Your transport options from Barcelona to Paris have improved since the launch of the high-speed AVE train. See your various options and find out which one is the best.
Barcelona to Paris by train or plane?
When it comes to choosing between flying and taking the train, you have the raw real-time data in the air or on the rails, and there is all the attendant waiting and transportation.
First, the raw facts:
By plane
Flight times from Barcelona to Paris are one hour and a quarter. Prices are usually quite low if booked well in advance.
Be careful to book flights to Paris Charles de Gaul or Paris Orly, which are close to the city, rather than Paris Beauvais or Paris Vatry, which are much further afield and require hours of bus transport to get to the city center.
By train
There is a nonstop high-speed train from Barcelona to Paris. The trip lasts six hours and twenty minutes.
These trains leave from Barcelona Sants (the old routes that used to leave from the other station, Franca) and arrive at Gare de Lyon in Paris.
See also:
- Bus and train stations in Barcelona
- Everything you wanted to know about bus and train travel in Spain
- Book train tickets in Spain with Rail Europe
Which is faster? Train or plane?
Clearly, in pure travel time, the flight is faster. But what about when it comes to transportation to and from the airport or train station, as well as all that check-in time?
Getting to and from Las Ramblas to the airport / train station takes about ten minutes by taxi to the train station, twenty minutes to the airport. In Paris you don’t want to take a taxi, it is too expensive. By train, you will have to add an hour.
Then you need to add all the airport hassles. You will need to arrive an hour and a half before your flight to check in and 45 minutes to collect your bags and leave the airport.
Because of all this, I would estimate that you need to add an additional three and a half hours to your flight time to make travel times comparable.
This makes the travel time of your flight around five hours and the train six and a half hours. The train is therefore a bit slower, but much more convenient: once you are on the train, it is simple to navigate (so to speak) to Paris, your luggage with you at all times and without the need to listen. for announcements and stand in countless security lines.
Visit the Dalí Museum on your way by train
On the train, you also have the option of stopping in Figueres to visit the Salvador Dalí Museum. This is obviously not the most practical option if you have suitcases, but the museum does have a luggage storage area, so you can leave your suitcases there while you explore one of the best museums in Spain.
Barcelona to Paris by bus
There is one bus a day from Barcelona to Paris. The trip lasts 15 hours and costs about 75 euros. You would really need to count your pennies to take this option.
Buses from Barcelona to Paris leave from the Sants and Nord bus stations. Read more about Bus and train stations in Barcelona
You can book most bus tickets in Spain online for a small surcharge (two euros). Simply pay with a credit card and print the e-ticket, much easier than queuing at the bus station.
Book bus tickets in Spain
The same ticket can be booked with Eurolines, but Movelia is easier to use.
Barcelona to Paris by car
The 1,000 km trip from Barcelona to Paris takes approximately 9h30m, traveling mainly on the AP-7, A9, A75, A71 and A10 roads. Note: AP roads are toll roads.
More articles about Barcelona and Spain that you could enjoy:
- 100 things to do in Barcelona
- How to plan the perfect trip to Barcelona
- How to get from France to Spain
- Compare car rental rates in Spain
