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Help with route planning please - UK, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy

  • 30 May 2024
  • 4 replies
  • 333 views

Hi all, 

 

I have a global pass to explore Europe this summer and I am struggling to nail down my route, hoping you can help!

 

I am currently looking to travel from the UK into Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, Portugal (through Pontevedra & Vigo) but I then want to get back to the South of France, onward to Italy. Currently this feels quite clunky as I’d be going ‘back on myself’ ie. from Portugal via train, I would need to back through Pontevedra & Vigo to get to Madrid, Barcelona and then to Marseille / Nice. If I can, I’d like to avoid flights due to needing to check luggage in which drives the price through the roof! Hoping someone with a bit more geography sense (or just...sense) can point me in the right direction ;)

 

Thanks in advance!

Faro - Seville would be by bus. They're frequent and it's a pleasant experience, don't worry.

Since you list Barcelona twice there's only one alternative I could think of:

- night train Paris - Latour de Carol in the Pyrénées (couchette 20€) and then by regional train to Barcelona

Scenic route!

Otherwise forget Barcelona on the way in and do Paris - Hendaye - Euskotren to San Sebastian (3€). Then a long travel day to Vigo (via Madrid or not).

 

Thank you! 

 

Faro - Seville would be by bus. They're frequent and it's a pleasant experience, don't worry.

Since you list Barcelona twice there's only one alternative I could think of:

- night train Paris - Latour de Carol in the Pyrénées (couchette 20€) and then by regional train to Barcelona

Scenic route!

Otherwise forget Barcelona on the way in and do Paris - Hendaye - Euskotren to San Sebastian (3€). Then a long travel day to Vigo (via Madrid or not).

There are currently only 2 open rail routes from Spain to Portugal, via Vigo or Badajoz both with only a few daily connections. It is also possible to travel via the south coast but there is a gap that you have to take a bus to cross the border.

This page gives a good overview of the routes, of course you don’t have to follow these schedules precisely but it is a reasonable place to start.

https://www.seat61.com/Portugal.htm

If scenic lines are of interest the Duro valley from Porto to Pocinho is fantastic but really only possible as an out and back day trip.

Thanks Al_G! This is really useful. In terms of the route itself (going from the UK > Paris > Barcelona > Madrid > Portugal > Madrid > Barcelona > Marseille/Nice) - is there any alternative route which would avoid me having to come back on myself, in order to get back through to the south of France?

I was thinking to go from Faro to Seville and then back through to Barcelona but this doesn’t seem to work!

 

There are currently only 2 open rail routes from Spain to Portugal, via Vigo or Badajoz both with only a few daily connections. It is also possible to travel via the south coast but there is a gap that you have to take a bus to cross the border.

This page gives a good overview of the routes, of course you don’t have to follow these schedules precisely but it is a reasonable place to start.

https://www.seat61.com/Portugal.htm

If scenic lines are of interest the Duro valley from Porto to Pocinho is fantastic but really only possible as an out and back day trip.

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