Train from Barcelona to Pamplona

[Yossi Fuchs]

I will be landing at Barcelona airport at the end of April at 13:10. I am planning to catch the 15:30 Alvia train from Sants train station to Pamplona. My dilemma is what happens is my flight is delayed and I miss the train, having an online booking fro that specific train? The next train is an Intercity, departing at 18:40 which could be OK too, however, from what I could gather from Renfe's somewhat confusing internet site, I will not be able to use the ticket I bought for the next train. Is that true?
What do you suggest; will I be better of buying the train ticket at the train station as I arrive there? Is there a substantial price difference between online purchased ticket vs ticket bought at the station? Is there a risk of the train being full (it will be on Wednesday)?
I'll appreciate any advise given on this matter.
Thanks,
Yossi

 

[whariwharangi]

Your 1530 timing is a bit tight ... meaning if everything goes as it should its possible.

It takes about 22 minutes to take the Cercanias train from the airport to Sants. There are two terminals so you may have to factor in shuttle time too.

As you are aware there are several trains daily from Barcelona to Pamplona.

Those are the factors to consider in evaluating your risk.

You might miss the train and lose your fare. Or you might arrive in time to buy a ticket only to find the train is full. (which does happen).

Its true ... your fare is only good for the train for which it was purchased. Renfe has a policy that allows you on a later train for circumstances out of your reasonable control provided you arrive within a certain period after your train is gone ... but it depends on having a seat available on the next train and there is a cost. See the 'small print' on the Renfe site. I'm not sure how they would evaluate a time appreciation based on your 131o arrival ... as stated, I find it a bit tight.

You might want to consider buying the 1840 ticket ... and pay the premium that allows you to exchange it for an earlier train should you arrive in time.

Also:

ViBaSA (Monbus) offers bus service from Sants to Pamplona.

ALSA provides bus service from Barcelona Nord to Zaragosa and Zaragosa to Pamplona.

 

[Yossi Fuchs]

Your 1530 timing is a bit tight ... meaning if everything goes as it should its possible.

It takes about 22 minutes to take the Cercanias train from the airport to Sants. There are two terminals so you may have to factor in shuttle time too.

As you are aware there are several trains daily from Barcelona to Pamplona.

Those are the factors to consider in evaluating your risk.

You might miss the train and lose your fare. Or you might arrive in time to buy a ticket only to find the train is full. (which does happen).

Its true ... your fare is only good for the train for which it was purchased. Renfe has a policy that allows you on a later train for circumstances out of your reasonable control provided you arrive within a certain period after your train is gone ... but it depends on having a seat available on the next train and there is a cost. See the 'small print' on the Renfe site. I'm not sure how they would evaluate a time appreciation based on your 131o arrival ... as stated, I find it a bit tight.

You might want to consider buying the 1840 ticket ... and pay the premium that allows you to exchange it for an earlier train should you arrive in time.

Also:

ViBaSA (Monbus) offers bus service from Sants to Pamplona.

ALSA provides bus service from Barcelona Nord to Zaragosa and Zaragosa to Pamplona.

Thank you so much for the useful information; it is a dilemma, isn't it?

 

[whariwharangi]

Thank you so much for the useful information; it is a dilemma, isn't it?

Not really. Worst case situation is you spend a few hours extra in Barcelona waiting for the next train or bus.

If I were traveling via Barcelona I'd be staying the night there. That would put me back in control of the schedule and I'd get some rest after a long overseas flight.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Is there a risk of the train being full (it will be on Wednesday)?

I'm not sure, but when Peg and I went to leave Pamplona for Barcelona by train we went to the station on Saturday to buy our tickets for Sunday and the earliest we could get was one that left about 4PM or so. We had wanted to visit some museums on Sunday (they were closed on Monday) and we couldn't do it.

