Buying bus tickets in 2023

[caminoj]

It's been a few years since I was on my last Camino. Previously I would buy my tickets online from the Alsa Bus website. But going there now it seems to be more complicated with carbon footprint messaging and what seems to be a big jump in price. I was looking at the cost for a ticket from Madrid to Leon and it looks to be much more expensive to buy single tickets. I did find another site called Busbud.com and their prices seem to be much more reasonable for what appears to also be an Alsa Bus Ticket. I am wondering though if anyone has had any experience buying tickets from this site and whether it is a reliable and legitimate website.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

It's been a few years since I was on my last Camino. Previously I would buy my tickets online from the Alsa Bus website. But going there now it seems to be more complicated with carbon footprint messaging and what seems to be a big jump in price. I was looking at the cost for a ticket from Madrid to Leon and it looks to be much more expensive to buy single tickets. I did find another site called Busbud.com and their prices seem to be much more reasonable for what appears to also be an Alsa Bus Ticket. I am wondering though if anyone has had any experience buying tickets from this site and whether it is a reliable and legitimate website.

I have purchased tickets from busbud.com several times for my bus travels in Europe when needed. I was quite impressed, so have continued to use their service. The website was easy to navigate and in English.

 

[C clearly]

now it seems to be more complicated with carbon footprint messaging and what seems to be a big jump in price. I was looking at the cost for a ticket from Madrid to Leon and it looks to be much more expensive to buy single tickets.

What dates are you looking at? Perhaps you have picked a very busy date, because I see a lot of tickets for under €25. Randomly picking April 26, there is a middle-of-the-day bus for €17.50. The same one on Busbud is more. I am curious about this, and would be interested if others have the same results, since I don't have a lot of experience buying online tickets.

 

[Jennifer1959]

Maybe try https://www.monbus.es/en

 

[tjz]

You might want to try the "alsa" app. It is pretty easy to use, and I see tickets from €9.90 to €41.45 in price for Sunday, February 5, 2023. We used the app last time we traveled from Laredo to Bilbao and it worked quite well for us.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Personally, I've always found it less expensive to just purchase my tickets when I get to Spain.

 

[Sirage]

....... always ....... just purchase ......... when I get to Spain.

I've always found this easier and more flexible for most things, the exception being the first nights accomodation, mostly.

 

[Kathar1na]

I did find another site called Busbud.com and their prices seem to be much more reasonable for what appears to also be an Alsa Bus Ticket

Can you provide some examples?

I found that tickets for randomly selected and identical trajectories for the same time and date are more expensive on Busbud than on the Alsa website (see screenshots below), for example €31,36 instead of €29,66 and even €31,36 instead of €17,80 (!!!).

Busbud does not appear to show all available Alsa connections (for example see departure from Madrid airport - screenshot, "Supra" connection at 14:15 for €40,10 - which I saw only on the Alsa website). Busbud does not appear to take account of price reductions that are available on the Alsa website itself.

FWIW, I find the Alsa website very convenient and easy to navigate. As a matter of principle, whenever possible, I personally buy directly from a train, bus or airline website instead of through an intermediary website. BTW and FWIW, I even find €40,10 a reasonable price for a bus trip from Madrid to Leon ...

 

[jennysa]

Are April tickets available already? I thought that one could only buy 3 months in advance

 

[mario juan]

It's been a few years since I was on my last Camino. Previously I would buy my tickets online from the Alsa Bus website. But going there now it seems to be more complicated with carbon footprint messaging and what seems to be a big jump in price. I was looking at the cost for a ticket from Madrid to Leon and it looks to be much more expensive to buy single tickets. I did find another site called Busbud.com and their prices seem to be much more reasonable for what appears to also be an Alsa Bus Ticket. I am wondering though if anyone has had any experience buying tickets from this site and whether it is a reliable and legitimate website.

There will almost certainly be a few lost looking walkers on your flight, just follow them. Joking aside, express Bouricot..

 

[caminosister]

It's been a few years since I was on my last Camino. Previously I would buy my tickets online from the Alsa Bus website. But going there now it seems to be more complicated with carbon footprint messaging and what seems to be a big jump in price. I was looking at the cost for a ticket from Madrid to Leon and it looks to be much more expensive to buy single tickets. I did find another site called Busbud.com and their prices seem to be much more reasonable for what appears to also be an Alsa Bus Ticket. I am wondering though if anyone has had any experience buying tickets from this site and whether it is a reliable and legitimate website.

Same here. Last time for me was 2012, and I used Alsa then. I’m also going by bus from Madrid, but to Astorga. Don’t have a soulution for you now, but will follow your thead. When do you plan to go? Have you checked if the train is an option?

 

[winemakerfw51]

I've used Busbud. No problems. Take a look at Trainline.com also. They post bus and train schedules for the same itinerary too. Sometimes it's more expensive; sometimes not.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I personally don't mind paying several dollars more for using busbud.com as convenience is worth it to me (like when I use booking.com). I always struggled with the alsa site; possibly they have impoved it since it's been a few years since I checked it out from the US. Busbud is still my buddy.
I also use the Trainline website for booking train travel in Europe...works like a charm and on my recent Via Francigena I used it three times in my itinerary from Rome to Lucca, etc.

 

[trecile]

There will almost certainly be a few lost looking walkers on your flight, just follow them. Joking aside, express Bouricot..

