What dates did you check, and where? I checked a few random dates (including tomorrow) in July and found available seats at www.Thalys.com for each day. Special fares were even available at off-peak times and even at prime early morning times on some days. The specials were usually identified by “hurry, last seats available.”

I would look for a cheap flight from Barcelona to Pisa or Florence unless you have several days for a stopover in Southern France. I use www.whichbudget.com to see which low fare airlines fly which routes. See our “cheap flights” forum for more search engines, links and help. If you are visiting other cities in Italy, check those, too and rearrange your time in Italy around the cheapest or otherwise best option you find from Barcelona.

Flights are probably the best options for your other two legs, too. However, I’d find all this flying exhausting. There is a direct overnight train from Florence to Munich as another option for that leg.

Thanks, oldlady.
When I put in Bruges and Paris for 7/21 and try to book it, I get this message pop up:

Dorsale flamande temporarily unavailable

Due to essential maintenance work being carried out on Thalys trains, the dorsale flamande (Ghent, Bruges, Ostend) will be temporarily unavailable from 14th July to 25th August 2012. To travel to or from Belgian railway stations beyond Bruxelles-Midi, please select All other Belgian Stations when you book and use domestic train services in Belgium.

Have you considered skipping Barcelona or one of your other stops? There really isn’t a convenient itinerary for Barcelona to Cinque Terre. Train will take about 20 hours, and flying cheaply means you’ll have to leave Barcelona in the afternoon on the 24th, having just arrived on the 23rd. Flying from Florence or Pisa to Munich will either require a layover somewhere or cost $300 per person.

The Thalys trains go between Paris and Brussels, you will have to take a regional or local train between Brussels Midi and Brugges. I have never seen a routing between Paris and Brugges on a Thalys train that didn’t involve a connection to an IC or other train in Brussels. There are some options on TGV as opposed to Thalys trains (which can be cheaper). Some TGV options are as fast as the Thalys options although some are 1/2 hour slower and still involve at least one connection, usually in Lille. You can check schedules for the whole route on the German rail website: http://reiseauskunft…. Check the Belgian National rail system website to buy the ticket and for more information. The links to the national rail system websites are here: http://www.eurotrip….