Transport from Madrid airport to Ponferrada

[FionaG]

Hello everyone,

My flight will arrive into Madrid airport (hopefully to T4) at 8pm on the 26th of April. I am trying to make my way to Ponferrada but the only bus/train is at 12 at night and it will land us in Ponferrada at 5am. So I am wondering what to do with this situation? Will I be able to find somewhere to sleep for a few hours that night or should I try find alternative transport from the airport. I think my only other option would be a taxi which would get me to Ponferrada at 12pm?? I am not sure what this would cost? I would be sharing the taxi fair between my bestfriend and my boyfriend but I have a feeling it may be extortionate for a 400km taxi journey!!?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Fiona

 

[Deleted member 3000]

somewhere to sleep for a few hours that night

On the bus?

It is over 400km, so I would guess about 400E for a taxi.

 

[FionaG]

On the bus?

Ha ha I wish! I have never been able to sleep on transport....I think it is the built in fear of missing my stop!! ....plus I will be too excited!

Also I looked into taxi fairs.......430 euro!!!!...so that is out! Bus it is I guess

So my new question I guess is can you find accommodation at 5am in Ponferrada??????

 

[Deleted member 3000]

can you find accommodation at 5am in Ponferrada?

I doubt it.

 

[FionaG]

So my new plan!!!

Stay the night in Madrid Get the 09:00 bus to Ponferrada for 13:15 and get walking!!!!! Do 23Km to Villafranca del Bierzo and find accommidation there

What do you think?

 

[GettingThere]

Do 23Km to Villafranca del Bierzo and find accommidation there

What do you think?

That sounds like a lot of walking for your first day if you're not starting until afternoon, following a 4-hour bus ride and the day after a long flight - especially if the weather is warm. Not sure how fast you would be walking with a pack, but I should think that's a good 6 hours walk to Villafranca. Unless you're really, really pushed for time I would be inclined to take the afternoon in Ponferrada to catch your breath and look around, stay the night there and then set off early the next day, refreshed and rested!

 

[SFGfan]

So my new plan!!!

Stay the night in Madrid Get the 09:00 bus to Ponferrada for 13:15 and get walking!!!!! Do 23Km to Villafranca del Bierzo and find accommidation there

What do you think?

I did the same bus your looking at to Ponferrada from Madrid in '13. Landed In Madrid early morning( red eye flight from US) caught the 9am bus to Ponferrada. If I'm not mistaken it was longer than 4 hrs, closer to 6 hrs. To be perfectly honest with you, it was one of the worst bus rides I've ever been on in all of Europe! Very uncomfortable bus. Whether we just got a older bus I can't say, but when we got off that bus all I wanted to do was check into our hotel and find a bar for a few beers ASAP! After a good nights sleep we embarked on our journey the next morning fully rested and energerized.

The short of my story, rest up you might need it. Fresh mind & body are important. No need to push yourselves so early in the Camino.

Buen Camino.

 

[NualaOC]

We (husband and I) took the bus from Ponferrada to Madrid last year and it was fine. It's a long bus ride, but it's very efficient and comfortable.

We are going back to Ponferrada in June to finish our Camino and our flight also arrives in Madrid at around 8pm. We plan to get the night bus from Madrid - arriving in Ponferrada at 5.15am and we'll walk slowly to Villafranca del Bierzo. We will probably be totally exhausted when we arrive (like you, I know I won't sleep on the bus) so we're booking a hotel room. We debated the different ways of doing it, but we figured that this was the most straightforward.

This should work out fine for us as we won't be jet lagged. However, if you have a long haul flight, the overnight option in Madrid might work well.

 

[Travellingman]

Why not take the Trenhotel from Madrid Chamartin to Ponferrada?
If you look at the RENFE website, and hit it right, you can get a "promo" fare with sleeping berth for far cheaper than the bus fare. I did it 2 years ago, and despite not sleeping very well overnight (rattling rails), and arriving at 5am in Ponferrda, I was OK to walk to Villafranca that day.

 

[Felipe]

Get a bus from Madrid (Madrid Barajas may be an option) to León, and reserve an hotel there, near the bus terminal. I can see buses on 20:45 and 21:45 the April 26th. You will arrive around midnight, so you can have a decent sleep. Then, take the first morning bus to Ponferrada, just around 1 1/2 hrs.
Buen camino!

 

[peregrina2000]

So my new plan!!!

Stay the night in Madrid Get the 09:00 bus to Ponferrada for 13:15 and get walking!!!!! Do 23Km to Villafranca del Bierzo and find accommidation there

What do you think?

Hi, Fiona, Welcome to the forum.

If you won't have jet lag and if you are in decent shape, I think this is perfectly doable. The walk from Ponferradaa to Villafranca is not taxing, it's got a little hill or two in there, but mainly it's a pretty flat walk. Look at the rough elevation map here: http://mundicamino.com/ruta.cfm?p=T...anca del Bierzo&xne=26&quees=Trazado / Perfil

You won't be boxed into this plan, either, because as you can see on the map, you've got other sleeping options before Villafranca if you just get too tired and decide to call it a day. Buen camino, Laurie