Barcelona to Toulouse via train
 

My trip in May starts in Barcelona and ends in Marseille. I am considering taking the TGV train from Barcelona to Toulouse but is there a slower train service that travels through the Pyrenees? Perhaps Barcelona to Andorra then onto Toulouse?

There are 4 daily trains from Barcelona (dp 7.01, 9.36, 12.07, 15.10) to La Tour de Carol (ar 10.13, 12.38, 15.14, 18.17) and corresponding trains from there (dp 13.21, 17.21, 19.21) to Toulouse (ar 16.17, 20.17, 22.17)

There is no train service that will get you to Andorra. The only way you can get to Andorra from Barcelona, if you don't have a car, is to take the bus.

The only rail services that goes into the Pyrenees, or the foothills of the Pyrenees, from the Spanish side are the Vall de Núria Rack Railway in Ribes-Enllaç, north of Ripoll and the Tren dels Llacs, which runs from Lleida to La Pobla de Segur, in the foothills of the Pyrenees.

http://www.valldenuria.com/website_v...cremallera.asp
www.trendelsllacs.cat

To get to Andorra take the train neckervd describes to La Tour de Carol then from there or neighboring La Hospitalet (sp?) take a bus to Andorra - regular bus services. then take the bus back to one of those towns on the main line to Toulouse.

the Barcelona to La Tour de Carol train is very scenic and quaint as it gets near the Pyrenees - the train from La Tour to Toulouse is also very sweet in scenery.

a more scenic way would be to take a French TGV or Spanish AVE train from Barcelona to Pepignon where you change to a train that ultimately turns into a narrow-gauge train called La Petit Train Jaune (Little Yellow Trains) that trundles up a sweet valley in th ePyrenees all the way to La Tour de Carol. With the opening of direct Barcelona to Perpignan high-speed trains that may also be the quickest way to go and the high-speed trains are much much nicer than the regional trains neckervd lists.

There are severl hotels at La Tour de Carol - in winter a skiing center.

for lots of great info on these trains check these IMO superb sources: www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.seat61.com.

Some details of the Little Yellow Train:

http://www.pyrenees-cerdagne.com/en/the-yellow-train

Thank you for the information. The scenic way sounds exactly what I am looking for! I have time during my trip to enjoy the view rather than zipping through on the TGV train. Not many mountains here in the middle of Canada.

Just an update for future travellers...and thank you Fodorites for the information on the slower train route between Barcelona and Toulouse.
Question: is the stop Andorre- L'Hospitel (sp?) in Andorra?

The scenic route through the Pyrenees was perfect. Great scenery and the trains were not crowded.
No need to book tickets ahead if time. Just FYI, at the Sants Barcelona train station, go to windows 1-6 to buy tickets to Latour de Carol. Your ticket for the French section can be bought at the train station @ Latour de Carol. We even managed a further discount for the two of us travelling on Saturday.

L'Hospitel station has the prefix Andorre in front of it because you get buses from this French station to Andorra - the capital city of Andorra - so you did not go thru Andorra which has no railways.