- Time of past OR future Camino
- June: Camino Frances from Pamplona
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Your post is entitled Madrid to Pamplona.
Is there some reason you don't just walk off the plane to the front of T4 and get the bus to Pamplona?
Easy peasy and just as fast.
Pamplona's street bus (the A line) has nearly direct service from the airport to the bus station (only two intermediate stops). It leaves once an hour on the hour and takes about 16 minutes. Line A also goes from the train station to the bus station (again two intermediate stops). Every hour on the half hour taking about 19 minutes. https://infotuc.es/index.php/es/horarios-y-recorridos/linea/AIf I remember there were 3 flights to Pamplona a day. I took the early one so I can catch the bus to St. Jean in the afternoon. If the prices and times work for you it could be a good alternative.
For some reason I can't get this page to open but I know Google Maps have schedules. I am going to go to Decathalon as soon as I land to buy some poles and get a knife. Google maps said it would take about 30 minutes. My Spanish is good enough to get on the right bus. I hope!!!!! ThanksPamplona's street bus (the A line) has nearly direct service from the airport to the bus station (only two intermediate stops). It leaves once an hour on the hour and takes about 16 minutes. Line A also goes from the train station to the bus station (again two intermediate stops). Every hour on the half hour taking about 19 minutes. https://infotuc.es/index.php/es/horarios-y-recorridos/linea/A
Didn't know I could, but now I do. I remember my last trip on a bus from Santiago to Portugal and it was horrendous! I would rather take the train or fly than go through that again. Personal space was almost zero and the passenger in front of me reclined her seat and I could barely move or breath. Then the bus broke down for 3 hours. It was probably one of those just-unlucky-circumstances-but-I-will-remember-it-forever sort of things, so you're probably right. Thanks for your post!
Your post is entitled Madrid to Pamplona.
Is there some reason you don't just walk off the plane to the front of T4 and get the bus to Pamplona?
Easy peasy and just as fast.
When I do a Rome2Rio search, it tells me this bus is PLM Autocares. Is that the bus that leaves from T4?
There is another bus at 17:30 so it boils down to whether you want to spend the cab fare to spend three hours in SJ or the bus fare to spend three hours wandering in Pamplona. Also the line A bus is scheduled to get to the bus station at 14:16 if I remember the schedule correctly. You could make the connection but you are not far from interesting sites if you don't. Buy your 17:30 ticket first though.I'm also considering flying from Madrid to Pamplona. Can I make the bus connection in Pamplona? Flight would arrive 13:10 and bus leaves 14:30. Assume would have to take a taxi. Do I check luggage on this flight? If not I'll need to obtain a new knife, etc. .... Any input is appreciated.
That's what we did. Walked out front at T4 and there, viola, were the buses. Yes, it is that simple.Your post is entitled Madrid to Pamplona.
Is there some reason you don't just walk off the plane to the front of T4 and get the bus to Pamplona?
Easy peasy and just as fast.
Your post is entitled Madrid to Pamplona.
Is there some reason you don't just walk off the plane to the front of T4 and get the bus to Pamplona?
Easy peasy and just as fast.
@barryg , a bit of explanation: Madrid has two main train stations, the Spanish trains are run by Renfe. Cercanias is a commuter train network in the greater Madrid area, with trains that stop at the airport and each of the two main stations. The Atocha station from which you will go to Pamplona is about a half hour ride from the airport. @Anniesantiago is right in that you can get a bus just outside T4 to take you to Pamplona. Check prices and schedules to decide which will work better for you. I took the train because after a long transatlantic flight I was willing to spend a little extra for the train so that I could move around and have access to a bathroom. Be aware that it can be a little tricky getting around the Atocha station. Enjoy the adventure!!
That's what we did. Walked out front at T4 and there, viola, were the buses. Yes, it is that simple.
Your post is entitled Madrid to Pamplona.
Is there some reason you don't just walk off the plane to the front of T4 and get the bus to Pamplona?
Easy peasy and just as fast.
