Getting from Barcelona to Perpignan
 

Hi all,
Trying to find the easiest and most convenient way of getting from Barcelona to Perpignan, train or bus??

I have looked at the train timetables and it seems we have to change at Cerbere but cannot find a price for the whole trip (8th June 2007) I have also studied Eurolines website,I think I got it right that there is a coach daily, couldn't figure out the pricing though as the site is in Spanish. We will have a faily large suitcase each so assume this is not a problem on either train or coach.

Can anyone help me here

There are two Talgo trains daily from Barcelona to Perpignan. The schedules are on www.bahn.de. They currently leave at 0845 and 1642. The fares are listed on RENFE's web site and are 32 euros in Turista class or 41 euros in Preferente.
Otherwise, there are cheaper local trains from Barcelona to Cerbère where you can change to a French train.

Geoff,
Thanks so much for that info, thats great. I don't seem to be able to bring up the schedules on www.bahn.de perhaps you could give me some tips on how to use this website.

Should we booking seats online for this journey way in advance or can we purchase the tickets at the station on the day of departure, we will be in Barcelona for two days before we take the train?

In all our years of travelling we have never taken a train journey in Europe, I guess this sounds like a dumb question but I assume suitcases are not a problem?

Thanks once again.

The Deutsche Bahn web site has an English option: click on "international guests". When you enter your journey (eg "Barcelona" to "Perpignan"), it will ask your age (presumably for calculating fares) but you can enter anything.
The Talgo trains do fill up so need to be booked in advance, though a couple of days would usually be enough. The local trains to Cerbère cannot be reserved in advance, so you can just buy a ticket at the station.

Hi again Geoff,
Can now bring up the schedules for 8th June but I don't see a train to Perpignan at 8.45 only a nonstop at 8am arriving 11.42 am or 8.25am with one stop arriving at 11.42 am. What am I doing wrong??? There is a red R next do these trains which apparently stands for compulsory advance purchase but the next box says advance purchase not available. Is this because its too early yet for advance bookings???

I asked in my previous message, I assume there are no problems with luggage, we will have come off a cruise in Barcelona and will have a large suitcase each.

We always drive around Europe and are complete novices when it comes to trains!

The 0845 train goes from Barcelona França not Barcelona Sants. The França station is near the old port. There is no train at 0800. Deutsche Bahn's schedule shows a time of 0800 from Barcelona Sants because it allows 45 minutes to transfer to Barcelona França by bus or metro.
Bookings usually open two months in advance. There is no problem with luggage on trains, provided you can carry it on and off the train. The through trains from Barcelona to Perpignan are Talgo trains, a type developed by the Spanish railways: they have low floors around the same height as the station platforms, so handling luggage is easier than on other trains which are higher.

Geoff you're a star!!

So... I'm sorry to ask so many questions but presuming we are staying somewhere around Ramblas we just have to get ourselves plus luggage to the Franca station. Is this a taxi ride, not sure about getting luggage on and off the metro or a bus??

Thanks again.

Still working on this query.

Our aim is to train over the Spanish border into France we then have one spare night (thinking Carcassone) before a week in a villa in Provence, we then fly out from Marseille. We are trying to avoid the huge drop off fee of 368 EU if we pick up a car in Barcelona and drop off at Marseille.

I now see we can get the same 8.45 train from Barcelona to Carcassone but have to change trains along the way. Just wondering how we can find out where this change is and if its a big deal with luggage.

Thanks.

The reason so few trains go direct between Barcelona and Perpignan is because tracks in Spain are of a wider gauge than those in France so physically most trains can't go thru and you typically change at the border. Except for the three daily (including one night train) Talgo trains that have moveable wheel bases so at the border they crank the wheels closer or farther apart so they can go on tracks in both countries. Talgo trains go from Barcelona's Franca station, in downtown and not Sants i believe - a recent change but check.

They can be very full. Either book at www.renfe.es - Spanish Railways or www.voyages-sncf.com or, paying a bit more, in the US thru RailEurope - i always advise using BETS for this (800-441-2387) because of their customer service and expertise and for such order like this under $200 they will not charge RE's $15 mailing fee, charging i think $5. But if you wait to Barcelona unless you will be there several days before you are advised to book ahead, or else have to take, in my experience the cattle-car locals to the border and wait there for the French train, also often a cattle car in my experience to go on. Talgo trains are very nice.

When researching train times on www.bahn.de, enter details of your journey to eventually get a list of trains with departure and arrival times and the number of changes. Click on "details for all" to see exactly where and when you change trains. Each train has a train number in the "Products" column; if you click on the train number, you can see where it starts and ends its journey, exactly where it makes intermediate stops, and the composition of the train (whether it has a bar or restaurant, for example).