Spain runs two of Europe's most celebrated luxury trains, and travellers often ask which to choose. The honest answer is that El Transcantábrico and Al Ándalus offer almost opposite experiences of the same country.
Landscape: green coast vs golden south
El Transcantábrico traces the Cantabrian coast of 'Green Spain' — sea cliffs, the Picos de Europa, fishing villages and mist-soft hills, from San Sebastián to Santiago de Compostela. Al Ándalus crosses Andalusia: Seville, Córdoba, Granada and Ronda, a landscape of olive groves, Moorish palaces and flamenco heat. If you want cool, green and coastal, go north. If you want Moorish Spain and sunshine, go south.
The trains themselves
Al Ándalus is the larger, more palatial train — grand 1920s carriages with a ballroom-like dining car, carrying more guests. El Transcantábrico Gran Lujo is more intimate, with just 14 suites and around 28 guests, and a focus on the route's extraordinary coastal scenery and gastronomy.
Cuisine
Both trains eat superbly. The north, however, is arguably Spain's gastronomic heartland: Basque pintxos, Asturian cider, Cantabrian anchovies and Galician seafood, paired with regional wines. Andalusia answers with sherry, jamón ibérico and Mediterranean flavours.
Which should you choose?
Choose El Transcantábrico for cooler weather, dramatic coastline, an intimate group and food-focused travel. Choose Al Ándalus for Moorish monuments, a grander train and the romance of southern Spain. Many of our well-travelled guests eventually do both.
As the official authorized source, we can advise on either and help you plan the right journey for the right season.
