Let’s imagine a ‘classic’ European long weekend break. You get to the airport, roughly 2 hours before your flight, fly for between 1 and 3 hours, make your way through the airport and to the centre of the city you are visiting. In total, that takes between 5 and 7 hours. And the carbon impact of your 3 days away is high. My question to you is: could you take the same journey by train? And would it really take much longer?
Barcelona Sants train station doesn’t just connect you with the rest of Spain. Thanks to Barcelona’s position, quite close to the border, you can get to incredible places in France for a weekend. I am not just referring to trips just across the Pyrenees. You can go all the way from Barcelona to Paris by train! And if you have more than a couple of days, you could venture further fields, and reach other countries too.
Make the most of the good railway connections between Spain and France, to turn your short break into real escapes. You will travel city centre to city centre, crossing into stunning cities, admiring countryside and mountains, and the Mediterranean coast, from the comfort of your seat.
Another advantage of the train is that you do not have to limit yourself to major cities and their immediate surroundings. You can discover many off-the-beaten track European gems!
20 French destinations you can reach from Barcelona by train for the weekend
Ready to plan a flightless long weekend from Barcelona?
The RENFE and SNCF websites are great places to start researching. If you are planning to travel onward to another destination in France or another country, a Rail pass may be a better option. In that case, RailEurope is the best first port of call. You can also use Trainline.
To get you started, here are 20 foreign destinations you can reach from Barcelona by train in under 7 hours – and some in as less as 2!
- Lyon
- Paris
- Avignon
- Aix en Provence
- Villefranche sur Saone and the Beaujolais
- Marseilles
- Beaune and Burgundy
- Valence and Côte du Rhône
- Bordeaux
- Arles
- Nimes
- Toulouse
- Perpignan
- Montpellier
- Beziers
- Narbonne
- Carcassonne
- Perigueux and Dordogne
- Chambery
- Andorra
1. Lyon
Thanks to the new services from Trenitalia and SNCF, you can travel from Barcelona to Lyon Part-Dieu directly in 5 hours!
With its elegant centre framed by two rivers and a hill, beautiful cobbled streets, graceful buildings and unforgettable food, Lyon is a stunning city which deserves to be better known. As an added bonus it is not overflowing with tourists, so you will really enjoy your time there.
I spent a long weekend there and it was frankly not enough. Check out my post on Lyon for ideas on what to do.
2. Paris
The journey to Paris from Barcelona is direct, and takes 6 hours and 45 minutes. You will arrive in the beautiful Gare de Lyon, a stone throw from the Bastille!
If you catch one of the early morning services on a Saturday and an afternoon service on the Sunday, even an overnight can let you get a taste of the beauty of the centre. Besides, Paris is incredibly easy to explore on foot, using the Seine as your beacon.
You can fit in one or two famous attractions, or explore smaller museums not so crowded but equally fascinating. Or simply stroll along the Seine from Notre Dame or the Latin Quarter to the Tour Eiffel and backs, planning two different routes to see different landmarks.
If you have time to stay longer, you can explore in depth.
To book tickets to the top attractions on line, check out Paris Je t’aime.
3. Avignon
From Barcelona, you can get to Avignon directly in just over 4 hours!
Avignon is a delightful city, with a UNESCO-Heritage listed historical centre. You can easily spend a weekend just visiting the Palais des Papes and its other attractions, such as the bridge immortalised in the Pont d’Avignon song – you can dance on it, as they do in the song!
Avignon is also great for an active break. You can cicle along the beautiful Rhone river or go for hikes in the magical countryside, which has an almost Tuscan feel to it.
4. Aix en Provence
Timeless Aix en Provence, beloved of Van Gogh and Cezanne, is another fantastic provencal destination you can reach directly from Barcelona.
The journey takes just over 4 and a half hours, and when you arrive you will feel like you have walked straight into a Cezanne painting!
I have a soft spot for Aix, I love the cream-coloured houses, the grand but slightly decadent squares, the cathedral that feels like a history book, with Roman, Merovingian, and Gothic elements, the other Romanesque churches, the traces of Roman buildings everywhere – the spa of my hotel encapsulated parts of the old Roman thermae -, the delicious local specialties you can find at the Saturday market…
I can go on forever. The Granet museum houses some magnificent Cezannes, and if you want to see where he drew his inspiration from, you can hike to the beautiful Montagne Sainte Victoire. Past the village of Le Tholonet you will find a mountain hut, the refuge Cézanne, where he liked to paint.
