Barcelona and Lyon are linked by daily direct high speed train, which having been initially withdrawn at the start of the pandemic, has been a constant on the timetables throughout 2021.
Final Destination: Lyon Part-Dieu
This train also calls at: Nimes and Valence TGV
Departing from Barcelona:
This train is scheduled to depart daily from Barcelona Sants at 08:15.
Aim to be at Barcelona Sants a minimum of 20 mins before departure, in order to allow time to pass through the security checks.
At Barcelona Sants station these trains to France depart from the part of the station used by the Spanish high speed trains - vias (platforms/tracks) 1 - 6.
So when you're in the station follow the signs that are pointing the way to the ' Alta-Velocidad' trains.
Arriving in Lyon:
The train is due into Lyon at 14:20 and has good connections in Lyon into TER trains on to Aix-Les-Bains, Annecy, Dijon, Geneva and Grenoble.
It also typically has a 40 min connection into a TGV train heading on Bruxelles via Lille.
1 x direct train per day
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: 4 months ahead of the travel date
This direct train is usually scheduled to depart daily from Barcelona at 08:15 so target that time when looking up this journey
Though it can be worth comparing the prices between booking agents for this journey.
Seat reservations:
Seats will automatically be assigned when booking tickets for this journey.
Rail pass users will need to be pay a reservation fee prior to boarding, but these reservations cannot be booked on the ticket agent's websites.
If you want the peace of mind of reserving before arriving at a Spanish station, you will need to use the Eurail reservation service or the InterRail reservation service but you will be charged a €2 booking fee per reservation.
Though you can avoid a booking fee if you do reserve at a Spanish station.
Or avoid paying the rail pass reservation fee, by taking this alternative journey option.
Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
---|---|---|
Trainline | from €44 | |
Oui.SNCF | from €44 | |
Renfe | from €44 |
This is a journey of three distinct phases:
1: Between Barcelona and Perpignan the train will travel at up to 280 km/h on high speed line.
2 Between Perpignan and Montpellier the train follows the coast, don't expect incredible seascapes, but there are some nice views as the train threads through the marshes - particularly north of Perpignan
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