I will be in Madrid this thursday and friday night, and reservations in Arles (Provence area) starting sunday night. Looking for recommendations on a good "in-transit" location for saturday. I'd stay in Madrid an extra day, but the train ride to Arles on sunday is too long. Barcelona is one option, but several of Rick's recommendations are booked, and a big city like Barcelona seems like a hassle for just one night. Much appreciated, thanks
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Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
It may see like a roundabout route, but according to the timetables on the German Rail site the fastest train route from Madrid to Arles is via Bordeaux. Click on the flag drop-down menu for English. After you get summary timetables for Madrid-Arles, click on the arrow to the left of each departure time to see the connection points. You can get more details by clicking on "Show intermediate stops."
You could go as far as Bordeaux on Saturday--or you could pick a smaller town along the route from Madrid to Bordeaux--and spend the night. Go the rest of the way on Sunday.