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6 hour wait there, then final train to Valencia arriving 9pm
It's the lack of decent connections (much) beyond Barcelona that kills it. If you had an hour between trains you'd be there for tea time, 24 hours total.
frank9755-
Not even looking at how much of a ball ache trying to sort out which trains and what stupid requirements they have, it's the price/time that kills it. It's why I fly most of the time. At least they're pretty consistently shit and I know how to work around it. Trains w/ bikes seem so random. The same journey you've taken one time - you take again but get a different train or different conductor and you're fucked.
hippy
Yeah but connections are a bit shit here... sleeper tickets seem to be released at random intervals which is not ideal if you're planning for an event. I can't get one of those I have to get a hotel in Barcelona, Valence or Paris for a night and still have about 18 hours on a train. I do like the idea of traveling by train tho...
Edit - Looks like there is one way to do it with a sleeper but it's still an arse ache. 3pm leave Luxembourg on TGV (so bike in a bag) for Paris, put wheels on and ride across Paris. 8pm sleeper from Paris to Montpellier (back in bag). 9:30am train to Tarragona. 6 hour wait there, then final train to Valencia arriving 9pm.
So total: 19 hours on trains, 10 hours either waiting in stations or going between them. Or a 2 hour flight. Only advantage of the train is I know where my bike is most of the time.