Buses from Leon to Ocebreiro

O Cebreiro has no direct bus service. You have to travel to Pedrafita do Cebreiro. It is about 4km from OC so you can either walk or take a taxi. Try the Empressa or ALSA websites.

If all fails falcon69 seems to know about these things. PM him.

parisa said:

buses go from Leon to Ocebreiro? Daily also, and how long does the bus trip takes?
Parisa

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You can check and reserve by internet on http://www.alsa.es.
Leon - Piedrafita do Cebreiro (be careful to correctly write the name).
There are 2 connection a day: 10:15 and 16:45
The trips takes approx. 2 1/2 hours. Ticket cost: 13 Euros.
From the bus stop in Piedrafita you'll have a 6 km climb to O'Cebreiro.
An alternative is to go from Leon to Ponferrada and see if you can get a ticket on a bus to Lugo that can drop you off at Piedrafita do Cebreiro.

ALSA doesn't accept foreign credit cards but you can book using PayPal.
I'd suggest a Plan A and a Plan B:

Plan A:
The bus stops at Piedrafita on the road, not on the Camino trail, so you have to walk up the tarred road to Cebreiro. It is a pleasant 5km walk with picnic tables on the side of the road about half-way up. The albergue in Cebreiro will probably not allow you to sleep there if you arrived at Piedrafita by bus. Instead of booking into an expensive hotel (Cebreiro is very touristy) you could look around, have lunch and carry on down the mountain to Alto Poio another 8.5km away where there is a private albergue that you can book ahead:
http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/albergue-reboleira

Plan B: (The mountain walk)
If you really want to walk on the Camino path - the one that the guide book describes as a beautiful route up to O Cebreiro - you could ask the driver to drop you off before you get to Piedrafita - perhaps at Vega de Valcarce ( about 7km before Piedrafita and 11.5km from Cebreiro). They are used to dropping pilgrims there who want to walk on the Camino and not on the road. From there you can join the beautiful Camino path just after Ruitelán that goes up very steeply for about 8km to O Cebreiro. About 2.5km before O Cebreiro, is a little place called Laguna de Castilla and they have a highly recommended private albergue where you can book a place. Have a look here:
http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/albergue-la-escuela
You will have to walk the extra 2.5km to Cebreiro in the morning - it will be beautiful - but it only takes half an hour to see all 20 houses and the church and then you can carry on walking to Triacastela.

Happy planning!


(Phsew!! I've just noticed that I am on post number 4999!!! My fingers used to be long and elegant, now they are short stubby, keyboard punchers!

Further thought. You can get to Villafranca del Bierzo by bus and stay at the Ave. Phoenix.

The owner, Don Jato carries both rucksacks and people up to OC in his car for a reasonable fee. If you want to walk but not take your rucksack that is also possible.

If you arrive by car you will not be allowed to stay at the refugio unless there are empty beds but you could walk on to Alto Poio and even Tricastela as the walk is firstly flattish and then downhill.

Sometimes there are so many choices the Camino can drive you crazy.

Given that you are taking children with you, the most practical choice would be to take a taxi from Piedrafita do Cebreiro to O Cebreiro, then walk to your next destination. The taxi probably can take your luggage to your first night's lodging. You may have to ask someone to call the taxi, but it shuttles all day long between Piedrafita and O Cebreiro. You probably will not want a long first day. The trail goes down and up, sometimes steeply, so it will be tiring.

It is easy taking a bus from Leon to Ponferrada. Once here, you could get a microbus to Piedrafita, from monday to saturday, at 08:15 and 16:30 (saturdays at 14:30). Gonzalez de la Riva is the name of the company.

Buen Camino