Back in 2019 I was on the last night of a JY trip when at the farewell dinner the conversation turned to trips we had done and those we hoped to do. During the subsequent discussion our tour manager, as we then used to call them, said that the traditional trains of the Pyrenees was something of an undiscovered gem. Then along came Covid followed by the catch up on trips rolled over whilst the pandemic took it’s grip. Having finally caught up on those bookings and looking for an autumn getaway I recalled that long ago conversation, checked out the trip, and liking what I saw I got myself booked in.
One issue needs highlighting but this relates to the JY website rather than the tour itself. On day 6 the itinerary reads “…..choose to join our optional excursion on the Roses Expres tourist train…..” When I booked no excursion was shown on the JY website the public sees and I was told nothing was coming up on the screen the person handling the booking saw. I waited until the final documentation arrived and we had the same scenario of wording but nothing I could see on the public website. However, this time when I phoned I was told this was coming up on the screen in the JY offices as an excursion costing £21.00. Having checked this trip out elsewhere I booked over the ‘phone. See below regarding the excursion itself. At the time of writing this review the excursion is still not showing on the web pages the public sees so someone needs to proof read the site generally to ensure that what is on offer is actually being offered!
I travelled up the day before and stayed at the Thistle T5. If anyone does not know there is a little pod that, for £7.00 transports you direct from the hotel to T5 in a few minutes. For later flights the #423 bus is 2 stops away from T5 and my bus pass works in London!
As for the tour itself….
There were 23 of us being 8 men and 15 ladies with 5 coming in from Manchester and 18 of us flying from Heathrow. Some of the Heathrow passengers had connecting flights to other parts of the UK.
There were a couple of long drives from and to airports but until Spain moves Barcelona airport to suit the JY itinerary I guess this will always be the case!
We stayed in 2 hotels:-
Hotel Camprodon in Camprodon which was a delightfully quaint hotel in the heart of the town. It was a bit of a warren at first but it took no time to find your way around. There were well laid out gardens to relax in and a pool that several tried out. Breakfast was a cold buffet and dinner was a choice of 2 menus cooked to order that you ordered the night before. I was only aware of one person with dietry needs (vegetarian) and I believe they were separately catered for. Rooms were clean and tidy and apart from our group there were only a handful of other residents.
Prestige Victoria Hotel in Roses is an altogether much more modern hotel – well this is the Costa Brava! Again there was a pool area, which I did not test, and areas to sit outside. Breakfast was a hot and cold buffet but on 2 mornings we had early starts so had a cold buffet only. Dinner was again a buffet with a wide selection of dishes on offer. It was cooking for the masses and whilst more than acceptable we had been spoilt by the fare at our previous hotel. For dinners especially the restaurant was packed so it was a bit of a bun fight. Depending on what time you retired there could be noise from the evening entertainment.
For both hotels there were no tea/coffee facilities in the room and I rather wish I had packed my kettle and some coffee!
Our holiday director was Ian MacDonald whom I have not previously met before but he has done many JY tours in the past. Thanks to Ian all went smoothly and as this was a relatively slow paced break we got a note at the outset of hotel dining times, excursion departure times etc with Ian updating us of any amendments as we went along.
We only had one real local guide and that was “Geordie” in Camprodon along with driver Tony. Both were excellent.
Included excursions were as advertised and I found them well paced and interesting. It was a bit of a drive from Roses to the Red Train but for me well worth it. There were actually 2 trains as we changed to an open top train. I, and a couple of others, were in a separate carriage to the main party where it was a seating free for all and it was in the other carriage that there was a local, from the train company, guide who hardly paused for breath and who spoke primarily in French. Some in the other carriage found this a little overbearing but being in a different carriage with less volume this was not such an issue for me!
A little gem is the aforementioned Roses Expres. This is a road train, a tractor disguised as a train, which takes you way up into the hills and into a nature reserve behind Roses giving spectacular views back over the town. I think for some this was the highlight of the tour.
Weather was superb with any clothing packed for adverse weather conditions staying firmly in the case.
As for shopping there was little in Camprodon but I believe some did spend money in the boutiques of Roses. For both hotels there are nearby supermarkets for water and other essentials. As for other spending this was mainly down to lunches and how much you wished to indulge in the bar in the evening.
A thoroughly enjoyable few days with thanks to my travelling companions for their company.
Any questions then do feel free to ask.
Ian