5. Villefranche-sur-Saone and the Beaujolais villages
The pretty Villefranche sur Saone is the capital of the Beaujolais region and a great base for exploring the area’s picturesque villages and landscape. It is 6 hours and 20 minutes from Barcelona, with a change in Lyon.
The area’s stunning villages and delicious wines are the ingredients for a wonderful break to recharge your batteries. Once there, the Tuscany-like Val Val d’Oingt, and the delightful Beaujolais historical heart of Beaujeu are both reachable by bus, as are many other Beaujolais villages.
6. Marseilles
Marseilles is under 5 hours from Barcelona by direct train. There are also slightly longer options with a change in Nimes.
Marseilles, one of the most ancient European cities – it was a Greek colony – is France’s gateway to the Mediterranean.
It has a gritty edge, but what I noticed most, even during a visit in November, was its blinding sunshine, which seems reflected in the colour of its buildings, all white or yellow.
From ancient neighbourhoods to architect Le Corbusier’s utopian dream of La Cité Radieuse (now a UNESCO World Heritage site), from a hilltop cathedral to the charming Port Vieux and the enigmatic Chateau d’If (or maybe I read too much Dumas), this is a city you will not forget.
7. Beaune & classic Burgundy
Burgundy is one of France’s most fascinating historical regions, a former duchy and before that an independent kingdom! The whole region is steeped in history, but Beaune, with its magnificent architecture and celebrated wines stands out.
After wandering through the half-timbered houses of the Old Town, and admiring the remarkable architecture of the Hospices de Beaune (Hôtel-Dieu), you can hike or cycle the Chemin des Grand Crus to visit wine cellars the active way.
The best way to reach Beaune from Barcelona is via Lyon. The journey will be 4 hours from Barcelona to Lyon and 1 hour 40 from Lyon to Beaune.
8. Valence – between Provence and the Cote Du Rhône
The city of Valence lies 4 and half hours away from Barcelona and the journey is direct.
This charming city on the Rhône river, with an elegant historical centre, an impressive Romanesque-Gothic cathedral (Cathédrale Saint-Apollinaire) with stained glass windows, Renaissance mansions and beautiful Parcs such as Champ the Mars, would be a delightful getaway in itself.
Valence is also the gateway to the Côte du Rhône wine area. Over a long weekend, you can combine a day in Valence with a day trip to Tournon sur Rhône and Tain l’Hermitage.
Tain is home to gourmet chocolatier Valrhona, who offers free tastings in its shop and runs workshops and demonstrations at Valrhona’s École du Grand Chocolat. Tain is also the start of the Hermitage wine area. The train journey is only 30 minutes.
Alternatively, head 30 minutes south to Montelimar, for a different gourmet treat. Surrounded by lavender fields, with buildings of pale stone and lovely castle, it has a distinct Provencal feel, Montelimar is also the nougat capital of France.
9. Bordeaux
This southern French city with a sunny climate, eponymous world-class wines, and an intriguing blend of Gothic and 18th-century architecture is a great year round escape.
Explore the UNESCO World Heritage city centre, step into the cathedral, where Eleanor of Aquitaine celebrated her first wedding, admire the spire and church of Saint Michel, climb the Porte de Cailhau, watch the world go by in one of the delightful sunny squares, be charmed by the Miroir d’eau (Water Mirror) in Place de La Bourse, or discover all about Bordeaux and the history of wine at the aptly named Cité du Vin.
All this is just over 6 hours from Barcelona, with a change in Narbonne.
10. Arles
A UNESCO World Heritage site since the 1980’s, Arles boasts atmospheric Roman ruins including a remarkably well-preserved amphitheatre, and Medieval monuments.
It concentrates so much charm in its compact size that Van Gogh painted it about 200 times! Most places where he painted are now marked with plaques, and ona walk through town you will identify the site of Café Terrace at Night (place du Forum), The Yellow House (Place Lamartine), and Starry Night Over the Rhône (the riverbank).
If that is not magical enough, Arles is also the gateway to the gorgeous wild scenery of the Camargue region.
A train ride from Barcelona to Arles takes 4 hours and 20 minutes, with a change in Narbonne.
11. Nimes
I think by now it will be obvious that I have a soft spot for Roman ruins, but I feel Nimes should be on everyone’s bucket list.
