Trains from Nimes (Provence) to Barcelona (3 1/2 hrs journey):
Nimes dp 9.05, 10.09, 15.49, 17.09
Tons of local trains from Avignon Ville to Nimes (30 min journey).

The timing is really bad for Avignon to Nimes to Barcelona.

Avignon to Nimes (weekday)
depart 8:40 arrive 9:10
depart 9:40 arrive 10:10

So the only morning connection that would work is the one that departs Avignon at 8:40 & catches the 10:09 to Barcelona.

The next TGV from Nimes to Barcelona departs at 15:49, which gets you to Barcelona at 19:42. The Sants station is not very close to any hotels we've stayed at in Barcelona. So you probably would not get to your hotel until 20:30 - which is later than I like to arrive in a city.

Stu Dudley

So the only morning train leaves Avignon TGV at 8.43 and arrives at Barcelona Sants at 12.31.
But why not stop at Arles for a few hrs, there is a lot to see in this town.
If you arrive at your Barcelona hotel at 20.30, you will still be too early for dinner.

>>If you arrive at your Barcelona hotel at 20.30, you will still be too early for dinner.<<

Yep. The earliest we could ever get a reservation in Barcelona last year was at 20:30. However, if I arrived at my hotel at 20:30, after a long day visiting a Provence city, then 5 hrs or so on a train or in a station - I would want to "freshen up" a bit before dinner. Six people "freshing up" might involve 1-2 hours. Like I pointed out earlier - I would not arrive in a large city (and one of the best "food" cities in Europe) anytime after about 18:00.

Stu Dudley

macdogmom

Earlier I mentioned Colloire as a good place for a 4 night/3 1/2 day stopover. We've visited it several times - most recently when we stayed about 30 mins away for 2 weeks in a gite near Ceret. It's a lovely port town with a good beach, interesting "old town", and many restaurants. It is quite popular. There are several hotels there with swimming pools & views of the port. This seems to be the best one:
http://www.relaisdestroismas.com/
The Hotel also has a Michelin 1 star restaurant, and is just steps away from another restaurant where I celebrated my birthday when we were there. It is easy to get to from Paris. Take the TGV that leaves at 10:07 and arrives in Perpignan at 15:08. You could take a taxi to the hotel from Perpignan, or hop in a train 30 mins later that arrives in Collioure at 16:06. The hotel is probably too far away from the train station to walk to, and I recall some uphill between the two. So a taxi might be necessary (confirm with hotel). Another hotel closer to the train station and the "old Town" & beach is:
http://en.hotel-casa-pairal.com/
It has a pool, but no view.

From Collioure you can take the train back to Perpigaan for a visit, or on to Barcelona. No-train-change trains also run to Narbonne which is an interesting city to visit (1 hr away).

Stu Dudley

Thanks Stu. I'm going to check out the Collioure hotel. Someone on Chowhound also recommended that town. Also thinking about Arles as possibility for long weekend stop, maybe stay at L'Hotel Particulier and let 20somethings hang at pool and we explore town. Or I will try to find something cheaper, but with pool.

Weather in May can be "iffy" for hanging out at pools. We spent our first two weeks this year in Nice. For the first couple of days it was a tad cool for any beach time. We didn't even go into Old Nice for dinner because we wanted to dine outside & it wasn't warm enough to do so. About the last 1 1/2 weeks it was fine. I got in several days of beach time. Many times it was cool & not "beach weather" in Provence in early June (since '99 we've going to France every year for 5 weeks in June/July). When we were near Collioure for 2 weeks in early June, there were very few (if any) beach days. There were a few "hearty souls" on the beach - but not us. On a prior trip to Collioure, it was shoulder-to-shoulder sunbathers on the beach - but I believe that was in late June - maybe even July. In mid/late July of '12 we met an internet friend at her beach house in Canet-Plage - just 10K or so north of Collioure. It was warm & sunny - but quite windy. Not many people on the beach because of the wind. We didn't even have lunch outside at her home because of the wind.

