Overview
Enjoy the special train ride from Castilla-Leon to the Basque Country through beautiful landscapes of Spain without packing and unpacking.
Itinerary
Your Itinerary
CISTIERNA & LEóN
Group reception at 10:00 p.m. After lunch, our bus will take us to San Feliz where El Expreso de La Robla will be waiting for us. Presentation of the crew and transfer to Matallana. From here our coach will take us through the spectacular Hoces de Vegacervera gorge to Valporquero, where we can visit the wonderful caves famous for their stalactites, stalagmites, and outflows of fanciful shapes as well as the impressive 100,000 m3 underground chamber called the Gran Rotonda. We will then return to the train to head towards Cistierna, where we will have dinner and spend the night.
CISTIERNA & ESPINOSA DE LOS MONTEROS
While enjoying our first breakfast on board the train, we will travel to Guardo, in the province of Palencia. From there we will travel by coach to visit the Roman town of La Olmeda, with its magnificent mosaic collection, before discovering one of the best ensembles of Romanesque art in Europe that forms part of the Camino de Santiago.
Saldaña, Carrión de los Condes, and Fromista, where we will have lunch.
BILBAO & ESPINOSA DE LOS MONTEROS
(Sunday) Espinosa de los Monteros – Bilbao While having breakfast, we will go through the incredible landscape of the Mena Valley before coming to Bilbao. Tour of the city and its world-renowned Guggenheim Museum. Free time before our trip ends around 14:00 h.
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Terms & Conditions
PAYMENT TERMS:
15% of total tour cost due at the time of booking
85% or balance no later than 35 days prior to tour departure date
CANCELLATION FEES:
Up to 30 days before departure: refund less 15% official tour price.
Between 30 and 15 days: refund less 25% of the total.
Between 14 and 5 days: refund less 50% of the total.
Between 4 and 1 day(s): refund less 80% of the total.
Less than 24 hours or failure to turn up: No refund, 100% of the total is payable.
Since these are international terms an additional 5 days will be added in order to process refunds.
An additional 15% Administrative fee will be charged from Palace Tours against refunds. All cancellation fees and administrative fees is applicable for FULL Tour price before coupons.
All cancellation, change, or update requests must be submitted in writing by email to travel@palacetours.com. Please allow at least 48 hours (and in some cases longer) for us to review, confirm, and process the request and advise any applicable fees. A cancellation, change, or update takes effect only once we have received and processed the request, and we will confirm the outcome to you once it has been processed. Cancellation timeframes and the applicable fee are calculated by reference to the local time and normal business hours at the destination where the tour is provided; a request received outside those business hours (including evenings, weekends, and public holidays at the destination) is treated as received on the next business day at the destination, and a further processing period of at least 48 hours (and in some cases longer) then applies before the request takes effect.
The above times are based on Spain time. In order to provide enough time for processing cancellation, guests need to add 3 business days to the above timeframes.
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance to cover the losses incurred in case of cancellation. For information on available plans or to purchase travel insurance, please visit www.palacetours.com/insurance.
Inclusions & Exclusions
The tour price includes:
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Accommodation on board El Expreso de La Robla
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Buffet breakfast on board the train
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Lunch and three dinner in select restaurants
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Beverages, including wine, coffee and liqueurs at meal times
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Group sightseeing tours as per the itinerary via coach
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Admission fees to all destinations as per the itinerary
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Accompanying guide throughout the route
The tour price excludes:
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Domestic or international airfare
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Travel insurance or visa fees
- Items of a personal nature, such as laundry and souvenirs
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Any additional hotel accommodations pre- or post-tour
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Any items not specifically mentioned as "included"
Frequently Asked Questions & Tips
This is a 3-day, 2-night journey that starts on a Friday in Leon and ends on Sunday in Bilbao. The trip finishes around 14:00 on Sunday after a tour of Bilbao and some free time.
Day 1 runs from Leon to San Feliz, Matallana, the Hoces de Vegacervera gorge and the Valporquero caves, ending in Cistierna. Day 2 continues to Guardo, La Olmeda, Saldana, Carrion de los Condes and Fromista, ending in Espinosa de los Monteros. Day 3 crosses the Mena Valley to Bilbao.
El Expreso de la Robla is a tourist train journey from Castilla y Leon to the Basque Country through beautiful northern Spanish landscapes, without packing and unpacking each day. Palace Tours is the Official Representative for Spain's luxury trains and handles your booking directly.
After a coach ride through the spectacular Hoces de Vegacervera gorge, you visit the Valporquero caves, known for stalactites, stalagmites and fancifully shaped formations. The highlight is the Gran Rotonda, an impressive underground chamber of about 100,000 cubic metres.
La Olmeda, in the province of Palencia, is a Roman site famous for its magnificent collection of mosaics. You visit it by coach on day 2 after breakfast on board, before continuing to the Romanesque towns along the Camino de Santiago.
Day 2 explores one of the finest ensembles of Romanesque art in Europe along the Camino de Santiago, including Saldana, Carrion de los Condes and Fromista, where lunch is served. The visit includes the Church of San Martin and the Canal of Castile before you rejoin the train.
Breakfast is served on board as the train crosses the Mena Valley towards Bilbao. You then enjoy a tour of the city and its world-renowned Guggenheim Museum, followed by free time, and the trip ends around 14:00.
Accommodation is on board El Expreso de la Robla in Standard class. The train overnights in Cistierna on the first night and in Espinosa de los Monteros, in the Las Merindades region of Burgos, on the second night.
Fares start from EUR 1,300 per person sharing. Single-occupancy fares are also available. The exact fare for each departure is shown on this page, as rates can change by date.
- Accommodation on board and buffet breakfast on the train
- Lunches and dinners in selected restaurants, with beverages and coffee at meal times
- Group sightseeing by coach as per the itinerary, with admission fees included
- An accompanying guide throughout the route
Domestic and international flights, travel insurance and visa fees are not included. Personal items such as laundry and souvenirs, extra hotel nights before or after the tour, and anything not listed as included are also at your own cost.
A 15% deposit confirms your booking. The balance is due 35 days before departure, and we send you a clear statement of both amounts once your place is confirmed.
Yes. Child fares apply in two bands based on age at departure: from 0 to under 5, and from 5 to under 11. Share the ages with us and we will confirm the fare for your chosen date.
There are currently 5 departures on sale, from 25 September 2026 to 24 September 2027, each starting on a Friday. The departure list on this page shows availability and can be booked directly.
Flights and rail travel to Leon and from Bilbao are not included, and neither are extra hotel nights before or after the tour. Many guests arrive in Leon the day before; our travel specialists can advise on the easiest connections for your plans.
Yes, the pace is relaxed. Sightseeing is by coach with guided walking visits of towns, caves, churches and museums, and you return to the train each evening. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended for the cave and town visits.
Yes, an accompanying guide travels with the group throughout the route, and the crew is introduced when you board at San Feliz. Group sightseeing tours by coach and all admission fees on the itinerary are included in the fare.
Email travel@palacetours.com, call 786-408-0610, or message us on WhatsApp at https://wa.me/17864080610, answered by a travel specialist or our AI assistant. The departure list on this page is bookable directly, with the exact fare shown for each date.
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accomodation
double bunkbed compartment
your private bathroom on board
stocked bar on board
dining car
de la Robla
de la Robla
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From $1,738 per person (double occupancy, USD) — live dates and rates are in the Book This Tour section above.
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