Train Vs Air from Paris to Barcelona

Marylee - Clickair doesn't have any non-stop flights to Barcelona. All of them have a transfer in Billao and $55 seems awfully cheap... If the price includes both legs, that's a great deal. Anyway, Vueling is about 68-78 Euros right now for a non-stop flight. easyJet also has non-stop flights starting at about 35 Euro. Most of the low cost airlines charge for payment (credit/debit card fees) and for checking a bag. Flying is still a timesaver and I think sleeping in a hotel is much more comfortable than on the train.

Without doing a lot of research to give a precise answer these are some of the things I would want to consider when comparing the two. The train saves one night of hotel costs -- whatever that maybe for you. I am not a big fan of sleeping on trains but for one night it is OK. The airline probably takes a big chunk of a day while the train is at night. How valuable is time for you? The cost and time of getting to and from the airport that the airline is using is important. Many of the deep discount airlines land a long ways away from the city they claim they are flying to. Extra time for security and checkin. Additional costs for luggage, checking luggage, weight limits, etc. It is not as simple as comparing 55 to 200. Good luck

Easyjet (www.easyjet.com) flies from Orly to Barcelona's main airport. Can't say the specific price but it shouldn't be too much.

My personal opinion is that I fly if the train is six hours or longer usually.

yes you really are reading it right- plane flight has gotten really cheap. So why would people use the train? For some itineraries, it works better overall to have the Eurail pass, so these people would use the train. Also, people worried about the environment- a train leaves a much smaller carbon imprint. A third reason would be weight restrictions, which can add up to some ubelieveably hefty fees on the cheap flights but dont exist on a train. All that being said, assuming you are packing light, I would probably go for the plane if I were you.

For a description of the trainhotel, including photos, by a true expert and afficionado, go here.

Thanks for the replies. That's a great train resource Tim. So right now I'm thinking the air is the way to go, Easy Jet shows a $55 per person air fare right now. Is the "speedy boarding pass" something that is worth it? I'm thinking "Easy Jet" is like Southwest Air, right? We don't mind the cattle call that they do, and we just do carry on, I'm thinking the Rick Steves backpack carry bag would qualify size wise. Now I will see if our Paris reservation can add on an extra night. Thanks folks!

Easyjet is like Southwest except that you don't get any free food or drink. I don't think the "Speedy Boarding Pass" is necessary IMHO.

Okay, I just booked an extra night at our Paris stay, so we will fly. Now we are going to go from Barcelona to Cinque Terra, I think we will fly for that also to save the time, it seems landing in Pisa would be the best choice for that, right? Once in Italy we will use the train, we need to figure if it would be less expensive to do the pass or p2p. Thanks for all the help.

If you're just travelling in Italy by train, P2P are generally cheaper than a pass. Check http://www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html for P2P schedules and prices.

Marylee - I've flown Easyjet a lot, mostly from Ciampino out of Rome. The "Speedy Pass" DOES allow you to board first if the GATE PERSONNEL utilize it properly. We DO NOT purchase the speedy pass when leaving Italy because NO ONE follows the instructions and it's a full cavalry charge to the plane.

Our last trip FROM Spain (Barajas), when we DID NOT buy the Speedy Pass, of course they did use it and I had a "B" seat position, and had to wait for ALMOST everyone to get on! So it really depends on how the "system" is implemented at that airport, by those gate personnel. In Italy, forget it - every man, woman, and child for themselves!!!

At many Euro airports, you pay for the speedy pass and then you all head to a bus - and even though you're on the bus first (no seats) that does not guarantee a seat on the plane... Again, CHARGE the plane!

All that said, I would not purchase it - it's just too random! But then, we're in Italy! Locals don't do lines!

Ciao,
Ron

Or another thought, what about renting a car and driving? How many miles is that? How long of a drive? I'm sure if the train is 12 hours it's at least that. Just another thought. Thanks

Although I like driving in Europe where it makes sense to do so, I don't think that renting a car is a good idea in this case. Picking up a car in one country and dropping it off in another will result in a hefty drop-off fee.

There is a night train route that is cheaper than the trainhotel, but it's also slower. Leave Paris Austerlitz at 21:56 and arrive at Cerbere at 08:13. Leave Cerbere at 09:31 and arrive at Barcelona Sants at 11:46. You would have to book each leg separately at www.voyages-sncf.com.

Driving....650 miles....10 hours, at the least! Fly! ;)

The Pisa Airport is an easy connection from the Cinque Terre. We left Monterosso one morning to make a 10am flight out of Pisa. We had only one transfer at the Pisa Centrale station - I don't know if it's the same from the other towns. If I remember correctly, that ticket was between 5-10 Euro. As for train travel in Italy, I agree with Norm - stick with P2P tickets.