Two of Europe’s longest high-speed rail networks and a shared border mean that few vacations can match the scope and variety of a Spain and France tour package by train.
Fast and efficient, trains let you carve your own path through two incredibly layered heritages. From Paris to Madrid, around the peaks of the Pyrenees to the glittering Mediterranean coast, French and Spanish trains deliver travelers to a tantalizing mix of destinations.
With every stop offering something new, we’re taking a look at what makes France and Spain rail tours such a rewarding experience.
Why Combine Spain and France in One Rail Tour?
Trains are the practical and relaxed way to thread together a varied Spain and France tour package that unravels at least a few of the layers of two countries brimming with cultural attractions.
Paris and Madrid are convenient gateways to Europe, both hosting major transatlantic hubs. The rail corridor connecting them includes stops at wonderfully popular destinations, with the chance to make leisurely diversions on regional trains to reveal more of the country.
Pivotal to France and Spain rail tours is Barcelona, the worldly Catalonian city on the Med that enjoys direct high-speed train links with the French and Spanish capitals.
To explore these two contrasting cultures in one vacation, speak with our travel specialists, and we’ll build a France and Spain rail tour around you. With carefully planned itineraries, first-class rail tickets, and handpicked hotels in all the right locations for an unhurried journey that takes you to the places you want to go.
Balancing Efficiency and Variety on a France and Spain Rail Tour
High-speed TGV and AVE trains make it easy to travel between Paris and Madrid with a simple change in Barcelona. Paris and Madrid in under twelve hours. From Paris, daily direct trains skip around the Pyrenees to Barcelona in under seven hours. It is the only change required to reach the Spanish capital.
A tightly planned Spain and France tour package allows you to hop off at a compelling series of destinations, both on the same route or on short diversions on regional trains.
Places like Lyon, France’s epicurean heart, or Nimes, famed for its Roman ruins. Or Spanish cities in Aragon, like Zaragoza, where you can see early frescoes by Francisco de Goya in the majestic Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar.
An expansive France and Spain rail tour can call into Marseille, France’s charismatic second city, which features on our French Riviera Tour. Or laidback Valencia for paella and beachside fun in Spain’s third largest city.
Aside from views of an ever-changing landscape, you can look forward to space and comfort on some of Europe’s sleekest trains, particularly in the first-class carriages prioritized on Rail Escape tours. Your luggage travels with you. And trains drop you in city centers, giving you more time to explore.
As explored in our guide covering what you need to know when Traveling Across Borders by Train in Europe, you won’t even need to wave your passport as you skip between these two members of the Schengen border-free area.
It’s a greener journey and one charged with possibilities for travelers who want to discover more of what makes Spain and France two of the world’s most visited countries.
Ideas for Spain and France Tour Packages by Train
In-demand tours of these two countries feature in our destination guides for Spain and France. They include combined Spain and France tour packages that can be tailored to visit the places you want to see at a pace that works for you.
To stir your wanderlust, here are some ideas for a France and Spain rail tour that combine tapas and flamenco with the land of cabaret and haute cuisine.
Paris to Madrid: Capital to Capital via Barcelona
No journey encapsulates the rich possibilities of Spain–France train journey like a rail voyage between the Spanish and French capitals.
The appeal of this France and Spain rail tour is enhanced because you only need to make one change in Barcelona. Which might even be the highlight of the tour, a hot ticket destination that amply rewards breaking up the tour with an extended stop.
There’s a feast for the eyes as you glide from northern to southern Europe. But the cities are the true stars of this cross-border rail odyssey.
For art lovers, this is a journey connecting the Louvre with Madrid’s Prado. The breakpoint in Barcelona is a chance to appreciate the intricate works of Antoni Gaudí, whose UNESCO-recognized Basílica de la Sagrada Família is a Spanish icon.
Foodies will relish the chance to blend the bistros and art nouveau cafes of Paris with the tapas and pintxos bars of Barcelona and Madrid.
History abounds at every stop. From the opulence of the Palace of Versailles and the majesty of Notre Dame to the Royal Palace of Madrid. With a pause to kick back on Barcelona’s beaches and marinate in the rhythms of a city that rarely sleeps.
A few days in each city adds up to a wonderfully balanced France and Spain rail tour. With more time, you can extend your tour packages, such as those explored in our post about the best Paris tours in France by train.
Internal: Best Paris tours of France by train (to be posted)
Or on our popular Western Europe tour from Amsterdam to Paris and Madrid. These tours and similar cross-border itineraries can be booked directly through Rail Escape, with full customisation available to extend stays, add stops, or adjust the pace.
Mediterranean Moments: Spain and France Tour Packages from Costa del Sol to the French Riviera
A more expansive Spain and France tour package links Spain’s southern coastline, the Costa del Sol, with the enchanting Côte d’Azur, AKA the French Riviera.
The Costa del Sol runs along the western edge of Andalusia in southern Spain. Andalusian cities include Malaga, home to 16 beaches and historical landmarks dating back to Moorish Spain. The city, birthplace of Pablo Picasso, features in our Mediterranean Tour Through Sunny Spain that links Madrid and the south. Less than two hours by train from Malaga gets you to Granada, home to one of Europe’s great historical landmarks, the Alhambra.
Pivoting through Madrid, direct Renfe high-speed trains connect Barcelona and Marseille in under five hours.
Marseille is a bright taste of Mediterranean culture in France. France’s oldest city is built around a port founded by ancient Greeks and shaped modern French culture, the epicenter of French icons like petanque, pastis, and bouillabaisse.
The capital of the Provence region is a gateway to exploring the French Riviera. A little over two hours by train from Marseille lands you in stylish Cannes, while a little further takes you to the grand promenades of Nice or even other countries; both Monaco and the Italian Riviera are less than an hour by train from Nice, a train featured in our guide to France Travel Packages by Train.
If this sundrenched Spain and France tour package stirs your wanderlust, ask for a bespoke rail itinerary that makes exploring the region a breeze.
Lyon to Valencia: A Gastronomic Pilgrimage
Foodies will be licking their lips on just about any France and Spain rail tour. Two great culinary countries that share a passion for good food.
A full-bodied France and Spain rail tour for slowly savoring the local cuisine is a vacation that folds in Lyon and Valencia.
Lyon is the home of French cuisine, with Lyonnaise cuisine shaped by sitting at the crossroads of various regional cuisines. Dishes like coq au vin and wines from surrounding regions, including Burgundy, are part of a delectable culinary heritage that shaped French cuisine. A walkable old town and Roman ruins enrich the moments.
Less than five hours by direct high-speed train, well-fed travelers can reach the tapas and pintxos bars of Barcelona.
More culinary indulgence awaits in Valencia, just three hours from Barcelona. The home of arguably Spain’s best-known dish, paella Valenciana, boasts some of Spain’s most absorbing cultural attractions, including the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences. Not forgetting pristine beaches, ensuring Valencia’s culinary wizardry is far from the only draw.
Food, culture, beaches, or history; our travel specialists craft dreamy cross-border rail tour to match your vacation time and travel style. Ask for a custom itinerary, and our travel specialists will build a multi-destination vacation that lets you savor every flavor and every moment.
Custom Spain and France Tour Packages with Rail Escape
Rail Escape specialises in building France and Spain rail itinerary around the individual, tailoring itineraries to fit your priorities. We reserve first-class seats, well-situated premium hotels, and carefully time connections for a supremely smooth journey.
Speak with our rail travel specialists and plan your dream rail tour through two of Europe’s tourist jewels so that every moment brings something new.
