Barcelona and Paris Summer

We took the high speed train, a 6 1/2 hour very pleasurable journey. It's a very scenic ride through Provence. We sprung for 1st class for the wider seats and being upstairs with the panoramic windows, but 2nd class is pretty nice as well. Our luggage was stored in the car we traveled on so we could see it the entire time. There is a bar cart with limited selection of food and drink. I'd pack a picnic next time. We looked at flying. The time, given airport hassles, etc was about the same and who likes airports?

There are cheap flights on this route (www.skyscanner.com). To make the train price more competitive, reserve nonrefundable discount tickets 3-4 months ahead. http://en.voyages-sncf.com/en/ will let you sign up for email notification when new dates go on sale. Due to credit card security issues, it's often easier to book through www.trainline.eu (from €39) or our Rail Europe link (from $48).

We did this by train last year and really enjoyed it. No airports and the train stations are right in the cities. We just walked from the Barcelona station right to our hotel

I took this overnight one time and had a sleeping car. It was fun as the train had a bar.

The TGV between Paris and Barcelona is a lovely relaxing trip. No airport hassles. Book far enough in advance and first class sears are very affordable.

I'm sorry, but I can't help myself: Second class is perfectly fine. There is nothing wrong with buying first-class tickets if you wish, but second-class seats are perfectly comfortable, and you might prefer to spend the money on other aspects of your trip.

I agree. The difference between 1st and 2nd is not marked enough to validate the extra $$$.

Thankyou all!

On the economy versus 1st class I would agree, if the cost difference is substantial. But, depending on the schedule you will see some trains have little difference in cost In our case it was about $15 more per seat for 1st and for the length of the trip we went for it. For our shorter journeys or where the cost difference is significant we opt for economy as well.

Note that there is a selection of trains, some faster than others. I took the French service ex Gare de Lyon Paris in mid-morning; the train was nearly 20 double-decker coaches long and most of the seats were taken and all of the luggage space. Very comfortable in second class and I didn't need refreshments. Languages change at the border. Prices are much cheaper booked well in advance. Reserving five seats together may require some research. The Man in Seat 61 explains the choices clearly (as always): http://www.seat61.com/Spain-trains.htm#How_to_buy_train_tickets_for_Spain
I bought through SNCF on-line which was easy because of long practice. For a subsequent internal Spanish ride I used Petrabax as he recommends and found it easy too, connecting directly to the Spanish rail system but with less confusion. As an aside, I hope you are flying home from Paris on a multi-destination air ticket. Most efficient way.