Alsa bus travel

[lucky]

Hi to everyone on here
I'm walking my first Camino St Jean Santiago in July.
Hope i can find someone on here to help me out i have been trying
for days to book Alsa bus travel Barcelona to Pamplona on line but keep getting payment
refusual i have also tried to contact correo@caminotravelcentre.com but was sent back
address unknown
Many thanks
lucky

 

[ivar]

Hi there,

The correct address is correo@caminotravelcenter.com (I know... american spelling) of visit http://www.caminotravelcenter.com

Saludos,
Ivar

 

[Bridget and Peter]

I wonder if there have been problems with the Alsa site because so many people have been booking bus journeys on line as a result of the volcano problem. We have just returned via the Santander ferry sailing this Monday and it was still full of people who were caught out when the planes were grounded almost two weeks ago. We heard all sorts of stories and a recurring theme was difficulties with paying for tickets on line - maybe because other people with laptops in hotels got to the seat first?

On the other hand, I must say how wonderful Alsa bus journeys are, how cheap and how comfortable. And the bus station cafe in Santander does the BEST tortilla. Or maybe because it was after 24 hours on the ferry? very welcome, anyway.

 

[Tia Valeria]

We too have had problems with the Alsa site. Have to reload it from scratch every time to change destination/date details. We will go direct to the FEVE or the bus station when we arrive in Santander.
Brittany ferries had a similar problem before flights resumed, it was slow or wouldn't load properly. We couldn't log in to check our booking and print up our 'paid for' tickets, although we did have the 'valid when fully paid' set and a proof of payment. The problem resolved when Brittany ferries posted a banner stating which ferries were available, we downloaded our tickets easily then.

 

[Bridget and Peter]

I recommend the bus rather thzn the Feve raikway, Tis Valeria, or anyone else, uf there us a choice. The railway calls at lots of villages, whereas the bus takes the motorway and only goes into the cities. The complete opposite to the UK. Bilbao to Santander by Feve, three hours. Santander to Bilbao by Alsa bus, about half that. Cost about 7euros. Brilliant system.
All three stations , bus, feve and renfe are close, about five mins walk from the ferry. You'll walk past a Luoz suoermsrket if you need picnic stuff.
Remember to take a numbered ticket from the stand when you join the queue to buy your tickets. The njmber comes up at the booth when it's your turn.
Nb, I don't think I'd bother about booking bus tickets unless it was a busy oeriod or the timing was vital, there are frequent services on the main routes, so you'd get on the next if the first was full. We haven't had a problem, yet!

 

[Tia Valeria]

Thank you for the info Bridget and Peter. Our ferry arrives in Santander at 13.30. We want to use the FEVE when we arrive as we are going to Llanes for the first night and the train goes through the mountains and arrives at 18.10. Brilliant (we hope). That is the 'holiday' bit. Then train again to Oviedo. Times of the train give us a chance to walk around and see something of Llanes before we start our Camino from Oviedo.
If the ferry is late we may have to travel by ALSA to get to our hotel. Getting back to Santander will be by bus and we'll enquire about bookings on our way out.
Glad to hear we will pass a supermarket near the bus station and about the tortilla. We'll probably pay them a visit, going and coming back. On the way home, to make sure we are back in time for the ferry, we are booked in a small fairly cheap hotel near the bus station .

 

[Bridget and Peter]

On the way home, to make sure we are back in time for the ferry, we are booked in a small fairly cheap hotel near the bus station .

Is that the Hotel de la 1 Plaza? (or something like that?) That's where we stayed for 2 nights on our way through, and where the owner kindly minded our bagful of excess luggage. (Those sleeping bags!! mainly, and each of our spare trousers. And a t-shirt or two and ....) It was fine. Nice bocadillas in the street below in a deli-type shop selling locally produced jamon etc.

For a decent choice of places for a menu del dia at about 12 euros you want to walk further towards the open sea as it were, with the quay on your right, past the park space with the TO in it, and go in behind the huge building with the archway. We ate at Meson Rempalay, next to a statue of a cardinal with big hands, looking as it he is sitting with a blanket over his lap. Although the ferry was just in, on Monday we were the only non-locals in. The cafes etc by the ferry get rather busy.

The supermarket BTW is Lupa - I was using my mobile last night and getting tired, so didn't notice my mistakes!!

Looking forward to reading all about it!

love

 

[lucky]

Hi
Thanks to the people who tried to help me out ,hope this update will help anyone else having difficuty after many attempts using visa or credit card and failing i opened a pay pal account and successfully booked and paid for journey with pay pal first hit hope to see some of you in July paul