Train Travel

A Week On The Rails In Spain.

The north coast of Spain is one of the most highly populated and largest industrial areas of the country. It also has the vastest range of mountains and over a year is one of the wettest.

Farming here is still carried out by many who prefer to use horses and mules and even scythe grass by hand. Red squirrels and man both race to harvest the hazelnuts, whilst others relax with wide-brimmed galasses of cider. You may be mistaken for thinking this is the Swiss Alps or even Somerset, but it is neither. It is however, home to Europe's most extensive metre gauge railway network with almost 1,500 km of track stretching across the coast from Hendaye in France to Ferrol on the Rias Altas of Galicia, and from Bilbao across the mountains to Leon. The Basque province is controlled by the Eusko Tren whildt the remainder is controlled by the FEVE (Ferrocarriles de Via Estrecha) who in turn are controlled by the Ministry for Public Works.

In the 1970s FEVE launched not only Spain's, but Europe's very first luxury touring train. Four of the 1929 Pullman cars were transformed into luxurious lounge and bar cars and the remaining carriages were converted into sleeping cars.

Places on El Transcantabrico were being booked up annually and so began creating a profit. All of the sleeping berths were being booked way in advance and so FEVE decided to invest over £1.3 million on a second train following the same procedure as before, using redundant carriages. They also decided to suply all of teh sleeping compartments with en-suite facilities. The creation of El Transcantabrico then enabled simultaneous weekly departures.

The journey of the El Transcantabrico is one-way. It is a distance of 1,000km and lasts from Saturday to Saturday. The accommodation consists of double bed en-suite compartments. The showers incorporate hydrosauna, turbomassage and steam bath options. There is a minibar, wardrobe, writing desk and telephone with exterior line. Hairdryers are also included. All compartments have individually regulated air conditioning and heating.

Compartment prices are £1,340 per person based on two people sharing (£2,000 for exclusive use). This price is inclusive of buffet breakfast on board the train, lunch and dinner (including wine) at restaurants along the journey (excluding Sotoscueva Station between Leon ans Bilbao where dinner is served on board).

Itinerary;

Leon To Santiago

Saturday:

Reception at the Parador de San Marcos in Leon, Followed by lunch and a short guided tour of the city then by train up the Torio valley to the foot of the mountains at Matallana. Then continuing eastwards across the great shoulders of bleak upland running south from the mountains through Bonar to the town of Cistierna for the evening meal.

Sunday:

Breakfast on board whilst travelling from Cistierna to Guado. Then by coach to view the remains of the Roman villa at Olmeda and the Romanesque architecture of carion de los Condes, Villalcazar de Sirga, lunch and then Fromista.

Monday:

Whilst dining at breakfast, you will be travelling through El Cabrio and onto Balmaseda where you will notice the scenery becoming more industrialised. Onto Bilbao, lunch and a visit to Guggenheim Museum. In the afternoon you will travel on through one of the most scenic rail journeys in Europe towards Santander where you will have your overnight stop.

Tuesday:

Your day will begin by travelling westwards through Cantabria to Torrelavega then by coach to the medieval Santillana del Mar, lunch, then a visit to the replica cave paintings at Altamira. You will board the train and continue through Saja and Escudo valleys before you reach the clifftops between Unquera and Llanes where you can explore this Austrian fishing port, enjoy dinner and stay overnight.

Wednesday:

The train winds its way up the gorges of the Sella to Arriondas during breakfast. From here by coach to the Enol and Ercina lakes, high in the Cornión massif of the towering Picos de Europa, then back down to Covadonga. Lunch will be in a near by restaurant then on to the coast as Gijon for dinner and the overnight stop.

Thursday:

The morning is spent in Oviedo, with its cathedral, sensitively restored old quarter and the pre-Romanesque churches on the slopes of the nearby Sierra del Naranco. After lunch, continuing down the winding valley of the Nalon to the fishing village of Cudillero. The final part of the day's journey is along a stretch of railway with fifty percent of its route underground. This is where you will enjoy your relaxing evening meal and an overnight stop.

Friday:

The mountains retreat southwards as the train continues west across the coastal plateau to the first of the great drowned valleys or rías, that of the Eo, which forms the border between Asturias and Galicia. Lunch will be in the fishing port of Ribadeo. Moving on to the fihing ports of Foz and Burela to San Cibrao then inland until you reach Viveiro. Passengers will then be treated to a short cruise along the ria where your final night will be spent.

Saturday:

The line weaves its way past yet more rías before swinging inland south of Ortigueira to attack the long climb to the Ría de Ferrol. From Ferrol it is only an hours journey by coach to the pilgrimage city of Santiago de Compostela where you will take a brief stroll, followed by a farewell lunch which concludes the tour.

NEED TO KNOW

Consult the www.transcantabrico.feve.es home page (Spanish only), locate the link to 'El Transcantábrico' at the bottom left, and click. Spanish and English versions of the link are available.

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