ALSA, a national and international carrier, is part owner of CONDA, a Navarra carrier that runs the bus to SJPdP. You can buy the CONDA tickets on the ALSA website or at the station. The bus from Madrid stops at the station in Pamplona where you get the bus to SJPdP. The station is at the corner of a park and is mostly underground with a modern glass structure on top serving as its entrance.Another poster said that their is a stop and change on the bus from MAD to Pamplona. Do you know about that. And do you know where I should get off in Pamplona to make the connection to the SJPDP bus? Estacion de Autobuses Pamplona, perhaps?? I don't get any answer to my emails to Alsa. The other poster said Conda was a better choice. What do you think? BTW thanks for your original reply.
Another poster said that their is a stop and change on the bus from MAD to Pamplona. Do you know about that. And do you know where I should get off in Pamplona to make the connection to the SJPDP bus? Estacion de Autobuses Pamplona, perhaps?? I don't get any answer to my emails to Alsa. The other poster said Conda was a better choice. What do you think? BTW thanks for your original reply.
On arrival in Pamplona, (the bus station is underground), we met other perigrinos (6) and we hired a taxi (mini van for 100 euros) to SJPDP and split the cost. Not sure what time you will be there, but that was an option. Of course you can purchase tickets (ALSA) at that bus terminal, as you step off the bus. Keep us posted on how all this turns out. Good luck and Buen Camino my friend!Another poster said that their is a stop and change on the bus from MAD to Pamplona. Do you know about that. And do you know where I should get off in Pamplona to make the connection to the SJPDP bus? Estacion de Autobuses Pamplona, perhaps?? I don't get any answer to my emails to Alsa. The other poster said Conda was a better choice. What do you think? BTW thanks for your original reply.
Get off your ‘plane, follow everyone else to reclaim, passport control and arrivals. If you’re landing at t4 follow the cercianas signs, if not follow the bus signs. Precise directions won’t help - its an airport stuff changes all the time. Allow minimum two hours from your scheduled landing time to Atocha ( yes it can be done in one hour but don’t plan on possibilities). If you get to Atocha early you’ll have proved it can be done faster. Its only a short walk from Atocha Cercianas to the platforms for North bound trains.
Happy planning
Get off your ‘plane, follow everyone else to reclaim, passport control and arrivals. If you’re landing at t4 follow the cercianas signs, if not follow the bus signs. Precise directions won’t help - its an airport stuff changes all the time. Allow minimum two hours from your scheduled landing time to Atocha ( yes it can be done in one hour but don’t plan on possibilities). If you get to Atocha early you’ll have proved it can be done faster. Its only a short walk from Atocha Cercianas to the platforms for North bound trains.
Happy planning
Get off your ‘plane, follow everyone else to reclaim, passport control and arrivals. If you’re landing at t4 follow the cercianas signs, if not follow the bus signs. Precise directions won’t help - its an airport stuff changes all the time. Allow minimum two hours from your scheduled landing time to Atocha ( yes it can be done in one hour but don’t plan on possibilities). If you get to Atocha early you’ll have proved it can be done faster. Its only a short walk from Atocha Cercianas to the platforms for North bound trains.
Happy planning
Getting to the bus stationAlso, do you know how far it is from the Renfe station in Pamplona to the Estacion de Autobuses. I am trying to catch the last bus out to SJPDP and am nervous as hell about missing it.
Hi, Camino is scary isn't it. You might do better by using RENFE's English Language pages https://venta.renfe.com/vol/home.do?c=_rMO9 If this link doesn't work just search RENFE in your favourite engine & click on "welcome" at the top of the screen. A search for trains from Puerta de Atocha to Pamplona/Iruna should get you all the results you need. Please note that on RENFE you often need to know or guess where the train is starting/terminating to perform a successful search. Es normal.When you say Atocha, do you mean Puerta de Atocha? I had to enter Madrid (Todas) into the Renfe search engine to make it show me trains to Pamplona. Otherwise it said no trains available.
If I do a Rome2Rio search, it shows a train from Madrid-Barajas to Puerta Atocha leaving every 30 minutes, but when I check the details, it says Madrid Cercianas (Renfe), so is this a bus line operated by Renfe or is there an actual train that goes to Atocha? I'm just a bit confused. I have only a beginner, low intermediate command of spanish, and last time I traveled from Barcelona to Pamplona, I almost missed my train by not understanding the gates, etc.. I hate being so presumptuous, but if you can clarify this, I'd really appreciate it.