Only 3h45 minutes by train from Barcelona, it is another former Roman colony with incredibly well preserved sites such as the Maison Carrée, which claims to be the only complete Roman temple in the world. I do not know where that leaves Rome’s Pantheon, but I have to say la Maison Carrée is magnificent, as you can clearly see from this video, and I am surprised it was only added to the World Heritage List in 2023!
Nimes boasts other impressive Roman ruins such as a tower (Tour Magne) previously part of the city walls, and the temple of Diana, a mysterious ruin surrounded by gardens that fascinated Palladio.
Medieval Nimes, with its beautiful limestone colour and building materials often repurposed from Roman buildings, is just as intriguing.
And if you are in the area, do make plans to visit the incredible Pont Du Gard, probably the most incredible tract of Roman aqueduct you’ll ever see! You can go by bus from the train station.
If you have more than a couple of days you could combine Nimes and Arles, as they are only 20 minutes from each other.
12. Toulouse
Toulouse is a city with two souls, one ancient and one projected into the future. It played, and still plays, a key global role in the aviation history (It is the home of Airbus). Before air travel, it owed its prosperity to two other kind of travel: pilgrimage – it sits on the French route to Santiago de Compostela – and the long distance trade of pastel, which earned it the nickname of ‘blue gold’ and paid for many of the city’s stunning buildings.
The pink city has incredible dawns and sunsets, a beautiful setting on the Garonne river, one of the most elegant squares in France (Place du Capitole), splendid merchant mansions from the city’s heyday, characteristic brick medieval churches, a vibrant pedestrianised old city perfect for an aperitif or an alfresco meal, It is also one of France’s green cities, with tranquil garden, and waterways waiting to be explored. You can find my mini-guide to Toulouse here.
This fascinating city is only 4 hours away from Barcelona.
13. Perpignan
Barcelona is much closer to Perpignan than to Madrid. The journey takes only 1h20!
Besides, if you live in Catalunya, you will not feel out of place in Perpignan. The city used to be the second largest in Catalunya, and was the continental capital of the Majorcan kingdom from 1276 to 1349, and amongst its attractions is The Palace of the Kings of Majorca, a Gothic fortress with beautiful gardens.
You will arrive in the city through a station claimed by Salvador Dali to be the ‘centre of the world.’ As surreal(ist) as it gets! Medieval monuments are not the only attraction. Perpignan boasts magnificent art deco villas, including the iconic Hotel Pams.
Loved by Dali’ and Picasso, Perpignan boasts a great art collection in the Rigaud Museum.
Perpignan is also a great base for visiting nearby Collioure – 20 minutes by train. This pretty seaside resort charmed another great 20th-century painter, Matisse!
14. Montpellier
Just over 3 hours from Barcelona, Montpellier is one of France’s fastest growing cities, and a celebrated centre of innovation.
But it also oozes character and a rich and textured history, which you can sense visiting its centre.
The Ecusson quartier, with the 13th-century cathedral of Saint Pierre and its many Belle Epoque buildings, is particularly charming.
Then there are the intriguing faux ancient-Greek architecture of the Antigone neighborhood and the oldest still-operating medical school in Europe (inside an 800-year-old d dating back more than 800 years. Visit it and discover the same faculty of medicine where writer Rabelais and magician Nostradamus studied.
The Botanical Garden, initially a medicinal garden for the university, is the most ancient in France.
And there are delightful beaches 10 minutes away by bus and bycicle!
15. Beziers
Originally a Greek colony, and the second oldest city in France after Marseilles, Beziers boasts the second largest conservation area of any French city apart from Paris!
When you arrive, after your easy 2-and-a-half-hour train journey from Barcelona, you’ll feel like you have stepped back in time!
Beziers looks and feels incredible. At the centre of a wine growing region, with the beautiful river Orb running through it, and crossed by a picturesque stone bridge, medieval churches, nineteenth-century mansions, and a Roman arena still used for bull-fighting!
Wandering through the old houses and cobbled streets of the old town, sipping the local wines and watching the world goes by makes for a truly relaxing and magical weekend escape.
And if you feel active the Canal du Midi is around the corner! It is at its largest at the Beziers. Just head to the area of the 9 locks of Fonseraques,
16. Narbonne
Narbonne is one of the most ancient cities in France too, and used to be an important Roman city on the Via Domitia, and an important port, although now it is about 15km inland from the Mediterranean.
There is so much to see in this beautiful city! Where do I start?
The radiant gothic Cathédrale Saint-Just et Saint-Pasteur is the third tallest in France after Amiens and Bourges, and has delightful cloisters too.
