WHAT YOU WILL SEE:

Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona, the old Roman Barcino, was the maritime capital of a people of merchants and sailors. The medieval city was one of great splendor. Surrounded by walls until the middle of the 19th century, the Gothic Quarter houses buildings such as the Cathedral and impressive palaces where the major events of the political life of the city now take place. Spain`s second city is always on the biting edge of fashion, architecture, food, style, music and good times. Barcelona is one of the most dynamic and exciting cities on the western Mediterranean seaboard, sedulously promoting itself as a European metropolis, a link between the sub-Pyrenean peninsula and the heartland of Western Europe. Walk its narrow streets and wonderful plazas, or along the Ramblas, stretching from Plaza de Cataluña to the Harbor, encompassing the magic of the city: stalls full of books, birds and flowers. The city`s most powerful monuments open a window onto its history: the intricately carved edifices that comprise the medieval Gothic Quarter; the curvilinear modernism (Catalan Art Nouveau) that inspired Gaudí's Sagrada Familia; and the seminal surrealist works of Picasso and Miró, found in museums that peg Barcelona as a crucial incubator for 20th-century art. The Mediterranean has had a profound affect on Barcelona?s development. The recent restoration of the port area began with the development of a harbor for the Olympic Games of 1992. New modern squares, designed by leading artists such as Miró and Barceló have created a new style alongside Gaudi?s modernist buildings. Now the city is ready to show every visitor how it has been transformed into one of the most moderns and active cities in Europe.

Bilbao, Spain
Bilbao is the heart of a metropolis with a population of more than a million people. It is the driving force of social and economic development and it is the main factor in the modernization of the Gulf of Biscay. Ambitious architectural, and general infrastructure projects have fuelled the urban and financial regeneration of the city. The Guggenheim Museum; the Euskalduna Concert Hall and Convention Center; the underground, built by Norman Foster; the airport, built by Calatrava are all examples of the overwhelming vitality that permeates Bilbao. Situated in the Territory of Bizkaia, the city is surrounded by fertile landscapes, with forests, mountains, beaches, and steep coasts. The modern network of transport and roads brings the nearby Basque capitals like Vitoria and San Sebastian much closer. Bilbao has two of the best art galleries in Spain, six themed museums, countless contemporary art exhibitions and a continuous series of shows and performances. Gastronomy is an art in Bilbao. The capital of the Basque Country has prestigious restaurants offering dishes ranging from traditional cuisine to the most avant-garde culinary creations. Not forgetting, of course, different areas of the city in which to savor the famous pintxos (typical appetizers).

Zaragoza, Spain
Zaragoza lies halfway between Madrid and Barcelona. Its history dates from the Romans, who called it Caesar Augusta. This provincial capital, the seat of the ancient kingdom of Aragón, is a bustling, prosperous, commercial city of wide boulevards and arcades. What was during the Middle Ages the capital of the Kingdom of Aragon has a rich heritage of monuments mingling the influences of the different cultures that have existed there. Medieval streets and broad avenues make up a city with an open and cosmopolitan atmosphere. Cultural wealth that, when speaking of cuisine, transforms itself into mouth-watering recipes. Zaragoza has not one but two cathedrals and, like Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, was a major pilgrimage center. According to legend, the Virgin Mary appeared to St. James, patron saint of Spain, on the banks of the Ebro River and ordered him to build a church there. It is one of the greatest centers of the Marian cult in Spain. The 40,000 students at the University of Zaragoza have livened up this once-staid city. Cafes, theaters, restaurants, music bars, and tascas have boomed in recent years, and more monuments have been restored and opened to the public.

Pamplona, Spain
On the fertile plain of the river Arga sits Pamplona, a city full of history and deep-rooted traditions. Long the most significant town in Spain's Pyrenean region, it was also a major stopover for those traveling either of two frontier roads: the Roncesvalles Pass or the Velate Pass. In its historic core, the Pamplona of legend lives on. The streets and squares of its historic quarter still preserve a significant collection of monumental buildings dominated by its churches and medieval walls. Pamplona is a city where tradition and modernity live harmoniously. The Roman general Pompey founded it in 75 BC. During the reign of Sancho III el Mayor (11th century), the current route of the Pilgrim's Road to Santiago de Compostela was traced through the lands of Navarre, a fact that would mark both the appearance of the city and the very history of the place. Ernest Hemingway's descriptions of the running of the bulls in his 1927 novel, The Sun Also Rises, made Pamplona known throughout the world. The book's glamour remains undiminished for the crowds who read it and then rush off to Pamplona to see the encierros (bull running) during the Fiesta de San Fermín. Fireworks and Basque flute concerts are only some of the spectacles giving added color to the fiesta. Wine flows and people party nonstop for a week commencing on the 7 th of July. (Accommodations are sparse and should be booked way in advance.)

The Estrella
The Estrella is the classic sleep train, designed for long distance routes that allow you to get to the principal destination cities early in the morning. Travel while you sleep and enjoy more time at your destination. There is a range of accommodation types to suit every traveler's needs, from "Gran Class" Sleepers offering cabins with a wash basin and shower to preferred seats.

Types of Train Services
Gran Class: Cabins have single and double (upper or lower) compartments with shower, wash-basin and toiletries cupboard.
Preferente 1st Class: The "shower" cars have single and double (upper and lower) compartments with shower, wash-basin and toiletries cupboard.
Tourist - T4 couchette: 4 berth shared sleeper with basin and air conditioning (gender specific).
Preferente Seats and Tourist Seats: Comfortable reclining seats with plenty of legroom

The Talgo
Currently there are numerous generations of the Talgo running, from 3rd generation Talgo all the way to 7th generation, which can access speeds from 160 to 200 km per hour. Talgos from the 4th generation forward all feature a pendular advanced technology, which allows special adaptation to railway network peculiarities in order to obtain maximum performance, increasing comfort and velocity.

Types of Train Services
Preferente First Class: Enjoy a meal, a complimentary newspaper, access to the Club AVE lounges and parking discounts..
Second Class: Comfortable chairs with lots of legroom.

On board service: Phones, cafeteria, individual audio/video systems are available. Changing area for baby and dedicated space for disabled travelers is also available.