Travel by Train, London to Benidorm

🚆Travel by Train, London to Benidorm - Put your feet up & relax, watch the pretty French villages of the Rhone Valley and the stunning Spanish countryside pass by.  Sometimes it's not about how fast you get somewhere, but the adventure of the journey itself.

🚄 Step 1 London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord on the Eurostar

• Journey Time: Approximately 2 hours 15 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes, depending on the specific service.

• Distance: Approximately 305 miles (around 491 kilometres).

The Eurostar travels at speeds up to 186 mph (300 km/h) on its high-speed route, making it the fastest and most convenient way to travel between London and Paris city centres.

There are around 15 trains per day running from London in the UK to Paris in France, passing 246 feet under the Channel Tunnel (also known as the Chunnel) on its way between capital cities. 

Tickets

Tickets go on sale between 138 and 190 days before departure. ticket prices are based on demand and availability, tickets for this journey start from around €50.50 when booked in advance.

• Children under 4 travel free
• Discounted prices for under 12s and groups

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Travel by Train, London to Benidorm

Step 2 Paris Nord to Paris Gare De Lyon

🚆 Option 1: RER D – Fast & Efficient

• Take the RER D (green line) from Gare du Nord towards Melun/Corbeil-Essonnes.

• It's a direct ride, 2 stops (via Châtelet–Les Halles), arriving at Gare de Lyon in about 7–10 minutes 

• Including walking to the RER, ticket purchase and wait time, the total transfer takes roughly 20–25 minutes 

• A single T+ ticket costs around €2.10

👍 Why choose it: It’s quick, reliable, and very cost-effective—perfect for tight connections.

🚌 Option 2: Bus 91 – Scenic & Surface Travel

• Catch Bus 91 from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon – service every ~5–7 minutes.

• Journey time is around 40 minutes 

• Same ticket price (~€2.00)

👍 Why choose it: Ideal if you’d rather stay above ground and enjoy a bus ride through Paris.

The Paris Nord Train Station (Gare du Nord) was originally built in 1846. Shortly after, it was rebuilt three times to increase the size of the station due to increasing traffic.

The new and improved station was fully functional by 1864. The name was decided with the notion that travellers would be able to travel to Belgium, the Netherlands, Northern Germany and the Scandinavian countries.

Travel by Train, London to Benidorm 

🚆 Step 3.  Paris Gare de Lyon → Barcelona-Sants by High-Speed Train

Entry Requirements into Spain

• Journey Time:

  • Fastest direct services take about 6 h 47 min–6 h 50 min 

  • Average trip duration is between 6 h 48 min to 10 h, depending on service and any indirect routing

• Distance:

  • Approximately 830 km (516 miles) between stations 

• Frequency:

  • Typically 2–3 direct TGV InOui services per day, with morning and afternoon departures 

📋 Trip Details

• Route:

  • Departs from Paris Gare de Lyon and arrives at Barcelona Sants, with stops in major cities such as Lyon, Nîmes, Montpellier, Béziers, Narbonne, Perpignan, Figueres, and Girona 

• Operator:

  • TGV InOui (SNCF) runs the direct high-speed service.  To buy a TGV INOUI train ticket, visit the SNCF Connect website or app.

• Onboard Comfort & Amenities:

  • Comfortable seats in 1st and 2nd class

  • Café-bar carriage, free Wi‑Fi, power sockets, and air-conditioning

  • Panoramic views of southern France and the Pyrenees 

🌄 Scenic Highlights

• Travel through the Rhône Valley and past cities like Lyon, Nîmes, Montpellier

• Cross the Pyrenees — spectacular mountain scenery en route

• Travel along the Mediterranean coast, passing sites like Narbonne and Perpignan 

Fares & Booking

• Tickets from ~£42–£61 (€50–€70) when booked in advance

• Prices rise closer to departure dates and during peak travel times 

• Reservations are mandatory and included in ticket cost

Barcelona Sants station, also known Sants Estación is Barcelona's largest train station and provides rail services both in and around Barcelona and for the whole of Spain and beyond.  

The station itself can prove quite a confusing place to be as it is so large and there are often large numbers of passengers there

www.renfe-sncf.com

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🚆 Step 4.  Barcelona-Sants → Alicante Termino by Train

🕒 Journey Time

• Euromed High-Speed:

  • Fastest direct services take around 4 h 30 min to 5 h

• Intercity Trains:

  • Slightly longer, up to 5 h 30 min

📏 Distance

• Approximately 525 km (326 miles) along the Mediterranean coast.

🚄 Train Operators

• Renfe Euromed:

  • High-speed coastal trains with comfortable seating, power sockets, air conditioning, café-bar, and free Wi-Fi.

  • Designed for fast, smooth journeys with minimal stops.

• Intercity:

  • Standard long-distance trains with similar comfort but slightly slower due to more stops.

🗓️ Frequency

• Multiple departures daily.

• Euromed trains are the preferred choice for speed and comfort.

🌅 Route Highlights

• Follows the beautiful Costa Blanca coastline, passing through:

  • Tarragona

  • Castellón de la Plana

  • Valencia (sometimes requiring a change depending on the train)

  • Benicàssim and smaller coastal towns

Fares

• Average Prices:

  • From €30–€60 (£25–£52) when booked in advance.

