From Barcelona, you can easily visit such French cities as Perpignan, Carcassonne, and Narbonne, which are very close to the Spanish border.
From Barcelona, you get to Toulouse easily and spend
a day in cozy Montpellier.
A little further on, popular tourist destinations such as Avignon, Arles, Marseille, and Nice are also easily accessible from Barcelona.
Today I am answering how to get from Barcelona to Nice by train and whether it is worth it.
You can get from Barcelona to Nice by various means of transport, and I will tell you the most popular options for traveling from the capital of Catalonia to the south of France.
If you want a rich and indescribable vacation for yourself, then plan your route correctly in order to have time to plunge into the history of Barcelona with its monumental buildings, visit its beaches, and compare them with Nice.
Is There a Direct Train From Barcelona to Nice?
No. There are no direct trains between Barcelona and Nice; you should prepare for one or two train connections, depending on which train is chosen.
Traveling by train, you need to prepare that you will need to be on the road for 8 hours, and the cost of the trip will be about 130 euros, which is not cheap…
The main rail carrier in Spain is the national network RENFE; its trains run between the capitals of the regions and connect them with Barcelona.
This network provides for remote routes and suburban destinations.
Here is the option for how to get to Nice from Barcelona by train:
At 13:20,
SNCF train No.
9704 starts from Barcelona Sants station, which will bring you to Valence Station in 4 hours and 20 minutes.
There, you will have to take the second TGV train, number 6181, which departs in about 2 hours.
So you will be in Nice at 23:00; the travel time is 3 hours and 34 minutes.
Or
You can get from Barcelona to Paris by high-speed train, which connects Spain to France non-stop in 6 and a half hours. And take a train to Nice from Paris.
Is The Train from Barcelona to Nice Scenic?
Yes! You will have nine hours of pure landscape pleasure.
You will pass a lot of hills dotted
with vineyards
through the picturesque mountainous countryside.
There is no better way to experience France and Spain than from the window of a train.
Is the Train From Barcelona to Nice Scenic?
How Long Is the High-Speed Train From Barcelona to Nice?
The whole trip by train will take around 9 hours; don’t forget that you have to make train connections.
How do I Get from Barcelona to Nice by Bus?
It is easier and cheaper to get to Nice by bus.
Buses run regularly on schedule.
Carriers offer both direct buses and transfers.
If you choose a direct flight, then you can enjoy the extraordinary landscapes outside the window for all 11 hours of the journey.
Only private companies are engaged in intercity transportation; among them, the largest is ALSA, whose buses run between all the small towns of Catalonia.
This company offers a route to Nice with one transfer, but the bus travels to the neighboring country daily.
The transfer is carried out in Marseille, and the ticket will cost 37 euros.
Eurolines also offers a bus trip for 44 euros, and in time it will take all the same 11 hours.
Departure in the evening, which is very convenient, means you can sleep on the road at night and enjoy the views of Nice in the morning.
Carrier Autocares Grupo Samar operates a direct bus for 65 euros; travel time is 10 hours and 50 minutes.
Its buses depart three times a week from the Barcelona stop and arrive at Nice station in France.
What to See Between Barcelona and Nice?
While traveling between these two countries, you can enjoy a relaxed atmosphere and an unhurried pace of life.
From the window, you will see that everywhere there are a lot of cows and windmills.
Is the Train From Barcelona to Nice Scenic?
There are lots of houses with solar panels, small, beautiful lakes, views of green meadows, small, neat towns with churches, and houses with paintings on the walls.
Is there a Sleeper Train from Barcelona to Nice?
Unfortunately, No.
The train travel time will be 8–9 hours, and you need to make connections.
You can get from Barcelona to Paris by high-speed train, which connects Spain to France non-stop in 6 and a half hours.
This became possible thanks to the rail
operators SNCF and Renfe
, who launched this route from Barcelona to the French capital.
This high-speed route was a huge success, and both companies were able to sell over 50,000 tickets in the first month.
After making a connection, change a train and get the right one to go to Nice.
In my opinion, if you want to travel without headaches, then taking the plane will be the most optimal and fastest variant of how to get to Nice.
There are several flights, and you can choose the optimal time of arrival for yourself.
Planes fly daily between El Prat airport in Barcelona and Côte d’Azur in Nice.
The duration of the flight is 1 hour and 20 minutes, and the price of a ticket for a direct flight is 120 euros.
If you choose a flight with a transfer, the cost is lower and amounts to 70 euros.
The
low-cost airline
Easyjet offers a flight with a morning departure at 7:20 and an afternoon arrival at 8:40; the cost is 44 euros.
You can also rent a car; the journey takes about 7 hours, but this is quite expensive, as the cost of rental and insurance will be high due to the two countries of use.
How Many Days Do You Need in Nice?
Three days will be enough.
Nice is the pearl of the French Riviera. I always come to Nice for inspiration. Many artists and writers come here to be inspired.
This city fascinates at any time of the year with its sunny weather and unique seascape.
Whatever your interests: a relaxing beach holiday, sightseeing, a food tour, shopping, or a cultural trip to museums and galleries, Nice will satisfy the needs of any tourist.
In addition, Nice will introduce you to another France, which was greatly influenced by Italian culture, which is especially noticeable in the architecture and atmosphere of the Old Town.
In Nice, you can equally interestingly spend these 3 days, filling your leisure time with walks along the Promenade des Anglais, getting to know numerous restaurants, pastry shops, and coffee houses, and exploring museums and architectural monuments.
In Conclusion
Of all the possible options for traveling from Barcelona to Nice, traveling by train will be the most difficult.
The problem is that there is no direct train between these cities, so you will have to travel with several transfers, for example, from Barcelona with a change in Montpellier to Marseille and from there by a direct train to Nice.
Such a trip will take 8–9 hours and cost 90–140 euros.