buses in Spain along camino Frances

[douce-chemin]

Hello all!

So I am 1 month to "go time!" I can't believe I'm really doing this!

So as I've mentioned before, my friend and I are walking 5 days and that will span SJPP (Valcarlos route) through to Puente la Reina. We will then be on leg 2 of our European vacation which departs from the Camino.

From Puente la Reina we will be heading to San Sebastian. I was looking at this bus company site http://www.laestellesa.com and doing the best with my limited Spanish. I am not able to book tickets over 1 month in advance, am wondering if anyone has some advice re: bus travel using this company (or any other you'd recommend) from Puente la Reina? Mostly I'm wondering how far in advance one must reserve tickets or will we be able to buy them the night before/morning of our departure?

Thank you!

 

[Sergio Anillo]

Hello all!

So I am 1 month to "go time!" I can't believe I'm really doing this!

So as I've mentioned before, my friend and I are walking 5 days and that will span SJPP (Valcarlos route) through to Puente la Reina. We will then be on leg 2 of our European vacation which departs from the Camino.

From Puente la Reina we will be heading to San Sebastian. I was looking at this bus company site http://www.laestellesa.com and doing the best with my limited Spanish. I am not able to book tickets over 1 month in advance, am wondering if anyone has some advice re: bus travel using this company (or any other you'd recommend) from Puente la Reina? Mostly I'm wondering how far in advance one must reserve tickets or will we be able to buy them the night before/morning of our departure?

Thank you!

I just finished doing about half of Camino France's and left from Sahagun to Madrid on a Saturday. Took ALSA bus and got my tickets only 3 days prior. My bus was virtually empty when 3 of us got on and never exceeded half full. I was very worried that I was so late in making arrangements but it really was no problem.
You are right though that tickets are typically not released prior to s month in advance and perhaps some routes maybe 2 months ahead, but no more.
I did find agents on phone helpful but you definitely needed to speak Spanish. Perhaps you know someone who can help you and make the arrangements for you by phone. It was very quick. They wanted passport number and accepted Amex over VISA to my surprise.
The problem ordering online was payment which preferred PayPal over any other option.
Good luck. Have a great trip. Hope this helps esp to reassure you that you will most likely find plenty of space is available
Sergio Anillo

 

[Castilian]

I don't have personal experience with that route but it shouldn't be a busy one. Booking the day before at their sales desk on the bus station of Pamplona should be enough.

 

[november_moon]

I've taken a few ALSA buses, and just bought my ticket the day of travel.

 

[Kanga]

I have also never bought my ticket ahead of time but only on the day of travel and quite often not until on the bus itself.

The only problem I've had with buses is that sometimes the destination on the front can be misleading. Or in one case the point of origin. I nearly missed one because I did not realise it was the one I needed, and conversely I climbed aboard one only to find it was not going where I wanted. So now I double check when at the bus station.

 

[whariwharangi]

From Puente la Reina we will be heading to San Sebastian. I was looking at this bus company site http://www.laestellesa.com and doing the best with my limited Spanish. I am not able to book tickets over 1 month in advance, am wondering if anyone has some advice re: bus travel using this company (or any other you'd recommend) from Puente la Reina? Mostly I'm wondering how far in advance one must reserve tickets or will we be able to buy them the night before/morning of our departure?

Thank you!

Your other option is PLM Autocares from Puente la Reina to Pamplona and CONDA (ALSA) from Pamplona to San Sebastian.

PLM Autocares
http://plmautocares.com/horarios-de-autobuses/

As pointed out by Castilian ... PLM Autocares may not sell tickets for Puente la Reina to Pamplona.

Your other option is Estellesa to Pamplona then ALSA to San Sebastian. This option might work out better in terms of frequency.

ALSA
https://www.alsa.es/

Most bus companies in Spain do not post schedules or sell tickets more than one month in advance.

So if you want to buy a ticket in advance ... wait until 30 days or less before you want to travel.

Unless there is a holiday ... buses are not usually over subscribed. You should be able to buy them from the driver just prior to boarding.

 

[Felipe]

Generally speaking, you can get a ticket bus the same day (better on the previous, for peace of mind) . Only be attentive to "puentes" or "bridges", that is weekends with a near holiday, where people tend to go in "mini vacations".
For the rest of this year, this is the calendar:

• 25 de julio: Santiago Apóstol (Monday)
• 15 de agosto: Asunción de la Virgen (Monday)
• 12 de octubre: Fiesta Nacional de España (Wednesday)
• 1 de noviembre: Todos los Santos (Tuesday)
• 6 de diciembre: Día de la Constitución Española (Tuesday)
• 8 de diciembre: Inmaculada Concepción (Thursday)
• 26 de diciembre: Lunes siguiente a la Natividad del Señor o San Esteban (Monday)

 

[Castilian]

Your other option is PLM Autocares from Puente la Reina to Pamplona

PLM doesn't have rights to sell tickets for the route from Puente la Reina to Pamplona so that's not an option.

 

[GreatDane]

... I nearly missed one because I did not realise it was the one I needed, and conversely I climbed aboard one only to find it was not going where I wanted...

I learned on my first ALSA trip in 2014 after being pointed to 4 different buses, to write down my destination on a slip of paper and show it to the driver of the bus (or buses...) that may or may not have the name of my destination on the placard.

 

[mspath]

I learned on my first ALSA trip in 2014 after being pointed to 4 different buses, to write down my destination on a slip of paper and show it to the driver of the bus (or buses...) that may or may not have the name of my destination on the placard.

GreatDane has a great idea! However for others' ease in reading do PRINT the place name using capital letters!

Happy clarity and Buen camino!

 

[ranthr]

Some years ago I did camino Aragōn to Puente la Reina. Going back to Toulouse, I went on the bus to Pamplona in the morning at the bus stop in PlR and changed bus in Pamplona. Payed on the bus to Pamplona and in the the ticketoffice inside the bus station in Pamplona for the next bus. These are more or less local busroutes and I do not think the locals pay days ahead to take them.

 

[douce-chemin]

thank you for all the helpful advice! this forum is truly a gift!!!