London to Bordeaux, the Basque Country and the Beach

Our trip begins this morning at London's St Pancras Station, the home of the Eurostar. Here you'll check-in for your Eurostar train and board your (unaccompanied) Eurostar train to Paris. You will have your tickets before you travel.



We meet our Tour Leader off the train at the Gare du Nord, and take the Paris metro together to the Gare Montparnasse. Here we board our train to Bordeaux, flying through the French countryside and saying 'bonjour' to the French coast after arriving in the late afternoon.

The small port city of Bordeaux is one of France's most renowned wine-making hubs. This morning we'll visit the Wine and Trade museum, in the heart of the wine merchants' quarter, where we'll get a real introduction into Bordeaux's long reputation for making world-class wines. The visit takes us into the cellars of an old wine merchant's house, bringing the history alive. We'll end our tour with a tasting, of course, learning about what makes Bordeaux wine so special.



After our trip to the wine and trade museum, we'll take an orientation tour through the historic centre of Bordeaux, which is full of beautifully-preserved 18th Century architecture and rambling pedestrian streets. After our walk through the city, we have the rest of the afternoon free to explore at our own pace. Walk down the Quais or visit the many trails in the large botanical garden just across the river. The Musee d'Aquitaine is a good option for people interested in learning more about the vast history of this region. Or if you still haven't got your fill of wine, the multi-million pound Cite du Vin is an absolute monster - the museum chronicles a journey through centuries of wine production across the world.

We cross the border into Spain today, taking first a French train to the frontier town of Hendaye, nestled between the Atlantic and the Pyrenees. From here, we switch to a local Spanish train which takes around 30 minutes to San Sebastian, calling at intermittent small villages en route.



We'll arrive into San Sebastian in the afternoon. Known locally as Donostia, this small town exudes Basque charm and a faded opulence. Once the go-to holiday spot for the Spanish monarchy, San Sebastian is dense with Belle-Epoque architecture, yet without being stuffy or grand. With a crescent-shaped beach and flanked by mountains, the setting is reminiscent of Rio de Janeiro.



After checking into the hotel, we'll set out on a short walk with the Tour Leader. We'll just stroll a little way around the bay to the Peine del Viento, a series of three steel sculptures by local artist Eduardo Chillida, which give excellent panoramic views of the entire 'concha' (the crescent-shaped bay). For those who wish, there may be time to take the 19th-century funicular to the top of Monte Igueldo.



Controversial though it is, San Sebastian could be the best place in Spain to eat. The locals are seemingly obsessed with food, and there is no better place to experience this than at the city's Pintxos bars. Plates piled high with different 'Basque tapas' line up along the bars, and locals shout their orders from the blackboard menus. Just a couple at a time suffice, washed down with a beer or wine. You have the option this evening to head out with your Tour Leader to taste Pintxos, or if you'd prefer to explore solo then your Leader can give you some recommendations. Before we visit the pintxos bars, we'll explore the narrow streets of the beautiful Old Town, including the Plaza de la Constitucion and the Basilica of Saint Mary.

The Camino de Santiago, or St James' Way, is one of the most famous medieval pilgrimage routes in the world, linking up religious pilgrims with the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. However, this famous walk is not just one single route. While the 'Camino Frances' is the most well-known and popular route, hiked by around 60% of pilgrims, we are going to do a half-day hike on the Camino Norte today, starting in San Sebastian and ending in the small fishing village of Pasaia (walking in the opposite direction of the pilgrims).



We'll take a public bus to the eastern end of San Sebastian where our walk begins. The initial section out of San Sebastian is an uphill walk, with many steps to undertake before hitting a woodland section and continuing uphill on a forest path. This gets us up onto the headland, where the path levels out and hugs the coast with some fantastic views over the Atlantic. At the end of the walk we descend past the Silver Lighthouse (Faro de la Plata) into the charming little harbour village of Pasaia. We'll take a three-minute ferry boat across the harbour to Old Pasaia, where there are some excellent fish restaurants near the water. The walk today will take us approximately four hours, with around 450 metres of ascent. The first uphill section is strenuous, but after this it levels off along the coast. The path varies between stone steps, rocky sections and dirt trail.



After lunch we'll take the three-minute ferry back and catch a bus or train back to San Sebastian (approximately a 15-20 minute journey).



For those who don't want to do the walk, there is so much to enjoy in San Sebastian. The San Telmo Museum has some permanent collections that showcase Basque art and history, with frequent interesting temporary exhibitions. A stroll along the white sands of 'La Concha' is ideal for people watching and relaxing on a summer day, while the harbour and the old town are bustling with restaurants and cafes.

Today we take a morning train to the stunning UNESCO world heritage historic city of Segovia. The train takes around five hours, and we'll arrive in the early afternoon, leaving us plenty of time to explore the city on foot with our Tour Leader.



With its huge 1st century Roman Aqueduct, and Disney-like Alcazar Fortress, Segovia is an impressive city. The upper old town, encircled by ancient walls, is centred around the Plaza Major and 16th century Gothic cathedral, from where streets lead to the famed monuments. The magnificent Aqueduct is the defining feature of the city, spanning 17 kilometres and made up of 166 arches. During our walking tour we'll see this in all its glory, as well as walking on some of the old walls surrounding the city.

We have free time in Segovia this morning, which is time very well spent. Walking up to the hilltop Alcazar is worth it for the views over the city and rivers and to admire the slate turrets, the beautiful keep and square with four towers.



In the afternoon we take a quick train to Madrid, and catch the Renfe (underground system) between Madrid Chamartin Station and Madrid Atocha, where we pick up our onward connection to Malaga, arriving in the evening.



Malaga has an 'interesting' reputation among UK holiday-goers, who normally land there before journeying outside the city to stay at a beach resort. This is a shame, because the historic downtown area of the city is very attractive, and mainly pedestrianised. We'll most likely visit this area for dinner this evening.

Our trip ends this morning after breakfast. There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart from Malaga at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you would like to receive a complimentary airport transfer today, you need to depart from Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport (AGP), which is around 25 minutes' drive.



The fantastic Picasso Museum is well worth a visit if you have time and a late flight (tickets should be purchased online in advance). Or, why not continue your rail journey all the way to Morocco? Combine this tour with our Moorish Spain and Marrakech tour, and you'll cross into North Africa by ferry, before continuing on the train to the souks of Marrakech. See trip code RLMO for more details.

Our trip ends this morning after breakfast. There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart from Malaga at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you would like an airport transfer today, you need to depart from Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport (AGP), which is around 15 minutes' drive.



Why not continue your rail journey all the way to Morocco? Combine this tour with our Moorish Spain and Marrakech tour, and you'll cross into North Africa by ferry, before continuing on the train to the souks of Marrakech. See trip code RLMO for more details.