 

[peregrina2000]

I flew into Barcelona last year for the Camino Catalan and found that the easiest way into Barcelona city center was the airport bus. It leaves every five minutes, there's just a steady stream of them, it seems. I was fidgeting with trying to figure out how to use the automated machine and then someone told me I could just pay on the bus. In the few minutes I was flummox-ing around, two buses came and went. http://www.aerobusbcn.com/en/discover-aerobus

Though I'm a big fan of RENFE and the Cercanias trains, it wasn't the best solution for me in Barcelona. For one thing, my flight arrived in Terminal 1 and the R2 Cercanias train leaves from T2, so you need to take a transfer bus over to the other terminal. You can see which terminal you'll arrive in here: http://www.barcelona-airport.com/eng/arrivals.php?tp=6
The other thing is that the Cercanias runs only once every half hour, you can find the schedule on the RENFE website, so it can mean a long wait.

In my experience over the past few years, limited though it may be, I find that typically you can get on the local milk run trains (intercity for instance) without advance ticketing, and there is usually some flexibility with the fast trains within a couple of days from departure, but many fast trains are full a day or two before.

Good luck with this, I think I'd probably err on the side of caution because your connection time is a bit tight. Will you have to go through passport control? When I arrived, around 7 or 8 am, there were several US flights arriving and the "non EU" passport line was very long.

 

[Yossi Fuchs]

I'm not sure, but when Peg and I went to leave Pamplona for Barcelona by train we went to the station on Saturday to buy our tickets for Sunday and the earliest we could get was one that left about 4PM or so. We had wanted to visit some museums on Sunday (they were closed on Monday) and we couldn't do it.

Thanks for the input

 

[Yossi Fuchs]

I flew into Barcelona last year for the Camino Catalan and found that the easiest way into Barcelona city center was the airport bus. It leaves every five minutes, there's just a steady stream of them, it seems. I was fidgeting with trying to figure out how to use the automated machine and then someone told me I could just pay on the bus. In the few minutes I was flummox-ing around, two buses came and went. http://www.aerobusbcn.com/en/discover-aerobus

Though I'm a big fan of RENFE and the Cercanias trains, it wasn't the best solution for me in Barcelona. For one thing, my flight arrived in Terminal 1 and the R2 Cercanias train leaves from T2, so you need to take a transfer bus over to the other terminal. You can see which terminal you'll arrive in here: http://www.barcelona-airport.com/eng/arrivals.php?tp=6
The other thing is that the Cercanias runs only once every half hour, you can find the schedule on the RENFE website, so it can mean a long wait.

In my experience over the past few years, limited though it may be, I find that typically you can get on the local milk run trains (intercity for instance) without advance ticketing, and there is usually some flexibility with the fast trains within a couple of days from departure, but many fast trains are full a day or two before.

Good luck with this, I think I'd probably err on the side of caution because your connection time is a bit tight. Will you have to go through passport control? When I arrived, around 7 or 8 am, there were several US flights arriving and the "non EU" passport line was very long.

I'll be arriving from a non EU country so I could be delayed at passport control. My connection time from landing (assuming we land on time) is a bit tight, that's exactly my point regarding the flexibility of train ticket bought on-line. As I understand, if I miss the train I am booked on I can make a kite out of my ticket... So it may be wiser to play it safe and book the later train.
Thanks anyway!

 

[Castilian]

I would play it safe(r) and take the Intercity. You might be able to take the Alvia but why would you start your trip stressed and why would you risk to miss your train having a pleasant and more relaxed option the same day?

I find that typically you can get on the local milk run trains (intercity for instance) without advance ticketing

Don't be misleaded by the name. The Intercity from Barcelona to Pamplona is as quick as the Alvia trains making the same route so the risk to find it full is similar to the one of an Alvia. The difference is that the Intercity train is more basic than the Alvia train(s); i.e.: it has less servicies/amenities.

 

[camino-david]

Don't forget that arrival time is the time the aircraft wheels touch tarmac, and the plane has to taxi to the arrival gate, you wait to disembark, go through emigration and collect your bag at the carousal. I agree that staying the night in Barcelona is wise, and you can get an early train to Pamplona and even walk to Cizur Menor (5kms) if you wish, although it would be a shame to miss out on looking around Pamplona. There's a great restaurant/bar at the Pamplona city gate Portal de Francia which is close to the big albergue Jesus y Maria and the small private albergue (I've forgotten it's name) closer to the restaurant, in the square opposite the cathedral.

 

[mspath]

Here is more on the Albergue Plaza Cathedral in Pamploma mentioned by camino-david.
http://www.albergueplazacatedral.com/en/