Ibake

I am going to spend a month in France next summer in the Ariège region and then a week in Sweden, flying into Copenhagen before returning home to Boston. I need this to be economical, do I fly into Barcelona, for a 3+ hour train, Toulouse for a 1+ hour train or Paris for an overnight train? I have never been to France, so Paris was thrown in as an option to spend a night before heading south.

nytraveler

Depends on where you are starting from. You may have direct flights to both Paris and Barcelona, Very unlikely you have direct flights to Toulouse (have you checked about changing planes and how long the multi flights take?)

And why fly to Copenhagen to get to Sweden? Are you going to Malmo? If not - why not fly into Stockholm - or wherever you are going?

Ibake

I cannot book the trip until Sept., so flights aren't posted yet for the flight to Cophagen or Boston.mi was hoping someone might have had travel experience in this area of France. I am visiting friends in Skane, so train to Malmo and then another to Baskemolla.

Dukey1

Check on budget connections into Toulouse using www.skyscanner.com; you can very easily get there by air from Paris on Air France.

DebitNM

We like flying SAS when flying from US to Copenhagen and on to Paris. Some great deals, sign up for sale notices via email.

Then check out low cost flights using skyscanner.

joannyc

You won't get a non-stop from US to Toulouse. I think the best option is to go through Amsterdam to Toulouse, at least from my NYC location on Delta/KLM. Beats changing planes in CDG.

Ibake

Sky scanner does not have multiple stops...

flanneruk

"And why fly to Copenhagen to get to Sweden? "

Because, apart from a few flights from Malmo to other parts of Scandinavia and former members of the Hanseatic League, Copenhagen is the airport people in southern Sweden use to get to the rest of the world.

Ibake

Change of plans, still going to France, should I go to Copenhagen I will just grab a flight on Ryan Air or some other such airline and return back to France. There is an overnight train from Paris directly to where I will be going, or I can take a 3+ hour train from Barcelona with one transfer. Both I believe would be a direct flit from Boston. Or fly to Toulouse which will require 2 flights and a 1+ hour train and one transfer.

nytraveler

If at all possible avoid multiple flights - which increases the risk of delays, lost luggage etc.

Looks like Barcelona with a 3 hour train makes the most sense.

Michael

Chances are that you would be arriving in Paris in the morning. Check sncf.com for train schedules to Toulouse or Foix. There is an overnight to Foix.

Nikki

Are you sure there are nonstop flights from Boston to Barcelona? When I went, I believe there were none, and I just checked random dates on Kayak and none appeared.

Christina

This is confusing to me, I'm not clear on what the trains are about. I guess to get to the Ariege region upon arrival? I'd also choose least transfers. a 1 vs 3 hr train ride wouldn't matter as much as least number of flight transfers. I also wold be surprised you could get a nonstop to anywhere in France but Paris. Certainly not Toulouse. And I also don't think you can get a nonstop to Barcelona. So if you need a flight with a change, you might as well go to Toulouse and be closer, it makes more sense than taking such a long train from Paris.

Many times you can get a flight to some other city n France (such as Toulouse) the same price as to Paris nonstop, on Air France. I've had that happen to me many times. I don't understand it, but something to do with demand or scheduling, as you have to go through Paris, of course, to get to Tourlouse or Marseille or Nice, wherever you are going. I just checked a random date in October, and the nonstop from Boston to Paris was the same price as to Toulouse, almost exactly (even though I know you aren't returning from Paris).

Paris to Toulouse is about 7 hours by train, so why add that on to such a long trip when you can just fly to Toulouse. I imagine the train fare to Toulouse isn't going to be much different than the add-on air fare to Toulouse, or could be even more if there is no air fare difference. Toulouse to Foix is going to be the same no matter the method.

Ibake

I brought up the different options because I was thinking of wandering a bit in Paris or Barcelona, probably on my departure, having been to neither city. It appears that Toulouse makes the most sense...

Christina

well, the departure is different than the arrival, again, I am confused on what you are doing or asking. You said you were going to COpenhagan or Sweden after France, at the end of your trip. SO how could you end up back in Paris or Barcelona at the end? Especially Barcelona which is so far away.

So yes, Toulouse sounds best for your arrival point.

Cathinjoetown

The TGV from Paris to Toulouse takes 5 1/2 hours. Good prices go online 3 months out on voyages-sncf. U.S. residents find the capitaine train website easy to use, prices are the same. You could compare prices on easyjet as well.

If you were flying direct from the States, many of our friends prefer connecting through Amsterdam to Toulouse but Paris and other combinations are possible. I've flown Virgin connecting on BA through Heathrow which was all right.

Where are you headed in the Ariège? There is bus service from Toulouse, originating at the gare routier which is next to the train station.

dugi_otok

You can fly Boston-Madrid-Toulouse on American/Iberia if you desire a night or two in Madrid. I have done this.Return from Copenhagen.

Also this year you can fly Boston-Istanbul-Toulouse on Turkish Airlines with an overnight connection in Istanbul for $200 less than the cheapest flight(Boston to Toulouse) on the major airlines. A two night layover would be $50 additional. Return from Copenhagen.

Cathinjoetown

correction to my post: Gare Routière