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Leon
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El Transcantabrico
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El Transcantabrico

See all things to do
See all things to do
El Transcantabrico
3.5
62 reviews
#35 of 92 things to do in Leon
Scenic Railroads
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Address
Plaza de los Ferroviarios s/n, 33012 Leon Spain
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
3.5
62 reviews
Excellent
27
Very good
13
Average
7
Poor
7
Terrible
8
Jose F G
8 contributions
Outstanding in everything but no fine dining
Sep 2022 • Couples
Everything about the Transcantábrico Gran Lujo is superlative ( service, attention, excursions, travel guides, a courteous and diligent crew) EXCEPT the culinary experience. It simply did not live to the standards expected of an expensive, luxury train. It was extremely uneven, ranging mostly from good to average ( it was never at a fine dining level) at both, the in house train dining as well as the restaurants visited. In terms of food creativity, variety and aesthetic presentation, food was at most uneventful. In sum, the culinary level mostly evidenced an amateur production and was never spectacular ( i.e., poached fish was served four days in a row, presentation was austere and unremarkable) one of the Paradores lunches was far from being even above average and in one restaurant selected ( La Taberna) the place offered a common, cheap day's, €9. menu and its food was infamous, an unforbidding selection of Renfe not at par with expectations. Looks like train cooks ( Chefs) seemed to be unexperienced . As far as I am concerned, seems that whoever is in charge of selecting and negotiating menus is cutting kitchen's budget,
Written September 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kiwigirl58
Auckland NZ6 contributions
Classico:5 star service but 3 star accommodation.
Jun 2014 • Solo
Took a 6 day journey from Santiago de Compostela to Bilbao on the Classico. Exceptionally friendly staff and customer service. Met many lovely guests on the train, but the itinerary is exhausting and the food is way too much albeit it excpetional quality. Big negative is sleeping if you're a couple. It's terrible because the double bed is up against the wall so only one side has access. Not a problem for a solo traveller. Air Con is noisy and you need ear plugs as there's a fair bit of noise at night. Some days the train started rolling at 730 am. Dinner served every day at 930 or 10 pm after a busy day of touring starting at 10am with magnificent lunches around 2-4pm, usually in fabulous restaurants or Paradors. I rate this 5 star for staff/food service, but 3 star for accommodation and comfort. The tour is comprehensive and well organised. Staff can't do enough for you. Note that you spend as much time in a large tour bus as you do the train. So it's as much a bus tour as it is a train cruise.
Written July 3, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maldoc
Peel, UK389 contributions
rail Cruise
One week on this very narrow train was sufficient. My wife and I were the only two non-spaniards and only a couple of them had enough english to converse. The guide was excellent. The train only travelled for a couple of hours at a time and was stationary overnight. Each day consisted of breakfast on the train, a coach tour, lunch in a local restuarant, another tour and dinner in a local restuarant. the food and venues were all superb and most of the excursions were interesting. There was little time for any realaxation or personal site seeing. because the train is narrow gauge it meant the carriages were very narrow, no room to pass in the corridor and the "double" bed was squeezed in which meant one of us had to climb over the other to get in and out. The bathroom too was very small and cramped and although the shower had numerous fancy attachments, including a sauna, the water pressure was insufficient.
We did however see and visit many places which we othwerwise would not have done and our guide Ana was very helpful and interesting. Not the same luxury as Rovos Rail or Orient Express
Written September 11, 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MDB-Bham
UK237 contributions
Treat yourself to the Gran Lujo for a special occasion
May 2022
This is a review for the El Transcantbrico Gran Lujo whch travels between Bilbao and Santiago, not the lesser version that travels from Leon.

This is an amazing luxury experience, matched by the price. Only 14 couples on board each with a suite occupying half a carriage. KIng size double bed but one occupant does have to climb over the other to get in. Food and wines excellent apart from two things - not enough co-ordination between lunches in hotels and dinners on the train, so sometimes meals were duplicated, and we had one awful meal of meat served in charcoal at a Michelin star restaurant that was inedible.