Don't "bet" on days at the pool in May - you may not get any. But there are plenty of other things to do around Arles & Collioure to keep you occupied if you don't get your "pool time". However, Arles & Collioure themselves won't take more than one day to thoroughly explore, IMO. Just make sure you research bus & train connections to other sites, if you don't want to rent a car(s).

Stu Dudley

Well, thanks to all your help I decided on Arles for 3 nights and got the last 3 rooms at the Hotel du Cloitre for our dates. Will get TGV tickets to Avignon and then perhaps proceed in a taxi to Arles. Next, locking down our apartment in Barcelona. Thanks again.

Perhaps I missed something, but there isn't any reason you can't buy a train ticket from Paris to Arles. YOu don't have to stop in AVignon and then get a taxi to Arles. You will need to transfer trains at AVignon or Nimes, though, but you still don't need to take a taxi.

And as for the rumors that if you arrive at 8:30 pm at a Barcelona hotel, you will still be too early for dinner -- not true. I've been there a couple times for about 5 days each and had no trouble sitting down to dinner between 8-9 pm. I don't go to high end restaurants or make reservations, but I'm not talking street food, but regular small restaurants or bistros. I stay in the Eixemple area. Maybe if you only go to expensive restaurants that would be the case.

For example, I like both La Tramoia and Tonorio (I thin they have the same owner), and they are open most of the time as they also serve tapas and have a bar. So that just flows into dinner, but you have no problem going in at 8:30 and ordering off the dinner menu there. THis is that restaurant group's website http://www.cacheirorestaurants.com/r...barcelona/home

I guess this is Tramoia's website and they say you can order dinner from 7:30 pm.
http://www.restalo.es/restaurante-la-tramoia

That's unusual (7:30), but many are open at 8 pm. I've dined in a couple on carrer d'Aribau, and they open at 8.

Hotel du cloitre: nice 15-20 min walk from the railway station.

Thanks, Christina. I had not really researched trains yet and just got off capitane site and there seems to be a non stop TGV from Paris to Arles leaving mid day and getting around 4. That looks great and will get those tickets when available. Also checked Barcelona train and it looks like we can get a 9am transferring in Nimes that will get us into Barca around 1:30pm. That's great since we are renting an apartment and probably couldn't get into any earlier.

Thanks neckervd. The walk will be good for us after sitting for 4 hours...

"it looks like we can get a 9am transferring in Nimes that will get us into Barca around 1:30pm"

There is no european town called Barca. I suppose you mean Barcelona. In this case, you could find the trains in the official timetable:
Arles dp 8.18 - Nimes 8.40/9.05 - Barcelona Sants ar 12.31 (see my post above).
Direct trains to Arles leave Paris at 15.41 and 17.19; they stop at Valence, Montelimar and Avignon Ville

There are some direct trains from Paris to Arles, but they are not nonstop. They will have several stops, not that it matters much, but that adds in a little time for the stops. YOu won't have to transfer, but they do stop.

Perhaps I missed something, but there isn't any reason you can't buy a train ticket from Paris to Arles. YOu don't have to stop in AVignon and then get a taxi to Arles.>

If you want to leave earlier you can take a TGV to Avignon TGV and then take the shuttles that meet trains and whisk folks to Arles - very easy. I'd take whatever is the cheapest and most convenient.

Going crazy here. The train I found last month that went from Paris to Arles without any change of train seems to have disappeared. I've checked Captaine site and SCNF and can't seem to find it. Our trip is on May 22 and I checked earlier dates and it has seemed to disappear. It's still true that you can't buy tickets more than 3 months out, correct?

Never mind, I was looking too far out. Hopefully it will appear on schedule for the dates I need 3 months before our travel date.

Direct Paris - Arles TGV on Friday May 22nd:
Paris L dp 15.27, 17.41
Some of the other 20 connections with 1 train change are faster, however