I have made some potential travel plans to go to Barcelona to Paris next April and was planning to book the TrenHotel overnight train (Joan Miro). I just read that it may be shut down. Has anyone any info on this?
Posted by
near Ringwood, Hampshire, UK
521 posts
Yes, it seems that's right. The Man in Seat 61 has had this on his news page for a few weeks: Paris-Barcelona direct TGVs in October, and end of the Elipsos trainhotels? This report - http://www.altavelocidad.org/index.php/alta-velocidad/item/1466-renfe-y-sncf-pactan-un-nuevo-calendario-para-el-despliegue-de-los-servicios-internacionales - suggests that Renfe and SNCF have set a new date at the end of October for the start of direct high-speed trains between Paris and Barcelona, and the new trains between Barcelona and Lyon and Toulouse. It also suggests that both the Paris-Barcelona and Paris-Madrid sleeper trains will disappear at that time. Of course that means you will be able to get a direct TGV from Barcelona to Paris, with no change at Figueres Vilafant.
Posted by
OP
Murrieta, Ca
117 posts
Thanks Kevin, On to backup plans. Would you have any idea what train station the new trains will leave from that will go directly from Paris to Barcelona? I will need to book a hotel close to that train station. Thanks, again
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
4684 posts
It will almost certainly be Gare de Lyon.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, US
1005 posts
The TrenHotel has been canceled. There is still a sleeper train running from Cerbere on the Spanish border to Parisbut it only runs on weekdays in the off-season and I'm not sure it will still be running next April. It leaves at about 8:15 p.m. and arrives in Paris Austerlitz at about 7:30 a.m. You'll have to take a train from Barcelona to Cerbere and transfer.
Posted by
near Ringwood, Hampshire, UK
521 posts
According to the summer 2013 edition of the Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable it will be Gare de Lyon, which makes perfect sense. I don't know where their information comes from, but they are listing a small number of direct TGV departure from Barcelona Sants, for example daily at 09.29, arriving Paris 15.53, with stops in Girona, Figueres Vilafant,Perpignan, Narbonne, Montpellier, Nimes and Valence. Also a 13.38 departure on Mondays, Saturdays and Sundays and another daily at 16.29, arriving 22.45. They published those times before the start date has even been announced, so it wouldn't be a big surprise if there were some alterations when tickets go on sale. For the time being I wouldn't rely on anything other than the fact that, as Philip suggested, these services will use Gare de Lyon.