Oh, oh! I want to answer this. The camino starts where Mrs. G says it starts.The Camino does not start in St Jean Pied de la Porte. It starts when you start walking
Also, do you know how far it is from the Renfe station in Pamplona to the Estacion de Autobuses. I am trying to catch the last bus out to SJPDP and am nervous as hell about missing it.
Depending when you arrive in Madrid you could fly to Pamplona for just a few dollars more than the train. I am staying a few days in Madrid to rest up from my flight. I am arriving in Madrid on October 26 and taking a flight on Iberia from T4 on Monday October 28th. I think my flight cost $41US. I am leaving at 815AM. Even though I booked the flight on the Iberia website, you fly Air Nostrum which I believe is Iberia's domestic airline. The flight takes about an hour. If I remember there were 3 flights to Pamplona a day. I took the early one so I can catch the bus to St. Jean in the afternoon. If the prices and times work for you it could be a good alternative.
Hi, Camino is scary isn't it. You might do better by using RENFE's English Language pages https://venta.renfe.com/vol/home.do?c=_rMO9 If this link doesn't work just search RENFE in your favourite engine & click on "welcome" at the top of the screen. A search for trains from Puerta de Atocha to Pamplona/Iruna should get you all the results you need. Please note that on RENFE you often need to know or guess where the train is starting/terminating to perform a successful search. Es normal.
Cercanias is the urban train network; not buses & not the Metro which involves changing trains and platforms. Trains run from T4 to (Puerto de) Atocha and Chamartin. The major rail stations in Madrid.
As to your second question - Google Maps has a 30 - 40 minute walk. https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Renfe+Pamplona,+Plaza+de+la+Estación,+s/n,+31012+Pamplona,+Navarra,+Spain/Estación+de+Autobuses+de+Pamplona,+Pamplona,+Spain/@42.8185257,-1.6622166,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0xd509291870e07df:0xa154ba7ce5e93e22!2m2!1d-1.6614326!2d42.8249816!1m5!1m1!1s0xd509257e9f23ae9:0x60ba83c25e4ca401!2m2!1d-1.645415!2d42.8116257!3e2 5 to 10 minutes in a taxi probably. But @Caligal's suggestion - get the bus - is worth considering. PLM Autocares have a bus direct from Barajas T4 at 12:15 but that might not fit your flight times.
And I think I have a question for you, along the lines of: why are you trying to get to a small provincial French town in the foothills of the Pyrenees to start your Camino when you could be starting from one of the great cities of Spanish/Basque culture? The Camino does not start in St Jean Pied de la Porte. It starts when you start walking
Getting to the bus station
If you do not arrive in Pamplona by bus you can take taxis to the bus station. But Pamplona has a good street bus system with an excellent website (although the site can be a bit slow.) The website is in Spanish and Euskara (Basque) only. The Spanish version of the website can be accessed via URL http://www.infotuc.es/index.php/es/
2.3.1 From arrival at the train station
- There is a bus (line A) that runs hourly between the train station, bus station and the airport (with the stop at the bus station in the middle.)
- The schedule starting from the train station is at https://www.infotuc.es/descargas/fichas/A_7.pdf
- Bus line 9 runs from the train station to a stop near the bus station (just a short walk away.) Roughly, the bus leaves every 10 minutes on weekdays, 15 minutes on Saturdays, 20 minutes on Sundays.
- Its published schedule for leaving from the RENFE train station is athttps://www.infotuc.es/descargas/fichas/9_1.pdf
- Its interactive schedule is athttps://www.infotuc.es/index.php/es/horarios-y-recorridos/linea/9 (be sure to set the date you are interested in by clicking on the calendar image.)
Why not simply relax one night in Madrid, and continue to Pamplona next morning? I strongly recommend Hostal La Perla Asturiana at 30 Euros/night (40 for 2 persons), 100 m. from Plaza Mayor! You'll find it on www.booking.com.For some reason, the morning flight to Pamplona is $45/person & the afternoon flight is $212 (Euros, that is, can’t find the euro symbol)!!
Your post is entitled Madrid to Pamplona.
Is there some reason you don't just walk off the plane to the front of T4 and get the bus to Pamplona?
Easy peasy and just as fast.
