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Enjoy an 10 night / 11 day holiday, including 6 nights in a Gran Class compartment on Al-Andalus with all meals, wine and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, First Class rail from throughout and overnight stays in Barcelona, Seville, Madrid and Girona from £7,995 per person (all prices are based on two people travelling together).
An example itinerary is shown below.
Your holiday includes:
Your holiday begins as you enter stunningly restored St. Pancras International station. Take your time to appreciate the splendour of the magnificent glass roof, then sit back, relax and watch the countryside swish past as you travel by Eurostar to Paris at speeds of up to 186mph.
Enjoy the light meal and drinks served on board in Standard Premier service (Eurostar’s 1st class for leisure travellers).
On arrival in Paris your private taxi transfer will take you across Paris to the Gare de Lyon to continue your journey by TGV through France and into Spain.
You travel through the changing French landscape at high speed on this direct train to the vibrant city of Barcelona. You arrive in time for dinner or tapas before you settle into your hotel for the night, the Barcelo Sants (4 star) or the totally refurbished Nobu Hotel (5 star – supplements apply), ideally located next to Barcelona Sants train station.
Today you leave Barcelona and take the train southwards to the fabulous city of Seville.
Bathed in sunshine for much of the year, Seville is a lively, energetic city home to a myriad of historical layers and magnificent cultural landmarks.
Your base for the tonight is the welcoming, highly-rated Hotel Becquer (4 star) in the city centre.
Reception of passengers at 10:00 a.m. at a location to be determined in Sevilla and tour of the City. Afterward, we’ll visit the capital of Andalusia, which boasts the largest historic center in Spain. After lunch, we’ll enjoy a panoramic view of the city before boarding the Al Andalus Train. We’ll receive a welcome toast on the train, introduce the crew, and settle in. Dinner will be served on board as the train heads to Córdoba. Overnight stay in Córdoba.
After breakfast on board, we’ll visit the Mosque-Cathedral and continue touring what was once the capital of the medieval Emirate and Caliphate of Al-Andalus, when it was the largest, most cultured, and most opulent city in Western Europe. Lunch will be served on board on route to Jerez. From Jerez, in the afternoon, we’ll visit Cádiz, popularly known as the “Silver Cup” and considered the oldest city in the Western World. Dinner in Cádiz and overnight stay in Jerez.
After breakfast, we’ll enjoy the city of Jerez and the show
“How the Andalusian Horses Dance,” a famous equestrian
ballet with Spanish music. Lunch will be served at a local
restaurant before visiting a winery in the afternoon.
Dinner will be served on board while the train heads to Zafra.
Overnight stay in Zafra.
While we have breakfast, the train will arrive in Cáceres, a World Heritage Site, where the streets, squares, and palaces are magnificently preserved, thanks to its cultural mix that makes Cáceres a unique cultural experience. Lunch will be served on board as we arrive in Mérida, where we will relive the ancient Roman Empire. Also a World Heritage Site, founded in 25 BC, we will visit its remains and history. Dinner and overnight stay in Mérida.
While we have breakfast, the train will arrive in Alcázar de San Juan, located in the region of Castilla-La Mancha, internationally known for its cheeses and wines. We will visit an artisanal cheese factory and a winery. Lunch will be served in the area. In the afternoon, we will visit Campo de Criptana, with its characteristic landscape of windmills, a source of inspiration for Cervantes in his novel Don Quixote. We will return to Alcázar de San Juan, have dinner on board, and spend the night in this town.
While we have breakfast, the train will arrive in Alcázar de San Juan, located in the region of Castilla-La Mancha, internationally known for its cheeses and wines. We will visit an artisanal cheese factory and a winery. Lunch will be served in the area. In the afternoon, we will visit Campo de Criptana, with its characteristic landscape of windmills, a source of inspiration for Cervantes in his novel Don Quixote. We will return to Alcázar de San Juan, have dinner on board, and spend the night in this town.
After enjoying our last breakfast on board, we’ll bid farewell to
the train and its crew and end the journey in Madrid around 1:30 p.m.
After breakfast this morning, it will soon be time for you to make your way back to the station for your onward journey to Girona. Arriving in just under 4 hours, make your own way to your hotel for tonight, the comfortable and welcoming Hotel Nord 1901 (4 star).
This afternoon, you may choose to discover more of this wonderful city. As northern Catalonia’s largest city, Girona is a jewellery box of museums, galleries and Gothic churches, strung around a web of cobbled lanes. The walled medieval quarter, the Barri Vell, is perched on a hill above the city and is well worth a visit. With its narrow cobbled alleyways, balconied houses and shady little plaças, it is a delight to explore.
Another highlight is the long row of picturesque pastel-hued houses, the Cases de l’Onyar (pictured), which cling to the banks of the Ríu Onyar, as it meanders through the centre of town. The city’s medieval Jewish quarter remains one of the best preserved in Spain.
This morning after breakfast make your way back to the station and board your high-speed TGV to Paris. On arrival at the Gare de Lyon, you will be transferred by private taxi to the Gare du Nord ahead of your Eurostar journey back to London.
