STATE-OWNED RAILWAYS aren't usually associated with upscale travel. So when I heard that Spain's national rail system had a luxury sleeper-train route called the Costa Verde Express, my curiosity was piqued, and I signed up. The six-day trip travels along the country's "green coast" in the north, stopping in medieval towns, UNESCOprotected parks, and seaside villages. Last October, I boarded the train for its weekly journey between the industrial city of Bilbao and Santiago de Compostela: the final stop of one of Catholicism's most sacred pilgrimages, known as the Camino de Santiago. While there would be overlaps with one of the pilgrimage routes, my itinerary would feature champagne dinners, a private cabin, local guides at every stop, and even an onboard gala.
Day 1: Bilbao to Santander
I arrived at the Bilbao-Concordia train station at 10 a.m., just early enough to drop off my bags and grab a pastry and apricot juice before joining a tour of the old town and the Guggenheim Museum. When we returned, a porter escorted me to my cabin. It was smaller than I expected― barely big enough for a double bed and built-in desk-but stylish nonetheless, with wood-paneled walls, silky gold curtains, and a bijou bathroom with a glass shower and marble sink.
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