The Robla train, an ode to slowness
After our interesting journey through Aragon aboard the Canfranero , we are going to tell you some great railway news: we can now book our tickets to enjoy the La Robla Express . It is one of the tourist trains offered by RENFE, along with the famous Transcantabrian Y Al Andalus.
Of these, La Robla is the one that allows us to enjoy the classic railway trips of yesteryear at a more adjusted price. Even so, unlike the Canfranero, this one is going to cost us much more than 13.5 euros.
This expressway opened in 2009, and currently offers two different itineraries in both directions. We can then choose between making the journey between Bilbao and León, known as La Robla, or between Bilbao and Oviedo , which they call Green Paradise. In both cases, you can take the route in the opposite direction, back to Bilbao. So we have four possibilities.
The La Robla Express
The train only works from Saturday, August 10, when it makes its first four-day journey between Bilbao and Oviedo. From here on, it makes a trip every Saturday in August. In total, four exits. These four Saturdays -and for four days- are going to be the only ones of the year in which we can travel on the La Robla Express.
In all cases, the trip will last four days and three nights, which will be spent in compartments equipped with two beds (in bunk beds), air conditioning, wardrobe, piped music and a complete bathroom with shower and even a hair dryer!
For the convenience of the traveler, and to make the tribute to slowness clear, the train will spend the nights stopped at the station . So in the Green Paradise itinerary, you will sleep in Santander, Llanes and Candas and in La Robla, it will be done in Cistierna, Mataporquera and Espinosa de los Monteros. This allows the passenger to be able visit the towns, have dinner in them and even have a drink at night, because the train will not leave without waiting for us.
The impressive landscapes of the Expreso de La Robla
Despite being the cheapest tourist -or luxury- train that we have in Spain, the price can scare more than one, since it does not fall below the 875 euros per person , and if we go alone and we want to have a compartment for ourselves, we will have to pay a supplement of 450 euros.
But do not panic, we are going to study it carefully: it is a total of three days full board included at selected restaurants at each of the stops. With the ticket, the buses necessary for other trips that have to be made also enter, Guided visits in a group to the towns we pass through, tickets to museums or monuments, water, newspapers... come on, except for the gifts or souvenirs we buy, practically everything will be covered.
Virtually everything is included in this trip
If, in addition, we take into account that it is about sleeping in an exceptional place, practically unique and with hardly any competition, the price per night cannot be compared to what we would pay in any hotel. In short, it is about living an incomparable experience for four days, which we can also lengthen in front and behind by adding the odd night. in Bilbao, León or Oviedo.
Among the activities carried out on the Paraíso Verde itinerary, we can find a boat ride, a visit to a canning factory in Santoña and to the neocave and Altamira Museum , a tour of Santillana del Mar , another by Lake Enol, a stop at the Sanctuary of Covadonga and a guided tour by Gijon .
The Express only makes four departures a year
In the Robla itinerary, you will visit the museum of berets La Encartada and also the city of Frias, Medina de Pomar, Aguilar de Campoo . In addition, there will be a tour of Carrión de los Condes and Frómista following the Palencia Romanesque art. Finally, the locks of the Canal de Castilla and the Cueva de Valporquero will be visited. The order in which these activities are carried out will depend on the direction of travel that we choose.
If you plan to enjoy this experience, we recommend not taking too long to purchase tickets, as places are limited to 56 at each of the four outlets.