Barcelona to Rome

You'll waste the great majority of a day traveling by train from Barcelona to the French Mediterranean. You might want to consider taking a night train or either flying. The night train runs all the way to Milan, though. But there might be a way to get off in France. Nevertheless, there are many great places in the south of France you could spend two nights - Avignon in Provence and Nice in the Cote d'Azure jump to the top of the list. I actually stayed in nearby Antibes and liked it. Then of course, Florence would be tops for a stopover before you get to Rome. Caution however, you are going to want more time in Rome.

Sounds like you are trying to cram a lot in 10 days in places that are not very close to each other. You'll send a lot of time on trains. Honestly, you might consider flying from Barcelona to Rome and taking the train to Florence for a couple nights. Otherwise, I've always loved Nice though its beach is rocky, not sandy. But some small beach towns are a quick train ride away.

Thank you for these tips. We have decided to fly to Rome.... much better! This is a much better sane plan! Now.. does anyone have suggestions for a nice, safe, calm neighborhood to stay in Rome? I am not even sure where to begin! Many thanks-
Beth

A few years ago I stayed in a nice little hostel/hotel called Colors a few blocks north of the Vatican, in an area called Prati. That's a "newer" part of Rome, developed in the 18th-19th centuries. Def. very calm and very safe. Walking home at night through St. Peter's Square was really nice. It's a bit of a hike to the heart of Rome such as the Piazza Navona, but you can take Rome's limited Metro to a few areas like the Colosseum. So that's one possibility for you.