But the suite, the communal carriages, the excursions, the luxury coach, the staff, the service were second to none. A very special experience for a special occasion.
Written July 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bob
Sao Paulo, SP1 contribution
El Cantabrico Gran Lujo - Be Realistic
Nov 2019
I was with my wife at this train last November. I do not understand why when I tried to read reviews of this train, you always get (first before anything) a fantastic review of sometime ago. Actually, you are presentes with a few OLD reviews which claim that the train is fantastic. Let´s be realistic. The cabins are not TOO bad, but they are not cleaned as they should be. Three times during my week-long trip my wife requested that the cabin be cleaned again after the morning service. The food also, is not TOO bad (but please,some people call it fantastic. Ridiculous) but the hygenic level is simply NOT ACCETABLE. The tableclothesc are DIRTY and the glasses come often with marks. Even lipstick! The people also are not TOO bad but nobody speaks a word of english. Mos passengers are from spanish speaking countries and there is not even a menu in english. Simply, will never go back.
Written February 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pilot Mell
3 contributions
Great help that I didn't expect.
Jan 2021 • Solo
I travelled today from Leon to burgos and I had two big suitcases and a small one which is not allowed.. I was a little late and the gentleman at the front desk helped me take one bag from me and run to the train. When we got there, the gents who work in the train explained that it's lots of luggage but of course I didn't know that and they still let me on the train and helped me carry it. I had used the train before for going and coming normally but not for moving my things to another city. I thank these three gentlemen and am sure whoever uses it will get the same great service and help. I really appreciate.
Written January 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jrandsk
Freshwater, Australia670 contributions
Beware - the Classico is not the same as the Gran Lujo
Oct 2011 • Couples
While many reviewers have commented favourably on the Gran Lujo, we spent five days on the Classico and it's a very different experience. Four "suites" per carriage means that they are tiny, and only for sleeping uncomfortably in the minute "double" bed - you can't sit and watch the view either! Further, the lounge car isn't for lounging as the bench seats are positioned to face each other, and they certainly aren't arm chairs as they appear to be on the Gran Lujo. I expect the itinerary is the same, but it might be more tolerable if the train was comfortable. Make sure you book the right train as they're both run by El Transcantabrico!
Written November 14, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jaybardin
San Francisco, California, USA22 contributions
Very Nice Mobile Hotel
May 2013 • Couples
My wife and I enjoyed our trip on the Transcantabrico El Lujo, but it was not really what we expected. It is not really a train trip, it is a very nice mobile hotel (so you only have to unpack once), combined with a series of very nice bus tours (on a comfortable luxury bus with big leather seats in a 2-1 configuration). The good news is you see a lot of northern Spain, some wonderful coast lines, impressive lakes and mountains, and some interesting cities and villages. You eat wonderful food at a lot of nice local restaurants. And the train parks each night so you can sleep well. The cabins are reasonably large, and we found ours quite comfortable with a lot of storage space. It is a well run, top scale, very pleasant tour. What it is not is a relaxing train ride, where you can sit back in the lounge or dining car and watch the scenery go by. On most days the only meal you have while the train is moving is breakfast. The days are active and the late Spanish dinner makes them long. So the trade off is you see a lot, but you don't get a lot of time to relax. If you get tired, as we did, you do have the option of skipping a tour here and there and staying on the train. The staff will take care of you in fine style. But in most cases the train will be waiting in a station for the bus to return, so there is not much opportunity to sit and watch the scenery (but you can walk around town). So while the tour was not exactly the "train trip" we expected, it was nevertheless a wonderful experience and highly recommended. One of the pleasant aspects of the trip is you will either begin or end at Santiago de Compostela, which we found to be one of the most pleasant and interesting cities of the many we have visited in Europe. The Parador there is one of the best, the cathedral every impressive, and the university city very attractive and great for walking.
Written May 19, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andrew
Andalucia299 contributions
Transcantabrico GRAN LUJO - Lives up to its name
Aug 2012 • Solo
The sumptuous navy and cream ‘El TransCantábrico’ Gran Lujo train is the same class as the Orient Express.

Operated by Feve, the Gran Lujo version of the Transcantabrico is the company's flagship train, complemented by the Classico and Robla.

Offering one cabin per carriage! Where once there were two cabins, there is now one expanded suite. Each of these new deluxe wood panelled, air conditioned suites has twin or a king size bed with luxury linens, private PC with Internet access, flat screen TVs with on-demand movies, games console, and a bathroom with sauna and hydro massage shower.
In our experience, this decadent journey across northern Spain was one of history, culture and cuisine; an experience that is highly personalised and friendly. It runs back and forth between Santiago de Compostela in the west and San Sebastian in the east.
The train stops at night so you sleep well in the King size bed and many of the meals are in gourmet restaurants in towns along the way. In fact, the cuisine really defines this trip – the food and wine is of exceptional quality and with a full breakfast, multi course lunch and a multi course dinner, after a few days you start to feel very full!
The days are filled with fascinating trips off train excursions on board a dedicated, luxury coach.
The team is professional and friendly and in our experience fellow guests were wonderful – we all really got on so well.
A few things to note include the fact that the internet access only seems to work when the train is stopped in a station, so for your international travellers without 3G on their mobiles, this was a slight frustration. Also, the pace of itinerary is quite intense, as one gets to see an immense amount of the history and culture of Northern Spain, so this is more of an experience than a relaxing break.
Written August 12, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JVBull
Washington, DC12 contributions
Terrific week
My wife and I loved this week-long "cruise" on this elegant little train. The train is spotless. The cabins are small (like on a small ship) but very comfortable and efficiently arranged. All one does in the cabin is sleep, and the train is still all night so one can open the cabin window, sleep like a log, and wake to cowbells in the morning. The public cars are very comfortable and the bar/food service is first class. The route is very scenic, the food varied, local, and of good quality. The daily excursions off the train are by immaculate motorcoach and are well run and interesting. One piece of advice, spend an extra night (or two) before or after the train, in Santiago and Leon, at the Paradors where the train picks you up and leaves you. Both cities are charming and filled with wonderful pedestrian areas for walking, shopping, and eating. Also, the easiest air route from the US is through Madrid, another wonderful city worth a few days.
Written July 21, 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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El Transcantabrico (Leon) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

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