LUXURY TRAIN HOLIDAY
AL ANDALUS LUXURY RAIL HOLIDAY
8 nights / 9 days From £ 4,460 per person
Al Andalus
SEVILLE • JEREZ • CADIZ • RONDA • GRANADA
• UBEDA • BAEZA • CORDOBA
Six nights are spent on board the luxurious Al Andalus train where accommodation is in lavish suites , a night before and after at an hotel in Seville and with a programme of excursions included as you progress from Seville through Jerez , Ronda , Granada , Baeza , Ubeda and Cordoba before returning to Seville .
DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY
DAY ONE London to Seville Begin your holiday by flying from London Gatwick to Seville . A private car transfer to your hotel is included . Settle into your hotel and spend the night here , ready to start your rail adventure the following day .
DAY TWO Seville to Jerez on the train Check out of the hotel and take a taxi to Hotel Alfonso XIII which is just a few minutes ’ drive from the hotel . Here you meet everyone who is participating on this tour , and the crew will take care of your luggage . You have lunch at this hotel , then enjoying a sightseeing tour of the city before boarding the Tren Al Andalus when you will be welcomed with an on-board cocktail and shown to your cabin . Dinner is on board whilst you make your way to Jerez , where you spend your first night on the train .
DAY THREE In Jerez Begin your day with a delicious buffet and a la carte breakfast on board the train , and then visit a wine cellar in the city of Jerez . You then have the chance to watch a famous equestrian ballet “ How the Andalusian horses dance ” at the Royal Andalusian school of Equestrian Art , set to traditional Spanish music with riders who wear 18th century costumes . Lunch will be in Sanlúcar de Barrameda with views towards the salt marshes of Doñana National Park and the mouth of the river Guadalquivir . Time to explore the area and then a luxury coach takes you back to Jerez , where you have dinner on board and spend the night .
DAY FOUR Jerez to Cadiz and Ronda Today after breakfast you ’ re taken by coach to Cadiz where you have a city tour and then free time to explore the oldest city in Europe which is surrounded almost entirely by water . Be sure to make time to visit the Baroque Cathedral and take a leisurely walk around the coastal Castle of Santa Catalina . You have lunch on-board the train and head towards Ronda , where you have dinner and stay overnight .
DAY FIVE Ronda to Granada After breakfast , leave the train and spend the morning exploring Ronda , a spectacular city which is split in half by a narrow gorge through which the Guadalevín river runs . Enjoy the stunning views from the famous bridge and discover the charm of the old town . Eat lunch in Ronda , then board the train in the afternoon to travel to Granada . Dinner is served on board the train before it stops in Granada for the night .
DAY SIX In Granada Enjoy breakfast on board the train then spend the morning at the Alhambra , the magical palace fortress which has guarded the city since the 9th century .
The complex sits on an elevated crag amongst vast , aromatic gardens and originally housed the Nasrid rulers of the Kingdom of Granada . After lunch there is time to explore more of this beautiful city and enjoy views of the Sierra Nevada . You then have dinner and spend the night on board the train in Granada .
DAY SEVEN Granada to Linares , Baeza , Ubeda and Cordoba Leave Granada early morning and have breakfast as you travel towards the station of Linares-Baeza . You leave the train here and visit the Renaissance towns of Úbeda and Baeza , both of which are listed UNESCO World Heritage Sites . After lunch , you return to the train to begin the journey to Córdoba . This evening dine on board the train and spend the night in Córdoba .
DAY EIGHT Cordoba to Seville Enjoy your final breakfast on board the train and then disembark to visit the city of Córdoba . Discover the former capital of the mediaeval Caliphate of Al Andalus , home to an astounding mosque turned Catholic cathedral , plus a fascinating Jewish quarter and Roman ruins . Enjoy some free time here before returning to the train where you have lunch as the train continues to Seville . Arrive back in Seville , disembark and take a taxi back to Hospes Las Casas del Rey de Baeza . Check in here for one night .
6 To speak to our specialist rail holidays team telephone 01392 441250 or see www . expressionsholidays . co . uk