This trip begins in Bilbao in the Basque Country and ends at Barcelona.

To reach Bilbao you can either travel by a very comfortable bus from Madrid or reach the city by train from Paris. Of course we'd love to host you in Madrid or Paris if you'd like a few days there before your trip.

You end in Barcelona, with fantastic air connections to north America. From here you can also travel to Paris by direct train if you'd rather end there. Just let us know your thoughts and we can advise you the best route.

This trip can start any day of the week, from mid-April through June and September through October. During these times, daytime temperatures will range between 15°-25°c (59-77°f). It can get cool at night up in the mountains.

April can be beautiful but we may need to adapt some of the higher walks if there is snow on the high ground. May and June are beautifully green, the weather very good in the main and the water levels in the rivers at their best. In October and early November, the fall colors are a true sight to behold in the forests of the Pyrenees.

The hotels on this trip tend towards the premium end of the scale, which is to say that they are the perfect places to rest up and relax.

Throughout you should expect small rural guesthouses, with a warm welcome, characterful and comfortable rooms and often a delicious homecooked meal made with local ingredients. Whether it's the food, the hosts or the location, there is something memorable at each, all offering a great sense of place.

Please get in touch for full details.

A major advantage of having your own car is that the walks can be adapted to your needs and overall you have complete control over how much or how little you do on any given day. We also provide you with routes for a variety of self-guided hikes in each area, from half-day strolls to full-day hikes. On some of these, you simply walk as far as you like before turning around.

The itinerary includes two guided hiking days which can be adapted to suit you depending on how far you want to walk.

Away from the cities, the roads tend to fall quiet and traffic is usually very light. We love driving in Spain because of the freedom it gives you. That could mean changing plans over breakfast, or simply pulling over at the side of the road to soak in a view you might otherwise have sailed straight past.

As the roads are generally quiet, smooth and scenic, it's designed to be a pleasurable part of the experience, rather than a price to pay for said freedom.

You can expect a medium-sized vehicle such as a VW Golf, though we can’t guarantee a specific make or model. Where it is a realistic option, we will always try to provide a hybrid vehicle.

Some vehicles have sat nav built in, but we find the best way to navigate is simply to use Waze or Google Maps on your smartphone. These can both be used offline to avoid data charges and your phone can easily sync with your car's Bluetooth so that it talks to you through the radio. All in all, it's not really much different to navigating in a part of your own country you've not been to before.

For sure. The cultural aspect of this itinerary is a very significant part of its appeal and is the reason why we are sure to include time with our local guides at key moments in the journey.

This journey crosses three distinctive historical and cultural regions of Spain: the Basque Country, the old Kingdom of Aragón and the region of Catalonia. On the way, you will be thoroughly spoiled with a very high standard of food and wine.

No, your hosts speak English perfectly well. In busier areas of the main tourist places like Bilbao, San Sebastián and Barcelona, English will be widely spoken. In smaller restaurants and in villages and the countryside, it is spoken infrequently but don't sweat it, you'll get along just fine.

Absolutely. This trip can be tailored to suit you, so speak to us if you would like to include more activities, trim it by a day or two or extend your stay to include other parts of Spain.