Why not simply relax one night in Madrid, and continue to Pamplona next morning? I strongly recommend Hostal La Perla Asturiana at 30 Euros/night, 100 m. from Plaza Mayor! You'll find it on www.booking.com.
www.Rome2rio.com is a great help in finding (& booking) that last part to Pamplona.
ALSA has an office in T4. It is not difficult to navigate T4. I ordered my bus ticket in advance: I wanted to secure a seat, just in case. Worked like a charm.I
Is there a ALSA kiosk or booth out front where I can buy tickets? Is it clearly marked where the ALSA bus leaves from? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve missed a bus because I was standing in the wrong place.
You should have plenty of time from your arrival to departure onwards, given the time of arrival & departure you have. You'll need to take the shuttle bus if you do not land at T4. It is free, and not so far, but necessary. But try to give yourself some slack. Again, I do not know from which country you are traveling: If overseas, I would have stayed the night in peace in MadridI’ll remember that recommendation should I miss the 10:45 ALSA bus for which I now have a pre-booked ticket because I got so paranoid about lodging in SJPDP that I also made a reservation for the same night I arrive at Le Chemin Vers L’Etoils. I get in at 7:55 and can only hope I clear customs in time to catch the 10:45 bus. But thanks for the recommendation. I may need it.
You should have plenty of time from your arrival to departure onwards, given the time of arrival & departure you have. You'll need to take the shuttle bus if you do not land at T4. It is free, and not so far, but necessary. But try to give yourself some slack. Again, I do not know from which country you are traveling: If overseas, I would have stayed the night in peace in Madrid
ALSA has an office in T4. It is not difficult to navigate T4. I ordered my bus ticket in advance: I wanted to secure a seat, just in case. Worked like a charm.
But, if you stay overnight in Madrid, you have all kinds of traveling options, including a flight, the next morning, as well as enjoying an evening in Madrid, and get some good sleep before continuing. But I don't know what country you are traveling from...
There is an Alsa kiosk, clearly marked, at the ground floor exit of Terminal 4. Take your ticket, go outside, cross the traffic lanes and look left to see a row of buses, with where they are going indicated in a sign on the front. If you see one that says "Soria" where you may have to change, ask the driver if this is the bus to take to get to Pamplona. If you say "Soria?" and "Pamplona?" with a lift in your voice that indicates that it is a question, you do not have to know any Spanish. It is sometimes a good idea, if it is shortly before the bus should leave and you don't see it, to ask every driver, as there may be no sign, or or it may not say what you expect. I have taken a bus from there twice, with no difficulty.
There is an Alsa kiosk, clearly marked, at the ground floor exit of Terminal 4. Take your ticket, go outside, cross the traffic lanes and look left to see a row of buses, with where they are going indicated in a sign on the front. If you see one that says "Soria" where you may have to change, ask the driver if this is the bus to take to get to Pamplona. If you say "Soria?" and "Pamplona?" with a lift in your voice that indicates that it is a question, you do not have to know any Spanish. It is sometimes a good idea, if it is shortly before the bus should leave and you don't see it, to ask every driver, as there may be no sign, or or it may not say what you expect. I have taken a bus from there twice, with no difficulty.
Barry if you end up flying to Pamplona the line A street bus leaves the airport every hour on the hour to bring you to the bus station. I think it stops at two places first.
Thank you for catching this @alipilgrim.In researching this I found the following on the website: http://www.aena.es/en/pamplona-airport/public-transport.html From 1 August 2019 the Mancomunidad de la Comarca de Pamplona launches a public transport service from Paseo de Sarasate to Pamplona airport by taxi, with a fixed timetable and with advance booking. The new service replaces the regular Urban Transport Line A Stations- Airport.
I'm not sure how one goes about making a booking as there's no indication how to on the website. I assume this means the bus will no longer be running??
I
Is there a ALSA kiosk or booth out front where I can buy tickets? Is it clearly marked where the ALSA bus leaves from? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve missed a bus because I was standing in the wrong place.
I booked this months ago. Flight prices change a lot. I remember the afternoon flight was higher but not that much. It is just 4 dollars more for the 8:00AM flight. I took that flight to get in early enough to make the afternoon bus to SJPP.For some reason, the morning flight to Pamplona is $45/person & the afternoon flight is $212 (Euros, that is, can’t find the euro symbol)!!
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