Basque in the glory of Spain's north coast

One of Spain's oldest train routes has been given a makeover. A journey on the Transcantabrico, which runs between San Sebastián and Santiago de Compostela, promises to be seriously comfortable; the sleeping cars have double beds, there are bathrooms with power showers as well as observation carriages from which to see the scenery glide by.

There are just 14 sleeping cars, meaning that only 28 passengers will get to feast on the gourmet food on the four and eight-day
itineraries. Think of it as Agatha Christie with added wi-fi. Three nights in April from £1,450pp full-board for three nights, eltranscantabrico granlujo.com

The city of San Sebastián is the foodie capital of the Basque region, and this new three-day tour from operator San Sebastián Food does what it says-on the tin. Based in a fishing village close to the city, lessons include a grounding in pintxos, the Basque tapas, fish preparation, and knife skills as well as a visit to the La Bretxa market in San Sebastián.

As with all the best cooking holidays, the evenings are devoted to eating the fruits of your labours; tuition comes from Alex Barcenilla, who has worked in several Basque Michelin-starred restaurants. Taking place from June 2 to 4, the trip costs 525 (£451), including all tuition, transport and most meals but not flights or accommodation, sansebastianfood.com

Bilbao may draw the art crowd and San Sebastián the guzzlers, but the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz could be the city connoisseur's choice. Stuffed with Renaissance palaces and superb churches, its medieval centre is studded with down-to-earth bars and great restaurants. The streets are regularly invigorated by festivals; the one from August 4 to 9, celebrating the city's patron saint is particularly fun. Kirker Holidays has just added Hotel Ciudad de Vitoria to its collection; a three-night break starts at £468 B&B including flights and transfers, kirkerholidays.com

Brittany Ferries launches a new route between Portsmouth and Bilbao on March 27. The Cap Finistere has 239 cabins, a swimming pool and a resident wildlife officer to maximise dolphin and whale spotting opportunities in the Bay of Biscay. With the established Plymouth to Santander route, it means that there will be five return sailings to Northern Spain each week. Prices start at £180pp for two people and a car, brittanyferries.com