Arriving in Barcelona and leaving from Marseille, France on an 8 day trip. Plan on buying a rail pass to get around from Barcelona to Marseille. Want to see the sights and also relax on the beach. Should we allow for any overnight stay along the route? If so, where? Looking for affordable hotels, any suggestions? Best beaches along the route?
It will be interesting to see what kind of response(s) you get to this and your other two topics.
The vague and indeterminate nature of your posts is akin to asking 'how high is up?'
You may want to price out what the cost is of buying individual train tickets is vs. a pass
I'll take the bait, since joe dared us :-)
If you're buying a pass and you want beaches (plural) and cheap hotels, then you should just plan on sleeping in your 2nd class seats or in the waiting areas of the train stations, thereby reducing your hotel bed cost to zero. Or sleep on the beach, obviously.
The beaches east of Marseilles, toward the border, tend to be swampy, salty, and religious, so you might want to have a horse and armor handy. The beaches north of Barcelona, toward the border, tend to be rocky, fishy, and artistic, so you might want to practice holding your cigarette un-Americanly. In any case, go for sport sandals, not just flip-flops. Your feet will thank you.
Other suggestions: tuck in your shirt. Use a handkerchief or tissue. Say please and thanks often.
Enjoy your trip!