I will Be staying in Asturias (Gijon) for one week before spending another 6 days in Paris. We need to Arrive in Paris on January 1, 2003. Can anyone reccommend the Quickest way (OTHER THAN AIRPLANE)to get to Paris. It seems the quickest way I have been able to find is Driving across the North of Spain to San Sebastian or Irun and Catching a Train from There. Does anyone have any ideas - Please Help!!!

X,<BR>Other than driving from Gijon to Irun, you might consider this:<BR><BR>Catch the Alsa "supra" (few stops) bus from Gijon, departing at 7:45 a.m., arriving in Irun at 13:35. Then from station grab a taxi to take you right across the border to the train station at Hendaye (15 min. max) to catch the 14:16 TGV to Paris, arriving at Montparnasse station at 19:50.<BR>Check the other TGV departures from Hendaye at www.voyages-sncf.com

Forgot to add that you can pull up the Gijon-Irun bus info at www.alsa.es

An alternative would be a train from Gijon to Valladolid, 15:55-19:36, and from there the night train to Paris, 21:20-8:27.<BR><BR>www.renfe.es

Thank you Maribel - I wanted to see if anyone would reccomned that Idea of taking the ALSA - That's how we get from Madrid to Asutrias and I think what you have suggested is a great Idea.<BR>Do you Know how how much a taxi from Irun to Hendaye would be - and are there any difficulties crossing the border this way?

Dan,<BR>I really can't estimate how much a taxi would be, but it wouldn't be too much. Hendaye is just across the river. We spend time each summer in next door Hondarribia and cross the border by car every day while we're there (family lives in Irun)-no check points, no stopping, all border controls gone, just lots of traffic.<BR>But it doesn't take long at all.

Thanks Again!

I will probably do the trip from Paris to Gijon, so thank you for the advice. Question though. The overnight train that jahoulih mentions. Is that TGV from Valladolid? I cant find that station in the tgv website. Which train would get me from Paris to Valladolid? Thanks!

It's the excellent Elipsos trainhotel 'Francisco de Goya' Madrid-Paris.

It has a cafe-bar, elegant restaurant car, 4-berth sleepers in Turista, 1 and 2 bed sleepers with washbasin in Preferente (breakfast included), and 1 and 2 bed sleepers with en suite shower and toilet in Gran Clase (3-course dinner with wine and breakfast included). Virtual tour: www.elipsos.com

Book online at www.renfe.com with self-print tickets.

Ah, if you want it southbound, then you can book it at www.tgv-europe.com with ticket collection in Paris.

It departs Paris Austerlitz at 18:53, it runs daily March-Nov, but now only Thur/Fri/Sun/Mon in winter until March 2012.

It stops at both Burgas and Valladolid.

ttt