Costa Verde Express: Luxury Train Journey Along Spain's Green Northern Coast

Detailed Information About Travels with Costa Verde Express in Northern Spain

2023-10-11

The Costa Verde Express train

The Costa Verde Express train is a true jewel on rails. Equipped with the ultimate elegance from the golden age of rail travel and the comfort of modern times, you travel majestically along the northern Spanish tracks on an authentic luxury journey where all senses can be enjoyed.

Its first-class crew, exclusive attention to travelers, exquisite gastronomy, and an itinerary designed to delve into the warmest heart of the Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias, and Galicia make the Costa Verde Express a luxury benchmark for exploring northern Spain.

The carefully renovated lounges and rooms on the Costa Verde Express make every journey an unforgettable experience where you can rest and enjoy the trip in comfort.

The entire train, both rooms and common areas, is internally connected, allowing free movement for all passengers.

Order your Costa Verde Express here

Grand Class Rooms

Cozy rooms/cabins with wood veneer paneling, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.

Double bed (1.20m x 1.85m), desk, wardrobe, luggage rack, minibar, and safe. The room is air-conditioned with separate regulation and has a fully private toilet, equipped with a hairdryer and a set of welcome products and toiletries.

Costa Verde Express - Suites

Costa Verde Express - Rooms

Costa Verde Express Interior

Lounge Cars - Costa Verde Express

The lounges on the Costa Verde Express are elegant and atmospheric spaces where breakfast, lunch, or dinner is served, or where you can enjoy a drink or converse with your fellow travelers.

In these common areas, breakfast and lunch or dinner are prepared by our chef and served daily. Please note that the bar is open from early morning until late at night. Live music, performances, and parties are offered in the bar every evening.

Contents of Train Travel

Accommodation on board in 'Suite Gran Clase.
À la carte and buffet breakfast every day.
All dinners and lunches with exquisite food, either on board the train or in top restaurants (includes wine, water, soft drinks, and coffee).
Welcome drink and snack.
Farewell party with a gala dinner.
Toiletry kit from Renfe Viajeros (with toiletries and slippers).
Complimentary bottled water in the compartment's minibar.
Onboard activities: music and live performances, pub car parties, show cooking and cocktails, dancing, and more.
Tickets to museums, attractions, and shows.
Excursions and planned tours. Luxury bus that accompanies the train throughout the journey.
Taxes and service charges.
Daily newspapers and magazines.
Security service.
Multilingual guide throughout the journey.
Excellent crew (expedition leader, guide, waitstaff, chefs, technicians, etc.).
Additional services for an extra fee: Laundry service and bar service.

Gastronomy on Train Journeys

Both in the dining cars and in the renowned restaurants along the route, gastronomy is in the hands of the most famous chefs in Northern Spain. The journey is a tour through the gastronomic identities of Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, the Basque Country, and Castilla y León. Breakfast is complemented with personalized service from our waiters. Local specialties are presented in the form of sweets, tortillas, pies, cheeses, cold cuts, and more. Lunch and dinner are served both in the elegant dining cars and in respected restaurants. Life on board the Costa Verde Express:

For seven nights and eight days, the Costa Verde Express will become your living space, your mode of transportation, your socializing place, your bar, your bedroom: a hotel on wheels where you sleep and wake up in a new place every day. The landscape passing by the window of your suite or in the lounge where you have coffee is never the same. This simple fact makes the journey unique and unlike anything else.

To ensure passengers get a good night's sleep, the train will remain parked at a station overnight. The train salons are specially designed for relaxation and unlimited enjoyment of the atmospheric ambiance, also offering the opportunity to socialize with fellow travelers. Many friendships have been formed over a drink on board of the Costa Verde Express.

After dinner, an evening of entertainment awaits. Every evening is a festive night with different live performances throughout the trip. Due to the length of the train, this will not affect those who prefer to retire earlier to their suite. You can also choose to enjoy a quiet drink in one of the other lounge cars or take a stroll in the town where we spend the night. The train will remain parked at the station until the next morning.

In general, comfortable clothing and shoes are recommended during the day when we are out on our excursions, while in the evening, you can opt for more formal attire, although there is no specific dress code required. The only exception is for access to El Gran Casino de Santander on routes that include this city, where more elegant attire is required (suits and ties are not necessary, but items like shorts or sneakers are not allowed).

Other information

DOCUMENTATION
All travellers must have documents confirming their identity. For foreigners, the documentation required for travelling by train is the same as that required to enter Spain from the country of origin. Spanish citizens may use their national ID cards or passports.

