Train from Figueres, Spain to Carcasonne, France

If you get the high speed train from Figueres to Perpignan you will probably have to change at Perpignan and then again, probably at Narbonne to reach Carcasonne. If you get the traditional train you will need to change at Portbou or Cerbere and then again at Narbonne (I believe there is still one gauge-changing traditional through train between Figueres and Narbonne but it runs in that direction in the evening and you might be a bit late to Carcasonne). So there won't be much difference in total number of changes of train you need to make. The traditional route between Figueres and Perpignan has some very attractive coastal scenery - I haven't taken the new high-speed line but it's further inland so I suspect the views won't be as nice.

Figueres to Carcassone requires a change at Narbonne, not a big deal but you need two separate tickets. This is a French SNCF route, not the Spanish RENFE. It leaves from the Figueres Vilafant station - which is on the west side of town - not the town central station.

Just a note that when buying our ticket from Figures-Vilifant to Nimes, the Spanish wanted cash. No credit card for tickets into France.

Larry, I don't understand your post. The train from Valifant into France is a French train (SNCF), not a Spanish train (RENFE). RENFE does not sell SNCF tickets. Did you try to purchase tickets at the Valifant station but they would not take your credit card because it wasn't a Chip and PIN?

Gary, I bought tickets at the Barcelona Sants station to go from Barcelona to Nimes. It had nothing to do with changing to the French train at Figures-Vilifant. And, the Spanish do sell you tickets on the French SNCF train. I bought them in Barcelona. It's just that they wouldn't take a credit card for the French SNCF leg. They would take my credit card for the Barcelona/Figures leg but they wouldn't for the second leg on the French train. They wanted cash only. It had nothing to do with chip and pin. Andrea from Sacramento, who was 4 days behind me, experienced the same thing. Cash only for the French train out of Vilifant and into France. In all of our travels, I have never run into this type of arrangement.

I appreciate you help---we will be in Barcelona prior to Figueres so we will try to purchase the ticket for the Figueres to Narbonne or to Carcasonne if they will let us.

I just found this thread. I'm planning a similar trip myself in April and this thread raises 2 questions for me specifically. 1. I'll be using a eurailpass. So does this make the issue of buying separate tickets for separate legs irrelevant for me? It seems to me it does. 2. Gary, you seem to be saying that if I'm headed between Carcassonne and Figueres, I have to change STATIONS in Narbonne, not just TRAINS. Am I reading you correctly? Thx, one and all... Tom

There's only one station in Narbonne.