Madrid to sjpp

[Jerry B]

Hi,

I will be flying into Madrid at about 11 am is it a bit ambitious to take the bus to Pamplona and on to sjpp the same day ?

 

[whariwharangi]

Hi,

I will be flying into Madrid at about 11 am is it a bit ambitious to take the bus to Pamplona and on to sjpp the same day ?

Yes, its a bit ambitious. On the plus side you can catch a bus from Pamplona to SJPdP in the morning.

Here is the ALSA schedule and you can do your own time appreciation. You will need an ALSA bus from Madrid to Pamplona then transfer to a CONDA bus from Pamplona to SJPdP. Its two tickets but you use the ALSA schedule information for both buses.

ALSA
https://www.alsa.es/en/

CONDA - Note CONDA is owned by ALSA so the schedule is on the ALSA site.
http://www.conda.es/

 

[Jerry B]

Yes, its a bit ambitious. On the plus side you can catch a bus from Pamplona to SJPdP in the morning.

Here is the ALSA schedule and you can do your own time appreciation. You will need an ALSA bus from Madrid to Pamplona then transfer to a CONDA bus from Pamplona to SJPdP. Its two tickets but you use the ALSA schedule information for both buses.

ALSA
https://www.alsa.es/en/

CONDA - Note CONDA is owned by ALSA so the schedule is on the ALSA site.
http://www.conda.es/

 

[Jerry B]

Thanks for the info I will be flying from costa rica on Iberia direct and was hoping to get all the travel and hassle done in one shot .....but I may just make it to Pamplona and see from there

 

[melanie47]

Well now I question my plans. I fly into Madrid, arrive a 950 am. My plan was to taxi to the train station, catch the train to Pamplona - leaves around 3 PM and arrives in Pamplona at 630 PM.. then taxi to SJPP (the taxi service says it runs until 10 pm so I figured I'd be good). I realize this is not the least expensive travel but for convenience worth it. I have reservations for 2 nights in SJPP already.
Have I messed up?

 

[Thornley]

Well now I question my plans. I fly into Madrid, arrive a 950 am. My plan was to taxi to the train station, catch the train to Pamplona - leaves around 3 PM and arrives in Pamplona at 630 PM.. then taxi to SJPP (the taxi service says it runs until 10 pm so I figured I'd be good). I realize this is not the least expensive travel but for convenience worth it. I have reservations for 2 nights in SJPP already.
Have I messed up?

Bus from airport direct to Pamplona.
Why 2 nights in STJPP ?

 

[melanie47]

Bus from airport direct to Pamplona.
Why 2 nights in STJPP ?

I am traveling from overseas..and will not arrive until 9-10 PM exhausted.

 

[Jerry B]

I have tried very hard to not plan anything and just see what happens I don't have any pressing time constraints

After reading a lot on this site I think I'll grab the bus at t4 to Pamplona and hopefully make it to sjpp hopefully start the 19/20 of august .....txs

 

[Anniesantiago]

Jerry B, for me, it's nice to see Pamplona for a couple of days and recover from the time change.
There is a lot to see there.
Museums, cathedrals, wonderful food!
Then, you can walk right past it when you're walking the Camino.

You can often find very affordable digs on www.booking.com

 

[Jerry B]

Jerry B, for me, it's nice to see Pamplona for a couple of days and recover from the time change.
There is a lot to see there.
Museums, cathedrals, wonderful food!
Then, you can walk right past it when you're walking the Camino.


Sweet ..... Thanks
You can often find very affordable digs on www.booking.com

Jerry B, for me, it's nice to see Pamplona for a couple of days and recover from the time change.
There is a lot to see there.
Museums, cathedrals, wonderful food!
Then, you can walk right past it when you're walking the Camino.

