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Madrid to Paris by train
How to take the rail journey from Madrid to Paris
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Routes
From Madrid Atocha/Puerta De Atocha to Paris Gare de Lyon/Paris Lyon
Journey Summary
9hr 50min - 10hr 30min
Daily
Travel Information
There are no direct day or night trains between Madrid and Paris, so there are currently* two options for making a train journey from the Spanish capital to the French capital.
*More options are usually available, but the number of trains from Spain to France has been reduced due to the pandemic.
Option 1:
Only available on Monday to Thursday
Take the 07:00 AVE train from Madrid and then on arrival in Barcelona Sants station you'll have 35 mins to make the connection into the 10:05 train on to Paris.
Though with a boarding procedure for the Paris train, which will typically take 15-20 minutes, there will not be much contingency time for making the connection, but the train will rarely arrive late into Barcelona.
This journey option isn't sold as an end-to-end ticket, by any of the agents, so two separate bookings will be required for each train.
Option 2
Available daily
An avlo service, which departs Madrid at 06:20, allows 1hr 15min to make the connection into the 10:05 train on to Paris in Barcelona; and this combination of trains is available as an end-to-end journey on one booking.
The core differences between avlo and AVE services, aside from avlo NOT conveying 1st/Preferente/Comfort class are:
- Catering: AVE trains = bar/bistro conter; avlo trains = vending machines
- Seat selection: AVE trains Promo + ticket holders cannot choose seats (free for Flexible ticket holders); avlo trains = pay an additional €8 to select a specific seat
- On board entertainment = both AVE and avlo trains have free Wi-fi, but AVE trains also have screens on which films/movies are shown.
Luggage allowance on AVE trains = Up to 3 pieces of hand luggage onto the train, provided that the sum of the three does not exceed 25 kg or 290 cm.
The maximum dimensions allowed are 85x55x35 cm
Though additional allowances cannot be purchased.
Luggage allowance on avlo trains = 1 piece of hand luggage (bag, rucksack, etc.) subject to the following size limitations: 36x27x25 cm and 1 suitcase, subject to the following size limitations: 55x35x25 cm.
1 piece of additional, larger-sized luggage, measuring a maximum of 85x60x35 cm (or no more than 180 cm in total) can be be paid for as an added allowance, but the price for doing ranges from €10 if added when booking to €30 at the station just prior to boarding.
The dimensions of the luggage will be measured at the station, so if your bag exceeds the free allowance size, you will then have to pay €30 to take it on board.
Changing trains in: Barcelona
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: 4 months ahead of the travel date
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Oui.SNCF | * | |
| Trainline | * |
Train 1
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
The train will be non-stop from Madrid to Barcelona.
This journey showcases the best of high speed train travel, we nearly placed it in the scenic journeys category.
You won't see typical stunning views of mountains and coasts, but the combination of incredible speed and sweeping distant views over central Spain can be exhilarating.
Train 2
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination: Paris Gare de Lyon
Scheduled arrival time will be 16:50
Between early June and early July there are there are 3 x trains per day.
Between early July and late August there are 4 x trains per day.
Final Destination: Paris
All trains also call at: Girona, Figueres-Vilifant,
This is a journey of three distinct parts.
1: Between Barcelona and Perpignan, the train reverts back to using a high speed line
2. From Perpignan to Nimes the trains follow the coast, don't expect incredible seascapes, but there are some nice views as the train threads through the marshes - particularly south of Narbonne.
These views make it worthwhile to select the upper deck when booking tickets.
3. Between Nimes and Paris the trains travel on the high speed line.
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