Little Trains of the Pyrenees
8 Days
Visiting: Roses, Cap de Creus, Mont-Louis, Núria, Axat
Tour operator:
Tour code:
98723
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Trip Styles:
Interests:
Activities:
Tour Overview
Enjoy slow train journeys, through the beautiful border country between Spain and France, on some wonderful mountain railways.
Journey into the heart of the stunning Pyrenean countryside aboard some delightful railways. Wind your way up into the mountains aboard sometimes modern, sometimes historic, rolling stock, and roll across some marvels of railway engineering. Stay in a colourful, unspoilt resort on the Costa Brava beside the blue Mediterranean, and enjoy a ride on a 'road train' in Roses on this perfect rail holiday.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day One – Fly To Northern Spain
Location: Roses
Fly to Barcelona or Girona and transfer to the delightful Costa Brava resort of Roses, set beneath ancient fortifications on the sweeping Golf de Roses. Settle into your comfortable hotel and, depending on your arrival time, perhaps enjoy a stroll along the beach to the harbour and marina, where you’ll see some gleaming leisure craft, before dinner is served.
Day Two – Morning At Leisure And Included Train Journey Into The Cap De Creus Nature Park On The Roses Express
Location: Roses, Roses, Cap de Creus
This morning, you’re free to explore the pleasant surroundings of your holiday base. Roses has been settled since the days of the Ancient Greeks, but is now a colourful, typically Catalan resort, with a host of bars, restaurants, cafes, and other diversions to enjoy.
Don’t miss the included ride on the tractor-hauled, tourist road train, the Roses Express, which winds its way at an anything but express pace – into the wooded hills of the Cap de Creus Natural Park above the resort. Expect some wonderful views along the coastline.
Other sites to see in and around the resort include the ruins of the 16th-century citadel walls and Trinitat Castle, and some fascinating ancient dolmen burial sites.
Roses still functions as a working fishing port, and so seafood is the most popular fare here, and those preferring food to sightseeing will enjoy tasting the local speciality, suquet de peix – a fish and potato stew served with a flourish in most of the town’s many restaurants.
Day Three – Included Journey Aboard The Yellow Train To The Commune Of Mont-Louis
Location: Mont-Louis
Today’s train journey aboard the historic Yellow Train, or Petit Train Jaune, takes us on a meandering trail through the sun-kissed French Pyrenees. We’ll begin our journey in the beautiful, UNESCO-listed town of Villefranche-de-Conflent and travel through some stunning scenery and across soaring bridges and viaducts – each one an engineering marvel – towards France’s highest station, at Bolquere-Eyne.
Continuing through a spectacular mountainous landscape, you’ll reach the Pyrenean commune of Mont-Louis, with its great citadel and city walls. Take in the beautiful surroundings, and perhaps enjoy lunch (payable locally), before we make our way back to Roses by coach at the end of a thoroughly absorbing day.
On fine days, don’t miss the sunset from the beach – Roses is the only Costa Brava resort to face west, which means that some evenings can be truly spectacular.
Day Four – Day At Leisure Or Optional Half-Day Tour To Cadaqués
Location: Roses
You can spend today pottering around at your own pace or opt to join a half-day scenic boat tour to Cadaqués – a small coastal town set on the bay of the Cap de Creus Peninsula.
You’ll have an hour to seek out its seaside splendours and discover why it was a source of inspiration for famous painters and artists, like Salvador Dalí who holidayed here as a child. Wander around its old town and museums, visit Dalí’s house-museum, or relax on one of the beaches before travelling back to Roses.
Day Five – Included Train Journey To Nuria
Location: Núria
Head into the beautiful Catalan Pyrenees on today’s included excursion. The highlight of the day will be the 45-minute journey aboard the privately owned, two-car Nuria Rack Railway, or Cremallera, from the hamlet of Ribes de Freser up through a steep, forested gorge to Nuria. This remote ski station and pilgrimage shrine draws pilgrims from across the globe to its imposing lakeside sanctuary. Stroll on the paths that cross the alpine meadows and learn about the history of this extraordinary place, before re-boarding the train for the return journey down the valley and then back to Roses.
After a thoroughly enchanting day, enjoy dinner at the hotel and, as on each evening, rest and relax in the lounge or perhaps stroll into town, where you'll find a selection of bars and cafes, as well as plenty of nightlife for the energetic and young at heart.
Day Six – Cross The Border Into France And Travel On The Red Train
Location: Roses, Axat
Our final included excursion takes us back into France, today. The highlight will be your journey aboard the 100-year-old Train du pays Cathare et du Fenouilledes, more often simply called the Red Train. Travel through the spectacular scenery of castle dotted Cathar Country from Rivesaltes, near historic Perpignan, to the Pyrenean village of Axat. On fine days, you'll ride in open-air summer wagons across viaducts and through tunnels, and past the vineyard-clad lower slopes of the Eastern Pyrenees. After time to savour your wonderful surroundings for the last time, return to Roses to enjoy a final evening and dinner at your hotel.
Day Seven – Day At Leisure
Location: Roses
Embrace a day of leisure before you head home tomorrow, perhaps taking to the beachfront promenade or enjoying the hotel’s amenities. Those looking for something more active can venture to the Aiguamolls Nature Reserve and explore the walking trails or partake in a round of golf at one of the top-class courses.
