stay overnight in Paris, see suggested hotels near the Gare de Lyon.

• Day 3, travel from Paris to London to Paris by any morning Eurostar you like.

  The first Eurostar usually leaves Paris Gare du Nord at 07.12 arriving London St Pancras 08:30, but by all means book a later one.

  Eurostar has two cafe-bars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Plus & Premier fares include a meal with wine.

How much does it cost?

• London to Paris by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in Standard, £97 one-way or £168 return in Plus (1st class).

• Paris to Toulon by train starts at €25 each way 2nd class or €45 in 1st class.

• Toulon to Menorca or Mallorca by ferry starts at around €25 for a foot passenger + a private cabin from around €32. 

• All these fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

How to buy tickets

• Step 1, first book the ferry using the Direct Ferries website or www.corsica-ferries.co.uk.

• Step 2, book the Eurostar and the Paris-Toulon TGV at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.

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

The ferry from Toulon to Mallorca

The Mega Express Two (on the right) is one of the ferries used from Toulon to Mallorca & Menorca.  Photographed in Nice.

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London to the Canary islands

From the UK to Lanzarote, Las Palmas & Tenerife without flying?  It's perfectly possible!  Two ferry companies now link Spain with the Canary islands, Trasmediterranea and Naviera Armas.  Here's how to travel from the UK to the Canary Islands without flying:

Option 1, via Huelva with Naviera Armas

www.navieraarmas.com started a weekly ferry from Huelva in Spain to Tenerife and Gran Canaria in 2011. It's reportedly higher quality than the Trasmediterranea ferry, but feedback is welcome!

London  ► Canaries

• Day 1, Thursday:  Travel from London to Seville with an overnight stop in Barcelona. as shown in the London to Seville section.

• Day 2, Friday:  You arrive in Seville in the afternoon.  Take any suitable local train from Seville Santa Justa to Huelva.  Stay overnight in Huelva.

• Day 3, Saturday:  Huelva ferry terminal is some 17km from Huelva town, so take a taxi and allow time for check-in.

   The Naviera Armas ferry sails from Huelva weekly, usually at 13:00 every Saturday, arriving at Gran Canaria at 17:00 and 22:00 at Tenerife on the Sunday.  Check times, sailing dates & fares at www.navieraarmas.com.

  In 2024, Naviera Armas plan to switch ports and will sail from Cadiz instead of Huelva, check their website.

Canaries  ► London

• Day 1, Thursday:  The ferry sails every Thursday from Gran Canaria at 08:00 or Tenerife at 12:00 arriving Huelva at 18:00 on Friday (day 2). 

  In 2024, Naviera Armas plan to switch ports and will arrive in Cadiz instead of Huelva, check their website.

• Day 2, after arriving early evening, take a taxi from Huelva port into town and spend the night in Huelva.

• Day 3, Saturday:  Take any suitable morning local train from Huelva to Seville Santa Justa.  Then take the afternoon AVE from Seville to Barcelona, stay overnight in Barcelona and catch a TGV & Eurostar back to London on Sunday, as shown above in the Seville to London section.

Fares & how to buy tickets

• Buy tickets from London to Seville as shown above.  Add a Seville to Huelva ticket at www.raileurope.com.

• Check ferry fares, sailing dates and book the ferry tickets online at www.navieraarmas.com.  Fares start at €80 each way with a reclining seat, or €200 each way per person for two passengers travelling together sharing a 2-bed cabin.

Option 2, via Cadiz with Trasmediterranea

A weekly Trasmediterranea Line cruise ferry links Cadiz in mainland Spain with Arrecife (Lanzarote), Las Palmas and Tenerife in the Canary Islands, a 2-night voyage.  The whole journey from London to Tenerife will take 3 or 4 nights.

• Day 1, travel from London to Cadiz with an overnight stop in Barcelona, as shown in the London to Cadiz section above.  You arrive in Cadiz on day 2.  You need to leave London on Sunday morning if your ferry sails from Cadiz on Tuesday, or on Thursday morning if it sails on Saturday.

• Day 3, the ferry to the Canaries sails from Cadiz weekly, usually on a Tuesday or Saturday evening, taking 2 days 1 night or 2 nights 1 day, depending on the sailing.  Check times, sailing dates & fares at either the Direct Ferries website or www.trasmediterranea.es.

Option 3, via Huelva with Fred Olsen

Fred Olsen Ferries sails twice a week all year round from Huelva in southern Spain to Tenerife & Gran Canaria.  It's a joint service with Balearia Ferries, which started in 2018.  The service uses a comfortable modern ship.

• Day 1, travel from London to Barcelona as shown above, possible in a day when the afternoon TGV operates.  Stay overnight in Barcelona.

• Day 2, travel from Barcelona to Huelva with a change in Madrid, check times and buy a ticket at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.  Stay overnight in Huelva.

• Day 3, Huelva ferry terminal is some 17 km from Huelva town, so take a taxi and allow time for check-in.

  Sail from Huelva in the afternoon for Tenerife or Gran Canaria, arriving the following evening (day 4).  Check ferry sailing dates and times at the Direct Ferries website or www.fredolsen.es.  One-way fares range from €110 in a seat to €330 with private cabin, meals included.

