Barcelona to Paris via the Alps: Self-Launched 8-Day Europe Rail & Bus Adventure
8 days · Spain, France & Switzerland
Europamundo charges £1,150
No-markup version: ~£1,070 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Europamundo's 8-day coach circuit from Barcelona to Paris (via Girona, Arles, Chambéry, Geneva, Gruyères, Leysin, Glacier 3000, Zurich and Strasbourg). Instead of a 72-person coach and 4-star hotels, you'll stitch the same route together with Spanish and French regional trains, buses, and one Swiss scenic rail leg — staying in hostels and budget guesthouses, booking the same headline sights yourself (Sagrada Família, Carrières des Lumières, Chillon Castle, Glacier 3000 cable car, Eiffel Tower) via GetYourGuide or direct operator websites. Pacing is still fast (this is a highlights sampler, not a slow trip), but you control the stops, the spending, and the company.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Barcelona — Gothic Quarter and tapas
Barcelona, Spain
Land at El Prat and take the Aerobús or R2 Nord Rodalies train into the city (about €6–7 / £5) — no need for a transfer. Check into a hostel in the Eixample or Gràcia area. Spend the afternoon on a free self-guided wander: Barcelona Cathedral, the Gothic Quarter lanes, and a stroll down La Rambla to the Boqueria market. In the evening, join one of the city's free walking tours (tip-based, €10–15) or just eat your way through a tapas bar in El Born — expect £12–18 for a decent plate-and-drink combo.
🚌Aerobús A1/A2 or Rodalies R2 Nord from El Prat, approx £5; metro T-Casual 10-trip card £10
🛏Hostel in Eixample/Gràcia (dorm £18–25 or private twin £45–60)
- →Gothic Quarter self-guided walk
- →La Boqueria market
- →Optional tip-based free walking tour (£10–15)
Barcelona highlights then train north to Girona
Barcelona to Girona, Spain
Book a Sagrada Família timed entry directly on the official site (€26 basic, ~£23) or a GetYourGuide guided entry for roughly £35 — go early to beat the crowds. Then take the Renfe/AVE or Media Distancia train from Barcelona Sants to Girona (35–40 min, €11–19 / £10–16; AVE is faster but pricier). In Girona, walk the old town walls, the Old Jewish Quarter (Call), and the cathedral steps (a Game of Thrones filming spot). Evening in the Plaça de la Independència with a vermut.
🚌Renfe Barcelona Sants → Girona, approx £12; Girona is walkable
🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel in Girona old town (£22–32 dorm, £50–65 private)
- →Sagrada Família entry (self-booked, ~£23–35)
- →Girona old town, walls and Jewish Quarter
- →Plaça de la Independència evening
Girona to Arles — Roman theatre and Carrières des Lumières
Arles, France
This is the longest travel day of the DIY version. Take a regional train from Girona to Figueres or Portbou, cross into France, then connect via Perpignan to Arles (roughly 4–5 hours total, €40–55 / £35–48; book on Renfe/Spanish and SNCF Connect separately — cross-border tickets are cheaper split). In Arles, see the Roman amphitheatre and theatre (combined ticket ~€11 / £9) and book a timed slot at Carrières des Lumières for the immersive art show (~€15–16 / £13–14 via the official site or GetYourGuide). Stay in Arles itself rather than pressing on — the coach tour's overnight in Chambéry is a long haul best broken here for a self-launcher.
🚌Regional trains Girona → Perpignan → Arles, approx £42
🛏Arles hostel or small hotel near the old town (£30–40 private, dorms ~£25)
- →Roman amphitheatre and theatre combined ticket (~£9)
- →Carrières des Lumières immersive show (~£14)
- →Arles old town evening walk
Arles to Chambéry and into the Alps at Leysin
Chambéry & Leysin, France/Switzerland
Catch a morning TGV/TER from Arles up to Chambéry (via Lyon or Valence, about 3–4 hours, €45–60 / £38–52). Grab lunch and a quick look at the Château de Chambéry and the elephant fountain. Continue by TER to Geneva (1hr 15, €17–25 / £15–22), then the Swiss regional train along Lake Geneva to Aigle and up the rack railway to Leysin (about £15–20 total). Leysin makes a much better-value Alpine base than central Geneva or Montreux — big views, hostel prices.
