Spain by train: a three city mini-break to Bilbao, Barcelona and Madrid

Turning a Spanish city break into a train trip to remember by visiting three cities and exploring their distinctive food, art and culture

Now that travel restrictions are easing, the European city break is back on. But since it’s been so long for so many of us, why stop at just one destination? Step forward the multi-city break: put three cities together, link them with easy-to-book train or bus journeys and you’ve got a full-on adventure.

I decide on Spain for my first post-Covid trip, plotting a route from Bilbao to Barcelona and then on to Madrid. Together, the trio of cities promises an unbeatable combination of food, art and beaches, and an insight into three different regions. Instead of wrangling with complicated foreign rail websites, I book tickets through an app, Omio, which pulls up timetables, reserves my seats and deposits tickets on my phone.