I am considering this train trip.

http://www.alandalusexpreso.com/ingles/rates.html

I'd like feedback from others who might have taken the trip.

And what about the weather:

I'm considering September 9 - 17 '07 - will that be unpleasantly hot?

Sylvia

Over six hundred dollars per night? What is the big attraction?

I am going to answer this assuming that you are not a troll (though I have my doubts).

This is essentially a landbound cruiseship, and though I think the idea is novel, I think that it is overpriced. Yes, it includes everything, but as there is not a single bit of information about what food is offered, I would have my doubts.

That said, if you want to do it, I would love to read what you think about the experience. Weather is a crapshoot, but end of August and beginning of Sept. is when things start to cool off, so I don't think it should be a problem. That said, the tour seems quite intent on people staying inside the hotel cars, which are climatized and apparantly very attractive, so that should take care of it for you.

I think Renfe has another called the Pablo Casals (out of Barcelona??); but if I were considering an 'land cruise' I would look seriously at FEVE's 'Trans Cantabrico' that does a much more scenic route from Leon to Bilbao to O'Ferrol (connecting with MotorCoach to Santiago de Compostela. You can 'book' it for eithrt direction. http://www.FEVE.es

An 8-day, seven noght journey, they have details of everything in English (including the cuisine) on their website. Just click on TransCantabrico on the bottom left of the main page.

FEVE is Ferrocaril Español de Via Estrecha (narrow gauge)

I appreciate the responses.

I'm not a troll, though this is my first post at fodors.com , and the attraction is I like a homebase and daytrips, don't like moving from hotel to hotel. This is part of planning a return trip to southern Africa and an attempt to avoid LHR by flying to JNB via MAD (from SFO or SJC) on a OneWorld award. I did see the other train trip too; thank you. I'm looking for some opinions from people who've actually taken the trip. Then I want to organize a lodge in Namibia and a lodge in Botswana - three longish stays and not too many one night transfers in between.

(I did a Shongololo two week train trip and found it a good way for me to travel. I've also taken a shorter trip in Rajasthan and an even shorter one in Australia.)

Sylvia, thinking I should have begun by introducing myself

Hi Sylvia

I also like a homebase and daytrips, and don't like moving from hotel to hotel, but lack the big bucks to travel on such a lavish train.

If money is no object, then go for it.