You can often find very affordable digs on www.booking.com

 

[Jerry B]

Sweet .... Thanks

 

[whariwharangi]

Well now I question my plans. I fly into Madrid, arrive a 950 am. My plan was to taxi to the train station, catch the train to Pamplona - leaves around 3 PM and arrives in Pamplona at 630 PM.. then taxi to SJPP (the taxi service says it runs until 10 pm so I figured I'd be good). I realize this is not the least expensive travel but for convenience worth it. I have reservations for 2 nights in SJPP already.
Have I messed up?

You haven't messed up. The taxi from Pamplona to SJPdP is viable. It is much more expensive than the bus ... for which reason I don't usually think to suggest it.

Further, you have lots of time to get from the airport to the train station. You would save a few euro by taking the metro or the cercanias.

 

[Thornley]

I am traveling from overseas..and will not arrive until 9-10 PM exhausted.

Why not walk the next day via Valcarlos?

 

[Anniesantiago]

Hi,

I will be flying into Madrid at about 11 am is it a bit ambitious to take the bus to Pamplona and on to sjpp the same day ?

You also could simply walk from Madrid up to Sahagun and continue on there... it's a magnificent walk!

 

[enerol]

Bus from airport direct to Pamplona.
Why 2 nights in STJPP ?

Why not? Give yourself time to unwind.

 

[Jerry B]

Annie, are you suggesting walk from Madrid to Santiago instead of sjpp? Sounds very interesting what is the layout like and support system along the way and are the roads remote or highway

Txs

 

[Anniesantiago]

Yup.
I walked that route last year and LOVED it!
It's like the Camino used to be - few pilgrims up to Sahagun, then it hooks into the CAmino Frances.
I blogged a bit of it here:
http://caminosantiago2.blogspot.com/2014/05/we-on-our-way.html

I didn't blog each day and I had to cut out a few days early because I had to pick up a group in Pamplona.
I plan on finishing this year.
Joe finished, though, and said it was awesome!

 

[Anniesantiago]

Jerry, it's very well marked except in one place.
The walking is beautiful and you can literally walk straight out of Madrid.
We took a train a couple of stages out and started.
You have to rent a hotel the first few nights and it's not inexpensive, but then the prices drop to €5-10 per night.
I loved that route!

 

[Jerry B]

Madrid it is

Txs

 

[melanie47]

You haven't messed up. The taxi from Pamplona to SJPdP is viable. It is much more expensive than the bus ... for which reason I don't usually think to suggest it.

Further, you have lots of time to get from the airport to the train station. You would save a few euro by taking the metro or the cercanias.

Thanks! Its good to hear I did my homework reasonably well! I'm so bleeping excited!

 

[wesojourn]

I will get into MAD at 8:20am 1 Sept. I have booked busses on that day to SJPdP. As i am so "bleeping excited", i am hoping to get ton SJPdP earlier than the 7:30PM expected by bus. Now, I am considering either flying from MAD to BIQ, or train from MAD to pamplona, then bus to SJPdP. Is this viable? I have very limited language skills and it has been difficult to chat this way with French or Spanish. Thanks for your anticipated contact.

 

[whariwharangi]

I will get into MAD at 8:20am 1 Sept. I have booked busses on that day to SJPdP. As i am so "bleeping excited", i am hoping to get ton SJPdP earlier than the 7:30PM expected by bus. Now, I am considering either flying from MAD to BIQ, or train from MAD to pamplona, then bus to SJPdP. Is this viable? I have very limited language skills and it has been difficult to chat this way with French or Spanish. Thanks for your anticipated contact.

There are not flights from Madrid to Biarritz.

There are flights from Madrid to San Sebastian EAS. The airport is located 3 km from Gare d'Hendaye where you can catch an SNCF train or Transports64 bus to Bayonne. There is an SNCF TER Aquitaine train from Bayonne to Cambo les Bains and SNCF TER Aquitaine bus from Cambo les Bains to SJPdP (one ticket for the trip). There are local buses from EAS airport to downtown San Sebastian where you can catch an ALSA bus to Pamplona.