Take time to reflect on the magnificent sights, sounds and tastes you have enjoyed on your holiday as you sit back and relax with a light meal and drinks before your arrival into London St. Pancras International for the final leg of your journey home.
BARCELONA
The Barcelo Sants Hotel (4 star) is a contemporary hotel featuring mostly black and white décor. Located above Sants railway station and just a 2-minute walk from Sants Estació metro station. Sagrada Família, Antoni Gaudí’s unfinished church, is 4.2 km away. Featuring wood flooring and a space-age vibe, the slick rooms come with free Wi-Fi and flat-screen TVs. All have city views. Suites add living areas, and some also add whirlpool baths. Room service is available. There are 2 restaurants (1 a buffet option) and a minimalist bar. Other amenities (all with surcharges) include a spa, a fitness room and parking.
SEVILLE
Situated in the historic old town, the Hotel Bécquer (4 star) is less than 5 minutes’ walk from the impressive Cathedral, Alcázar Fortress and the River Guadalquívir. The hotel boasts a terrace overlooking the Giralda (bell tower) and cathedral and offers an outdoor pool, snack bar and tapas bar. Guests can also relax in the Bécquer’s spa, which includes Turkish Baths, a hot tub and sauna. Each of the hotel’s 134 air-conditioned rooms comes with free Wi-Fi, a flat-screen TV, a minibar, a safe and tea/coffee making facilities. Laptops, iPads and DVD players are also available on request and subject to availability.
MADRID
The elegant and distinguished Hotel Liabeny (4 star) is ideally situated in the centre of Madrid, just 200 meters from Puerta del Sol – Madrid’s most famous and central square. The hotel offers modern facilities such as a gym with sauna, a bar and lounge area, and an excellent selection of Mediterranean and International cuisine served in the Restaurante Sensaciones (Sensations Restaurant). The dining room also serves a Buffet-Style breakfast, where guests can find a large selection of pastries, cold and hot dishes and the famous home-made churros. The hotels 220 large and functional bedrooms are equipped with air-conditioning and central heating, LCD flat-screen satellite TV, a minibar, a safe, free WiFi, and the bathroom features a vanity mirror, hair-dryer and toiletries. Many of Madrid’s attractions can be found a short walk from the hotel, with the Prado and Thyssen-Bornemisza Museums less than 10 minutes away.
GIRONA
Set on a narrow, cobblestone city street, the welcoming Hotel Nord 1901 (4 star) is a 7 minutes’ walk from Girona Cathedral, 8 minutes’ walk from the Girona Art Museum and 12 minutes’ walk from the Girona train station. The elegant rooms offer Wi-Fi & flat-screen TVs, plus minibars, and tea and coffeemakers. A breakfast buffet is served in the relaxed, airy restaurant or by the sleek outdoor pool. There’s also a garden bar with seating.
Awaiting at the platform sits a line of delightful coffee and cream coloured carriages polished to perfection and oozing a sophistication so elegant the temptation to step aboard is instant. Built in France between 1928 and 1930 the Al-Andalus hotel train is made up of the most beautiful Belle Époque carriages that will instantly transport you to a bygone era when rail travel was a luxurious experience of adventure and discovery. A time when travelling was more than just journeying from one place to another.
Travelling through Andalucía the Al –Andalus journeys through beautiful landscapes and fascinating cities allowing time for you to stop and discover the delights within but it is the experience onboard that really enhances this journey and makes this holiday adventure so much more. Allow yourself the pleasure and relaxation this rail experience provides and escape the real world for a while, indulging in the luxury and collecting memories to last a lifetime.
Beautifully restored to fully capture the style and details of the period, each and every carriage has also been updated to include modern-day luxuries. Care and consideration have meant that the historic and present have been brought together in a way that is respectful of one another and truly creates something wonderful that reflects authenticity and comfort.
Bespoke furnishings crafted to the very highest standards adorn the carriages and highly polished marquetry adds a welcoming warmth to the interior spaces. Perfectly pressed linens tempt rest, and plump soft cushions welcome relaxation. Comfort and luxury really are at the forefront of this spectacular train.
Stunning art nouveau details adorn the carriages bringing the essence of a bygone era even closer to reality. Escape into a dreamy world of travel in the 1920s and immerse yourself in the historical world so far-fetched from modern reality.
Every aspect on board the Al –Andalus hotel train is designed to help you relax and unwind, from the moment you arrive and are welcomed on board to the cabins designed to aid a restful night’s sleep, each and every detail has been created to provide a luxurious and unique experience. Exquisite cuisine using authentic ingredients is expertly prepared daily using only the very freshest of ingredients, live entertainment to delight the evenings provide the perfect opportunity to meet new people and share stories, and when you are ready to retire the space between the saloon carriages and cabins provides peace and tranquillity.
Throughout the year and tailor-made to suit your holiday needs, dependent on the Al Andalus departure dates.
For information and booking Tel: 01347 665333 or email info@planetrail.co.uk
