The drop in temperatures makes official what the calendar says: that autumn is officially among us. It is only a matter of time before the green of the trees gives way to the color palette of the new season and then, punctually, the Strawberry Train will resume its circulations with its tourist routes, which on this occasion have some new features.
For those who are not familiar with the Strawberry Train, it follows a very special itinerary since it “recreates the route of the first railroad line of the Community of Madrid and the second of the Peninsula, inaugurated in 1851″, explained the Spanish Railway Foundation.
In addition to the journey itself to Aranjuez – whose landscapes and gardens have the distinction of Cultural Landscape World Heritage Site by Unesco -, the Strawberry Train routes include visits to various points of interest in the city and this edition has two new features for the fall.
Special routes of the Strawberry Train this autumn
Strawberries with Music
This new route is linked to the celebration of the XXXII Festival de Música Antigua de Aranjuez, so the visit combines the architectural and natural heritage of Aranjuez with “special performances of early music, exclusively for its passengers, in unique spaces”.
These spaces include the Carlos III Theater, the Chapel of the Royal Palace and for the first time the Bodega de Carlos III Real Cortijo de San Isidro, dating from the eighteenth century.
📅 Dates: October 5, 12, 19 and 26 and November 2.
💸 Price: adults 47 €, children (from 1 m to 1.40 m tall) 36 €, children less than 1 m tall travel for free if they do not occupy a seat.
Strawberries from the Huerta
Although this route already existed, this fall for the first time will take travelers on the train to another crop in the area: pumpkin. There they will not only be able to harvest their own in a traditional orchard in Aranjuez, but they will also have the opportunity to take a country ride on a tractor.
It is an activity especially designed for families with children, with a painting area where they can decorate the pumpkin to your liking, plus a maze of straw, photocall… On the other hand, on October 25 there will be a special Halloween event with candy tables and live country band.
📅 Dates: October 18 and 25.
💸 Price: adults 58 €, children (from 1 m to 1.40 m tall) 46 €, children under 1 m travel free if they do not occupy a seat.
The usual routes
These new routes are added to those traditionally offered, such as Strawberries with cream, Tagus Strawberries or Royal Strawberries. All of them include the round trip on the train and strawberries, but what is visited on each one changes upon arrival in Aranjuez.
You can find all the details about what each touristic route includes -which, by the way, are dog-friendly- on the official website of the Strawberry Train.
Strawberry Train Tickets
Tickets for this tourist train, which will run on weekends between October 4 and November 9, can be purchased through the website mentioned above.
The Cervantes train
Tourist trains are a different way to discover the heritage of the Community of Madrid, and among them another one with a lot of tradition is the Cervantes Train, which includes a guided tour to learn about the history of the writer and the city of Complutense itself. You can find more information in this article.