Argeles to Barcelona by train

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Nigel
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Argeles to Barcelona by train

Post by Nigel »

I imagine this has been raised many times but I am looking at going from Argeles to Barcelona on the train (not TGV). Does anyone know exactly what happens at Cerbere to transfer to the train at Portbou for Barcelona.
martyn94
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Post by martyn94 »

If you get off at Cerbere, you walk to Port-Bou: not very far as the crow flies, but quite bracing. If you get off one of the trains that terminates at Port-Bou, you cross the platform (and wait for a more-or-less extended period).
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Post by Nigel »

So you can buy a ticket at Argeles to Portbou.....and then at Portbou buy another ticket to Barcelona
alan
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Post by alan »

I doubt that it is realistically possible to walk from Cerbere to Port Bou. It would be a very good walk along a mountainous road.

We found ourselves at Cerbere station one afternoon in October. It was almost totally deserted, as was the town itself.
oulibede
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Post by oulibede »

Our friends did this journey in the summer. They bought a ticket all the way through from Argeles to Barcelona. There was a change at Portbou and I think they said they had a wait at Portbou of about 45 minutes. They bought the ticket at Argeles station and I think it cost about 16 or 17 euros each single. We had other friends who did the journey in the opposite direction with no difficulty either.
Nigel
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Post by Nigel »

Thanks for the info.

It is interesting that if you book in the SNCF website for the whole trip from Argeles to Barcelona only a few trips ( about 4 a day)are shown.

If you split the trip into two

1 SNCF for Argeles to Portbou

2 RENFE Portbou to Barcelona

There are many more options this way...any idea why this.

I assume you can buy one ticket at Argeles to Portbou and then at Portbou buy the second ticket. Does anyone know if this is right
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malcolmcooper
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Post by malcolmcooper »

Nigel, take a look at http://uk.megabus.com/megabus-launches- ... rance.aspx

Fast (2:20), cheap and direct from Perpignan.
Malcolm Cooper

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Nigel
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Post by Nigel »

Thanks Malc.....the times don't work for me ......but it is an amazing deal
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Sue
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Post by Sue »

Dylan
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Sue
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Post by Sue »

Drive or if possible get a lift to Figueres and pick up train there.
Dylan
martyn94
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Post by martyn94 »

martyn94 wrote:If you get off at Cerbere, you walk to Port-Bou: not very far as the crow flies, but quite bracing. If you get off one of the trains that terminates at Port-Bou, you cross the platform (and wait for a more-or-less extended period).
This was even less helpful than I intended. If you want to do the journey in two separate bookings, as has been suggested, and want to come back the same way, you need to remember that the change-over between the two systems is done at Portbou going southbound, but at Cerbère going northbound.

Lots of French trains terminate at Portbou, but take no passengers when they go back to France until they reach Cerbère. And presumably it's the same the other way about for the Spanish trains (which terminate at Cerbère going northbound). Bonkers - but once it's been like that for a century or so, you wouldn't expect it to change in a hurry.
martyn94
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Post by martyn94 »

alan wrote:I doubt that it is realistically possible to walk from Cerbere to Port Bou. It would be a very good walk along a mountainous road.

We found ourselves at Cerbere station one afternoon in October. It was almost totally deserted, as was the town itself.
I was being facetious: a bad habit of mine. Though I have done it on a bike, the other way, getting from the Friday market at Portbou to the "railhead" at Cerbère. Not something I'm tempted to do again, though I'm staggered by the number of "sportifs" who ride that road for fun - some of them as old and fat as me.
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