Barcelona to Paris - fly or train?

No brainer: flying.

Flight is 2h, train is 6:30h.

Btw, your nationality is inconsequential... you're going to be treated like any other non-EU citizen.

update: yes, of course, Chris, thanks for pointing it out. I probably should have just said, "... you're going to be treated like any other citizen"

Both Spain and France are in the Schengen Area, so no immigration (passport) checks for travelling between them. Neither by rail or air.

Both are cheaper if you book ahead and tickets are for sale now. I find 6.5 hours on a train to be a relaxing day, if I bring along a lunch and a book. Train travel is direct from city center to city center, avoiding some time and expense for airport transfers and airport check-in (maybe 1.5 hours ahead in Barcelona - check with the airline). So train is easy and total travel time is similar.

Which ever is cheapest! However obviously a plane would be faster and so if the travelling worries you a bit then definitely travel by plane.

First, I take issue with my good friend Enric's cryptic reply. Yes, it's 2 hours on the plane but you'll need a lot more time to get to/from airports and plus you will have to allow plenty of time at the airport to check in, maybe check luggage (European flights generally have strictly-enforced low limits on cabin baggage) and wait for it on arrival, and time for security check and boarding 20-30 minutes prior to departure. Even if it takes an extra hour or even two, I'd rather relax on the train that go through all the hassles and inconvenience of air travel. 6 hours on the train - catch up on your travel diary, read your Paris guidebook, charge your devices, take a nap, chat with other passengers, enjoy the scenery, drink a bottle of wine . . . you may not even want to leave the train when you get to Paris!

When you compare prices, take into account the extra cost to get to and from the airport. And make sure your flight to Paris is to Orly or de Gaulle - some flights go to Beauvais which is miles and miles from anywhere.

While not denying my dear friend Chani's reasons (in fact, I agree!)... I should add that these days many intra-EU flights are sort of a commuting service for many of us. Either for work or pleasure, I myself have been taking same day return flights to a number of destinations in Europe for years and, with a handful of exceptions, the checking/boarding tends to be a breeze -outside specific dates, of course! Just sayin'

I would say that counting the "extra" time to fly (getting to/from the airport, waiting to board, waiting to pick up your luggage, etc), I'd say you'd end up probably saving from an hour and a half to a couple of hours versus the train -under "normal" circumstances, that is... but again, that's only my personal experience.

In favour of the train, I gotta say that the fast-speed trains are extremely comfy -and on top of that you can walk up and down to stretch your legs and get a beer if you want in the resto carriage. Have a peek at a typical fast-speed train: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id3XvlpH1eQ I must say it doesn't matter whether the train is run by the Spanish (RENFE) or the French operator (SNCF) because, albeit they use different train types, they're in fact, very similar in the interiors.

6 hours on a train and 2 hours flying seems clear...but to me it's borderline. Over 6 hours I fly, under I find the train easier. Think of it this way - for a flight you need to be there 1.5 hours early, and the airport is often 45minutes or more away. That's close to 2.5 hours, then 2 hours flying, then another 60 minutes deplaning and getting from the airport to your hotel. That's 5 hours. A train - you don't have to arrive very early and the station is usually not far from your hotel. So a 6.5 hour train ride takes 7.5 hours.

So...is a savings of 2-2.5 hours worth the hassle of flying? To me, maybe not. Flights get cancelled more than trains, I hate sitting in airports, and I'd prefer to be on a train with bigger seats and the ability to walk around. Other people might pick the time savings of the flight. It's a judgement call.

There is no ‘correct’ answer to this question, it really depends on what you are in the mood for. Cost would be my second consideration, with the time factor not coming into the equation at all.

Six hours is my borderline between flying and train-riding, too. For a first-time experience of Europe's high-speed trains, however, this would be a good one. My last time, the SNCF train was 20 double-decker cars sweeping through the terrain at well over a hundred miles an hour, with far more comfortable seating than any budget airline. Only the space for luggage is cramped. Buy your ticket through SNCF if you can.