Rome to Barcelona by Train

ItalyFranceSpainEurope

Aug 25

Written By Katie Rockey

Selfie at the Colosseum in Rome — Colosseum

Group picture in front of the Colosseum in Rome — Colosseum

I traveled 9 days through the Mediterranean this summer. The trip was Rome to Barcelona by train with the group travel company: Contiki. I had never participated in a group travel trip until now. After watching numerous videos from the YouTuber, Morgan Yates, I became increasingly more interested in the concept with all the trips that she has participated in.

Most of my friends and family have busy lives and can’t always join me on my travel adventures. While I have started traveling solo, I was looking for a trip that I could experience with other people. Then here comes Morgan with her latest YouTube video talking about how she is hosting a group trip with Contiki. This was the perfect opportunity to travel with others and even join Morgan on one her trips.

Umbrellas on the beach of Monterosso, Italy — Monterosso, Italy

The trip started in Rome, however, we really only had one night in the city before we were headed off to our next location. One of the best things about this trip was using the high speed trains instead of the company’s typical mode of transportation: the bus. Our second day had us hopping on the train north to the town of La Spezia as our base for us to explore the Cinque Terra.

Selfie in front of the cliffside of Manrola, Italy — Manarola, Italy

Group picture in the Cinque Terre, Italy — Cinque Terre, Italy

Boats in La Spezia, Italy — La Spezia, Italy

In the Cinque Terre, we had the flexibility to visit all 5 towns or pick and choose which ones we wanted to visit. My new friends Alyssa, Kelcie, and I opted for exploring all 5 towns: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. They are all special in their own way, so I don’t think I could pick a favorite. We ended the day in Riomaggiore to meet up with the entire group for a spur of the moment sunset boat cruise. I think everyone can agree that the boat cruise was the highlight of the trip. There is something about seeing a coastline from the water at sunset that is just magical!

City view of Nice, France — Nice, France

Like most group trips, you really only get a taste in each location before you are onto the next place. So the next day, we were back on the train and headed to a whole new country, France. We based ourselves in Nice, France for a couple of days. Nice is such an interesting city as it blends French and Italian culture into one.

Beach loungers at Castel Plage in Nice, France — Castel Plage

Now, if you know anything about Morgan Yates, she loves a good beach day. Since she was hosting this particular trip, we had one whole day planned lounging at a private beach club in Nice. It was luxurious.

That evening we headed off to Monaco for dinner and a chance to try our luck at the Monte Carlo Casino. It costs 15 Euros to enter the casino but you are given a voucher of that amount to spend inside, so they basically force you to spend some money. Sadly, I did not win anything off of my 15 Euros.

In front of the Monte Carlo Casino — Monte Carlo Casino

After gambling the night away, we woke up bright and early to head to our next city Marseille, France. It was at this point that everyone on the trip was utterly exhausted. The train ride was the quietest ride as everyone slept.

Chateau d'If in Marseille, France — Chateau d'If

Selfie in front of the Chateau d'If in Marseille, France — Chateau d'If

Most used our stop in Marseille to relax and do laundry. However, I headed straight to the Chateau d’If, which was used as inspiration for the book the Count of Monte Cristo. I absolutely love the 2002 film adaptation with Jim Caviezel and Guy Pearce. So this was a must do for me in Marseille.

Our last train ride took us from France to Spain as we embarked on our last destination: Barcelona. I absolutely fell in love with this city. From the amazing architecture to the delicious food, we definitely did not have enough time to explore all that there is to explore in Barcelona.

Selfie in front of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain — Sagrada Familia

Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain — Sagrada Familia

We packed a guided tour of the old town, a visit to the Sagrada Familia, attended a Flamenco show, and a cooking class in only two days. This trip certainly ended on a high note.