Daily France to Spain trains to launch from September 1

Daily train connections between France and Spain are set to come into operation from September 1, with cheap fares available.

Since July, Spanish national train operator Renfe has been running two routes in France: from Lyon to Barcelona and from Marseille to Madrid.

These low-cost, high-speed trains, or AVEs as they are called in Spain, also stop at local stations in France.

This means that travellers can pay as little as €9 to travel between local stations, or €29 to travel to Spain.

Read also: Talks ongoing over Eurostar rival as Spain's TGVs expand into France

The Spanish operator has now announced that, following a successful start with journeys a few times a week, it will begin daily operations on the Lyon line on September 1 and on the Marseille line on October 1.

Barcelona to Lyon takes just under 5 hours on the high speed train, while Madrid to Marseille is around 8 hours.

The move comes less than a year after Renfe-SNCF stopped services between France and Spain.

The long standing deal between SNCF and Renfe came to an end in 2022, and the collaborative service was axed during a major annual overhaul in timetables in December.

Trains between Paris and Barcelona were still available on TVG InOui.

However, the news of high speed journeys and cheaper tickets to multiple destinations in Spain is likely to be welcomed by travellers and holiday makers alike, making travel between the two countries not only easier but more eco-friendly.

Ticket prices will be subject to availability, so to get your hands on the cheapest tickets you will need to book well in advance.

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