MONEY
The legal currency in Spain is the Euros. There is no obligation to tip.

MEDICINES AND HEALTHCARE
In Spain, medicines are purchased at pharmacies. Travellers from EU countries or states that have agreements in place with Spain, will benefit from the same pharmaceutical benefits as Spanish citizens. All trains have a first aid kit onboard, and the crew has been trained to use it. Furthermore, we are in continuous contact with health centres located along the different routes, in the case a traveller needs special medical attention.

VACCINES
No vaccination is necessary in Spain; nevertheless, as anywhere in the world, it is advisable to have had a recent tetanus jab and have undertaken the official immunisation vaccines.

TOBACCO
Smoking is prohibited in Spain in all enclosed public spaces (including public vehicles and public transport). Therefore, while on board, according to the current legislation travellers must refrain from smoking. However, each train journey stretch do not exceed 3-4 hours.

SECURITY
Overall, Spain is one of the safest countries in Europe for tourists. Our trains have a security service and a safe on board, in addition to security surveillance at all stations along the way.

INTERNET / WIFI
The Costa Verde Express, El Transcantábrico Gran Lujo, Tren Al Ándalus and the El Expreso de La Robla trains have WiFi Internet and a computer in their social carriages so travellers can access the Internet, check email, etc. All cabins in the El Transcantabrico Clásico and El Transcantábrico Gran Lujo also feature WiFi connection (subject to coverage).

If you want to call abroad from Spain you must dial 00 followed by the country code and telephone number. If you wish to call a number in Spain from abroad, dial +34 (the country code for Spain) and then the 9-digit telephone number.

We recommend that foreign travellers wishing to use their mobile phones contact their operator to activate the international roaming service and enquire about costs.

TRAVEL INSURANCE
Travellers on the Luxury Tourist Trains are only covered by the Compulsory Passenger Insurance (SOV in Spanish). Therefore it is advisable to take out specific travel insurance to cover cancellation, off-board accidents, illness or similar incidents, as recommended by your travel agent or insurer.

ACCESSIBILITY
Although all our Luxury Tourist Trains are refurbished and equipped with the latest technology, they are still vintage pieces; their interiors are laid out in a way that makes it impossible to move around on wheelchairs or walkers.

Nevertheless travel would be possible for a person with reduced mobility who is reasonably self-sufficient or travelling together with another passenger, and who only requires the support of a wheelchair once off the train. In this case, if so desired and giving reasonable notice when booking, a wheelchair can be made available to the client. It is however important that such persons do not travel unassisted, and that their travel companion is available to help on and off the train, pushing the wheelchair etc, as there is no dedicated staff available for this purpose.

MINORS
When travelling with a child, a supplement or set price depending on the chosen train, will be charged. The Reservation Centre for Tourist Trains will be able to inform you of the possible accommodation arrangements and special prices in these cases.

Only the cabins in El Transcantabrico Gran Lujo and the Tren Al Andalus’ Deluxe Suites offer enough space for parents to place their own travel cot or to have an extra bed.

PETS
No pets are allowed, other than guide dogs accompanying their owner.

POWER SUPPLY
The power supply in Spain is 230V 50Hz, with Type F round 2-prong plug outlets.

THE CREW
The crew on our Luxury Tourist Trains consists of a team of professionals trained and ready to provide a perfect and personalised attention in different languages.

The team is led by the Trip Supervisor, who is responsible for bringing this rail cruise safely into port. This person can count on the help of all the other crew: the driver, guide, head waiter, cooks and waiters, music and entertainment organiser, maintenance personnel, bus driver and security staff, who will all make sure that passengers have nothing to do other than enjoy their journey.

The Trip Supervisor and the guide will become inseparable companions of the group, accompanying travellers throughout the journey and offering whatever information and advice they may need. The varied entertainment schedule onboard, in turn, will ensure an engaging and enjoyable time, encouraging the active participation of passengers.

The crew, in coordination with the Trip Supervisor, are available for travellers 24/7, ensuring the same high level of quality and personal attention inside and outside the train.

Visits and excursions

During our journey we will visit and explore places by the sea or in the mountains, charming squares and streets, museums, cathedrals, wine cellars and ports; many stories will be revealed by our multilingual guides, accompanying us on each trip. Lunch will be the central event of the day, and in the afternoons we will alternate more excursions with activities on board the train, or just enjoy the scenery passing by before our eyes.