Eurostar to Perpignan

Perpignan is an incredibly historical city in the south of France, and a wonderful place to visit, mixing French and Spanish history to create a unique holiday destination. Perpignan is one of the connection services available on the Eurostar, so it’s very easy to reach.

About Perpignan

Perpignan is the capital city of the eastern Pyrenees and Roussillon areas. Only one-hundred and sixty kilometres away from Barcelona, it’s one of the last stops in France before you reach Spain! It was home to the Kings of Majorca during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, and it was only in 1659 that the city officially became part of France itself, but despite this, it has retained its Catalan influence to this day, with traditions and customs in abundance.

Throw yourself in at the deep end on your arrival by taking a wander around the real heart of the city: the Loge quarter. It’s mostly traffic-free, so it’s easy to get around. There are some fascinating sculptures to be seen, particularly by Aristide Maillol, including the Venus with a Necklace, and The Mediterranian, which can be found in the Hotel de Ville courtyard.

If it’s the history you’ve travelled for, you must go and see the Palace of the Kings of Majorca. The stairs that lead up to the palace itself are steep and slalom, so you’ll need a great deal of stamina to get to the top! But once you arrive at your destination, it’s well worth the effort! The building dates back to 1276, and there are some breathtaking examples of Gothic architecture, particularly the chapels. You’ll also find the Museum of Popular Arts in the Castillet, as well as the Cathedral of Saint-Jean both of which are worth a visit. Then spend the afternoon wandering around the beautiful and scented botanical gardens at the base of the ramparts.

And if that’s not enough, you can always time your visit to coincide with the festival seasons! The Estivales de Perpignan fills the streets of the city in summer with all kinds of performing arts, including music, dance, cinema, theatre, and circus acts. And in October, the Nuit et Fête du vin primeur celebrates the wine produced that year.

Perpignan by Eurostar Trains

If our overview above has managed to convince you to visit this lovely town, you can get to Perpignan on one of the Eurostar’s connection services. This means you'll have to change trains at some point. Eurostar trains depart from St Pancras International, a very easy-to-get-to destination in London. With speeds of 186 miles per hour, it's an easy journey. Your simplest option of connection services after getting on the train at London is to change at Lille. From Lille Europe station, you need only change platforms. From here, there are a number of TGV services that will take you all the way to Perpignan. You can also change at Paris Gare du Nord, but you’ll have to take a taxi or get on the metro to catch a connection train from Gare de Lyon. All in all, if you travel from London, you can expect the journey time to be about eight hours.

Visit the official Eurostar web site to book your train tickets to Perpignan.