• 20% off everything Altus the next few days at the Camino Forum Store. More here. (Discount taken at check out)

How do I get from Madrid to Pamplona?

Julio Rivera

New Member
Aug 3, 2019
13
19
California
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino Francés, Camino Inglés, Camino Portugués, Camino Primitivo, Camino del Norte, Camino Aragonés
What are the transportation options to go from Madrid to Pamplona? I arrive in Madrid, but I do not know how to get to Pamplona and where to take the train/bus/plane to get there. Any advise will be appreciated. thank you.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.

Bradypus

Migratory hermit
Jan 18, 2015
7,649
33,870
Time of past OR future Camino
Too many and too often!
  • Like
Reactions: Kumi
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.

SabsP

Veteran Member
Feb 18, 2010
8,677
1
41,824
Belgium
Time of past OR future Camino
some and then more. see my signature.
  • Love - Red heart
  • Like
Reactions: Kanga and Kumi
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).

flyfishinguy

New Member
Feb 6, 2020
5
5
akron oh
Time of past OR future Camino
2016 - camino frances
The train from Madrid will get you there.
The Pamplona Airport is about 9 miles S.W. of the center of the city
The bus terminal is downtown and, during tourist season, there are regular buses to take you over to St. Jean Pied de Port (if that is where you want to begin your camino)
buen camino
 
  • Like
Reactions: Anthony18 and Kumi

lt56ny

Veteran Member
Jul 28, 2012
4,775
12,817
Bucerias, Mexico
Time of past OR future Camino
2024 Aragones, Madrid, Portugues Coastal
If you want to take a plane you should check out the Iberia website. There are often really good fares. It is a question of traveling to the airport from Madrid and dealing with that. I know it can take a while and be a hassle. But the flight is quick and the airport close to town.
 
  • Like
Reactions: malingerer
Ideal pocket guides for during and after your Camino. Each weighs just 40g (1.4 oz).
Nov 1, 2008
11,043
23,349
71
Portland, Oregon
www.caminosantiago2.blogspot.com
Time of past OR future Camino
2006 to date: Over 21 Caminos. See signature line
Simply walk out of the airport at Terminal 4 and onto a bus to Pamplona. Look for a person in a Kelly Green blazer if you need help. You can purchase tickets at the bus from the driver. It's a beautiful drive and you'll get to see much of the country side. I do it every year.

Check dates and prices at www.movelia.es
Remember, the date is put in day/month/year unlike in the USA
 
Nov 1, 2008
11,043
23,349
71
Portland, Oregon
www.caminosantiago2.blogspot.com
Time of past OR future Camino
2006 to date: Over 21 Caminos. See signature line
I know the buses are running from Madrid airport to Pamplona on March 4 because I just looked for myself and Joe. Two tickets are €92 - €44.54 each and here are the times

Screen Shot 2020-02-07 at 7.16.42 AM.png
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery

wcsjms

Active Member
Jul 20, 2016
320
496
74
Florida,USA
Time of past OR future Camino
(2016) ; 1st Camino Frances September 2016-November 2016 ; Camino Frances August 2017-October 2017
What are the transportation options to go from Madrid to Pamplona? I arrive in Madrid, but I do not know how to get to Pamplona and where to take the train/bus/plane to get there. Any advise will be appreciated. thank you.
we are going by train on February 19, 2020 from Madrid to Pamplona
about 3 hour train ride
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kumi
Nov 1, 2008
11,043
23,349
71
Portland, Oregon
www.caminosantiago2.blogspot.com
Time of past OR future Camino
2006 to date: Over 21 Caminos. See signature line
we are going by train on February 19, 2020 from Madrid to Pamplona
about 3 hour train ride
It's about the same amount of time or less to take the bus, considering you must get from the airport to the train station, whereas with the bus, you just walk out of the airport terminal and onto the bus. I love the Spanish buses! Beautiful, clean, with giant viewing windows.
 
3rd Edition. More content, training & pack guides avoid common mistakes, bed bugs etc
When you get their Julio,I can recommend Hotel Eslava in Pamplona which is very central location off the Plaza Virgin. Inside the walls of the old city.
Very quite, rooms a bit small, but it had an old world feel and very intimate. Owner acted like my long
lost Spanish uncle and was very helpful. Camino is just a few blocks away and bus station is a 12 minute walk.
They gave me a pilgrim discount of 38 Euros (back in 2015) for a private room recommended to sleep off the Jet lag from flight from JFK NY.
 

chemapu

New Member
Jan 5, 2014
3
5
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino de Madrid in 2011.
2014 in june Camino Frances
Tomorrow I will take a train from Madrid (Atocha Train Station) to Pamplona for my Camino Frances walking this time. In winter I think is better to take the train instead of the bus, sometimes you have snow on the road and here in Spain in that case is a big mess. Buen Camino
 
  • Like
Reactions: ginniek
3rd Edition. More content, training & pack guides avoid common mistakes, bed bugs etc

Jamieb

Active Member
Feb 14, 2012
100
223
USA - Texas
Time of past OR future Camino
2019
We arrived around 9am, took the Express bus to Atocha train station. 11:30 train to Pamplona. We stayed in a hotel for the night to rest. Next day we walked a few blocks to the bus station and took a 2pm bus to SJPDP. I was so stressed about this but turned out to be very easy.
 