How to buy tickets

• Buy your London to Cadiz train tickets online or by phone as explained above.  Using www.raileurope.com you'd book London to Barcelona on day 1, add to basket, then Barcelona to Cadiz on day 2, and check out.

• Book the ferry tickets using the Direct Ferries website or at www.trasmediterranea.es, or by phone with Trasmediterranea's UK agent, Southern Ferries on 0844 815 7785.  It's not cheap!  £550 return for two people travelling in a 2-berth cabin, £720 in a single-berth cabin.  Check fares with Southern Ferries on  0844 815 7785

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UK to Spain by ferry

Cruise to Spain with www.brittany-ferries.co.uk

Why not cruise from the UK to Spain, on a luxury ferry that has more in common with a cruise liner than old-school Channel ferries? 

Brittany Ferries operates three direct ferry routes from the UK to Spain with a crossing time from Portsmouth to northern Spain of just 24 hours and for much of the year an unprecedented 5 cruise ferry sailings a week.

Why not go one way by train and the other by ferry?

• See the ferry to Spain page

• Watch the video

Pictured right:  Sunset on the ferry from Portsmouth to Santander.

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Holidays to Spain by train

If you want a holiday to Spain by train not plane, but want someone else to organise all the train tickets & hotels for you, several specialist companies do just that, for a holiday without airport hassles or whole days in cramped coach seats on motorways.

Railbookers, railbookers.co.uk

Railbookers can custom-make a flight-free holiday or city break to Spain for you, with train travel, transfers & hotels, leaving on any date you like.  For example, they can do a 2-night short break to Barcelona or an 8-night trip to Madrid, Valencia & Barcelona with standard class Eurostar and first class on the TGV to Barcelona.  If you tell them what you want, they'll advise you on the best trains, routes & hotels and sort it all out for you.  They get a lot of repeat business!

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

  US 1-888-829-4775, www.railbookers.com

  Canada 1-855-882-2910, www.railbookers.com

  Australia 1300 971 526, www.railbookers.com.au

  New Zealand 0800 000 554 or see website

Byway, byway.travel

Byway (Byway.travel) is a UK-based eco-holiday firm with a 5-star TrustPilot rating.  If you're nervous about booking train travel yourself, they'll book a holiday to Spain for you as a package, including train travel from the UK and hotels, starting from any British station you like.

They can build a trip to your requirements if you phone 0300 131 7173 (open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday, from outside the UK call +44 300 131 7173) or email them or use this contact form.  Please say you heard about them from Seat 61.

Byway includes package protection, a 100% Covid refund guarantee, free disruption & re-planning and on-demand WhatsApp support while you're away.

Tailor Made Rail, tailormaderail.com

Tailor Made Rail offers packages from the UK to Spain by train which can be customised your requirements, with any stopovers you want.  As it's a package, they'll take care of you if anything happens on one part of the trip, for example, a national strike.  They're TTA-protected, which is like ATOL, but not just for agencies that sell air travel.  Website www.tailormaderail.com/destinations/france.

Call their dedicated seat61 phone line 020 3778 1461 and quote seat 61 when booking.  From outside the UK call +44 20 3778 1461.  Lines open 09:00-17:30 Monday-Friday.

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European Rail Timetable & maps

The European Rail Timetable (formerly the Thomas Cook European Timetable) has train & ferry times for every country in Europe plus currency & climate information.  It is essential for regular European train travellers and an inspiration for armchair travellers.  Published since 1873, it had just celebrated 140 years of publication when Thomas Cook decided to pull the plug on their entire publishing department, but the dedicated ex-Thomas Cook team set up a private venture and resumed publication of the famous European Rail Timetable in March 2014.  You can buy it online at www.amazon.co.uk (UK addresses) or www.europeanrailtimetable.eu (shipping worldwide).  More information on what the European Rail Timetable contains.

Rail Map Europe is the map I recommend, covering all of Europe from Portugal in the west to Moscow & Istanbul in the east, Finland in the north to Sicily & Athens in the south.  Scenic routes & high-speed lines are highlighted.  See an extract from the map.  Buy online at www.europeanrailtimetable.eu (shipping worldwide) or at www.amazon.co.uk (UK addresses).

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Guidebooks

Paying for a guidebook may seem an unnecessary expense, but it's a tiny fraction of what you're spending on your whole trip.  You will see so much more, and know so much more about what you're looking at, if you have a decent guidebook.  For the independent traveller I'd recommend either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide, both provide an excellent level of practical detail and useful background. You won't regret buying either of these guides!

Click the images to buy online at Amazon.co.uk

Alternatively, download just the chapters or areas you need in .PDF format from the Lonely Planet Website, from around £2.99 or US$4.95 a chapter.

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Hotels & accommodation

Hotels close to Barcelona Sants station

• If you're just staying overnight between trains, here are some good hotels near Barcelona Sants with good or great reviews:

• Hotel Barcelo Sants, 4-star, situated directly above Barcelona Sants station itself, great reviews, recommended.

