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Florence --> Barcelona by Train

Posted by (WIndsor, California, USA) on

I am leaving August 17th for a 2 month trip in Europe, and I will be using the Eurail Global pass as my main means of transport.

About midway through my trip I will find myself in Florence and my next destination is Barcelona. By train this seems to be a 20 hour trip. Does anyone have any advice for this situation? My plan was to get a couchette, however, I am unsure how this will work considering there will be several stops and changes along the way. Will I have a couchette for the entire journey or only parts of it?

I know that finding a place midway and staying there is an option, as well as flying from Pisa to Barcelona, however, my time is limited and I just spent over $1000 for a rail pass that I would like to use as much as possible.

Thanks for your time!!!

Posted by
10344 posts

Yep, if you want to take a train from Florence to Barcelona, it's going to be a long ride, nothing you can do about that.

And yes, when there is a change of train, that means you gotta get out of bed, stand on a platform, and wait for the next train, it will definitely interrupt your sleep.

You could break it up by stopping midway in Provence, but you say your time is limited (on a 2-month trip? lucky you?). Stopping midway in Provence makes the most sense to me, if you're not totally locked into your itinerary.

Posted by
3 posts

Hehe, well time is limited because there are so many places to see.

Do you have experience in Provence? If so where would you recommend? I was thinking Nice..

Posted by
8700 posts

There is one train route that would work well. Take a train from Firenze to Torino in time to connect with EN 11274 that leaves Torino at 21:18 and arrives at Barcelona Sants at 09:54. No changes in the middle of the night. However, that night train doesn't run every day of the week so you'll have to plan accordingly if you want to take it. See the timetables at www.bahn.de for the details.

Since popular night trains can sell out weeks in advance, it would be a good idea to buy your supplement for a couchette before you leave home.

Posted by
10344 posts

"Do you have experience in Provence? If so where would you recommend? I was thinking Nice."

Nice is not in Provence. You probably don't want to be in Nice in August: the crowds, the heat, difficulty booking, and it's not Provence, which is what I was recommending.

I'd recommend Arles. It's on the train line from Florence to Barcelona. Has a lot of history. If you're looking for a younger university town, then Aix-en-Provence.

Posted by
8700 posts

Midway through your trip is mid-September. Since the crowds will be thinner and the temperature should be lower on the Cote d'Azur by then, that makes Nice more appealing than it would be in August. It would be a great base for a couple of nights.

However, Kent's suggestion of Arles is an excellent one!

Posted by
3 posts

Thanks for the reply's, guys. I think I will likely take your recommendations and find a place in southern France (Riviera or Provence) to break up that long train ride.

Again, I appreciate the help!

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