I am flying into Barcelona, Spain and heading up to Carcassonne, France mid September. Currently, I am planning to take the train from Barcelona, Sants station up into France & transfer at Narbonne. Given the potential delays at airports, I do not believe morning trains are possible. So, I am left with one late afternoon train (16:24) on my arrival date that heads up to Carcassonne. I’ve noticed an earlier train (15:17) that doesn’t show up on my travel dates. Rail Europe said I should book tickets now based on what is available. Or, should I wait for my travel dates & assume the earlier train will indeed be available? I would also be curious to know if there are other faster trains that might get me up to Carcassonne faster. I’m sure car rental is another option, but due to the international flight, reluctant to do this.
Many thanks,
-Rick
Posted by
Green Bay
23697 posts
Without knowing your exact arrival date, it is impossible to provide any suggestions.
Posted by
Long Beach, Ca, usa
3426 posts
Rick, Definitely do not rent a car in one country and return it in another. It could cost between 500 and 1,000 euros. Have you considered spending your arrival night in Barcelona? As long as you are there.....
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
11927 posts
Renfe, the Spanish train system also goes from Barcelona Sants to Narbonne, two times a day. I was in the 16:31 train yesterday from Barcelona. Narbonne to Carcassonne is only a half hour local train and there are one or two trains per hour. So the ticket you need to buy in advance is Barcelona to Narbonne. Buy directly from SNCF or RENFE, not a 3rd party seller . RENFE tickets are less expensive than SNCF, so check the prices on both websites, not on rail Europe. Buy directly. Give yourself plenty of time because Spanish train stations have security systems and multiple procedures. Minimum advance time at the station should be 30-45 minutes.
Posted by
Freedonia
19263 posts
Do not use or rely on Rail Europe for schedules or tickets. They don't always show all trains available.
I believe in buying direct.
Follow Elizabeth's advice.
Posted by
OP
10 posts
Thank you all. I appreciate the advice. I’m actually traveling on 15 September if that helps.
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
11927 posts
The day doesn't matter. There's one RENFE train and one SNCF train every morning and one RENFE train and one SNCF train every afternoon. There is no other fast train on the 15/09 or any other day.
One person who answers here lives in the Carcassonne area. Perhaps this person could tell you if the local, slow commuter trains would be of any use to you.
Posted by
France Southwest - Occitanie
4031 posts
Schedule for September 15 (morning)
Renfe train schedule (Barcelona Sants to Narbonne): 8:14 a.m. – 10:26 a.m.
SNCF train schedule (Barcelona Sants to Narbonne): 9:26 a.m. – 11:38 a.m.
Connections from Narbonne to Carcassonne (SNCF / liO regional network):
Departures from Narbonne at:
11:16 a.m.
12:07 p.m.
1:07 p.m.
2:07 p.m.
(Plus 15 other departures later in the day)
Note: There are no seat reservations on the Narbonne – Carcassonne train. It is 2nd class only with unassigned seating. A ticket booked for a specific train is valid for any other train on the same route for that same day.
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
11927 posts
And the afternoon Barcelona to Narbonne trains are SNCF at 16:24 and RENFE at 16:31.
Posted by
OP
10 posts
Thank you again for all your train advice. This helps a lot!
-Rick
Posted by
Moncton NB
1523 posts
I can just tell you what I did for this exact journey. I took the train from Barcelona Sants to Perpignan, and rented a car from there to take to Carcassonne. You may find a car handy in that area if many of the things you might want to see in the area are not accessible by train (Cathar castles, Dordogne villages, Cro-Magnon caves).