shgrand

Is this 11-hr trip worth taking for scenic value? Thanks!

lincasanova

no in my opinion.

fly to mad. then bus to salamanca

Tashulina

Hi,

You can try to take the train from Barcelona to Salamanca. Despite the many hours you will spent till you'll get there, the landscape on the way is fabulous. and if you are not travelling alone, the hours will pass more rapidly, especially if you have a good camera with you to take home those nice memories. Check a little bit http://www.gosalamanca.info/how-to-g...to-arrive.aspx also, you will find out more about how to get in Salamanca from different cities.

Suelynne

Well, I did the Madrid to Barcelona trip in 1969, and Salamanca to Madrid five years ago. Enjoyed the scenery on both occasions. The mountains near Zaragoza (between Madrid and Barcelona)were stunning; some Spaniards travelling with us were keen to tell us that Dr Zhivago had been filmed there. (It was mid-winter so easy to believe that.) It *was* a long trip (and we actually broke it for a few days in Tarragona). Our daughter studied in Salamanca for twelve months and often travelled to Madrid by either train or bus, but she must have preferred the train trip slightly more because that was how we did the trip by train (whereas we travelled Madrid to Granada with her by bus, again her preference). Of course, Salamanca to Madrid is much shorter, and the scenery was not as stunning as the long one, but I do remember the distant snow-covered mountains to the south - it was late March - and the very close-up views of the walls of Avila. (I have to admit I love train travel, and am married to a train fanatic!)

kenderina

As much as I love train travel...I wouldn't do that trip. It's way too long and tiring. I did Barcelona-Zaragoza 4 years ago on that train (it is the same one) and then they used one of the oldest talgos still running...maybe they have changed it but still I found it too long.

PalenQ

It's much less now with the completion of the high-speed parts of Barcelona-Madrid train line - more like 6-7 hours i think.

GatoVolador

Salamanca is very nice. It is a city dominated by its historical university (similar to Bologna, in Italy), so unless if you go there in July, August, or September, you'll find A LOT of Spanish and foreign students walking down the streets.

The city has plenty of architectural and historial wonderful places (even two cathedrals!). I think october or november are great months to visit it.

My advice is that you make a trip to Madrid (2 or 3 nights) and then spend 1 extra night in Salamanca (Salamanca is linked efficiently to Madrid by bus and regional trains). Check www.renfe.es and www.auto-res.net. Otherwise, do not use the train to Salamanca from Barcelona, because you need to go to Madrid (trains are very good, not old Talgos as somebody said) and then connect to a regional train to Salamanca. It's time consuming and not cheap.

Why don't you try the plane? Salamanca is linked to Barcelona by regional aviation airline Lagunair (www.lagunair.com). Air Nostrum (Iberia's regional franchise) is starting the flight in October 2007 too, but tickets will be not probably on sale until August or September.

GATO VOLADOR

kenderina

I'm happy to hear they have changed the old trains It's a pity we still have no good train between Valencia and Zaragoza , hope Renfe change that too

PalenQ

Where once the Pain in Spain was mainly on the Train... now it's not as RENFE has as much as any European country launched new high-speed rail lines to many locales - very nice fast trains such as on the Barcelona-Madrid line.

lincasanova

i love barcelona, madrid and salamanca, but would not relish that trip.

however, i am glad to hear that others have enjoyed it.

smarty

PalenQ: are you saying that the high speed train between Barcelon and Madrid is actually, finally running? Thanks.

ComfyShoes

Kend, Could it be that they don't want people from Valencia to visit other cities too easily? I am just kidding!

11 hour trip? Wow! But hey, it is Spain.

PalenQ

donnow - read a bit ago that it was due to start but haven't heard exactly - but much of it is in operation and has been - just the whole thing is still on hold - a part near Barcelona i think so though trains run at high speed from Lleida to Madrid i think not on the rest. and true high-speed running has been put on hold due to technical snafus - will approach 200 mph or perhaps even more eventually.

currently high-speed capable AVE trains (really French TGVs i believe) run only between Madrid Atocha and Lleida and onto Cap de Tarragona - doing the 545 km in 3 h 05 mins (330 miles in about 3 hrs with two stops (Zaragoza Lleida)

Alva and Alaria trains run over the same line direct Madrid Atocha- Barcelona Sants and onto Franca in the heart of town - doing it in 4.75 hours.

most are Alva but the few Altaria trains, which are Talgo trains that can change wheel bases to run on wider tracks other than the new line built to standard European gague actually start in Cadiz and run thru to Barcelona (10 hours!)

but don't think AVE direct Madrid to Barcelona have been launched yet but not sure.

kenderina

No, there's still no AVE Madrid-Barcelona. They still haven't finished the Tarragona-Barcelona line.

GatoVolador

False: the Madrid - Barcelona - France line is currently operating from Atocha (Madrid) to "Camp de Tarragona" (Tarragona). The works are very advanced near Barcelona: the only thing lefts is the new La Sagrera station in BCN. However, the service will start at Sants Station (Barcelona), until the new station is ready.

It is expected AVE to start operations from BCN at the end of the current year.

shgrand

thank u everyone for taking time to respond. we've decided to take the plane from barcelona to madrid and then bus it to salamanca.