My husband and I will be traveling from Paris to Barcelona in May. We will have 3 nights and want to see the Millau Viaduct Bridge. Should we take the train or rent a car? If we rent a car we will drop it off before we cross the border into Spain. My husband was thinking it might be more enjoyable for him if we took the train.
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
You don't have much time. Fly.. easy and cheap and even with commute to airports its faster. Car rental not a great idea because when you drop car in another country the drop fees can be very high.. ( and never mind that gas is like 10 bucks a gallon)
Vueling and Easyjet fly there ( I have used both) even with extra fees for luggage its still cheap if purchased far enough in advnace. I would just pick the cheapest ticket.
( one note.. Easyjet allows one carry on only,, NOT one carry on and a purse.. so Vuelings a bit easier , when I take Easyjet I shove my purse in my carry on.
Posted by
9 posts
My wife and I are doing this in June. We're opting for the TGV. It takes about 6.5 hours and is supposed to be very nice.
http://www.seat61.com/Paris-to-Barcelona-by-TGV-train.htm#.UxULlFI170Q
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
If you want to see the bridge, you're going to have to drive. I'd bet the train would go Montpellier and then back up. That'd be maybe six or seven hours and there's bound to be a bus in there somewhere. Then you'd have to start over for another who knows how many hours.
Driving out of Paris to Perpignan (where you'd drop the car) it's about nine hours. Millau is right along the way, but you'd have to add stop time there and at least a lunch stop somewhere else. There'd also be a gas stop plus the fill-up before you turn the car in. Leave early and it's still going to be tight for one day - - at least twelve hours. You'd better make sure when that last southbound train leaves.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area
79 posts
I am considering doing the same trip in May, from Paris to Barcelona for 3-4 days, then will return to Paris. From what I've read the TGV train to Barcelona is the only city outside of France included in the France train pass. There might be an additional fee for the TGV. Happy travels.
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10176 posts
With three days you could do this easily, driving down to see the viaduct and then catching a TGV to Barcelona. It does stop in both Montpellier and Narbonne on its way to Barcelona. We'll be dropping our car at the rental agency located at the train station in Narbonne and taking the TGV the rest of the way to Barcelona in May. I wasn't able to get the hours and times on the SNCF website, but they were available on the loco2 website. The maninseat61.com has a nice section describing the trip, where to get tickets, etc.
Posted by
Dallas
1021 posts
You might TGV to Avignon, about 2.5 hours from Paris. Spend the day and night there or get a car and drive to the Luberon. There stay in Gordes, Bonnieux, Roussillon. Next day drive down through the Camargue seeing Aigues-Mortes then on to Millau. Stay in Millau or Pezenas. Next day to Carcassone then on to Collioure on the coast. Next morning turn the car in at Perpignan and TGV to Barcelona.
Millau Viaduc is a wonder, even more spectacular than the pictures show. The visitor center and viewpoint are on the north side, northbound A75, with an exit on the southbound side as well. A good place to stay in Millau is Chateau de Creissels which has rooms with a view of the bridge.
I highly recommend Michelin Green Guides for Provence and for Languedoc-Roussillon to plan your days in the South of France. Michelin Restaurant app is good for finding good places to eat along the way.