In France and Spain, take it easy by train

Trains are on the minds of Americans lately for all the wrong reasons, a fatal Amtrak crash in Philadelphia and exploding oil trains seemingly all over the place. Those events seem unlikely to endear train travel to potential riders and politicians few of whom have experience with the pleasure and efficiency Europeans enjoy every day. That's a shame, because train travel offers benefits that include comfort, energy efficiency, safety and convenience.

A TGV train races through the French countryside at near 200 miles per hour.

In the right circumstances, trains offer many advantages over other transportation methods:
- Faster than airplanes for trips of a few hundred miles, because stations are usually in cities, so there's no need to waste time and money getting to and from the airport. And there are no long security lines to navigate. The TGV from Paris to Marseille, a little under 500 miles, takes about three hours. A plane flight would be half that, but add the time needed to get to and from airports and waiting time at departure and you're easily over four hours.
- Cheaper than airplanes, or even driving your own car. According to viamichelin.com, the Paris to Marseille trip would cost 145 euros ($165) and take nearly eight hours. Of course, if you're taking the family, the economics might not be so favorable.
TIP: Many tickets become available 90 days in advance, and if you book then there often are very low prices for PREMs tickets. Paris to Marseille for two persons is as low as 74 euros when booking ahead.
- Less fuel use and pollution than hundreds of people driving cars, or flying in planes. Lots less.
- And, you get to see the countryside, as we did a couple of years ago during the spring bloom of mustard plants, or years earlier near the Spain/France border.

Fields between Dijon and Paris, taken from a TGV.

View of the Mediterranean from a Renfe train near Portbou, at the border with France.

I'm used to buying tickets online direct from the train operator, such as SNCF in France and Renfe in Spain. That used to be the only way to get the best fares, but there were wrinkles, such as language (both now have English language sites) or being redirected to Rail Europe if you indicated North American residency. Rail Europe is easy to use, but hasn't always had the best fares or even full schedules.

But a fairly new site, Capitaine Train, has combined ease of use with access to full schedules and fares, as well as the capability of storing your personal preferences for future use, making it easy to book tickets from anywhere.

Here's an apartment that puts you in a non-touristic spot in Barcelona, with a direct Metro connection to the Sants station where most trains arrive and depart. It's a 10-minute walk to Sagrada Familia and the historic Hospital Sant Pau.

There's a private patio off the living room.

See some of the other apartments we can offer in Barcelona and Paris at www.likelivingthere.com, or drop us an email at info@likelivingthere.com with your dates and needs and we'll quickly send suggestions.