reserve bus from Madrid?

ALSA provides bus service from Madrid to Burgos.

There are buses leaving almost hourly.

If I were you I'd buy my ticket at the terminal. (except if it is a national holiday)

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

I am doing the same journey. I booked ticket on line with ALSA (very easy) and allowed a couple of hours for delays and getting through customs. I took the view it was one less thing to do and wasn't a lot of money in the grand scheme of things. You can either go direct from airport or catch the metro into the city for the central bus station. I of course opted for the airport pickup. Must say having caught buses on my last two trips their wasn't an issue with capacity or buying tickets at either depots or on the buses themselves when it was allowed - I have pretty limited Spanish skills.
The bus station at Burgos is a short walk from the centre.

I wouldn't worry to buy it before arrival except if you are traveling in a peak period. But, of course, that's just me (and I know alternatives to reach Burgos just in case I needed them).

We are arriving in Madrid and traveling straight to Burgos as well. We aren't pre-purchasing bus tickets, just planning to get tickets on the next available bus. Our flight lands at 7:40, so we have plenty of time that day to wait for the next bus if we need to.

Deanpf said:

Hi,
I am just over a month from my first Camino! I am landing in Madrid and starting my walk in Burgos. Just wondering if I should purchase my bus ticket in advance or wait until i arrive? I am just worried about buying it in case my plane is delayed. Any advice is appreciated.
Quite excited to get there.
Thanks
Dean

Click to expand...

Hi Dean and welcome to the forum. I see you are getting good advice for getting to Burgos. I also see you are a fellow Canadian. You will meet lots on the Camino. It was so lovely to join up with others for Candian Thanksgiving last year. If you are able to spend a bit of extra time in Burgos, it's a wonderful city and the Cathedral is breathtaking. Buen Camino from Victoria, BC.

Deanpf said:

Hi,
I am just over a month from my first Camino! I am landing in Madrid and starting my walk in Burgos. Just wondering if I should purchase my bus ticket in advance or wait until i arrive? I am just worried about buying it in case my plane is delayed. Any advice is appreciated.
Quite excited to get there.
Thanks
Dean

Click to expand...

Good site for bus tickets in Spain: Movelia.

The bus to Burgos leaves directly from the airport, Terminal 4. You can get to Terminal 4 by taking the shuttle bus from your arrival terminal, one floor up from baggage claim, outside to the right. The journey between terminals takes about 15-20 minutes, depending on how long you have to wait for the next shuttle.

If you buy your bus ticket at the airport, you have to buy it inside at the Alsa kiosk, not on the bus. *The bus driver does not sell tickets.* The kiosk is located on the arrivals floor, and the buses depart outside, I think on the same floor, but it is well signed in any event. The bus to Burgos will leave from bus stands 1-4. The bus may or may not say 'Alsa' on the side, so check with the driver of every bus that leaves around your departure time to be sure your bus doesn't drive away without you (I've seen that almost happen many times!).

There is often a queue at the Alsa kiosk, so you may want to consider buying your tickets online, in advance. There is an English version of the Alsa website, and you can pay with PayPal.