El Transcantábrico Gran Lujo is a hotel on rails that follows Spain's green northern coast from the Basque Country to Galicia. Just fourteen suites, historic Pullman lounge cars and daily guided outings to mountain villages, fishing ports and great cathedral cities make it one of Europe's most intimate rail journeys.
Eight days along Spain's green north coast, from the Basque Country through Cantabria and Asturias to the pilgrim city of Santiago.
The Northern Route in reverse: from Santiago's pilgrim streets along the Galician, Asturian and Cantabrian coast to elegant San Sebastián.
A four-day short trip from the Asturian capital through the Picos de Europa and Cantabria to Bilbao's Guggenheim and San Sebastián.
A four-day short trip from Santiago along the wild Galician coast to Ribadeo, Taramundi, the Cathedrals Beach and Luarca, ending in Gijón.
Every suite belongs to the same Gran Lujo category; the only choice is a double bed or two singles.
The train's lounges are original Pullman cars, restored and decorated especially for this journey, and the whole train is linked inside so you can wander freely between your suite and the public spaces. There is a glass-walled panoramic lounge for watching the coast slide by and a Tea Room for an unhurried aperitif.
Newspapers, tablets, a film library, books and board games fill the quieter hours, while the Pub car comes alive each evening with live music and entertainment. The crew is on hand at any time of day.
The chef prepares breakfast à la carte each morning, along with lunch or dinner on board, served in the lounge-car dining rooms and built around the cooking of northern Spain. The bar is open whenever you want it.
On many days one meal is taken ashore in the towns and cities along the route, so you taste the region both on the train and at its source.
There are fourteen Gran Lujo suites, all of the same category, each around 12.8 square metres including the bathroom. Ten have a double bed and four have two single beds, and every suite has a lounge area with a sofa bed, a private bathroom with bathtub or shower, climate control and entertainment screens.
You sleep in your suite on board every night, with the train parked overnight in a town or station along the route, such as Santander, Llanes, Oviedo, Luarca or Viveiro. Arrival and departure days include a road transfer between the train and the start or end city.
The main journey is the eight-day, seven-night Northern Route between San Sebastián and Santiago de Compostela, running in both directions. There are also two four-day, three-night short trips: Oviedo to San Sebastián and Santiago de Compostela to Gijón, each with very few departures per season.
The seven-night route covers the whole northern coast, from the Basque Country through Cantabria and Asturias into Galicia, with time in the Picos de Europa and several cities. The short trips give a taste of the train in half the time, focusing either on the Asturian and Cantabrian coast or on Galicia and western Asturias.
Breakfast is served à la carte in the dining cars every morning, and the chef also cooks lunch or dinner on board using the flavours of northern Spain. On most days the other main meal is enjoyed ashore in a town on the route, and the bar is open at any hour.
The historic Pullman lounge cars include a panoramic glass lounge, a Tea Room and a Pub car with live music and entertainment every night. There are also newspapers, tablets, a film library, books and board games for quieter moments.
Yes. Each day includes visits ashore, from mountain villages in the Picos de Europa to Bilbao, Santander, Oviedo and Santiago de Compostela, and the itineraries describe guided tours as well as free time to explore on your own.
Yes. Wi-Fi is available on board through a mobile connection, so it can be patchy or drop out for a while as the train passes through the mountains and valleys of northern Spain. It is fine for messages and email, but do not count on it for video calls or streaming.
Live dates and fares are shown on this page, and our reservations team can help on (866) 484-7882. A deposit of 15% secures your suite at the time of booking.
Luxury Train Vacations is a service of TravBuzz Inc. · Fla. Seller of Travel Reg. No. ST41461
