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Luxury Train Club · Luxury rail journey

Costa Verde Express

Six-day luxury train through Green Spain, Bilbao to Santiago de Compostela

Illustration of Costa Verde Express

Luxury Train Club's Costa Verde Express is a 6-day, 5-night journey through Green Spain aboard a heritage train of 1920s Pullman saloon cars, departing from Bilbao and arriving in Santiago de Compostela. The journey combines rail travel with daily guided coach excursions to medieval towns, coastal villages, cheese caves, ethnographic museums, and the Guggenheim in Bilbao. Each of the 23 suites features a new double bed and converts to a sofa during the day. Meals, all featuring regional Spanish cuisine and fine wines, are served in the Dining Car or at local restaurants. An accompanying hostess manages the itinerary, and nightly entertainment in the saloon cars completes each evening. The pace is deliberate, with most days split between train travel and guided visits; you wake aboard the train and explore by coach, then rejoin it for dinner. This trip suits luxury-seeking couples and history-minded travellers who prefer being guided through authentic Spanish regions rather than self-driving.

What to know before you look closer

  • The from-price of EUR 5,000 (approximately USD 5,724) covers the package and train fare; drinks outside of meals are not included
  • Group size is capped at 46 passengers; the final composition of your companions is not controllable
  • Gratuities are not included and are expected as customary on luxury train journeys

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Santander

    Bilbao - Laredo - Santona - Santander

    10:00hrs check-in at Bilbao-La Concordia station. Panoramic tour of Bilbao and a visit to the Guggenheim Museum. Lunch on board to Treto; coach visit to Laredo's old town and a boat ride to Santona for an anchovy cannery visit. Continue to Santander for a panoramic tour and dinner in a local restaurant.

  2. Day 2railovernight: Llanes

    Santander - Santillana del Mar - Llanes

    Breakfast on board as the train arrives in Cabezon de la Sal. Coach excursion to the medieval town of Santillana del Mar and the Altamira neo-cave. Lunch, then continue into Asturias, arriving in Llanes for a visit, dinner and overnight.

  3. Day 3overnight: Oviedo

    Llanes - Arenas de Cabrales - Bulnes - Oviedo

    Coach excursion to Arenas de Cabrales and the Cabrales Cheese Cave-Museum; funicular to the village of Bulnes from Poncebos. Lunch on board to Oviedo, then a guided tour of Oviedo.

  4. Day 4railovernight: Luarca

    Oviedo - Gijon - Luarca

    Visit Gijon, a lively coastal city, with free time and lunch. Rejoin the train to travel to Luarca for a visit, dinner and overnight.

  5. Day 5railovernight: Viveiro

    Luarca - Ribadeo - Taramundi - Viveiro

    Arrive Ribadeo while breakfasting. Coach to the Oscos region to visit the Os Teixois ethnographic complex, Taramundi village and the knife museum, with lunch in Taramundi. Continue by train to Viveiro for a visit, dinner and overnight.

  6. Day 6

    Viveiro - Ferrol - Santiago de Compostela

    Arrive Ferrol while breakfasting; farewell to the crew and coach transfer to Santiago de Compostela for a guided city visit and lunch. End of journey around 16:30hrs.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 1Panoramic tour of Bilbao and visit to the Guggenheim Museum, followed by a boat ride to Santona for an anchovy cannery visit
  • Day 2Coach excursion to the medieval town of Santillana del Mar and tour of the Altamira neo-cave
  • Day 3Visit to the Cabrales Cheese Cave-Museum and funicular ride to the mountain village of Bulnes
  • Day 5Coach visit to the Os Teixois ethnographic complex, Taramundi village, and the knife museum

Included

  • 5 nights' accommodation on Costa Verde Express
  • 6 buffet breakfasts on board
  • 6 lunches and 6 dinners on board or at restaurants
  • High quality wines, liqueurs, coffee and tea with meals
  • Accompanying hostess throughout the journey
  • Multi-lingual guided excursions with a luxury coach for transfers and visits
  • Musical performances, entertainment and all entrance fees
  • On-board activities
  • Bathrobes, slippers and a bag of toiletries

Not included

  • Gratuities
  • Drinks other than at meals
  • Laundry (advised on the train)

Also sold by

The same itinerary is listed by more than one company. Prices and inclusions can differ; compare before booking.

Questions travellers ask

Is the train travel included?
Yes. The Costa Verde Express fare, all five nights' accommodation on the train, and all guided coach transfers are included in the quoted price.
Is this an escorted or independent journey?
It is fully escorted. Luxury Train Club provides an accompanying hostess throughout the journey, and multi-lingual guides lead all coach excursions.
What meals are included?
Six buffet breakfasts on board, six lunches and six dinners on board or at local restaurants. High-quality wines, liqueurs, coffee and tea are included with meals.
Which hotels are used?
You sleep on the Costa Verde Express every night. The train has 23 suites, each with a new double bed (1.35m x 1.85m) that converts to a sofa by day.
When does the journey run?
Departures are scheduled in May, June, July, September and October 2026.
What is not included?
Gratuities, drinks other than those served with meals, and laundry services are not included.

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