Paris to Spain to Lisbon

[scurvy]

I am totally confused and would be really appreciative if anyone can help.

Situation: Girlfriend and I will be in Europe in May and would like to do Paris for a few days, then Barcelona for a few days, then Seville for a few days, then Grenada for a day and then Madrid for a few days and then Lisbon for a few days. Question 1: Is this doable in 2 weeks (14 days) and Question 2: A friend told me that this is at least 3 night trains so a Eurail pass won't make sense but it looks to me like a Eurail pass might make sense and then just add on the night train fees. Can anyone help sort this out before I book so I don't spend waste hundreds of dollars??

Thanks again for any ideas.. ;D ;D

[madamtrashheap]

Welcome scurvy!

To solve the rail pass situation, would you look at flying from Paris to Barcelona or Madrid (or anywhere else that suits in Spain for that matter)? This will get over the hurdle of a rather long train ride from Paris to Spain and may solve the rail pass situation as sometimes the cost of flights are better with so many budget airlines to choose from now. David's suggestion of plugging your destinations in to Railsaver will help, and perhaps herrbert will have some suggestions on an itinerary that will aleviate any o/night trains - there are flights within Spain to be had that might suit you as well.

[herrbert]

So it is:

Paris
Barcelona
Sevilla
Granada
Madrid
Lisbon

To answer your first question: Is it doable? Yes, to travel to all of them is doable, but spending enough time to really see the place is a whole different matter. Even if you are satisfied with seeing a place for 2 or 3 days, it's a race against the clock. In my opinion at least take enough days, something like this:

Paris - 3-4 days
Barcelona - 3-4 days (poss. daytrip to Girona)
Granada - 2 days (1,5 days can be OK, but you need a morning to go to the Alhambra -> try to reserve tickets by internet !!!)
Sevilla 2-3 days
Madrid 4 days (daytrips to Toledo and or Segovia)
Lisbon 3-4 days (daytrip to Sintra)

* these are whole days.

The 3 - 4 days in Paris is enough if you don't want to spend a lot of time in the Louvre or other museums. If you plan to hit those, plan for more days. I would try to save 2 places for a future trip. If you skip two places, the logical thing to do is to skip Sevilla and Granada, and make these cities, the centerpoint of a futuretrip to Andalucía (which could also include: Cordoba, Ronda, Jerez and Cadiz)

For sure take a look at some flights! Flying is in a lot of cases a much better way to get around then sticking to trains.

I think the most economical way to get from Paris to Barcelona, are flights with Vueling, Clickair, EasyJet and AirEuropa. You might also want to check on Iberia (although for international flights it almost always a returnticket that are cheaper).

For the trip from Barcelona to Granada (go to Granada first !!) you can also check Iberia, Spanair and AirEuropa, then you can train to Sevilla (takes 4 hours, 4-5 trains a day). Then you can take the AVE to Madrid (AVE is the Spanish version of the TGV, it takes you from Sevilla Santa Justa to Madrid - Atocha Station, in just 2,5 hours)

From Madrid to Lisbon I would suggest flying with Vueling. Take in mind that you need at least an hour to reach the Airport in Madrid (Barajas) by Metro, and you most likely need to go to Terminal 4 (and 4S), so don't stop at Station Aeropuerto. You would need to pay a surplus for a ride to the Airport, which you can fullfill, by buying a surplus ticket, when you get out at the airport.

If you leave out Sevilla and Granada, you can choose to either fly to Madrid, which might be cheap, or you can take the AVE (or Talgo) to Madrid. This also is one of the new fasttrain routes. If the stretch between Barcelona and Tarragona still isn't opened (I am not sure at the moment), then you can take a train to Camp de Tarragona, (about 1 hour), and take the train from there (2,5 hours to Madrid). If the route is completed, then it should take around 3 hours, for the entire trip Barcelona - Madrid.

If you use trains in Spain, then be aware that this is pretty cheap, compared to other countries. So I am not sure if a pass is of much benefit here. I am not an expert on railpasses, but you would also need to check if these passes include travel on the AVE/Talgo, or that you need to pay an extra fee.

P.S. There might also be RyanAir flights between Paris and Barcelona, but be aware that those would go from Beauvais to Girona, which means two long transfers by bus. Even if a flight from Charles de Gaulle or Orly in Paris, and El Prat (BCN) in Barcelona is a bit more expensive, it saves you almost 3-4 hours. In other words: keep away from them, on this route (and if you see Ryanair flights, always check where they go to !!!, expect them to land on a distant airport, leaving you with a long haul to the city.