The city is crossed by the UNESCO-Heritatge Canal de la Robine, Of the several bridges connecting both banks, the Pont des Marchands is the most picturesque. and the only inhabited bridge in France.
I also love the Basilique St-Paul-Serge, a very early example of French gothic whose crypt dates back to the late Roman period.
Speaking about the Romans, one of the highlights of the city is the Horreum Romain -the Roman city granary – whose maze of underground galleries is open to visitors.
With Narbonne being only two hours from Barcelona, you could even go for the day, at a push, although I recommend staying overnight to soak in the wonderful atmosphere and admire it under the moonlight.
If you are only going for the weekend, visiting the main sights and the beautiful food market (Les Halles) will keep you occupied. You can read more about Narbonne in this post.
if you have an extra day consider the Abbaye de Fontfroide. I did not have time to see it but it is recommended on so many blogs and the photos look magnificent! There is a direct bus taking you there.
17. Carcassonne
At just over 3 hours from Barcelona, a trip to Carcassonne is a must!
This incredible hilltop walled town is one of the most famous sights of France and is wonderful at any time of the year.
In high season, Carcassonne will be much busier than Narbonne or Bezier, but don’t let it put you off.
Although partially reconstructed, the castle is incredible, and wandering through the cobbled streets at night you’ll feel like you have been whisked into a medieval novel!
After visiting Chateau Comtal and the hilltop, don’t neglect the lower part of Carcassone, the so-called Bastide Saint Louis.
Although it feels more recent, the Bastide is also medieval, having being founded by the 13th century King Louis IX (the builder of the Parisian Sainte Chapelle), and it even boasts its own cathedral! Stroll through its sun-filled streets and beautiful gardens, explore the cathedral and the church of Saint Vincent, visit the museum dedicated to the work of surrealist artist Joe Bousquets, and last but not least enjoy a bite to eat or a drink in the vibrant tree-lined Place Carnot.
18. Perigueux and Dordogne
The journey from Barcelona to Periguex (Dordogne) takes longer (over 8 hours) as it requires two changes, one in Narbonne and one in Bordeaux. I suggest it because the changes could become opportunities for soaking in the atmosphere of these beautiful cities (you could break off the trip with a stop, say, in Bordeaux on the way out and in Narbonne on the way back.
Although much lusher, Dordogne reminds me of Cappadocia, an area defined by the unique stone of its buildings, and by unique landscapes. Every hamlet has its charme ane the houses seem right out of classic French fairy tales!
But Dordogne also feels wild, untamed, defined, and redefined by its sinuous river, whose beautiful leafy banks are interspeded with white cliffs.
You’ll need to go there to understand. And although the journey is long, the relaxed way of life of the villages means you won’t feel too tired exploring the sights. Just go with the flow, the weather, the seasons, and see as much – or as well – as you wish. You will be surrounded by beauty anyway! My post gives you a feel for the wonders of Dordogne.
19. Chambery
This journey is also around 8 hours, because of the change in Lyon, but I wanted to mention it because it shows you can reach the Alps by train from Barcelona quite easily!
Chambery used to be a capital of the dukes of Savoy and is having a bit of a Renaissance at the moment. The town, with its castles, squares, museums – including the house of the philosopher Rousseau – is extremely interesting, and if you like Alpine wines and cheeses you will be in heaven!
You will also find a fantastic choice of hikes of various difficulty to walk off the deliciously rich food!
You can use Chambery as a base and explore by train legendary wintersports areas such as Val D’Isere and Albertville, where the Winter Olympics took place in 1992.
20. Andorra
This is not a trip to France and it is not a trip by train, but I felt I needed to highlight that there is another country you can visit from Barcelona easily by public transport, the small independent state of Andorra!
I have not been there yet, but it is on the list. Of course, it is well-known as a skiing destination, but you can go in summer and explore the cool and green mountain scenery, lakes, waterfalls, and pristine valleys, where life seems unchanged from 2000 years ago.
The growing opportunity for weekend trips from Barcelona by train
There are many more French destinations you can reach on a short break by train from Barcelona. And if you are willing to spend a bit longer on the train, or have more than 2/3 days, you can reach the UK, Belgium, Switzerland and western Germany too – as well as many more places in France.
Also, the French and Spanish governments are working on creating a high-speed link between the two countries. When that is completed, it will open up some more fantastic train short break opportunities.
For more train travel inspiration and destination ideas, sign up to my blog.
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