La Robla Train Route
La Robla Tour: 3 days and 2 nights, to choose between Bilbao and León, or vice versa. The Pilgrim’s Route Tour: 6 days and 5 nights with departure and arrival in Oviedo, following the famous English Way to Santiago de Compostela.
La Robla: Bilbao – León
(3 days/ 2 nights)
1st Day: Bilbao - Sotoscueva - Espinosa de los Monteros
At 2:00 p.m. we will wait for you at La Concordia Station in Bilbao, where we will proceed to collect your luggage. Barely an hour later, we will welcome you aboard the El Expreso de la Robla train and assign you to your comfortable compartment so that you can settle in quietly. Shortly after, the train will begin its journey to the first destination, Espinosa de los Monteros, for what promises to be a memorable getaway for three fantastic days and 2 nights.
We will visit the north of Burgos, making the first stop in the city of Frías, a beautiful village of Las Merindades Burgos, and the Tobera waterfalls. Its green and mountainous landscape, together with its rich monumental heritage, give the place a special attraction that will not disappoint us.
Back to Espinosa de los Monteros, we will enjoy dinner and overnight on board.
2nd Day: Espinosa de los Monteros - Románico Palentino - Cistierna
After a restful night, we will have breakfast in the elegant restaurant car of El Expreso de la Robla. Meanwhile, the train will bring us closer to Mataporquera. From here we will travel by coach to the towns of Palencia where the most important Romanesque monuments in Europe are concentrated, right on the Camino de Santiago: Carrión de los Condes, Frómista and Saldaña.
We will have free time to explore the location and continue the route through the Palencia Romanesque in the direction of Frómista, known as La Villa del Milagro. We will visit two of the most important monuments in the region, the Romanesque church of San Martín and the Canal de Castilla, one of the most important civil engineering projects in Spain.
There will be time to wander around freely, until it’s time to recharge your batteries with a delicious lunch made up of traditional dishes from the region.
In the afternoon, we will visit the Roman Villa of La Olmeda and its magnificent collection of mosaics.
Our luxurious coach will take us back to the train to make the journey to Cistierna, where we will have dinner and spend the night on board.
3rd Day: Cistierna - Leon
We will start the last day of our trip in El Expreso de La Robla with breakfast on board while we ride to San Feliz. Once at the destination, our accompanying coach will take us to the beautiful city of León. Accompanied by a guide, we will discover the historic center, the impressive Gothic Cathedral of León and the Basilica of San Isidoro, a Romanesque temple that exceeds a thousand years of history.
Then you will have free time to walk around León until the end of this wonderful trip, around 2:00 p.m., at the Feve Station in León.
La Robla: León – Bilbao
(3 days/ 2 nights)
1st Day: Leon - Cistierna
From 13:30 p.m. At 14:30 p.m. we will be waiting for you at the Feve de León Station to collect your luggage. Next, we’ll get on the bus that will accompany us throughout the trip, to take us to San Feliz, where El Expreso de La Robla awaits us. Our crew will welcome you on board and accommodate you in your compartment, while we roll towards Matallana.
Once in Matallana, the bus will pick us up to go to Valporquero, crossing the spectacular Hoces de Vegacervera on the way. We will visit the extraordinary Valporquero Caves, famous for their stalactites, stalagmites and capriciously shaped lava flows, and for their impressive Great Rotunda with 100,000 m3 of underground void.
Next, we will return to the train to travel to Cistierna, where we will have dinner and spend the night.
2nd Day: Cistierna - Romanico Palentino - Espinosa de los Monteros
We will start this second day of the trip having breakfast in the restaurant on the train. While we get our strength back, the La Robla Express will take us to Guardo, in Palencia. Then we will board the bus that always accompanies the train, to go to the Roman Villa of La Olmeda with its magnificent collection of mosaics.
We will continue discovering one of the best ensembles of Romanesque art in Europe on the Camino de Santiago, visiting the towns of Saldaña, Carrión de los Condes and Frómista, where we will have lunch.
In the afternoon, we will approach the temple of San Martín, and the Canal de Castilla. Then we will return to the train to travel to Espinosa de los Monteros, in the north of Burgos.
This beautiful beautiful town of Las Merindades Burgos will captivate us with its green and mountainous landscape, together with its rich monumental heritage.
In this town we will enjoy dinner and spend the night on board the train.
3rd Day: Espinosa de los Monteros - Bilbao
We will enjoy a comforting breakfast while we wind through the wonderful landscape of the Mena Valley that will take us to the final destination in Bilbao.
A guide will accompany us to tour this spectacular city and its universally known Guggenheim museum. After having free time in the city, we will end the trip at approximately 2:00 p.m.
Pilgrim’s Route: Oviedo – Oviedo
(6 days/ 5 nights)
1st Day: Oviedo - Viveiro
Luggage claim from 12 noon to 3:30 p.m. at the Renfe station (Oviedo) underneath ‘la Losa’ (1st floor opposite the Metric Gauge Offices). Guided tour of the city at 4:30 p.m. Welcome toast on the train, crew presentation and passengers will be taken to their rooms. Dinner on board, while the train sets off for Galicia. Journey by night to Viveiro.
2nd Day: Viveiro
Early arrival at Viveiro. We will start the morning, as every day, enjoying our delicious breakfast buffet. After breakfast, transfer to Ferrol by bus for the pilgrims who wish to cover the first stage, Ferrol – Pontedeume (26 km). For those who do not want to walk, transfer by bus to the northernmost point of the Iberian Peninsula, the cape of Estaca de Bares, visiting later the beach of Bares and O Barqueiro, with free time for lunch. In the afternoon, transfer of hikers to the train, as well as picking up of the walkers in Pontedeume to return to Viveiro. Free time for dinner and night on board at Viveiro.
3rd Day: Viveiro - Ortigueira
While we have breakfast the train will travel to Ortigueira. From here the coach will take the pilgrims to Pontedeume, to start the second stage to Abegondo (31 km). For the hikers we will visit the Sanctuary of San Andrés de Teixido and Cedeira, with free time for lunch. In the afternoon, transfer of the hikers to the train and pick up of the walkers in Abegondo to return to Ortigueira. Free time for dinner and night in Ortigueira.
4th Day: Ortigueira - Ferrol
After breakfast the coach will bring the pilgrims closer to the starting point of the third stage, Abegondo – A Calle (25 km). The rest of the passengers will be taken by bus to A Coruña, where they will spend the morning, enjoying free time for lunch. In the afternoon, return to the train in Ferrol. That night we will all have dinner together in a typical octopus restaurant. Night in Ferrol.
5th Day: Ferrol - Santiago de Compostela - Oviedo
After breakfast on board, the pilgrims will be transferred by bus to the start of the fourth and last stage, which will take them from A Calle to Santiago de Compostela (27 km). Once in Santiago you will have free time until the afternoon. For the rest of the customers, departure by bus from Ferrol to Santiago de Compostela. Free time in Santiago. In the late afternoon, return of pilgrims and tourists to the train in Ferrol. During dinner on board (catering service) the train will depart for Oviedo. Overnight on board.
6th Day: Oviedo
Early arrival of the train to Oviedo. Breakfast on board and farewell to the crew and the train, with the journey ending around 11 a.m.