There are Renfe trains from Madrid (Puerta de Atocha) to Pamplona. There are ALSA buses from Madrid airport T4 and Avenida de America to Pamplona. There is an airport at Pamplona PNA. CONDA operates buses from Pamplona to SJPdP (use ALSA schedule).

Biarritz airport
http://en.biarritz.aeroport.fr/

San Sebastian airport
http://www.aena.es/csee/Satellite/Aeropuerto-San-Sebastian/en/

SNCF train
http://www.sncf.com/

Transports64 bus
http://www.transports64.fr/transports-64?lang=fr

SNCF TER Aquitaine
https://www.ter.sncf.com/aquitaine

Pamplona airport
http://www.aena.es/csee/Satellite/Aeropuerto-Pamplona/en/

Renfe train
http://www.renfe.com/

ALSA bus
https://www.alsa.es/en/

CONDA bus
http://www.conda.es/

Pamplona bus station
http://www.estaciondeautobusesdepamplona.com/eu/Inicio.aspx.html

Gare de Bayonne
http://www.gares-sncf.com/fr/gare/frxby/bayonne

Puerta de Atocha
http://www.adif.es/es_ES/infraestructuras/estaciones/60000/informacion_000070.shtml

 

[wesojourn]

TOTAL response + choices, thanks whariwhargangi!
I have rearranged my plans in an effort to arrive in SJPdP earlier on 1 Sept. Instead of the bus from MAD, i have booked the train to Pamplona. I thought that option would get me there earlier. However, the will miss the earlier bus from Pamplona to SJPdP by 10 minutes. So arriving at 19:15 , I hope that's not too late to get into an alburgue. I am planning to begin El Camino on 2 Sept.
In the adventure/pilgrimage of this all, it is wonderful to have this connection with fellow pilgrims.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

TOTAL response + choices, thanks whariwhargangi!
I have rearranged my plans in an effort to arrive in SJPdP earlier on 1 Sept. Instead of the bus from MAD, i have booked the train to Pamplona. I thought that option would get me there earlier. However, the will miss the earlier bus from Pamplona to SJPdP by 10 minutes. So arriving at 19:15 , I hope that's not too late to get into an alburgue. I am planning to begin El Camino on 2 Sept.
In the adventure/pilgrimage of this all, it is wonderful to have this connection with fellow pilgrims.

Just make sure you book a bed in SJPP ahead of time.

 

[GlenysP]

Yes, its a bit ambitious. On the plus side you can catch a bus from Pamplona to SJPdP in the morning.

Here is the ALSA schedule and you can do your own time appreciation. You will need an ALSA bus from Madrid to Pamplona then transfer to a CONDA bus from Pamplona to SJPdP. Its two tickets but you use the ALSA schedule information for both buses.

ALSA
https://www.alsa.es/en/

CONDA - Note CONDA is owned by ALSA so the schedule is on the ALSA site.
http://www.conda.es/

I was just on the Camino. I became very sick with a serious chest infection. After staying two nights in an Alburgue I decided to catch the bus up ahead. ALSA wouldn't accept either of 2 Bankcard or Visa cards, only Spanish credit cards!!! Luckily a Spanish lady rang on my behalf to book the ticket. If I hadn't had it, I couldn't have got on the bus as it was full and many missed out on a seat. So how can you book that ticket from Madrid? Does anyone know how to get around this problem?

 

[whariwharangi]

ALSA accepts PayPal.

Renfe train has overseas ticket offices. See 'Puntos de Venta'
http://www.renfe.com/

 

[GlenysP]

ALSA accepts PayPal.

Renfe train has overseas ticket offices. See 'Puntos de Venta'
http://www.renfe.com/

Thanks for the info. I was quite sick and in Carrión de Los Condes though, and thought at the time there was no train. I must have missed the PayPal option for ALSA because I would have initiated the credit card payment option and then got 'caught up' trying to work out why it wouldn't accept any of my 3 international credit cards. I saw no reference about this during the attempt of the transaction. It was only that the lady helped me by phoning, that she was told by staff, about the Spanish credit card.