Trains from Madrid to Sarria

[SHREKS WIFE]

I am planning on starting the Camino in Sarria on May 11th and am trying to book a daytime train from Madrid to Sarria on 10th May. However there are not any showing after 8th May.
Have they stopped or can you not book this far in advance?

 

[jefferyonthecamino]

I am planning on starting the Camino in Sarria on May 11th and am trying to book a daytime train from Madrid to Sarria on 10th May. However there are not any showing after 8th May.
Have they stopped or can you not book this far in advance?

too far in advance most likely. you will probably have to connect in lugo, and from there it is a local train

 

[gloria lowe]

Try Loco2. They show overnight trains. I’ve taken a day train from Madrid Charmatin station to Sarria in the day time about 5 years ago. The buses aren’t bad in Spain.

 

[Mark McCarthy]

You are correct. The trains to Lugo and Sarria disappear on May 9th. I will call RENFE tomorrow to try and find what is happening. Meanwhile, I would suggest flying Ryanair or Iberia Express to Santiago and then take the bus. It is not as enjoyable as taking the train but it will get you to Sarria.

 

[Mark McCarthy]

I just called RENFE (+34 9 12 320 320) and the operator assured me that they are just late putting up the train timetables for that route and suggested trying again in a few days time.

 

[tcrutchf]

I have been having the same problem. I thought they were posted about 60 days out and have been checking daily for the last week or so. We arrive in Madrid on May 26. My mind is now at ease! Thank you. I will continue to check each day.

 

[JuanaPow]

I just did this in March 2019. Renfe did not post trains until about five weeks before our trip. We took the train from Madrid ChaMartin - it departed at about 130 and we arrived in Sarria about 7 PM. The Renfe site is quirky ( and their virtual assistant, Irene, is downright creepy with her shifty eyes ) so I used Loco2, a British company, this time to purchase the tickets and it worked great. You can set an alert to be notified when the routes open up for your travel date

 

[paddington]

I just called RENFE (+34 9 12 320 320) and the operator assured me that they are just late putting up the train timetables for that route and suggested trying again in a few days time.

Hi mark
You seem very knowledgeable about the train system
I am trying to get to sarria from Madrid. The two direct trains (one departs 1pm, the other is the overnight train) are not showing up beyond May 23. Is it usual for the trains to not be showing up with only just over 3 weeks to go ??
Perhaps with Easter and May Day things are slow getting posted ?
Any thoughts would be welcome . Thx

 

[paddington]

Hi mark
You seem very knowledgeable about the train system
I am trying to get to sarria from Madrid. The two direct trains (one departs 1pm, the other is the overnight train) are not showing up beyond May 23. Is it usual for the trains to not be showing up with only just over 3 weeks to go ??
Perhaps with Easter and May Day things are slow getting posted ?
Any thoughts would be welcome . Thx

I am hoping to travel to Sarria in May 25.

 

[GreenArcher83]

I am travelling to Sarria on May 26. The Renfe site has been stuck at May 24 for the last couple of weeks.
I have been looking at the bus option using ALSA to Lugo and then taking the MONBUS back to Sarria but I would still rather take the train.

 

[Mark McCarthy]

RENFE (+34 9 12 320 320) have English speaking operators, so you can call to confirm but I am reasonably confident both trains will be avilable.

 

[GreenArcher83]

I've been reading your book Mark!

 

[Mark McCarthy]

I've been reading your book Mark!

I hope you enjoy! Any suggestions for improvements gratefully received!

 

[GreenArcher83]

I am hoping to travel to Sarria in May 25.

Hope to see you on the road Paddington!

 

[Tincatinker]

The issue for late May travellers appears to be that there are no scheduled connections between Ourense and Sarria. Trains Madrid to Sarria usually involve changing at Ourense for a train to A Coruna that stops at Sarria. RENFE website is S.H.I.T. (Silly, Hopeless, Incomprehensible, Testing).

If you search for a train from Madrid - Chamartin to A Coruna you will discover that there are two per day, that you will have to change at Ourense and that you get disembark at Sarria. What you are unlikely to be able to do is purchase a ticket from Madrid Chamartin to Sarria until you get to Madrid Chamartin and even there you may have to explain that you want to disembark at Sarria which will cause absolute astonishment in the ticket office that services a couple of hundred pilgrims on their way to Sarria every day. Es normal.

The Caminos generous inclination to help your personal development can begin long before your first cafe con leche

 

[paddington]

The issue for late May travellers appears to be that there are no scheduled connections between Ourense and Sarria. Trains Madrid to Sarria usually involve changing at Ourense for a train to A Coruna that stops at Sarria. RENFE website is S.H.I.T. (Silly, Hopeless, Incomprehensible, Testing).

If you search for a train from Madrid - Chamartin to A Coruna you will discover that there are two per day, that you will have to change at Ourense and that you get disembark at Sarria. What you are unlikely to be able to do is purchase a ticket from Madrid Chamartin to Sarria until you get to Madrid Chamartin and even there you may have to explain that you want to disembark at Sarria which will cause absolute astonishment in the ticket office that services a couple of hundred pilgrims on their way to Sarria every day. Es normal.

The Caminos generous inclination to help your personal development can begin long before your first cafe con leche

thanks for the information
I just called Renfe information. Was told that the Alvia 4325 direct train from Madrid to Lugo (that stops at Sarria) has not yet shown up on the schedule for May 24 and beyond. He does not see anything to indicate that this train will not be running May 24 and beyond and told me to keep checking the schedule.
My Plan B is to take the bus from the Madrid airport to Lugo and then just take a taxi from Lugo to Sarria as that bus arrives fairly late in the evening. (any advice about this plan B would be welcome)
I know flying to Santiago would be easy, but I just don't want to see santiago until I see it on foot at the end of our journey.
I believe that May 1 and May 2 are holidays in Madrid so I dont anticipate seeing anything new until late this week or early next week.
Buen Camino

 

[paddington]

Hope to see you on the road Paddington!

thanks hope to see you on the road also.
looks like we have the same plan B (bus to lugo). pls let me know if you come up with a better alternative.

 

[Mark McCarthy]

I have just checked the RENFE site and it says there is a bus replacement service between Zamora and Ourense due to works on the line. This extends the journey time to Sarria by another 40 minutes but the tickets are thru tickets to Sarria. I suspect they are not sure when the works will be completed and so are only releasing the schedules two or three weeks in advance rather than the normal 60 days.

 

[paddington]

I have just checked the RENFE site and it says there is a bus replacement service between Zamora and Ourense due to works on the line. This extends the journey time to Sarria by another 40 minutes but the tickets are thru tickets to Sarria. I suspect they are not sure when the works will be completed and so are only releasing the schedules two or three weeks in advance rather than the normal 60 days.

That is the best explanation I have heard ,
but it does not explain why the. Overnight direct train to sarria is also not showing up for May 24 and beyond . LOL

 

[GreenArcher83]

Tickets to the overnight trains to Sarria after May 23 are now available at the Renfe website. The 1PM train is still not on sale - but they are not saying it is not running. Still hoping that the 1PM train runs.