Review of the Year 2024
20/12/2024 · By Dave Riley, CEO
From all of us at Great Rail Journeys, we wish you a wonderful festive period. Take a look back at 2024 and get a glimpse at our new holidays for 2025.
Read more2026 Tour code: SEG26
About the tour
Uncover the gems of Spain and France's Basque Country from our grand base, a fortified castle in medieval Hondarribia, a picturesque town with a global reputation for great food.
This gastronomy-packed tour includes visits to the cities of San Sebastián and Bilbao, with tastings of local specialities, wines and ciders along our way. Trains also feature on our wonderful holiday, as we take a special trip on La Rhune Mountain Railway for panoramic views across the French Pyrenees.
Please Note - This tour was formerly called The Beautiful Basque Country
Unforgettable experiences
What’s included
Itinerary
We meet the Tour Manager and fellow travellers this morning at London St Pancras, ready to board the Eurostar to Paris. Travelling in spacious Plus class, we are served a light meal at our seats. From Paris, we continue by First Class rail to the coastal French town of Hendaye, situated on a scenic estuary which marks the Spanish border. Arriving in the early evening, we're met by a coach to take us over the border to Hondarribia, where we spend the next seven nights.
Our landmark hotel is the four-star Parador de Hondarribia, a restored 10th century castle which overlooks the cobblestoned Plaza de Armas, the main square of the Old Town, and beyond to the Cantabrian Sea. Below us is the attractive La Marina neighbourhood, with pedestrianised avenues lined by traditional Basque houses sporting brightly painted shutters and balconies overflowing with geraniums. La Marina has a lively but laid-back atmosphere with a great mix of restaurants serving high quality cuisine.
Additional information
Hotel
Trains
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Reviews
4.5 / 5 · 68 reviews
customer
Submitted 5/May
Excellent tour host/manager, enjoyable excursions, well-planned journeys, comfortable hotel. The sun even came through for the last couple of days. We found the Basque country above our expectations.
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David Wood
Submitted 5/May
Very enjoyable trip with good mix of organised excursions and free time. Undoubted highlight was the meal (with paired wines) at Baigorri Winery. Only downside was dodgy weather in San Sebastian. Tour Manager Karen was excellent and all the arrangements worked perfectly.
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Howarth
Submitted 3/May
An excellent experience in a hitherto, for me, unknown part of Europe. A First Class holiday in every sense of the word from the moment of meeting at St Pancras to our return. An interesting and varied programme at a good pace with an exceptional Tour Manager. The weather was not always kind to us but the scenery was breathtaking!
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Rowena Wolfe
Submitted 3/May
Beautiful town. Good excursions. Good hotel and great tour manager. An arranged evening meal on our first night would have been good though there were plenty of places nearby and the cafeteria attached to the hotel was enjoyable and easy.
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Sandra West
Submitted 28 Oct 2024
Everything was so well organised. The location in Hondaribbia was super and we enjoyed the whole holiday.
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val horsfall
Submitted 27 Oct 2024
The Parador hotel in Hondarribia was fantastic The holiday itinerary was so interesting from the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao the wine and food in the Rioja region to the train up into the Pyrenees It was great
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