Catalonia & Little Trains of the Pyrenees

To Roses

Meet your Tour Manager today at London St Pancras International where you catch the Eurostar service from London to Paris, continuing on from here to Figueres. From here, you transfer to your home for seven nights, the charming town of Roses.

Girona

Visit fabulous Girona today, a city of storybook history and medieval might, full of eccentric museums and capped by an impressive Gothic-style cathedral.

You are at leisure here. Well worth a visit is the Jewish Quarter of the city, a labyrinth of narrow streets packed with fascinating religious buildings, ancient synagogues and cafés hidden away on mysterious street corners. While in this district, it is a good idea to check out the Jewish Museum which details the lives and cultural influence of the Spanish Jewish community across the entire nation.

The Yellow Train of the Pyrenees

Today sees you cross from Spain into France and into the French Pyrenees. You begin your excursion with a visit to the historic walled city of Thuir. Sat under the gaze of an old castle in the midst of the Pyrenees, this is a superb walled town, with much to discover all along the narrow streets. Enjoy time here before travelling to Villefranche, where you board the magnificent Little Yellow Train.

Climbing through the ancient Pyrenees, this train treks over ravines, through mountains and across viaducts in bright yellow carriages. This journey provides an excellent opportunity to truly take in the stunning beauty of this Franco-Hispanic mountain range. Green pine forests line the tracks and the rising hills give way to a marvellous landscape of craggy peaks and crisp cyan lakes.

Please note: Due to engineering work on the Yellow Train route, Departures 19FRS21a & 19FRS22 will alternatively take an excursion on the Monserrat rack railway. The Montserrat rack railway is a mountain railway north of Barcelona. The line runs from Monistrol to the mountain top monastery of Montserrat. For 19FRS09a the train will operate in reverse.

The Núria Valley Rack Railway

After a day at leisure, Day 5 features a journey on the Núria Valley Rack Railway which takes you into the Núria Valley itself.

Twinned with the Jungfrau Express in Switzerland, this marvellous rack railway allows spectacular views of the steep slopes and the superb mountainscapes. The Núria Valley Rack Railway is the only way to access this remote valley and the lack of car traffic makes this the perfect oasis of calm with only sailing boats bobbing gently on the lake to distract from the almost magical surroundings.

Along the Coast to Collioure and Portbou

Today we visit the delightful French coastal town of Collioure with its beautiful harbour and picturesque streets. In many ways a classic French seaside town, Collioure is a choice destination, full of beautiful and colourful houses surrounding the sea walls and bobbing sail boats.

After free time to explore, we take a short but scenic railway journey to Portbou. Travelling along the coast reveals a natural canvas dripping with French charm, from the glittering blue Balearic Sea to the wonderful villages on the cliffs. From Portbou we return to Roses by coach

Figueres & the Dalí Foundation

Your excursion today takes you to the town of Figueres. Found in the province of Girona, Figueres is in many ways a classic Catalonian town and boasts an impressive 11th century church dedicated to St Peter.

Here, you pay a visit to the eccentric Salvador Dalí Foundation, a museum dedicated to the works of surrealist painter Salvador Dalí. This iconic painter and sculptor was perhaps the biggest figure within the surrealist movement, and his works encompassed paintings, film and writing. Dalí was born in Figueres at the beginning of the 20th century, and from Figueres, he spearheaded the Surrealist movement alongside other notable artist including filmmaker Luis Buñuel and visual artist Man Ray. Dalí's most famous work is the Persistance of Memory painting, depicting a series of melting clocks, with a background inspired by the coastline near Figueres.

The Foundation displays much of his work and also displays the works of contemporary artists from across the world, on a rotating exhibition basis.

Return Home

Leaving Roses today, travel by rail to Paris. After crossing over the French Capital, you where you then return to London on the Eurostar.

Departure Times

Provisional departure and return times, where available, can be found together with dates and prices by clicking on the 'Prices & Availability' button. We will write to you around 10 weeks before your departure date with the precise meeting times for your tour group.