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If you want to travel across Europe, there has never been a better time to travel by train.
Many European countries are shifting their approach to promoting rail travel, and France has even banned certain short-haul flights that could easily be replaced by rail travel.
Traveling by train is easy, fast and cheap. Not to mention, it’s better for the environment.
And now traveling by train in Europe will be easier than ever. That is how:
Travel from Barcelona to Lyon
The Spanish travel company Renfe will start operating train services outside the country for the first time. Now you can get on a Renfe train in Spain and get off in France, and vice versa.
The first new route will be launched on July 13 and the trains will travel from Barcelona to Lyon. This high-speed journey will take just 5 hours, which means it’s possible to fly to one country and then spend a night or two in another with ease.
The train will depart from Barcelona Sants train station and stop at Girona, Figueres, Vilafant, Perpignan, Narbonne, Beziers, Montpellier-St-Roch, Nimes, Valance TGV and Lyon Part Dieu.
This means that you will have many different options for places to explore in both France and Spain.
Travel from Madrid to Marseille
The second new international route offered by Renfe will travel from Madrid to Marseille and will start up on July 28.
This is a longer journey, taking just over 7.5 hours in total. But the high-speed route has many more stops at high-profile destinations.
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The train will depart from Madrid and stop in Zaragoza, Tarragona, Barcelona, Girona, Figueres, Perpignan, Narbonne, Beziers, Montpellier, Nimes, Avignon and Aix-en-Provence before finally arriving in Marseille.
The good news is that these services are not expensive.
A one-way trip from Madrid to Marseille or from Barcelona to Lyon will cost just 29 euros ($32). For shorter trips to the other international stations on the route, ticket prices will start from 19 euros ($21). And for the shorter trip in France, tickets will cost as little as 9 euros each: that’s about the same as the price of a fancy coffee.
The earlier you book your ticket, the cheaper the prices, so it pays to plan your trip in advance. Tickets for both routes are already on sale on the Renfe website.
Why travel by train?
Some people think that traveling by train in Europe is more difficult or inconvenient than simply getting on a plane. But in reality it is quite the opposite.
There are no lengthy check-in procedures or security checks for most train travel in Europe. Unlike the airport, you don’t have to arrive at a train station two hours in advance and empty half your suitcase.
Most of the train stations are also located in the city center, unlike airports which are usually on the outskirts of the city. This means that you would have the hassle or expense of getting from the airport to the city center when traveling by train.
This means that traveling across Europe by train can often be faster than flying. Especially if you are traveling on a high-speed network. If you need to take a slower regional train, your journey may take a little longer.
Another added bonus is that train seats tend to be larger and more comfortable than airplane seats. You can also move around the train and stretch your legs whenever you want, and the views from the windows can be outstanding as you go by.
There has never been a better time to travel Europe by train. And these new Renfe routes mean that using the train to travel from Spain to France is now cheaper and easier than ever.
Renfe plans to introduce additional routes between the two countries over the next 12 months. His goal is to reach Paris by the time the 2024 Olympics begin.
traveler alert: Don’t forget travel insurance for your next trip!
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