Day Eight – Fly Back To The Uk
Location: Roses
Bid farewell to your Catalan hosts, and transfer back to the airport to check in for your flight home, at the end of a wonderful few days of train journeys.
What's Included
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Seven nights' dinner, bed and breakfast accommodation at the three-star Hotel Prestige Victoria
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A glass of wine and water at each dinner
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Return flights to Girona or Barcelona
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Coach travel and transfers throughout
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Three heritage train journeys and a ticket for the Roses 'road-train'
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Fully escorted by a friendly, experienced tour manager
Hotel transfer times
The transfer time from the airport to your hotel is approximately one hour and 30 minutes from Girona Airport and two hours and 30 minutes from Barcelona Airport.
Combining hotel transfers
We sometimes need to combine transfers to and from your hotel. We always try to keep any wait to a minimum, but you may be asked to wait at the airport for up to an hour, while other incoming flights arrive, before the transfer to your hotel. Similarly, we may need to transfer you back to the airport up to three hours before your flight home departs.
Itinerary changes
Occasionally, for operational reasons, we may have to change the order of the excursions on your holiday. The final day-by-day itinerary will be confirmed on your Final Travel Documents, which you will receive approximately three weeks prior to your departure.
Special requirements
If you have notified us of any special requirements, please check that they have been noted and acknowledged. This is especially important with any dietary needs you may have.
Disabled access
The majority of our tours involve a certain amount of walking, including a short walk from the coach stop to the town, attraction or venue you're visiting. If you are bringing a wheelchair, please let us know at the time of booking so that appropriate arrangements can be made.
Foreign Office Travel Advice
Visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice to find out the latest Foreign And Commonwealth Office travel advice for your holiday destination, as well as information about passports and visas.
Travelling to Europe
Rules may have changed since you last travelled to European Union countries as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The following are useful guidelines which will help you prepare for your next adventure. You do require government issued passport to travel.
Names - It is very important that all passenger names are exactly as per your passport although we do not require middle names.
Passport - Your passport must meet two requirements to travel to an EU country and to Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. It must be: Less than 10 years old on the day you return home (please check the "date of issue") and valid for at least 3 months after the day you return home (please check the "expiry date").
Visa - You do not need a visa for short trips to most EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. You’ll be able to stay for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period.
European Travel Information & Authorisation System (ETIAS) - Commencing in late 2023 or 2024, all citizens of the United Kingdom will require a ETIAS electronic form completed prior to their arrival into the EU and Schengen member countries. The cost for this travel authorisation will be €7.00 per person with exceptions for under 18’s and over 70’s. The latest information and further details can be found at www.etias.com.
Travelling to Europe
Rules may have changed since you last travelled to European Union countries as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The following are useful guidelines which will help you prepare for your next adventure. You do require government issued passport to travel.
Names - It is very important that all passenger names are exactly as per your passport although we do not require middle names.
Passport - Your passport must meet two requirements to travel to an EU country and to Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. It must be: Less than 10 years old on the day you return home (please check the "date of issue") and valid for at least 3 months after the day you return home (please check the "expiry date").
Visa - You do not need a visa for short trips to most EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. You’ll be able to stay for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period.
European Travel Information & Authorisation System (ETIAS) - Due to commence in 2025, all citizens of the United Kingdom will require a ETIAS electronic form completed prior to their arrival into the EU and Schengen member countries. The cost for this travel authorisation will be €7.00 per person with exceptions for under 18’s and over 70’s. The latest information and further details can be found at www.etias.com.
Check out our Q&As
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Since 1983
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Vaccination Requirements
Your health and safety are pivotal to our operations, and every customer travelling on a tour with us must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Fully vaccinated means that you have had the full course of an approved vaccine a minimum of 14 days prior to your holiday. We also recommend that you travel with proof that you’ve been fully vaccinated.
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Our company’s mission is to enrich lives and improve wellbeing through travel. A big part of that is ‘Travel for Good’. Our ‘Travel for Good’ hub is our first step in a long journey to reduce carbon, offset anything we produce as a company and travel without harming the planet or the people of the destinations we go to.
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What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Please contact us for latest Covid-19 policies
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Fitness to Travel
We strive to give all our customers full care and attention, but we do need to know at the time of booking if there are any special needs or requirements. It is particularly important that we are advised of any disabilities and also if you intend to bring any specialist equipment such as a wheelchair with you. Please make sure that you make us aware of any requirements.
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Book with Confidence
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Low Deposit
Newmarket Holidays requires a minimum deposit of 35% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 60 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of newmarket holidays charges.
Up to 56 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 55 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 48 days before tour starts: Forfeit 75% of booking price.
At 34 days before tour starts: Forfeit 90% of booking price.
At 15 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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Vaccination Requirements
Your health and safety are pivotal to our operations, and every customer travelling on a tour with us must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Fully vaccinated means that you have had the full course of an approved vaccine a minimum of 14 days prior to your holiday. You can find the travel restrictions for different countries on www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. We also recommend that you travel with proof that you’ve been fully vaccinated.
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