Hoping that travel is back to normal by September 2021. My wife and I will be in Italy for 3 to 4 weeks and then moving bases to Spain for 4 to 4 weeks. We love train travel, and aren't bothered by long distances as we love to watch the scenery go by.
I'd like to hear from anyone who has made the trip from northern Italy to Barcelona by train. Tips, etc...
Thanks in advance.
It would seem like a great train route, but bahn.com shows four changes between Genoa and Barcelona, i.e. five different trains to take over 14 hours. That's a lot of work, especially with bags. Rome2rio.com shows buses and trains from Genoa to Nice, Milan, Florence, or Turin, then flights to Barcelona, totaling about half that time. Or there's a direct ferry taking 21 hours, which would probably be my choice since I like boat travel, but not running every day and the scenery would be pretty much the same all the way.
When did you search for connections at bahn.com? Due to the pandemic a lot of trains are cancelled, but in a normal year that trip should be doable with two changes (Nice and Marseille).
If you have the time, it is a nice trip along the Mediterranean, adding a stop along the way can also be a good idea.
Yes. We're looking into the ferry as well. Thanks.
The highways have a lot of tunnels which wasn’t pleasant when driving. Do the trains go through many too?
There are lots of interesting places along the way, but if you're just going to watch them through a train window, I'd suggest flying. I like trains and dislike dealing with airports mid-trip, but doing the whole thing by train would probably chew up about two full days (with an overnight spent somewhere along the way).
There are tunnels along the route. The Genoa-Marseille part is not very flat so there are numerous tunnels, most of them rather short. More on the Italian side, fewer after you've crossed the border. But there are still a couple of them, including a tunnel under Monaco (the only country with the entire railway network underground?). But the views along the coast are not bad, make sure you sit on the left side of the train for the best views.
Marseille-Barcelona is mostly high speed line with some tunnels, including a long one under the Pyrenees.
Thank you all.
