London to Barcelona by train in 1 day
Did you know you can easily get from London all the way to Barcelona by train in just 1 day? This route involves a change in Paris, where you can stop to have lunch. Because of the single change, it’s an easy and stress-free route. In fact, you can reach Barcelona from any major English city that has a fast connection to London. Ideal if you don’t want to fly but also don’t want to sacrifice multiple days to being on your way.
Option 1 – 11.01 hours, 1 change
London > Paris > Barcelona
First, Eurostar brings you from London St. Pancras to Paris. After that, you have a minimum of 1.43 hours in Paris. You need this time, because it takes a while to get out of Garde du Nord. You then need to cross the city to Gare de Lyon, from where the InOui train to Barcelona leaves. I had some trouble getting a metro ticket and wanted to grab lunch near Place de la Bastille. Because of this, 1.5 hours actually felt a little short, so I recommend taking more time between both trains.
Getting from Paris to Barcelona takes almost 7 hours, meaning that you will arrive in Spain at around 21:30. This second train is very comfortable, but they didn’t have any vegan food options. Be prepared to bring your food! Boarding starts 30 minutes before departure. Being early is a good idea, as you may need to walk quite far to the correct carriage.
Option 2 – 12.01 hours, 1 change
London > Paris > Barcelona
If you prefer a bit more time in Paris, you can take an earlier Eurostar. This will allow you to have a sit-down meal for lunch. You will still arrive in Barcelona at the same time in the evening. Having an extra hour in Paris is more relaxed, though you will certainly manage with the shorter change as well. If you really feel like maximising your time in France, the earliest Eurostar from London will give you over 5 hours in Paris.
Travelling from elsewhere in England
If you’re choosing a shorter break in Paris (option 1), the Eurostar leaves at 09:31. This means you can easily prolong the travel day to reach Barcelona from places other than London. Places in England that allow you to reach Barcelona in 1 day include York, Manchester, Sheffield, Birmingham, Derby, Bristol, Bath, Cambridge, Oxford, Brighton, Ipswich, Bournemouth and many more.
I managed to travel from Sheffield to Barcelona in 1 day. This did involve getting the 05:30 train in the morning, but it saved me a night of accommodation. It also meant I had a full day in Barcelona the next day, before travelling onwards to the south of Spain and taking a ferry to Tenerife. However, when travelling from or via London, it is not possible to catch an earlier train to Barcelona. The Paris to Barcelona train only leaves twice a day. The first one is too early to connect with any Eurostar train. You can of course stay overnight in Paris, so you will arrive in Barcelona in the early afternoon.
