September 22, 2015

ANDALUCIA ON RAILS

Written By Admin

DISCOVER ANDALUCIA IN SPAIN WITH THE LUXURY TRAIN El  Andalus 

The Al Andalus Train is a luxury palace on wheels, a unique place from which to enjoy the spanish landscape. Inside of it, combines attention, decoration and gastronomy, which transport us through a time tunnel, to the glamour of the Belle Époque.  Travel through Andalusie and its World Human Heritage cities on board this privileged train.

When the trip begins we start out on a journey with contrasting experiences, from the perfect representation of the Mediterranean climate, and the mountains to the Atlantic coast of Andalusia. Culture is also added to all this, with visits to enjoy historic-artistic World Heritage Sites, the art of horse riding and flamenco, a hallmark of the essence of Andalusia.  FEVE will do all it can to ensure that you have a pleasant enjoyable experience and that passengers feel right at home.

An excellent team of professionals do their best to guarantee this: this is the crew on the Al Andalus Train: waiters, couchette attendants, maintenance technicians, security guards, engine drivers, coach driver, hostess, accompanying guide, local guides for visits, kitchen service, etc…, all of them supervised and coordinated by the Expedition Leader, who will be always available to solve any problems that might crop up during the trip.

Our accompanying guide will share all the trips by bus and train with the passengers; and will also take them to restaurants for lunches and dinners and on all the visits and excursions, where in many cases she will be helped and backed up by local guides.

DAY 1   Monday  INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT TO MADRID.   Arrival at the Barajas International Airport in Madrid. Reception through our Representative and Transfer to your Hotel in Downtown Madrid.   The rest of the day at leisure.  You can go to the puerta del Sol and the Playa Mayor to live the spanish atmosphere in one of the most interesting cities in Europe.

DAY 2  Tuesday   MADRID  Breakfast at the Hotel.   During the day, we will take you around the capital city of Spain.  We will see the Playa Mayor with its beautiful buildings and monuments, then we will hit to the royal palace, visiting the inside of it as well as the cathedral.  Our tour continues to the Parque del Retiro and other important areas in the city.   In the afternoon we will take you to the Museum del Prado, one of the biggest museums of the worls, with paintings from Goya, El Greco, Velasquez and others. (B) (D)

DAY 3  Wednesday   MADRID – TOLEDO

After breakfast, we will start our day visiting Aranjuez, 48 km south of Madrid. The city was declared “Conjunto Histórico-Artístico” (“Historic Artistic Junction”) in 1983. In 2001 UNESCO listed Aranjuez as a World Heirtage Site. Visit of the Gardens and the Royal Palaca, current royal residence built in Renaissance style between 14^th. And 16^th century.  After the visits continuation to Toledo, one of the spanish cities with the greatest wealth of monuments. Known as the “city of the three cultures” because Christians, Arabs and Jews lived together for centuries.  After checking in at our Hotel and a short break, we will visit this magnificent cities and main Monuments and Churches.  Tonight we stay at the Parador, one of the outstanding hotels in the area, with a beautiful view to the city and nice atmosphere. (B) (D)

DAY 4  Thursday  TOLEDO – TRUJILLO

Breakfast at the hotel.  We will then continue out tour towards Andalucia stopping in Trujillo, which is the birthplace of many Conquistadores such as Francisco Pizarro and Fernando Orellana.  Check-in at our next Parador, a sixteenth century Convent  transformed in a luxury four star hotel. The former Santa Catalina had two beautiful cloisters, one Renaissance with arches and columns while the other is open and brings light into the building. This hotel has monastic style rooms and details, spacious, quiet and pleasant lounges, noble bedrooms with wooden furniture and a bar-cafe.  In the afternoon we will have a walking tour visiting the old parts of this ancient city. (B) (D)

