Coach Rental Across Spain

Wine Country While Someone Else Drives

Spain's famous wine regions are an easy day out from its cities, and a minibus with a driver means everyone can taste. Spain holds drivers of larger passenger vehicles to a stricter alcohol limit than ordinary motorists, 0.3 g/l in the blood, so the only person skipping the tasting is the one doing the driving.

Rioja from Bilbao or Donostia

Rioja is a Denominación de Origen Calificada with three zones, Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental, more than 66,000 ha of vines and nearly 600 wineries. From central Bilbao, Haro is about 95 km, around 1 h 20 min, and Laguardia about 111 km, around 1 h 45 min. Two cellars and a long lunch fit comfortably. From Donostia / San Sebastián, the Txakoli village of Getaria is only about 25 km away.

Passenger van interior
Passenger van interior

Ribera del Duero from Madrid or Segovia

Ribera del Duero spreads across Burgos, Soria, Segovia and Valladolid, with more than 300 wineries and its own wine route around Aranda de Duero, Peñafiel and Roa. Leaving from the Puerta del Sol, Peñafiel is roughly 180 km and nearly three hours away, so a Madrid start means a long day. From Segovia it is about 89 km, roughly 1 h 30 min, which leaves much more time among the barrels.

Rules worth knowing first

  • Rioja is a Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa) with three zones, Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental, more than 66,000 ha of vineyards and nearly 600 wineries; Haro is about 95 km by road from central Bilbao (about 1 h 20 min by coach) and Laguardia, in Rioja Alavesa, about 111 km (about 1 h 45 min)
  • Priorat is a Denominació d'Origen Qualificada (DOQ) of nine villages and twelve wine-growing areas in the province of Tarragona, with 116 wineries; Falset is about 134 km by road from the Plaça de Catalunya in Barcelona (about 2 h 10 min by coach)

Cava, Priorat and sherry

From the Plaça de Catalunya in Barcelona, Sant Sadurní d'Anoia in the Penedès is about 46 km and Vilafranca del Penedès about 54 km, both under an hour. Priorat, a DOQ of nine villages and 116 wineries in the province of Tarragona, asks for more road: Falset is about 134 km, around 2 h 10 min.

Down in Andalucía, the sherry triangle joins Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Jerez de la Frontera and El Puerto de Santa María. Jerez is about 31 km from Cádiz, some 35 minutes, so the bodegas fit into half a day.

What travellers ask us

Do you book the winery visits?

We arrange the vehicle and driver. Wineries set their own visiting times, so book the tastings first and send us the times; the route is built around them.

How long can a wine day be?

A driver may drive up to nine hours a day, ten on two days a week, with a 45-minute break after four and a half hours. Lunch at a bodega usually covers the break.

Can we bring cases of wine home?

Yes, within the space available. A full minibus has little room at the back, so if cases are coming, leave some seats free or choose a larger vehicle.

Other places for your group

Other vehicles with a driver