High-speed train to Barcelona

The romance of rail travel is hard to define. Even the grandest terminus is often grubby and crowded, and there is little allure in most station shops or cafes. Yet a journey by train has a contemplative appeal that no other form of transport can offer. Security mayhem is minimal, and there is generally a lot more comfort in a rail carriage than in a car. 

You can stare out of a window, read or simply contemplate the good things in life – a prospect that has just been spectacularly enhanced with last month's launch of the new Paris-Barcelona TGV link. This has cut the journey time from London to 10 hours, and this will be cut by another hour in May. You can leave Paris in the early afternoon and reach the Catalan capital by evening, making it possible to breakfast in London, lunch in Paris and dine in Barcelona in a day.

New high-speed train to Barcelona

This is rail travel on a different scale. The TGV Duplex trains that run on French rails, and now on to Spanish ones, are mighty affairs with double-decker carriages that carry up to 540 passengers at 180mph – although the experience feels anything but frenetic.

A Rail Europe ticket to Barcelona allows you to break your trip in Paris, not just for a few hours but for several days if you wish, at no extra cost, before you move on to Barcelona. Thus for under £200 return, you can have not just a meal in these three great cities but a lengthy break in each.