DAY 5  Friday   TRUJILLO – MERIDA – SEVILLA   After breakfast, we will drive first to Merida, a magnificent Roman legacy.  Mérida was the capital of the Roman province of Lusitania and it became one of the most flourishing cities of the Empire. Likewise, it was an important religious centre during the first years of the spread of Christianity. Its splendorous history can be observed in the monumental and archaeological ensemble that it keeps, one of the best preserved in Spain. In a guided tours, you will see the Roman theatre, being one of the most emblematic construc-tions.  Next to it is the Amphiteather, a stage where gladiators wrestled with beasts.  Also to see are the temple of Diana and the Arch of Trajan, one of the gates to the city, rising to a height of 15 metres. After visiting the city, you will have a free time on your own in order to relax, walk around or going shopping. For those who are interested, there is enough time to visit the natiuonal Museum of Roman Art, with one of the largest collection of roman artefacts found in Merida and its vecinity.  In the afternoon we will continue to Seville.  Check-in in your Hotel. (B) (D)

DAY 6  Saturday   SEVILLA   Breakfast at the hotel.  Today we will discover the city of Sevilla, situated on the banks of the Guadalquivir River,  Seville has a rich moorish heritage and used to be a prosperous port that carried out trade with the Americas.  In the walking tour we will see the Cathedral with its Giralda, the tower that used to be a Minarette from a moorish mosque.  Then we will go inside the Alcazaba and the Reales Alcázares. The Plaza de España will be also visited, a Plaza built in 1929 for the Iberoamerican Trade Fair held in Sevilla that year.  The Square has a network of galleries with an arcade of semicircular arches leading to exits in different parts of the square, where a fountain stands. In the Evening we will have a typical dinner with tapas degustation and local wines. Followed by a flamenco show to bring you deep in the andalucian world. (B) (D)

LUXURY TRAIN AL ANDALUS TOUR

DAY 7   Sunday    SEVILLA – CORDOBA   Breakfast at the hotel. Around noon, transfer to the train station in order to board the Train Al Andalus at Santa Justa Station in Seville. Welcome and settling in on board. While we approach Cordoba on the train, we will enjoy a typical meal. Once we are in Cordoba our coach will take us to the Historic centre, a World Heritage site since 1994, where the Royal Alcázares, the Mosque/Cathedral and the Jewish quarter stand out. After the visit we will have some free time.  Dinner in a typical restaurant and night on board the train in the city of Cordoba. (B) (L) (D)

DAY 8  Monday   CORDOBA – BAEZA – UBEDA – GRANADA  While we enjoy a succulent breakfast on board we will reach Linares-Baeza station, from where our coach will take us to visit the Olive Oil Museum and the historical quarter of Baeza, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and site of the International University of Andalusia. After the visit we will have a little bit of free time before going to eat to Ubeda, a town full of historical monuments, that has also been a World Heritage Site since 2003 which we will visit after lunch. We will then have some free time before going back to the train. While we are having dinner on board the train among olive groves, we will arrive in Granada where we will spend the night. (B) (L) D)

DAY 9  Tuesday    GRANADA  fter breakfast we will go and visit the Alhambra and the Generalife gardens, genuine wonders of the world and a World Heritage site since 1984. After the visit we will have some free time inside the Alhambra and we will have lunch. In the afternoon we will visit this city at the foot of the Sierra Nevada, and the neighbourhoods of the Albaicín, Sacromonte and its Cathedral, the first Renaissance church in Spain. After the visit we will have some free time before going to have dinner at a typical restaurant, and also enjoying a delightful Flamenco show. Night on board the train in Granada. (B) (L) (D)

DAY 10  Wednesday   GRANADA – RONDA  – CADIZ   While we are having breakfast on board the train and enjoying the views of the magnificent mountain range, we reach Ronda. We will visit this incredible town perched on the El Tajo canyon and linked by the bridge that crosses it. Cradle of bullfighting with a history going back to the Roman period. After the visit we will have some free time before eating in this town whose views are unique. After lunch we will reach Cadiz by train, a town by the sea in the bay of the same name. Probably the oldest city in Europe that has preserved a significant historical heritage. Visit and dinner in a typical restaurant. Night in Cadiz. (B) (L) (D)

