Travel to VdlP from Salamanca

[flyingbluelizard]

Last year, my limited time on the VdlP only allowed me walk from Sevilla to Hervas. I am now planning my return visit in September of this year and wonder if anyone has a cost effective alternative means by which to reach Hervas from Salamanca on a weekday evening after 18.00.

According to the Alsa bus timetable, the last bus to leave Salamanca for Hervas is at 16.30 which is well before the estimated arrival time of the Avanza bus from Barajos. Does anyone know of another bus operator who covers this area?

I am very keen to complete my travelling from Edinburgh in one day and am unwilling to pay for a taxi. The alternative is of course to spend a night in Salamanca and travel south to Hervas in the morning, but it is not my preference.

All advice and or comments much appreciated.

Neil

 

[piogaw]

neil,

i don't know what is your arrival time in madrid from the uk. but there are many schedules for taking the bus from madrid city centre to salamanca (estacion sur). as you are not able to connect to the bus for hervas from barajos. your best bet is to take the metro or cercanias to madrid centre to estacion sur on gran via. there are 5 express and three normal buses that go to salamanca on a weekday. the last bus you can take is the 13:00 from madrid city centre to salamanca arriving at 15:30 for your connection to the alsa bus for hervas.

i have the feeling your flight to barajas from the uk is rather late. as there are only 2 buses from salamananca to hervas, if so, there is no other way except to lost 1 extra day and staying overnight in salamanca and take the 07:45 to hervas. and i think the second bus leaves for hervas at 14:30, not 16:30 as stated by you.

buen camino and god bless.

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Neil,

I don't know what your time of arrival is into Madrid, but if you look at the avanzabus bus schedule, you'll see that while there are only 6 buses a day from the airport to Salamanca, there are almost 20 a day from the bus station to Salamanca.

So the question is whether you can get to the bus station and get on an earlier bus to Salamanca.

Here's a link to a thread that discussed ways to get to the Estacion Sur, which is the station for buses going to Salamanca: traveling-to-from-the-camino/topic17985.html This station is way out of town, on the southeast side, and it is a pain to get to on the metro. But it may allow you to get to Salamanca in time for the last bus to Hervas.

Good luck with this, Laurie

 

[flyingbluelizard]

Dear friends,

I should begin by telling both of you that this is my first ever reply to an answer on any forum ever, so if there's a protocol that I've missed, please forgive me!

Many thanks for your thoughts on my transfer from Barajas to Salamanca and beyond. I have been wrong footed by the extremely limited bus service serving the area to the south of Salamanca. When I booked my flights that are via Heathrow, I realised that I would just miss the 13.00 Avanza bus from the airport as my flight arrives at 13.20, so I've already bought an online ticket for the 15.00 departure. This is a service that I have used previously and am familiar with departure locations etc. The suggestion to head into Madrid where the frequency of express departures is greater might be an option, but by the time I get to the bus station, I doubt there'll will be much benefit.

Im almost too embarrassed to tell you this, but I am so keen to get to Hervas on my travelling day that I even got in touch with a taxi firm to ask costs, but that's a no no! I was quoted 97 euros! Salamanca is one of the most beautiful cities in Spain, so I will just have to spend a night indulging in the richness of this great city and head to Hervas in the morning. We Vdlp pelegrinos just have an allergy to walking south I suppose!

Laurie, I see from the forum that you have recently been on the VdlP and have much enjoyed reading your posts.

Thanks again for your advice.

Neil

 

[piogaw]

neil,

i know salamanca very, very well, having been there regularly to visit friends. you will enjoy salamanca, it is a mix of big town, small city atmosphere, a university town of 95k population and 40k student population. it is very cosmopolitan with plenty to see and visit.

do enjoy the hospitality of salamanca and go to hervas the next morning on the 07:45 bus.

 

[alansykes]

I assume you aren't arriving in Madrid on a Friday, but if so there is a later bus from Salamanca to Hervas that day, at 6pm.

I meant to go to see the Juderia in Hervas last time I went past, but having followed the hitos rather than the arrows, added a couple of km to an already long (glorious) day from Carcaboso, and it was almost dusk and I was feeling quite tired by the time I got to Aldeanueva del Camino, so stayed the night there instead.

 

[flyingbluelizard]

Alan,

Thanks for your reply. I am still undecided about my travel plans. I was so hoping to get to my start point on my travelling day and am now wondering if heading further south might almost be easier. I think I can train or bus it to Caceres on the same day, but after a very early start from Edinburgh, I will be exhausted. Options I have, so it's just deciding what's best.

Counting the days!

Neil