Spain by Rail — Six Nights across Madrid, Seville and Barcelona

You are met at Madrid airport by a representative and driven to your hotel in a private vehicle. Madrid sits high on the Castilian plateau and evenings run late, so there is no hurry to do anything on the first night. The rest of the day is free.

A panoramic bus tour of Madrid across two routes. One covers historic Madrid — the Paseo del Prado, the Habsburg royal legacy, the Royal Palace and the Temple of Debod. The other covers the modern city, from Atocha station to Nuevos Ministerios and across to the Puerta de Alcalá and the Puerta del Sol.

You make your own way to Madrid station for the train south to Seville, and your own way from Seville station to your hotel. The rail journey itself is included. Check-in is from around three in the afternoon, so plan the morning with that in mind.

A hop-on hop-off day in Seville. The cathedral and the Alcázar sit together in the old centre, the river runs past the bullring and the Torre del Oro, and the Plaza de España stands in a park some way south — spread enough that a route you can leave and rejoin makes sense.

You make your own way to Seville station for the train to Barcelona, and your own way from Barcelona station to your hotel. It is the longest of the two rail legs, crossing the country diagonally from the south-west to the Mediterranean coast.

A hop-on hop-off day in Barcelona. The Gothic quarter and the waterfront sit well apart from the Modernista buildings uptown, so the route saves the day from being spent on transport. The rest of the day is free.

Breakfast at the hotel, then check out and a private transfer from your hotel to Barcelona airport for your onward flight. Allow the check-in time your airline requires.