The La Robla Express, from León to Bilbao sleeping on the train

The La Robla Express is the simplest of Renfe's hotel trains and the one that follows the old narrow-gauge La Robla line, between the León coalfields and Bilbao. You sleep on board in compartments with two bunks, a wardrobe and a private bathroom, in four sleeping cars of seven compartments each; by day you travel in three lounge cars with a bar and big windows. It lasts three days and two nights.

From León to Bilbao, day by day

Taking the 2026 itinerary as a reference: on the first day, reception is at 10:30 at the Hotel Real Colegiata de San Isidoro, next to the basilica and the Royal Pantheon, with lunch there. A coach takes you to the train at San Feliz; the train continues to Matallana, from where you go up to the Vegacervera gorges and the Valporquero cave, and sleeps at Cistierna. The second day heads to Espinosa de los Monteros with visits to Palencia's Romanesque and the Canal de Castilla. The third arrives in Bilbao during breakfast, with a visit to the city and the Guggenheim, and ends at La Concordia station.

Dates and price

In 2026 it left León on 19 June and 25 September, and Bilbao on 5 June and 11 September. It cost from €1,300 per person in a double compartment, with a €900 single supplement. In November 2026 Renfe's website already showed the 2027 season as open, with no dates in sight: with two departures per direction a year, it is wise to sign up as soon as they appear.

Before you book

It is a bunk train, not a suite train: if you want a double bed, take the Transcantábrico or the Al Ándalus. Visits are made by coach from the stations. If you arrive in León the day before, the cathedral and the Barrio Húmedo fill the afternoon.