DAY 11  Thursday    CADIZ – JEREZ – SANLUCAR – JEREZ   While we are having breakfast, we will reach Jerez, the birthplace of the wine of the same name, “Sherry” and cradle of the most deeply-rooted Andalusian traditions. We will visit one of the most important wineries where they will explain to us the production processes, types, tasting, etc. After this didactic tour we will head for the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art, where we will be able to enjoy the show, “How Andalusian horses dance”. After the show and the visit to the school, we will make out way to the neighbouring town of Sanlucar de Barrameda the estuary of the River Guadalquivir, opposite Doñana Park, the largest ecological reserve in Europe, a protected space and World heritage Site since 1994. After the meal while sailing on a boat along the Guadalquivir we will be able to enjoy views of this wonder of nature. In the afternoon we will go back to the train that is waiting for us in Jerez, where we will have a little bit of free time before we have dinner in a typical restaurant. After dinner we will have a special end-of-trip party. Night on board the train in Jerez. (B) (L) (D)

DAY 12   Friday    JEREZ – SEVILLE  While we are having breakfast, the Al Andalus train will reach its final destination in Seville. After check out, we will take you to the airport for your connecting flight over Madrid back home. End of our services.

If you want to extend  your stay in Spain or Europe, we can work out your plans, for instance to Barcelona with the AVE-Train, or in the Costa del Sol enjoying beach and sun or going to France or Germany. Please contact us for for special interests.

INCLUDED SERVICES

Connecting flight Sevilla-Madrid

• Private bus for all transfers and sightseeings
• 6 Nights accomodation in chosen ***** Hotels 5 or Paradores-Hotels  with breakfast
• Half board during the tour
• All visits and excursions planned in the program
• English/spanish/german tour scort
• German travel money insurance for your investment

ONBOARD THE TRAIN

• 5 Nights en suite accommodation onboard the train with breakfast buffet
• Lunch and dinner with wine, coffee or herbal teas and liqueurs.
• Coach for the side trips
• Hostess-guide throughout the journey
• Guided visits
• Security service Tickets and visits to the different places
• Musical performances
• Daily newspapers and magazines
• An outstanding human team to take care of the passengers.

DEPARTURES & PRICES PRO PERSON

 Standard Suite       Superior Suite

 September 17 , 2012            us$  4940    us$  5530 

October  8, 2012                 us$  4940    us$  5530 

November 12, 2012            us$  4940    us$  5530 

March  4, 2013                    us$  5270    us$  5920 

March 18, 2013                   us$  5920    us$  5920 

April 8, 2013                       us$  5920    us$  5920 

April 22, 2013                     us$  5920    us$  5920 

SINGLE ROOM SUPPLEMENT  FROM us$ 1200

Al Andalus Train

The Al Andalus Train is made up of four saloon cars, two cars with standard suites and five with special suites, as well as the kitchen car/storeroom, power cars and staff car. On board this unique train, travelling round and visiting Andalusia becomes an unrepeatable experience.

You will be able to enjoy cities that are World heritage sites, gastronomy, and Andalusian scenery and nature in all its splendour.

The accommodation

Part of Al Andalus Train has been specifically designed for passengers to relax and for privacy: its seven suite-carriages.

Their exquisite and exclusive decor creates a special setting to ensure your stay is very special. The train will remain in a siding to ensure you have a good night’s sleep.

The seven suite-carriages have been recently refurbished and five of which were built in France at the end of the 1920s and were originally used by the British Monarchy to travel from Calais to the Cote d’Azur from their holidays. They are still decorated in the original “Belle Époque” style, but also boast all the latest cutting-edge amenities to ensure maximum comfort.

The train can carry up to 64 passengers in the 32 suites of two types:

• Standard suite:it has two twin beds, with a safe, minibar, wardrobe and a generous en suite bathroom. Twelve suites (24 pax) in this category are available.
• Superior suite:it has a 150 x 200 cm double bed, minibar, safe, wardrobe and a magnificent full bathroom. Twenty suites (40 pax) in this category are available. A supplementary bed for a third passenger can be organised.

All the suites have air-conditioning and heating, with an independent temperature control, and 220 volt sockets.

During the day, the beds are folded up into comfortable sofas and the suite is transformed into a place to read or relax as you enjoy the countryside from your private lounge.

The Gastronomy

Gastronomy obviously plays a key role on our journeys. The dishes feature and showcase traditional products, whether served onboard the train or at the carefully chosen restaurants for the trip. The dishes featuring first-rate ingredients are prepared by leading chefs.

The breakfast buffets, all served onboard, will delight even the most demanding palate and is a magnificent ritual to start the day. Lunch and dinner are served onboard the train or in local restaurants.

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