Galicia and the Douro Valley

Santiago de Compostela, or just ‘Santiago’ to the locals, is a mixture of the old and the new. Cathedrals and narrow streets full of historical buildings are juxtaposed with a new side of town oozing with character. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, Santiago’s Old Town includes some of the city’s best-loved attractions such as the Pazo de Raxoi, Parco de Alameda, and the Galician Centre for Contemporary Art.

Take a local train through the countryside of Galicia at lunchtime today, arriving at the port city of Vigo. Here, check into the NH Collection Vigo (or similar) for an overnight stay.

You then have the afternoon to explore this beautiful city known as the Gateway to the Atlantic. Perhaps wander around the Casco Vello (Old Town area) or learn about the city’s maritime history at the Galician Museum of the Sea. If the weather is fine, you can also spend an afternoon relaxing on the beach.

After a full day in Vigo, take an evening train across the border into Portugal, putting your watches back an hour as you do so. The train winds its way through the rolling hills of northern Portugal before arriving at Porto’s Campanhã station. You’ll be staying right in the city centre for the next 3 nights at the Eurostars das Artes (or similar).

You have a full two days to spend in Porto. The district known as Ribeira is one of the oldest historic centres in Europe and UNESCO World Heritage listed. It’s also one of the most beautiful old town areas you’ll have ever set eyes on. With a hilly topography similar to that of Lisbon, there are many places from which you get a majestic view of the Douro River. There are also plenty of port wine tours to choose from, or you might like to enjoy your glass of port in the Livraria Lello, one of Europe’s most stunning bookshops.

Today you’ll board a regional train back at Porto Campanhã station which makes its way along the beautiful Douro River Valley. The railway line follows the river course for the majority of the journey and there are no shortages of panoramic views throughout the ride.

On arrival in Pinhão, check in at The Vintage House (or similar) which is around the corner from the station in a prime central location on the river.

The pretty village of Pinhão occupies a stunning setting on the River Douro, surrounded by vineyard terraces which produce the local port wine as well as some lovely table wines. Wine is the big draw here – even the pretty train station is decorated with hand-painted tiles illustrating the grape harvest and there’s a wide range of wineries competing for business. You can even pay a visit to the Museu do Vinho de Quinta Nova (Wine Museum) for an introduction to the wine-growing history of the region.

Owing to the lack of rail connections between Portugal and Spain, we have filled the gap with an excellent private car transfer. We will arrange for a car to collect you from the hotel in Pinhão at a time to suit you, and you will then travel east into Spain, stopping at the beautiful settlement of Ciudad Rodrigo, known for its Old Town and 12th-century city walls. You are then driven onwards to Salamanca, where you stay overnight at the Catalonia Plaza Mayor (or similar).

After breakfast this morning, return to the station and take a fast Alvia train into Madrid and connect with a high-speed AVE service to Girona. You’ll arrive in the late afternoon and check in at the Carlemany Hotel (or similar) for an overnight stay.

Girona is an historic Catalan city, with a stunning walled Old Quarter and beautiful medieval architecture. You can walk around the walls along the flower-lined Passeig Arqueològic for sweeping views of the city and beyond.

Take a morning TGV service today, which will whisk you across the French border and up through Provence and Bourgogne en route back to Paris. Once you arrive into Paris, a simple metro journey will bring you back to the Gare du Nord for your return Eurostar to the UK.