El Transcantábrico Clásico

El Transcantábrico luxury trains have been delighting passengers for 25 years, travelling through Cantabria, Castile, Asturia and the extraordinary Picos de Europa.

Either going from Santiago de Compostela to León, or from León to Santiago, the magic of northern Spain awaits the traveller; from the lands of Castile and León, to the shores of the Bay of Biscay.

Gastronomy, art, monuments and landscapes are presented to the voyager for the comfort of a five-star train hotel, El Transcantábrico. With a lush oceanic climate, Northern Spain, known as España Verde or Green Spain, is completely different from the parched South. The Picos de Europa are a small but magnificent mountain range home to brown bears and wolves. The gastronomy of the region ranges from Galician seafood, to rich Cantabrian meat dishes and Asturian cider.

Routes & Map

Itinerary 1:

León to Santiago de Compostela

Saturday

León: San Isidoro, the Cathedral, old quarter and San Marcos. Lunch in León. Dinner in Cistierna.

Day 1, Sunday

• Romanesque art of Palencia: Saldaña
• Roman Villa, Carrion de Los Condes
• Villalcazar de Sirga and Fromista
• Lunch in Villalcazar
• Ebro reservoir and Las Merindades
• Dinner in Mercadillo

Day 2, Monday

• Bilbao
• Guggenheim Museum (open July and August, closed the rest of the year) and lunch
• Santander, visit and dinner.

Day 3, Tuesday

• Santillana del Mar
• Neocave Museum of Altamira
• Lunch in Santillana
• Llanes
• Ribadesella
• Visit and dinner in Arriondas.

Day 4, Wednesday

• Arriondas
• National Park Picos de Europa
• Lakes
• Sanctuary of Covadonga and lunch
• Gijon, visit and dinner

Day 5, Thursday

• Oviedo, the Cathedral, the Pre-Romanesque architecture
• Lunch in Oviedo
• Luarca, visit and dinner

Day 6, Friday

• Ribadeo, visit, boat trip on the estuary
• Lunch in Ribadeo
• Viveiro, visit and dinner

Day 7, Saturday

• Viveiro
• Ferrol
• Santiago de Compostela
• Obradoiro’s Square
• Platerias, the Cathedral

Itinerary 2:

Santiago de Compostela to León

This is a similar itinerary, running in the opposite direction.

Day 1, Saturday

• Santiago de Compostela
• Obradoiro’s Square
• Platerias, the Cathedral
• Lunch in Santiago
• Ferrol
• Dinner in Viveiro

Day 2, Sunday

• Ribadeo, visit, boat trip on Eo estuary and lunch
• Luarca, visit and dinner

Day 3, Monday

• Oviedo, the Cathedral, the Pre-Romanesque architecture
• Lunch in Oviedo.
• Gijon, visit and dinner.

Day 4, Tuesday

• Arriondas
• National Park Picos de Europa
• Lakes, Sanctuary of Covadonga and lunch
• Ribadesella
• Dinner in Llanes, a traditional fishing port

Day 5, Wednesday

• Cabezon de la Sal
• Neocave Museum of Altamira
• Lunch in Santillana del Mar
• Dinner in Santander

Day 6, Thursday

• Bilbao
• Guggenheim Museum and lunch
• Dinner in Mercadillo

Day 7, Friday

• Mataporquer
• Romanesque Palencia: Villalcazar de Sirga
• Carrion de los Condes and Fromista
• Lunch in Villalcazar
• Roman Villa
• Guardo and Cistierna
• Dinner in Cistierna

Day 8, Saturday

• León
• San Isidoro, the Cathedral
• Old quarter and San Marcos

Cabin Accommodation

El Transcantábrico Clásico is stationary overnight, allowing a good night’s rest and an opportunity to enjoy the nightlife of the nearby towns.

Each suite has a double bed; some have an extra overhead bunk bed. All suites have luggage space, mini bar, safe, wardrobe, writing desk and telephone with outside line.

The private bathroom has a hydro-sauna, turbo massage, steam bath and hairdryer.

Air-conditioning, heating, music and lights are controlled individually and the floors of the compartments are carpeted. All suites have large windows with curtains.

Dining

The dining car is used primarily for breakfasts and the occasional meal.  All other meals are taken in local restaurants along the route.

Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, the Basque Country and Castilla y León are, in the opinion many of the most fastidious chefs and gourmets, the regions where you can  find the best cuisine in Spain.  The cheeses, sausages, meat, vegetables, fish and seafood are all universally renowned.

The restaurants on our route not only select the highest quality raw materials and have them prepared by the greatest professionals; they are also the ideal setting for sampling the local cuisine.

All our menus include a careful selection of wines that blend harmoniously with the ingredients of each lunch and dinner.   Coffee and liqueurs are also included.

Lounge Cars

El Transcantábrico Clásico boasts four lounge cars, made more than a century ago.  They include the bar car with its own dance floor, which hosts  live entertainment every night.

A second bar car provides a quieter atmosphere in which to enjoy a drink.

The remaining two lounge cars are for watching the scenery go by, reading or socialising with friends.

There is a library with books, newspapers and magazines;  as well as videos and television.

Picture Gallery

There are 48 more images in our full photo gallery for El Transcantabrico luxury train tours:

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Costs / Prices / Tariff 2011

For full tariff details please contact us on +44 (0)1249 890176.

Booking & Reservations

To find out more, or to book El Transcantábrico Clásico please contact us in the UK : +44 (0)1249 890176 or info@luxurytrainclub.com

We’ll be happy to answer any questions and make all your arrangements for you.