A cultural and gastronomic trip through Northern Spain and the comfort of travelling aboard luxury trains. These are what these two tourist trains offer. The Transcantábrico Gran Lujo connects the Basque city of Donostia-San Sebastián with the capital of Galicia, Santiago de Compostela, on an epic journey of eight days and seven nights. The Costa Verde Express links Bilbao (also in the Basque Country) with Gijón (in Asturias) on a trip lasting six days and five nights.In both cases, the trips can be made in reverse, since each week the city that was the destination becomes the goal, and vice versa. The Transcantábrico usually runs from the end of March to the end of October approximately, and the Costa Verde from mid-May to mid-October, with a break in August.Occasionally, both trains run a reduced version of the trip, known as “Special microtrip”, with fewer days of travel (approximately half) and not all the towns on their route. For example, the short Transcantábrico goes from Oviedo to San Sebastián or from Santiago to Gijón, and the Costa Verde from Oviedo or León to Bilbao
What’s so special about this journey?
You'll wind through green valleys and mountains, practically skimming the waves of the Cantabrian Sea. Because narrow-gauge lines are capable of venturing inside some of nature’s most beautiful hidden nooks and crannies. The Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia await you.
Leave your watch at home and prepare to enjoy the views from the train windows, with stops at unique destinations. Would you like to see a few? Peine del Viento in San Sebastián, the Museo Guggenheim in Bilbao, the seafaring city of Santander, the Altamira Caves in Santillana del Mar, the Picos de Europa National Park in Asturias, the pre-Roman monuments in Oviedo, the old town of Gijón and the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Many of them are UNESCO World Heritage sites. However, there are many places more to visit than this. And for your convenience you'll also have a multilingual guide along the whole route, as well as a bus to take you to each place and back to the train.
