So many experienced and knowlegable people on this site!!

Our family of 5 is travelling to London next July. We are spending a few days in London and then we are on to Barcelona to go on a Med cruise. Then we wish to go to Paris for a few days before flying home to North America again.

We would like smart travel options to and from Barcelona, both economically and timewise. We will have a carry-on and a suitcase each.

I have heard that the Train Hotel does not allow anything more than a carryon per person. There is no storage area for larger suitcases. Perhaps I misunderstood?

What might our best options be for travelling? Thank you!

Check www.vueling.com for flights between Barcelona and Paris.

Check www.easyjet.com for flights between Barcelona and London.

Both are budget airlines, and the fares are the best when you buy tickets substantially in advance; they increase as you get closer to the travel date and as the less expensive fares are sold out.

Cheaper flights and more destinations from Ryanair : http://www.ryanair.com though not always the main city airports. Drawback could be low luggage allowance (& expensive excess charges).

Gatwick / Luton / Stansted / Paris (Beauvais) to Girona
Luton / Stansted / Paris (Beauvais) to Reus


Peter

TO check out the flying options...

http://www.skyscanner.net/

to check out the train options, with lots of useful info...

http://seat61.com/

and especially this page

http://www.seat61.com/Spain.htm

"I have heard that the Train Hotel does not allow anything more than a carryon per person. There is no storage area for larger suitcases. Perhaps I misunderstood?"

I took a Trenhotel from Paris to Madrid about 5 years ago and had no problem bringing my suitcase in addition to my carry on. Same story for an overnight train from Gijon to Barcelona in 2002. I've also taken an overnight French train from Biarritz to Paris and had no issue with bringing on my suitcase plus carry on.

That said, there is not alot of room for luggage in the sleeping car. In one of my trips I had to put my suitcase upright in my sleeping bunk with me. In the other two my suitcase fit under the bunk or there was just enough room to squeeze in between the bunk and the wall. I think it all depends on the type of overnight train.

I'd skip Paris altogether in July, too warm, far too many tourist and prices are on the upside of expensive at even a modest hotel. Dining out has become a challange unless you know where to find a decently priced meal, a fixed-priced lunch, which most restaurants are offering, but quality varies. Southwest cuisine tends to be the best. Wine has become so expensive in restaurants that even Parisians have cut back, opting for a bottle of tap water (at no cost) and maybe a glass of wine with lunch. You see few bottles on a table anymore.

I'd stay in Barcelona or possibly head to Bilbao and the Basque country for a few days before heading home.

We were in Paris in October and found the pricing to be the same or even less than in December 2008. Haven't been there in mid-summer, but July would be better than August when many residents take their holidays so some restaurants are closed.

Staying in an apartment should be less expensive than a hotel and more spacious. It will be high season pricing, though, and you'd be wise to book now.

With five, transport will not be cheap except perhaps low-cost airlines (as long as you keep luggage to a minimum). Watch the airports, too; Girona is an hour or more from Barcelona. You can take a train from the airport. First class car is a little more expensive but roomy. Again, don't wait too long to book. We like www.raileurope.com. It may not be the cheapest but they've been reliable and send the tickets to your home in advance if time allows. Can book starting 60 days prior to travel date.

(and we always ask for a free carafe d'eau as well as wine in French restaurants)

Rail Europe is simply a booking service that's been around for a long time and charges a (steep) service fee. They do not, offer the discounted fares offered by Renfe even though they are able to obtain them once the schedules are updated. It’s the same with the SNCF PRIM fares.

You're better off booking the tickets through Renfe, on their web site, and getting the web fare (60% discount) or an Estrella fare (40%) discount, as long as they are available on that route on the day you want to travel. You can usually book 62 days out, but you often have to wait until Renfe posts the new schedule, which they have been rather slow at the past year after installing their new software. Hopefully they’ll get the bugs out one day soon.

If you purchase your tickets through Renfe, you will be able to download the tickets once the process is complete. If you happen to misplace them, they can be reprinted as long as you have the reference number. You don't have to wait for the ticket to arrive in the mail. That's a rather dated concept.

As far as restaurants go, you can check the Best of Paris Restaurants (www.bestrestaurantsparis.com/) to see prices and menus. There is a wide selection, but this list, like many others, only include those restaurants, cafes and bars that pay for a listing, but it will give you some idea of today's prices.