El Transcantábrico
The Magic of Northern Spain
Journey
Covering almost 800 miles of incredible sceneryfrom the soft and charming Galician landscape, through the cliffs, mountains and lakes of Asturias and the different shades of green of Cantabria, to the fascinating beauty of the Basque country-this is a trip unlike most others.The blue- and cream-colored train explores paths very difficult to reach by any other means. Traveling at 40 mph, it skirts the coast line, meanders through mountains and follows the course of rivers that run along deep canyons. Participants will visit fishing villages, hamlets enclosed within nature parks and ancient towns displaying their monuments, medieval walls, defiant lighthouses and sandy beaches. Following a route that only the Transcantábrico can, the journey is made even more pleasant by the comfort and atmosphere of the train's interior.
Accommodation
Travelers on El Transcantábrico can enjoy a space especially designed for rest and privacy. The train, which has been operating since 1983, is fully air-conditioned and carries a maximum of 40 passengers in 20 suites. Sleep comfortably as the train stops overnight at the station.Each suite compartment has a full-size bed, minibar, closet and desk. The floors are carpeted and the private bathroom has a hydro sauna and turbo massage, as well as a hairdryer. The air-conditioning and heating have their own control. A large window (with curtains) is perfect for enjoying the scenery.
Lounges
El Transcantábrico has four lounge carriages. The design on the outside and the decoration and finish on the inside make them real railway jewels. The lounges are the common areas of the train, where the comfortable setting has inspired our travelers to start many solid friendships throughout the train's seventeen years of history.
One of the lounges has a bar and a dance floor. This is the pub carriage, decorated and lit like a small nightclub, where a musician/entertainer provides lively entertainment every night until the early hours of the morning.
Another lounge has a second bar where you can sit back and relax, although you don't have to go to the bar if you want to have a drink: waiters serve the tables in all the lounges so that our travelers can relax, enjoying the scenery, chatting, reading or playing one of the many board games provided.
The daily press, magazines and books in the library (with volumes in Spanish, English, German or French) are all provided free. There is also television and a video library with a wide selection of films.
Staff
A team of professional service staff attends to your every need. Whether you are in the common lounges or in your private compartment, you will be given efficient and personal attention.The Train's Head of Staff is in charge of a team formed of waiters, a guide, a musician/entertainer and railway staff who make sure that the traveler only has to sit back and enjoy the trip. The guide, who speaks five languages (English, French, German and Italian, besides Spanish), is there to help all our travelers throughout the trip.
Cuisine
As the route of El Transcantábrico follows the coast of the Bay of Biscay, food will obviously play an important part on the trip. In the opinion of chefs and the most demanding gourmets, the areas we visit boast some of Spain's best cuisine.The region's restaurants not only select the best quality raw materials to be prepared by the great professionals of the kitchen, but they are also genuine gastronomic centers where you can try the dishes of the region, choosing from a menu that also includes international cuisine. Meals will be enjoyed at the best restaurants in the areas we are visiting.
Each menu offered to the travelers on El Transcantábrico is an opportunity to try the most famous products of the regional cuisine. The following are some examples:
Menu 1:
Starters
Gran Mariscada(Shellfish) Typical desserts and fruit
Albariño White Wine
Queimada
(typical Galician hot punch with eau-de-vie)
Coffee or tea
Menu 2:
Soup of Pixin
Cream of crab soup
Pote Asturiano (Stew)
Fabada Asturiana (Bean stew)
Stuffed potatoes; stuffed onions
Rice pudding
Frixuelos; Casadielles
(typical desserts from Asturias)
Rioja Wines
Coffee or tea(Breakfast is a complete buffet, including buns and exquisite Iberian ham, and is served in the lounge carriages.)
2003 Departure Dates
Trains depart every Saturday from May to October from Santiago de Compostela and Leon.
2003 Prices (per compartment)
Double: $4,781
Single: $3,610*Rates must sometimes be adjusted, depending on the current rate of exchange.
The Transcantábrico trip includes:
- Seven nights on board the train
- Seven dinners and eight lunches with a gastronomy that is typical of Northern Spain (The menus for the trip are contracted beforehand by the train's organization)
- Seven full buffet breakfasts on board
- Accompanying guide throughout the entire journey
- Animated music with live performances and parties in the pub coach
- All excursions outlined in the itinerary
- Coach during the complete trip
- Robes and slippers to take home once the journey is completedItinerary
Santiago de Compostela Leon
Day 1, Saturday
The journey begins in Santiago de Compostela, one of the three holy cities of Christendom and the destination of pilgrims in medieval times. At noon, you meet at the Hotel Reyes Catolicos in Santiago. Enjoy lunch at the hotel, followed by departure on a motorcoach for a sightseeing tour of La Coruña, with its famous Tower of Hercules. Transfer by coach to the coastal town of Ferrol to board the train. Enjoy cocktails while traveling along the "Rias Altas"-the fjord-like indentations of the Galician coast-to the walled town of Vivero. A town visit is followed by an exquisite gourmet dinner.
Day 2, Sunday
Enjoy breakfast on board as the train passes beautiful scenery at the mouth of the Eo River, on the border of Asturias. Arrive in Ribadeo. Passengers can, if they wish, cross over the river by boat to Castropol. Returning to the train, the next stop is Luarca, declared the most beautiful village in the Green Coast (Costa Verde). Dinner in Luarca.
