My husband and I are flying to Madrid and need to be in Rome in 11 days for our Mediterranean cruise. We will not be driving - we will be taking the train. Any suggestions as far as itinerary? We think the Basque Country and Provence would be interesting.

Without knowing where else you have been - and what your interests are - it;s hard to be specific.

But, if you haven;t been to Rome before you need to spend at least 3 days there and if not seen Madrid that needs 2 days - so does that leaves you 6 days in between. There are dozens of places you could stay in Spain, France of Italy. If you tell us what you want to see people can make recos.

what time of the year? what are you interested in?
You may wish to do a bit of research and ask more specific questions..

We will be coming from SFO last week in April. We have been to Barcelona, Paris and Rome, so we don't need to see those places. We love food (wine and cheese) and sightseeing. We are looking for value as hotels, restaurants, etc. We are interested in history. Thanks for your input!

There is a lot to see in Madrid and on day trips from the city ( Toledo, Segovia, and more).
To get to the Basque country ( where?) from Madrid consult

http://www.renfe.es/index.html

Another option would be to go south from Madrid -
Cordoba, Seville, Granada.
I would leave Provence for another trip.
Once you have the itinerary , you'll get a lot of help re hotels here( state your budget).

We would like to know of small towns on the rail line from leaving Madrid heading north toward the French border. We will spend 1-2 nights there. Then on to France to stay in 2 different towns (maybe southeastern and southwestern). Then on to Italy with 2 different towns. If you have a favorite lodging or restaurant please include. Thanks for your help.