Exploring Spain and France with Great Rail Journeys
24/07/2025 · By Rob Payne
Discover the scenic delights of northern Spain and southern France with Great Rail Journeys, enjoying coastal views, rich culture and charming rail trips.
Read moreSave up to £300pp on Europe 2026 holidays, when you book by 31st October 2025.
Based in the attractive coastal town of Roses, explore the rugged Costa Brava and experience the region's cultural and gastronomic highlights. Cruise around the picturesque Cap de Creus peninsula to the fishing village of Cadaqués, savouring local flavours with lunch at a vineyard.
Explore Barcelona, which showcases the fantastic architecture of Antoni Gaudí, including viewing the exterior of La Sagrada Família. Visit the ancient town of Besalú and uncover the surreal world of artist Salvador Dalí on a visit to his museum in Figueres. Finally, journey aboard the Little Red Train into France's Pyrenean foothills.
Unforgettable experiences
What’s included on the tour?
Itinerary
We meet at London St Pancras International and board the Eurostar to Paris in Plus class with a light meal at our seats. In the French capital, we take our seats in First Class for a journey through the heart of France to the Spanish town of Figueres. Here, we transfer by coach to our hotel which overlooks Canyelles Petites beach in the town of Roses.
Located in the north-eastern area of the Costa Brava, a wild and rocky stretch of the Spanish coastline, we are not far from the centre of Roses, allowing you to enjoy the best of both worlds - the peace and quiet of our secluded location and the town's attractions when you choose. On arrival this evening, we sit down to a three-course dinner.
Additional information
Hotel
More information about the different trains used on this tour.
The high-speed Eurostar trains link St Pancras International in London with Paris and Lille in France as well as Brussels in Belgium.
Introduced in 1981, France's TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) was the original European high-speed train. Linking Paris with Lyon, the new service revolutionised train travel and meant that travelling by air over medium and short distances was no longer seen as the best option, even for business travel.
Enhance your holiday
Spending a night in London before your tour can make such a difference to the first day of your holiday - you can arrive in the capital in good time, relaxed and ready to join your Tour Manager the next morning. You may even want to take in a show on the West End or dine in one of London's famous restaurants. Perhaps on your return to London, you would like to break your journey with an overnight stay before continuing home.
We can book a wide range of hotels in central London or, for our holidays beginning with a flight, at Heathrow, Gatwick, or Manchester Airport for the night before or after your holiday. If you require a quote for single occupancy at any of the hotels, please contact us on 01904 734 805.
Buying tickets for UK train services can be a tricky business - there are so many fares to choose from, each with different rules and restrictions. As you are connecting with an international departure, we strongly recommend that you book a fully flexible ticket to ensure that should the departure times for your holiday change, your rail ticket can allow for these changes.
We can book fully-flexible UK rail tickets from your local station to join your holiday whether this be a European holiday from St Pancras or a UK holiday. The prices are competitive and tickets are not restricted to a particular train or time of day, and in most cases offer you a free choice of routes.
For an up to date quote from your local station, please ask one of our Tour Advisors.
Enjoy hassle-free travel with our return door-to-door luggage transfer service from only £199 per bag.
The service includes one 20kg bag per person which will be collected from your home before you depart and will be ready and waiting for you at your first destination hotel. Your bag will also be delivered back to your home address on your return.
If your tour involves an overnight stay enroute, you'll need to travel with an overnight bag as your luggage will be delivered direct to your first destination hotel. The luggage service is not available where you are flying to or from your destination and you will need to take your own luggage with you on the flight.
Reviews
4.5 / 5 · 162 reviews
John Dunstone
Submitted 16/Oct
It started with 5 stars but will loose one every time you send me another request for a review
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Mrs Susan Davies
Submitted 16/Oct
I have already submitted a review, so I don't know what has happened to it. I'd only add here that our tour manager, Mrs. Debs Laine, was one of the best we have ever experienced.
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Simon Norrington
Submitted 16/Oct
We had a thoroughly enjoyable holiday with several excellent tours included. Our tour manager, Andy, was outstanding - friendly, knowledgeable, and always approachable, which made a real difference to the experience. The Canyelles Platja hotel was a highlight. Comfortable, well-located, and definitely worth upgrading to a sea-view room for the stunning view. The à la carte dinners were a treat, offering a generous selection with three choices for each course - plenty to satisfy all tastes. One of the best experiences was walking the coastal footpath to or from Roses - highly recommended for the scenic views. The Sunday market in Roses is also worth a visit if you're on the lookout for a bargain or just want to soak up the local atmosphere. On a free day, we took a ride on 'The Roses Express land train', which was a fun and relaxing way to explore. It would make a great addition to the official itinerary. We opted out of the Barcelona day trip, mainly due to the long coach journey (around five hours round trip) and the fact that we’d visited before. If the trip had been by train, we’d have definitely reconsidered.
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John
Submitted 13/Oct
Great holiday! The tour manager, Debs, really made it special. Excellent mix of free time and prearranged tours. The local area, costal walks, etc was lovely - the beach restaurant, The Sloop, owned by the hotel, offered excellent food. Great service throughout. Would highly recommend.
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Chris
Submitted 12/Oct
A very pleasant holiday
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D Powell
Submitted 12/Oct
Brilliant holiday especially with the inclusion of a mini-group day-off visit (transport negotiated by out Tour Manager to Girona sorted by our Tour Manager) despite the rather long day (very early start) to get to Roses without a night stop. Outstanding Tour Manager guide and an enjoyable group to travel with.
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