Day 3, Monday
Departure for Cudillero, a fishing village tucked away in the mountains. Breakfast on board while crossing the green lands of Asturias towards the capital, Oviedo. Lunch in a gourmet restaurant. Enjoy a visit of this historical city that dates from Roman times and has an array of pre-Romanesque monuments. The train continues to Gijon, a seaport and the second largest town in Asturias. Dinner at a local restaurant.Day 4, Tuesday
Breakfast on board on the way to Arriondas, traveling inland to the center of Asturias and the National Park of Picos de Europa. Here you will visit the Enol and Ercina lakes (weather permitting). Then on to the sanctuary of Covadonga and finally, Cangas de Onis. Lunch will be served here, followed by a town visit. Trasfer by bus to Ribadesella, where the train awaits us. Dinner in town.Day 5, Wednesday
Breakfast on board while the train travels to the lovely town of Cabezon de la Sal. Departure by coach to Santillana del Mar. Visit of the Neo-Caves of Altamira and the town of Santillana del Mar. Departure to Comillas for lunch and a city tour. The train continues its journey to Santander for a city visit, dinner and a stop at the casino.
Day 6, Thursday
Breakfast on board. Departure for Bilbao. Visit the modern city, including the Guggenheim Museum. Lunch in Bilbao. Afternoon departure to Espinosa de los Monteros for a visit and dinner.Day 7, Friday
Breakfast on board. Departure for Vado Cervera. Visit the Canal de Castilla and the Romanesque art in Palencia: Carrion de los Condes. Also visit Sirega and Fromista. After lunch in Fromista, visit Saldaña and the Roman town of Olmeda. From Guardo, we take the train to Cistierna, where we enjoy an exquisite dinner.Day 8, Saturday
During breakfast we depart for Leon, a beautiful city filled with history. Upon arrival, visit San Isidoro, the Cathedral, old quarter and San Marcos. Tour ends after lunch in Leon.Leon Santiago
Day 1, Saturday
Meet at the Hotel Parador San Marcos at noon. An afternoon tour will take in the highlights of Leon, a beautiful city full of history. Visit includes San Isidoro, the Cathedral, old quarter and San Marcos. Have lunch in Leon before boarding the El Transcantábrico. Train trip to Cistierna, where we enjoy dinner.Day 2, Sunday
During breakfast the train covers the journey between Cistierna and Guardo. Travel by coach to Saldaña; visit the Roman town of Olmeda and Romanesque art in Palencia: Carrión de los Condes. Also visit Sirega, Frómista and the Canal de Castilla. The train travels then to Vado Cervera and on to Espinosa de los Monteros, running along the fascinating swamp of the Ebro River in the region of Las Merindades. Dinner in Espinosa de los Monteros.Day 3, Monday
Through the land of Viscaya, we arrive in Bilbao, a modern city where the "Ria" searches for the sea. Visit the city, including the Guggenheim Museum (in July and August only; it is closed on Mondays the rest of the year). Lunch in Bilbao. Departure on the train for Santander. Capital of Cantabria, this maritime city still maintains its old world charm. Visit and have dinner. Time to visit the casino if you wish.Day 4, Tuesday
During breakfast the train will arrive in Torrelavega. Board a coach to Santillana del Mar. Visit the beautiful medieval town, including the new Altamira Museum. Travel by coach to Comillas for lunch. Back on the train, this afternoon we arrive into the Asturias Region. Visit the charming marine town of Llanes, followed by dinner in Ribadessella.
Day 5, Wednesday
From Ribadessella, the train follows the Sella River before arriving into Arriondas. By coach we travel to the Picos de Europa National Park and visit the Enol and Ercina lakes (weather permitting) and the sanctuary of Covadonga and Cangas de Onis. Lunch in Cangas de Onís. The train will then take us to Gijon, where we will have dinner.Day 6, Thursday
Travel from Gijon to Oviedo, capital of the Asturian Pricipality, with its unique pre-Romanesque monuments. Continue to Cudillero, a fishing village sheltered among the mountains. On to Luarca, declared the most beautiful village of the Green Coast (Costa Verde). Lunch in Oviedo; dinner in Luarca.
Day 7, Friday
In the first enclave of Galicia on the border with Asturias is Ribadeo, on the mouth of the river Eo. The "Rías Altas" landscape (fjord-like indentations of the Galician coast) is awe-inspiring. Lunch in Ribadeo. In the afternoon, we arrive on the train in Vivero. Visit the beautiful walled town, delighting in a yacht trip and dinner.Day 8, Saturday
Enjoy breakfast as the train travels from Vivero to Ferrol. Here a coach will take us to our final destination: Santiago de Compostela, where the Obradoiro Square awaits us as a jewel, as well as the beautiful Cathedral. Tour ends after lunch in Santiago.General Conditions
Payments and Deposits:
A deposit of $1,000 is required to start processing the reservation, either by check or American Express, Visa or MasterCard. No reservations will be processed without the initial deposit.Final payment of the balance is required at least 60 days ahead of the scheduled departure. Final payment must be made by check.
Cancellations:
Cancellations received any time between the date of confirmation, receipt of deposit, and 60 days before departure will be subject to a 20% charge of the total value of the reservation.Cancellations received within 60 days of departure will be subject to the following charges:
*60-31 days before departure: 30% of total tour cost
*30-21 days before departure: 50% of total tour cost
*20 days prior-date of departure: 100% of tour cost
There is no refund for non-use of any of the services included in El Transcantábrico program.Reservations will not be confirmed until signed acceptance of these conditions has been received from the client.
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