The point is that Metz->Dijon, two cities almost next to each other, takes as long as Lille to Montpellier, two cities on opposite ends of the country due to the centralization of the rail system.
So I'm checking the itinerary I received:
Take the Thalys -> Paris Nord ~ 2hr
Navigating around Paris to Gare Paris-Bercy ~ 20 min
Then actually, I can't find train service to Montpellier I just get the iDBUS
Towards Milano (stopping at Lyon-Perrache) ~ 6.5 hours
then Towards Barcelona (stopping at Monpellier) ~ 4.5 hours
That's the fastest route I can find. TGV doesn't even seem to be an option on the sites I'm checking.
Why wouldn't you just take the direct Lille-Montpellier train that leaves Lille at 09:00 and arrives in Montpellier at 14:01?
I don't understand your contorted itinerary. You start by taking a 2hr Thalys instead of the regular TGV that goes from Lille to Paris in 1 hour. One of these leaves Lille every 30 minutes or so.
Then somehow you go from Paris Nord to... Bercy instead of Paris Lyon? Bercy only serves regional trains, TGVs leave from gare de Lyon. Then you look for a train that goes to Barcelona instead of one that only goes to Montpellier?
Voyages-sncf.com, Capitaine Train and Bahn.de all show the direct 9812 TGV that I have already taken a few times to go to Lyon or Montpellier. It doesn't go through Paris, stops in a few places like Charles-de-Gaulle airport and Lyon. It actually departs from Brussels, not Lille. It's moderately expensive, at 144€.
So I'm checking the itinerary I received:
Take the Thalys -> Paris Nord ~ 2hr
Navigating around Paris to Gare Paris-Bercy ~ 20 min
Then actually, I can't find train service to Montpellier I just get the iDBUS
Towards Milano (stopping at Lyon-Perrache) ~ 6.5 hours
then Towards Barcelona (stopping at Monpellier) ~ 4.5 hours
That's the fastest route I can find. TGV doesn't even seem to be an option on the sites I'm checking.