• AC Hotel Sants by Marriott, 4-star, just 50m from the station.

• Hotel Catalonia Roma, 3-star.

• Hostal Baler, 2-star.

• Hotel Transit, 1-star.

• On a tight budget, a bed in a dorm at the highly-rated Ten-To-Go Hostel or Meeting Point Hostel both a stone's throw from Barcelona Sants starts at just €20 or so.

Hotels in Barcelona for a longer stay

• If you're staying longer, find a hotel in the old quarter, perhaps on La Rambla itself.  Here are some hotels with good or great reviews:

• Hotel DO Plaça Reial (5-star, fabulous, around £200+).

• Hotel Espana (4-star, around £190, one of Barcelona's most historic & well-known hotels in a quiet location just off La Rambla).

• Hotel MonteCarlo (4-star), Hotel Jazz (3-star with roof-top pool, from around £160 per night).

• Hotel Catalonia Portal de l'Angel (3-star with outdoor swimming pool, Gothic quarter, around £130 for a double).

• Hotel Curious (2-star, 50m from Las Ramblas, from around £90 for a double).

Hotels close to Paris Gare de Lyon

• If you need to stop overnight in Paris on your way to or from Spain, these hotels near the Gare de Lyon get good reviews: 

• Mercure Paris Gare de Lyon (on the station forecourt itself next to the station's famous clock tower, 4-star);

• Citizen M Hotel (just along the road from the station, 4-star, great reviews);

• Hotel Terminus Lyon (right in front of the station, 3-star);

• Novotel Paris Gare de Lyon (opposite the station, 4-star);

• Mistral Hotel (800m from Gare de Lyon, 1-star);

• Hotel 26 Faubourg (5 min walk from Gare de Lyon, 2-star);  More Paris hotels.

Entrance to the Mercure Hotel at the Gare De Lyon, right next to the station's famous clock tower.  Handy for early trains!

AirBnB:  www.airbnb.com

www.airbnb.com began in 2008 when two designers who had space to share hosted three travellers looking for a place to stay.  AirBnB is a platform which connects hosts with guests, so you can now book a room in people's homes, or an apartment, flat or house which people want to rent out.  It can be nicer than a hostel, cheaper than many hotels.

Backpacker hostels: www.hostelworld.com

• 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 Paris and most other European cities at rock-bottom prices.

Environmentally aware, actively ethical adventures in Spain:  www.wildsideholidays.com.

• For environmentally-aware guesthouses offering walking, hiking, riding or nature-watching in the Spanish countryside and national parks, try www.wildsideholidays.com, a new site listing independent, environmentally-aware properties across Spain.  It was started by British ex-pats Clive Muir and Sue Eatock, when they found nowhere to advertise their own wonderful property deep in the heart of the Sierra de Grazelema near Ronda in Southern Spain.

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Car hire

Car hire comparison:  www.carrentals.co.uk

The award-winning website www.carrentals.co.uk compares many different car hire companies including Holiday Autos, meaning not only a cheapest price comparison but a wider choice of hire and drop off location.

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Travel insurance & other tips

Always take out travel insurance

You should take out travel insurance with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover from a reliable insurer.  It should cover trip cancellation and loss of cash & belongings up to a reasonable limit.  These days, check you're covered for covid-19-related issues, and use an insurer whose cover isn't invalidated by well-meant but excessive Foreign Office travel advice against non-essential travel. An annual policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy with Staysure.co.uk myself.  Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed connection, see the advice on missed connections here.  Here are some suggested insurers, I get a little commission if you buy through these links, feedback always welcome.

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

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

  If you live in the USA try Travel Guard USA.

Get an eSIM with mobile data package

Don't rely on WiFi, download an eSIM with a European mobile data package and stay connected.  Most newer mobile phones can download a virtual SIM including iPhone 11 & later, see device compatibility list.  There's no need to buy a physical SIM card!  Maya.net is a reliable eSIM data retailer with a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating and a range of packages including unlimited data.

Get a Curve card for foreign travel

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

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

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

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

When travelling you may use free public WiFi which is often insecure.  A VPN encrypts your connection so it's always secure, even on unsecured WiFi.  It also means you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geoblocking which a surprising number of websites apply.  See VPNs & why you need one explained.  ExpressVPN is a best buy with a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot ranking which I use myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using this link you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription.  I also get some commission to help support this site.

Carry an Anker powerbank

Tickets, reservations, hotel bookings and Interrail or Eurail passes are often now held on your mobile phone.  You daren't let it run out of power, and you can't always rely on the phone's internal battery or on being near a power outlet.  I always carry an Anker powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over.  Buy from Amazon.co.uk or buy from Amazon.com.

Touring cities?  Use hill walking shoes!

One of the best things I've done is swap my normal shoes for hill-walking shoes, in my case from Scarpa.  They're intended for hiking across the Pennines not wandering around Florence, but the support and cushioning for hiking works equally well when you're on your feet all day exploring foreign cities.  My feet used to give out first and limit my day, now the rest of me gives up before they do!

 

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