RJM

Veteran Member
May 10, 2017
2,582
7,572
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino's Frances, Fisterre, Portuges. Over 180 day
If you are arriving in Madrid at the airport, I have found the ALSA bus that departs from terminal 4 to be the simplest and least expensive way to get to Pamplona. In the past I have always made my reservations in advance on the ALSA website. Never had a problem.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Anniesantiago

henrythedog

Veteran Member
Jan 3, 2017
3,824
17,500
Lancashire UK
Time of past OR future Camino
Annually - often more - from 2014
Tomorrow I will take a train from Madrid (Atocha Train Station) to Pamplona for my Camino Frances walking this time. In winter I think is better to take the train instead of the bus, sometimes you have snow on the road and here in Spain in that case is a big mess. Buen Camino


Are you sure? Whenever I’ve gone RENFE. Madrid to Pamplona (3 or 4 times) it’s departed From Madrid Chamartin.

I know you can get a Cercanias between the two Madrid stations.
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.

nathanael

Active Member
Oct 10, 2019
275
416
Canada
Time of past OR future Camino
Frances, Norte, Plata,

ginniek

Active Member
Jun 29, 2016
284
582
Beaufort, SC USA
Time of past OR future Camino
frances 2017
I love trains, especially the really fast ones like Spain's AVEs and I really like Pamplona, so I took the AVE from Madrid (where I had spent the day and night enjoying another place I love), got there in a three hours. Plenty of time to walk all over, including the medieval quarter and hemingway-related places, and left the next morning refreshed mentally and physically.
 

Anyael

New Member
Feb 17, 2020
3
0
US
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino Frances (2019)
We used barajas airport taxi service.

Booking was very easy, and we received a reminder email the day before.
The driver was waiting for us in arrivals and he was parked just outside. It was a Mercedes people carrier/van and the driver spoke very good English and pointed out things on the way. We paid him in cash.
 
Last edited:
A selection of Camino Jewellery

RRat

Active Member
Feb 19, 2017
428
816
Time of past OR future Camino
Planning 2017
What are the transportation options to go from Madrid to Pamplona? I arrive in Madrid, but I do not know how to get to Pamplona and where to take the train/bus/plane to get there. Any advise will be appreciated. thank you.
Train is faster, bus is more often, so it depends when you can actually get to the boarding dock.
 
Ideal pocket guides for during and after your Camino. Each weighs just 40g (1.4 oz).

Donjek

Active Member
Oct 7, 2019
114
90
Canada
Time of past OR future Camino
2012 SJPdP - Fisterra
Aena Madrid Airport

Renfe train from Chamartin station Madrid to Pamplona. There is Renfe Cercanias from Madrid T4 to Chamartin. Madrid Metro from T1 and T4 go to Chamartin but involves transfers. (Note there is another train station, Atocha, in Madrid)

ALSA bus from Avenida de America Madrid (with some but not all originating at Madrid T4) (if you choose to wait at the airport you could be there a while) There is local bus (route 200) from Airport (several stops at airport) to Avenida de America bus station. ALSA goes from Madrid via Zaragosa or Soria to Pamplona. Usually, you don't have to transfer buses. Sometimes bus colors will not be ALSA.

PLM Autocares bus goes direct from Madrid Avenida de America to Pamplona.
 

KJFSophie

My Way, With Joy !
Jan 24, 2018
627
2,741
Massachusetts, USA
Time of past OR future Camino
2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024
What are the transportation options to go from Madrid to Pamplona? I arrive in Madrid, but I do not know how to get to Pamplona and where to take the train/bus/plane to get there. Any advise will be appreciated. thank you.

Took the bus my first year, but it was absolute hell for my back and legs after all of the hours I had just spent on a plane from the USA. The following year I took the train and found it just as long and uncomfortable. I now use the small plane services which usually get you to the next destination from Madrid in about an hour for not much more than the train or bus. Well worth it to me to avoid aches and pains from being cramped in a seat for hours and hours. Travel safely! Buen Camino!
 

Most read last week in this forum

Anyone had issues flying American Airlines or Iberia (American Airlines Partner) from the states and back for there Camino 2024? I booked our flights through AA.com 7 Months ago from DFW to...
Question from an inexperienced overseas traveler: Do you purchase travel insurance along with your airline ticket purchase when it is offered or do you purchase it separately? I only need the...
Hi All, I'm so grateful for this forum! So, long story short, I'm very reliant on a particular protein powder which you can't buy in Spain. I'm planning to arrive with some at Irun, and then...
Wife and I would like to take the train from Santiago to Barcelona after our pilgrimage. Online information has been confusing. 11 hours to 6 hours? Through Madrid? Where to buy tickets. Which...
My son and I will be traveling to Madrid in late June and then subsequently starting the Camino in Leon. We arrive mid afternoon and want to stay the night in Madrid the travel by train the next...
We want to bus from los Arcos to Logroño but there doesn’t appear to be such a thing. Also, Uber doesn’t serve that area. Where should we look for a ride next? What’s blablacar?

❓How to ask a question

How to post a new question on the Camino Forum.

Forum Rules

Forum Rules

Camino Updates on YouTube

Camino Conversations

Most downloaded Resources

This site is run by Ivar at

in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon
Official Camino Passport (Credential) | 2024 Camino Guides