Train from Barcelona to Paris

If you get the 9am high speed train from Barcelona to Figueres and then change for Paris the most obvious places on the direct route for a stop over are Montpellier (you arrive 1315) or Lyon (arrive at 1620, but you'll have to change at Montpellier as the train from Perpignan is non-stop from Montpellier to Paris). Both would be good for an evening stop-over. In Montpellier there are plenty of decent restaurants in the old town around rue des Ecole Laiques for a French-flavoured meal. I like Le Vieux Four for a French-style barbeque. Unfortunately I haven't done that route since the recent changes - anyone know the details of how to book for the high-speed trains from the US? Luggage on the train - you carry your luggage with you, no check-in. Large items are generally put in racks at the end of the carriage, medium or small items go on shelves over the seats. If you're really worried about luggage theft from the end-of-carriage racks get a padlock and chain to fix your case to the rack.

Go here for train schedules: http://www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/index.shtml Go here for what it's like to ride trains in Europe and where/how to buy tickets: http://seat61.com/

When you use bahn.com or bahn.de to find the route and schedule, you will get a drop-down menu when you enter Barcelona as your starting point. Choose "Barcelona Sants." You can just enter Paris without choosing a station. Enter a time before 9 am so it will show you that 9 am departure mentioned above. Click on th elittle button to the left of that train to see where you change trains, in Figueres. Then click on "show intermendiate stops" near the bottom of the window to see all the stops along the way.

Thank you all so much, you have been very helpful! I appreciate it...Holly