My cruise was just cancelled so I have a round trip ticket to Barcelona leaving August 4. I just booked a B&B in Florence where I will stay instead of cruising, but I have no idea how to get there by train from Barcelona. I'm desperate and in a terrible last minute hurry. Can anyone help me?

Rosemary,

You can check out train schedules at "http://mercurio.iet.unipi.it/misc/timetabl.html". Use the Swiss timetable (SBB) it is the most user friendly. Just put in your two cities and you will get several choices that will get you to Florence when you meed to get there. If you want to look at prices go to "http://www.bootsnall.com/eurail/passes/p2p.shtml", put in your two cities and you will get a recommended schedule and the cost for 1st and 2nd class.

If you can, I would consider splitting this journey up into 2 shorter trips, it would be less stressful.

Have a good trip.

Greg

Long trip--I would stay in Nice enroute.

Long trip agreed but it can be done overnight on one of the hotel trains..you take the train to Milano and then the hotel train overnight from there. No SEATS on hotel trains..only berths.

I apologize for mis-reading your post..you can also do the trip in the reverse direction...Barcelona overnight to Milano and then change for Florence. If you go during the day you'll almost have to consider staying overnight enroute although it is doable during the day but it will be a LONG day.

The reference library of a city near you may have the Thomas Cook European Timetable. Table 90 has your trains. As Intrepid says, you need the Hotel Train, the Salvador Dali, which has 1, 2, and 4 berth sleepers, and a restaurant car. Times are Barcelona Sats 2038, Milan Central 0910, and Milan 2000, Barcelona 0901. Then the connections are Milan Central 0900, Florence 1146 and Florence 1613, Milan 1900: both trains have restaurant cars.

For pictures of hotel trains please see http://www.seat61.com/Spain.htm

Bookings are getting very full for August, so you should take a credit card and phone an agent straight way. If you will say where you are now I shall be glad to name a relevant agent. In principle you can book online with Spanish Rail and Italian Rail, but many people find their sites hard to use.

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You may also consider flying...check easyjet.com, ryanair.com, spanair...I'm not sure of their schedules, but that might get you somewhere. best of luck and have a great time in Florence!

Rosemary, Ben is right. I did the Barcelona/Milan overnight thing in March, and even then it was tricky sometimes getting a berth. Book as soon as you can.

I got a first class single sleeper, and it made my life so much better. But by the time I got to Siena (my final destination via Florence) I was pooped!