Restaurante Universo
What to order: the chargrilled ternasco or Aragonese longaniza; if you are in a group, order the whole roast suckling pig or ternasco
geocalia
Day itinerary · 42.75° N · 0.52° W
El Canfranero in a day, 1920s carriages to the biggest station in the Pyrenees.
You travel up from Zaragoza on the Blue Train, with historic 1920s and 1930s carriages, visit the International Station, have lunch in Canfranc and return on the same train.
Leaving from
Part of Canfranc, Candanchú and AstúnPyreneesScenic train journeys in Spain
Add to my trip
Total time12 h
By car2 h each way
TrainBlue Train, from €33
Outward8:42 from Zaragoza · about 3 h 30
Return18:45 in winter, 20:08 in summer
Station visit€5, 1 h to 1 h 15
DifficultyNone
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Zaragoza 2 h by car
to Zaragoza station; the access check closes 5 minutes earlier
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1
The Canfranero, from Zaragoza to Canfranc on the Blue Train
Trenes Turísticos · Blue Train · from €33
- 10 min on foot
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2
Restaurante Universo
charcoal grill and ternasco · open every day
Av. de los Arañones, 11, 22880 Canfranc-Estación · +34 974 37 30 98
Restaurant €€Book - 10 min on foot
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3
Guided Tour of the Canfranc International Station
Tourist Office · €5 · afternoon slot according to the online calendar · meet 10 min beforehand
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Back home 3 h 30 by train
the Blue Train leaves at 18:45 in winter and at 20:08 in summer
Approximate cost
About €55–70 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
The Canfranero, from Zaragoza to Canfranc on the Blue Train
Reaching Canfranc by train is understanding why its station was built: an enormous building for an international line that crossed the Pyrenees. El Canfranero makes that journey one Saturday a month on the Blue Train, restaurant and sleeping cars from the 1920s and 1930s preserved by an association in Zaragoza, and leaves you the afternoon to see the station from inside.
How the day goes
8:42 · Zaragoza. The train leaves on time and the access check closes five minutes before; seats are numbered. It is about three and a half hours of climbing through the Hoya de Huesca and the Aragón valley.
Around 12:15 · Canfranc Estación. You get off at the very station you are going to visit. For an early lunch, Restaurante Universo, on Avenida de los Arañones, has a charcoal grill, ternasco and a set menu.
16:00 · The International Station. The Tourist Office's guided visit goes round the tracks, platforms and concourse of the 1928 building, in a good hour, and ends at the new station. It costs €5 from age 11 and €2 for ages 6 to 10, and can be booked online up to two hours beforehand, with limited capacity: look for an afternoon slot that ends before the train leaves. You meet ten minutes early at the Tourist Office, in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento.
Return. When the visit ends you are next to the platform. The return leaves at 18:45 in winter and at 20:08 in summer; you reach Zaragoza after dark.
The train
The Blue Train is not a made-up regular train: its carriages are declared Bien Catalogado of Aragón's Cultural Heritage and are preserved by AZAFT, the Zaragoza railway friends' association. The operator advertises the route from €33, but its listing does not detail prices by age or what is included: check when booking.
Time12 h
Change the route
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
El Boj, Restaurant at the Hotel Santa Cristina
What to order: ask for a table on the terrace if it is sunny and, mid-afternoon, the coffee with brownie
© Canfranc Estación, a Royal Hideaway HotelCanfranc Estación Hotel Restaurants
What to order: for an occasion, the Canfranc Express menu in the carriage; for something simpler, the Art Déco Café
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Canfranc, Candanchú and Astún
The last Saturday of each month except January, February and August. In 2026 the 28 November departure remains; those of 2027 have not been published. In winter the return is earlier, at 18:45.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Book the visit when you buy the train
The International Station visit runs in slots and is bought separately: match the time with your arrival.
- 2Wrap up warm for the return
In November, by the time of the return, it is already dark in the valley.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
When does El Canfranero leave?
On the last Saturday of each month except January, February and August, at 8:42 from Zaragoza.
How long does it take from Zaragoza to Canfranc on this train?
About three and a half hours.
Does it include the station visit?
The operator's listing does not say; the visit is booked separately on the Canfranc town council website.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/spain/aragon/canfranc/itineraries/blue-train-and-international-station
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.