• Prices rise closer to travel date.

✨ Onboard Service

• First Class (Preferente):

  • Wider reclining seats, at-seat catering (on some services), quieter carriage

• Second Class (Turista):

  • Comfortable standard seats with adequate legroom and access to café-bar

🚋 Step 5 – Alicante (Luceros) → Benidorm (Tram L1)

📍 Route & Stations

• Start at Alicante–Terminal train station, then walk (~6 mins) to Luceros tram station. 

• Board Tram Line 1, heading to Benidorm Intermodal (main Benidorm station).

⏱️ Journey Time & Distance

• Total ride time: approximately 70–75 minutes (1h12–1h15).

• Covers about 43 km (26.7 mi) along the scenic Mediterranean coast.

📅 Frequency & Schedule

• Trams depart every 30 minutes from around 6:00 to 22:00 . 

• A night-time service ("TRAMnochador") runs on Fridays and Saturdays in July–August, with late-night departures (~00:24 & 02:04)

More information here

London St Pancras to Benidorm – Average Journey Time & Distance

🛤 Average journey time:

• Approx. 12–14 hours total, depending on connections and waiting times.

  • London → Paris: ~2h 15m (Eurostar)

  • Paris transfer: ~1h (transfer between Gare du Nord & Gare de Lyon)

  • Paris → Barcelona: ~6h 40m (TGV)

  • Barcelona → Alicante: ~4h 30m (Euromed / AVE)

  • Alicante → Benidorm: ~1h 15m (Tram Line 1)

🔢 Approximate total distance:

• Around 1,590 km (988 miles)

  • London → Paris: ~495 km

  • Paris → Barcelona: ~830 km

  • Barcelona → Alicante: ~525 km

  • Alicante → Benidorm: ~43 km
    (Note: actual distances are route-dependent with some overlap)

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✅ Key points:

• It is very feasible as a 1-day journey if you take early Eurostar and last high-speed arrivals into Alicante.

• Overnight in Barcelona or Paris is popular to break up the trip.

• Book Eurostar & TGV well in advance for best fares.

💡 Travel by Train, London to Benidorm - Travel Tips

🔹 Book early for the best fares.
Train prices work like airline fares – they’re cheaper if booked in advance and on quieter days (usually mid-week). Prices go up closer to departure or on busy travel dates. Remember, the cheapest tickets are fixed to specific trains and often can’t be changed or refunded.

🔹 When do bookings open?

• Eurostar: up to 180 days before travel.

• Paris–Barcelona TGV: up to 120 days ahead.
  Booking early usually secures the best prices, so plan as soon as you can.

🔹 Check Trainline for deals.
Websites like Trainline often release tickets early and offer competitive discounts, making them worth checking before booking elsewhere.

🔹 Consider upgrading to 1st class on TGV.
First class on the TGV can be only slightly more than second class – and sometimes even cheaper due to pricing tiers. On Raileurope.co.uk, you can easily compare 1st and 2nd class fares for Paris–Barcelona, without needing to upgrade your Eurostar ticket (which is often pricier).

🚄 Classes on Renfe High-Speed Trains

• Turista (2nd Class) – Standard seating.

• Turista Plus (Premium 2nd Class) – Same seats as Preferente (1st Class) but without the meal service or access to Sala Club lounges.

• Preferente (1st Class) – Wider seats with extra legroom, and on weekdays includes an at-seat meal service plus lounge access at stations.

🍽️ Food & Drink

Most long-distance trains have a café-bar selling tea, coffee, drinks, and snacks. You’re welcome to bring your own food and drinks, including wine or beer, onboard.

👶 Children & Infants

• Under 4s: Travel free if they don’t occupy a seat, but you must get a free infant ticket before travelling.

• Ages 4-13: Pay the child fare.
  When booking online (e.g. on Renfe.com or RailEurope.co.uk), simply add your child and enter their age. If you forget to add an infant to your booking, you can get the free ticket at the station before departure.

👴 Seniors (Over 60)

You can buy a Tarjeta Dorada (Golden Card) for discounted fares (25%-40% off full flexible tickets).

• Purchase the card at Renfe stations or agencies in Spain.

• You’ll need the card number to book discounted tickets online or at stations.
  Tip: Sometimes special promo fares are cheaper than using the discount, so always compare prices before booking.

♿ Facilities for Disabled Passengers

Eurostar

• Dedicated seats for passengers in their own wheelchair.

• Assistance available for folding wheelchair users and passengers with visual or hearing impairments.

• Guide dogs travel free.

Renfe & SNCF

The Atendo (Renfe) and Acces Plus (SNCF) services work together to provide free assistance for passengers with reduced mobility throughout Spain and France. Services include:

• Guidance through stations.

• Help boarding and leaving trains.

• Adapted WC with call bells on board.

• Wheelchair spaces:

  • AVE S-100 trains: 2 spaces in Turista (car 8).

  • TGV Duplex/Euroduplex trains: 2 spaces in 1st class (car 1 or 11).
    Passengers can remain in their wheelchair or request a transfer to a seat.

Guide dogs travel free on all trains without needing a ticket.