El Transcantabrico
El Transcantabrico
3.5
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Plaza de los Ferroviarios s/n, 33012 Leon Spain
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

3.5
3.5 of 5 bubbles67 reviews
Excellent
29
Very good
13
Average
8
Poor
8
Terrible
9

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Bob
Sao Paulo, SP1 contribution
2.0 of 5 bubbles
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.

Frizby
Bewdley, England56 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
We really didn’t know what to expect but the Transcantabrico GL exceeded our expectations. Our accommodation was compact but very comfortable & as we were out on excursions twice a day we weren’t in our carriage for long. Staff were excellent. Special mention must go to Tanya who shepherded us, guided us & generally made sure we were ok with a charm & care that made us feel truly well-looked after. Henar, the Maitre’D was also superb. Going out to buy my husband’s favourite beer & ensuring it was there when we went to dinner. Food was delicious. 4 course lunches & dinners accompanied by wines of the region. Excursions took us to places we had not heard of as well as the better known. My favourite was Comilles where Gaudi designed El Capricho, a small but beautiful house. It was truly an experience to remember.
Written May 22, 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.

Rodrigo D
6 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2024 • Friends
A lot of travel for so little train.

The trip on the Transcantábrian train did not meet my expectations due to its high cost (13 thousand euros), poor organization in the visits of very poorly chosen towns where you do not have interesting options, most transfers and visits are (and from very early) by bus, not by train, which should be the protagonist of everything and ends up in the background.

The Guide of the whole trip and in charge of RP in general during the whole journey (Veronica) was the worst. Rude, trusting of customers and intolerant of a nil vocation of service, she turned a deaf ear every time passengers showed her dissatisfaction. She's impolite, cynical and unwell. Too bad she could have made a big difference to everything. In the end he ignored us and left us booted at the last stop (hotel parador) with no options to take a taxi and with the bags thrown. I missed my train back to Madrid.

While staterooms are uncomfortable rooms with very poor quality sponge pillows and a couple of old pc monitors that serve and have no entertainment options other than a connection with old discontinued hdmi inputs.

The corridors are extremely narrow, wide and uncomfortable. Once you get to them you don't feel like going back to the saloon cars. The wagons are new with an old look but are not the antiques that misleadingly sell you (We found the plates that were manufactured in 2011).

The overall experience was disappointing and I would not recommend it. The only thing that saves the train is the service of waiters, chef and staff (except the tours at each destination). Many days for so little travel and so bad options for tourism and relaxation.

When I finished, all the desire to meet the Costa Verde and Al Andalus trains was taken away.
Automatically translated
Written September 21, 2024
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
UK223 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
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.

Dragon F
2 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Family
Is it good value for money? NO.
Would you do it again? NO, because at this price it should be an impeccable and memorable train journey. 
Perhaps you should have studied the journey more carefully and read some reviews, but in any case, this is NOT a train journey.
It is a bus ride with some meals and sleeping awkwardly on a train. If you wait long drives in the salon car enjoying the scenery, in “El Transcantabrico” you will not be able to do it. 
In fact, some days the train moved independently of the passengers, so that the train met the bus at the end of a day of visits in the next city, making the passengers the route that should have been by train by bus.
There was a day when the train didn’t move at all, it stayed in an apeadero all day, so it acted as a hotel and passengers endured the beating of the bus.
At least 3 nights the train was in a station in a tunnel, so sleep was constantly interrupted from 5am by announcements of passing trains and passengers running and talking on the platform. That is not a sleeping place with the so-called “great luxury”, don’t you think? If I knew this I wouldn't have made the trip at all.

Let's say something about the tortuous schedules to be a pleasure trip. You had to get up early for the personal toilet in conditions and you had to face it or cross with your companion, since 8 am was breakfast, at 9 departure of the bus, excursion and food until about 17.30 you returned to the train, until 18.30 you return to the bus for the afternoon excursion. In that moment he could shower who could not do it in the morning, as long as the train did not move, or sleep a short nap. When you get back, you're so exhausted that you never get ready for dinner, so ladies, the less modeling, the less weight in the suitcase.

There was a day that after the two daily excursions and after lunch and dinner off the train, there was evening entertainment, which was logically deserted. 
As for the booths, the TV did not work, the upholstery was worn and stained, we did not always receive announcements by public address and the air conditioning worked on its own. Bathrooms were fine, small but correct if you do not consider that they forgot to leave shower towels often.
 There are 14 wagons and the poor who were in the last had a difficult 200-meter walk as they made their way to the living and dining cars.

I suggest FEVE put the social cars in the center of the convoy to lighten the walk.
On the other hand, I cannot fail to mention that often the train did not stop on the platforms so it was not possible to leave and enter your car, you had to make a pilgrimage down the narrow corridor until you reached the car that was on the platform. 
The food was generally good and the staff helpful. The waiters and the chef changed us after two days of travel and we went from excellence to mediocrity, but with goodwill. The food underwent a drastic change. I think there was no chef anymore and they brought everything precooked.

I want to mention the kindness, sympathy and willingness of the ladies who serve the passengers. And, of course, the great fellow travelers I had. I was very lucky.


In short, I think it is too expensive and more of a bus tour than a train ride, some 5-hour days on the bus.
Automatically translated
Written September 1, 2024
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
5.0 of 5 bubbles
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.

M M
United States392 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Couples
What an outstanding experience! We selected the 7-night, 8-day trip from San Sebastian to Santiago and enjoyed every moment. With excursions twice a day on average, little time is spent in the carriage/ bedroom suite. Only 28 guests and the attentive staff ensures a superb experience. Indeed, the staff was professional, courteous, and always willing to assist in any way possible. (As a side note, the train did not travel at night, thus restful evenings were assured.)

The dining options included a combination of local restaurants for either lunch or dinner, as well as on-board. All meals were 4-course and very fine. The chefs on the train as well as in the restaurants accommodate all diners' dining preferences, including vegetarian options and gluten-free. The variety and quality of the meals was outstanding.

Also, entertainment after dinner was varied and appreciated.

This was not an inexpensive trip but definitely well worth the luxury pampering for a special experience. (In addition, guests on our trip were from all over the world, and the staff spoke several languages-including English- fluently.)
Written September 3, 2024
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, Australia637 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
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
5.0 of 5 bubbles
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
Andalucia308 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
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.

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