🚌TER/TGV Arles → Chambéry → Geneva (approx £45), then Swiss rail Geneva → Aigle → Leysin (approx £18)
🛏Alpine hostel or budget hotel in Leysin (dorm £28–35, private from £55)
- →Chambéry old town and castle exterior
- →Lake Geneva shoreline views
- →Leysin village evening
Chillon Castle, Gruyères and chocolate tasting
Leysin to Gruyères to Zurich
Use a Swiss Half Fare Card if doing several Swiss legs (CHF 120 / ~£110, halves rail prices). Morning: ride down to Veytaux for Chillon Castle entry (CHF 13.50 / ~£12 — book online to skip the queue). Then take the GoldenPass line via Montreux and Montbovon to Gruyères village — medieval walls, the HR Giger museum, and a Maison Cailler chocolate factory tour with tasting (CHF 17 / ~£15, book direct). Evening: train Gruyères → Bern → Zurich (about 2h15, £40–55), arrive and check into a hostel near Langstrasse.
🚌GoldenPass/MOB rail Leysin → Montreux → Gruyères (approx £22), Gruyères → Zurich (approx £48)
🛏Zurich hostel (dorm £32–40) or budget hotel in Oerlikon from £65
- →Chillon Castle entry (~£12)
- →Gruyères village and HR Giger museum
- →Maison Cailler factory tour and tasting (~£15)
Glacier 3000 cable car then on to Paris via Strasbourg
Zurich to Paris via Strasbourg
Skip the coach day-tour and do Glacier 3000 independently: take the train Zurich → Aigle/Les Diablerets (about 2h, £35–45 with Half Fare Card) and the cable car up to 3,000m (CHF 69 return, ~£62 — book online, check conditions). Walk the Peak Walk suspension bridge and the Ice Cathedral. This is a full day — if the weather is marginal, swap it for the Zurich Altstadt and Lake Zurich instead. Late afternoon, head back towards Zurich and take a direct TGV Zurich → Strasbourg (~2h15) or, if time is short, TGV Zurich → Paris direct. Overnight in Strasbourg's Petite France area and eat tarte flambée, or press on to Paris if you're chasing the coach itinerary's pace.
🚌Train Zurich → Aigle/Diablerets and back (approx £40), TGV Zurich → Strasbourg (approx £35 if booked early)
🛏Strasbourg hostel (£28–35 dorm) or budget hotel in Petite France from £55
- →Glacier 3000 cable car and Peak Walk (~£62)
- →Ice Cathedral
- →Strasbourg Petite France evening
Strasbourg to Paris — Montmartre and the city's icons
Strasbourg to Paris, France
Morning TGV Strasbourg → Paris Gare de l'Est (1h50, €30–60 / £26–52 if booked ahead). Drop bags at a hostel in the 10th/11th arrondissement. Afternoon: Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur (free to enter the basilica), the Arc de Triomphe area, Pont Alexandre III, and a walk down the Champs-Élysées. Pre-book Versailles for tomorrow if you want the palace (€21–32 / £18–28 direct on the château site or GetYourGuide) — it eats most of a day, so many self-launchers choose either Versailles or more Paris time. Evening: €40 Paris-at-night tours exist, but a €2.15 metro ticket and the Trocadéro viewpoint at dusk works just as well.
🚌TGV Strasbourg → Paris approx £35 (book on SNCF Connect early); Paris metro carnet/€2.15 singles
🛏Paris hostel in 10e/11e (dorm £35–45) or budget hotel from £70
- →Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur
- →Pont Alexandre III and Champs-Élysées walk
- →Trocadéro Eiffel Tower viewpoint at dusk
Eiffel Tower second floor and Seine cruise
Paris, France
Book the Eiffel Tower second-floor lift ticket direct on toureiffel.paris (€23.10 / ~£20 — released ~60 days ahead and sells out, so set a reminder) and a Seine river cruise (Bateaux Parisiens or Vedettes du Pont Neuf, €17–19 / ~£15, or via GetYourGuide ~£16). Do the tower early, cruise mid-morning, then spend the rest of the day in the Louvre area or the Marais before flying home — or add a day if you want Versailles without rushing. If Versailles is the priority, book the RER C out to Versailles Château Rive Gauche (~£4 each way) and the palace entry together.
🚌RER B from Châtelet–Les Halles to CDG approx £10, or Orlybus/RER to ORY
🛏Departure day — no accommodation needed (or one more hostel night ~£40 if flying late)
- →Eiffel Tower second floor (~£20, self-booked)
- →Seine river cruise (~£15)
- →Optional Versailles palace entry (~£20) plus RER C (~£8)
Self-launched vs. Europamundo
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Europamundo | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,070 | £1,150 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £80 per person (7%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Europamundo-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,070
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Barcelona to Paris via the Alps: Self-Launched 8-Day Europe Rail & Bus Adventure cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,070 per person for 8 days in Spain, France & Switzerland. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Europamundo?+
Yes — Europamundo charges around £1,150 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,070 — a saving of roughly £80 (7%) per person.
How long is the Spain, France & Switzerland trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Spain, France & Switzerland.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, city-breaks, adventure trip through Spain, France & Switzerland, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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