Reading to Barcelona by train
Barcelona lies 1,145 km (711 mi) south of Reading, +1 h on the clock. What the numbers say about getting there.
By rail the journey is about 8 h 47 min at the speeds typical of United Kingdom and Spain rail, over roughly 1,396 km (868 mi) of track; the operator’s timetable is the number that counts.
| Reading | Barcelona | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom | Spain |
| Population | 318,014 | 1.7 million |
| Elevation | 51 m (167 ft) | 47 m (154 ft) |
| Time now | UTC+1 (Europe/London) | UTC+2 (Europe/Madrid) |
| Stations on record | Tilehurst railway station, Reading West, Reading Green Park railway station | none listed |
| Postal codes | RG1–RG6 | 08001–08080 |
Clocks in Barcelona are 1 h ahead of Reading right now, so a 8 h 47 min journey lands 9 h 47 min later by the destination clock.
What changes when you arrive in Barcelona
Crossing from United Kingdom into Spain: money changes from the Pound to the Euro (EUR); traffic switches to the right; sockets are Euro, Schuko; the dialling code becomes +34; the emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1061257 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648909.
Where to book trains from Reading to Barcelona
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Staying in Barcelona
Our booking partner lists 3,733+ places to stay in Barcelona (statistics below are from the first 1,000). Of the 889 with a star rating, the largest group is 4-star (470), and 51 are five-star. Across 914 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.5 out of 10. Guests have left 2,110,769 reviews in total.
Book a hotel in Barcelona
Live rooms and prices from our booking partner, booked and paid for here. Free cancellation is marked where it applies.
Common questions
How far is Barcelona from Reading?
1,145 km (711 mi) in a straight line, south of Reading; by road roughly 1,396 km (868 mi).
How long does it take to get from Reading to Barcelona by train?
About 8 h 47 min, estimated from distance and typical speeds. Timetables and traffic decide the real figure.
Is there a time difference between Reading and Barcelona?
Barcelona is 1 h ahead at the moment (Europe/Madrid against Europe/London).
What currency do I need in Barcelona?
The Euro (EUR).
Where can I stay in Barcelona?
Our booking partner lists 3,733+ places to stay in Barcelona, bookable on this site.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.