Good recommendation for someone going from Biarritz or Bayonne to St Jean Pied de Port, but @caminoj is traveling from Madrid to León.

 

[Kathar1na]

Some readers may find it interesting to know that the Alsa website has options that I cannot see on the Busbud website. One example for the 14:15 bus and the 14:45 bus from Madrid airport to Leon on my randomly chosen date of 15 March 2023: on the Alsa website, you can see the seat configuration of the buses, the 14:15 bus has 3 seats per row, ie 2 seats on the right side of the aisle and 1 seat on the left side while the 14:45 bus has 4 seats per row with 2 seats on each side. Not only can you choose your seat against payment of a very modest sum, say a seat next to a window or on the side with only one seat but you can also block a 2-seater row by paying around €8 so that the seat next to yours will stay empty during your journey.

Of course, this may be of no importance for some readers and others may feel that pilgrims must not be interested or even know about such options (in the interest of simplicity and less comfort), and information about such options may therefore be best ignored.

 

[Eamonrodden]

It's been a few years since I was on my last Camino. Previously I would buy my tickets online from the Alsa Bus website. But going there now it seems to be more complicated with carbon footprint messaging and what seems to be a big jump in price. I was looking at the cost for a ticket from Madrid to Leon and it looks to be much more expensive to buy single tickets. I did find another site called Busbud.com and their prices seem to be much more reasonable for what appears to also be an Alsa Bus Ticket. I am wondering though if anyone has had any experience buying tickets from this site and whether it is a reliable and legitimate website.

I have used Trainline, they do buses and trains.

 

[Eamonrodden]

It's been a few years since I was on my last Camino. Previously I would buy my tickets online from the Alsa Bus website. But going there now it seems to be more complicated with carbon footprint messaging and what seems to be a big jump in price. I was looking at the cost for a ticket from Madrid to Leon and it looks to be much more expensive to buy single tickets. I did find another site called Busbud.com and their prices seem to be much more reasonable for what appears to also be an Alsa Bus Ticket. I am wondering though if anyone has had any experience buying tickets from this site and whether it is a reliable and legitimate website.

I have used the Trainline app, they do buses as well

 

[trecile]

Is there a reason why you are want to take the bus rather than the train?
I'm looking at a random day in April, and a train ticket from Madrid to León is as little as 21 Euros on the Renfe site. You can also book buses and trains on the Omio.com.

 

[caminoj]

I have purchased tickets from busbud.com several times for my bus travels in Europe when needed. I was quite impressed, so have continued to use their service. The website was easy to navigate and in English.

Thank you for you reply. Nice to have that reassurance about their services.

 

[caminoj]

Is there a reason why you are want to take the bus rather than the train?
I'm looking at a random day in April, and a train ticket from Madrid to León is as little as 21 Euros on the Renfe site. You can also book buses and trains on the Omio.com.

Thanks, I will check that out. Did not know that train service could be a good option and cost effective as well.

 

[Grousedoctor]

It's been a few years since I was on my last Camino. Previously I would buy my tickets online from the Alsa Bus website. But going there now it seems to be more complicated with carbon footprint messaging and what seems to be a big jump in price. I was looking at the cost for a ticket from Madrid to Leon and it looks to be much more expensive to buy single tickets. I did find another site called Busbud.com and their prices seem to be much more reasonable for what appears to also be an Alsa Bus Ticket. I am wondering though if anyone has had any experience buying tickets from this site and whether it is a reliable and legitimate website.

I have bought online tickets from Alsa in the past with no problems at all. We plan on busing from Madrid-Bajaras to Burgos in April. Although fares are not showing up this far out for our date, by looking at a closer date, I can see when buses run. As we have a fairly early morning arrival into Bajaras, we’ll be making reservation for a mid- to late-morning bus from the airport on to Burgos. Prices seemed very reasonable at just under €20 per person. Just trying to decide on a Burgos hotel at this point.

 

[Marbe2]

What dates are you looking at? Perhaps you have picked a very busy date, because I see a lot of tickets for under €25. Randomly picking April 26, there is a middle-of-the-day bus for €17.50. The same one on Busbud is more. I am curious about this, and would be interested if others have the same results, since I don't have a lot of experience buying online tickets.

My experience has been that the Busbud charges a small fee and that normally, Alsa is cheaper.

 

[jennysa]

My experience has been that the Busbud charges a small fee and that normally, Alsa is cheaper.

I am surprised that some have been able to find bus schedules for April. I have been looking at Alsa and nothing comes up for April. I have been told that tickets are available up to the end of March at this stage.

 

[Marbe2]

I am surprised that some have been able to find bus schedules for April. I have been looking at Alsa and nothing comes up for April. I have been told that tickets are available up to the end of March at this stage.

My comment is based upon years of past ticket comparisons

 

[Kathar1na]

I am surprised that some have been able to find bus schedules for April. I have been looking at Alsa and nothing comes up for April. I have been told that tickets are available up to the end of March at this stage.

When I checked up on the example given by @C clearly in post #3 in this thread, I see exactly what she reported: Alsa bus from Madrid to Leon on April 26, 2023 for €17.50.

This may well not be all the services that they will eventually offer and put on sale for Madrid to Leon. The notion that bus and train tables are not available until a few weeks or a couple of months before departure in Spain and in France can frequently be seen on the forum but it is not accurate. Often people confound availability of timetables with availability of tickets for sale, and some bus or train connections are not changed and they are known beforehand for their whole winter or summer season.