Buses between towns

[Kathleen tracy]

Hi all
Can someone plse tell me is there are buses between towns daily even early evening? Failing that are their always taxis available around this time?

 

[SabsP]

Hi all
Can someone plse tell me is there are buses between towns daily even early evening? Failing that are their always taxis available around this time?

Certainly not systematically and not always in the evening.
Some lines serve villages only twice a day.
Alsa buscompany is for the bigger towns. Private buscompanies for the smaller villages.

This website can help you further.
Just type in the towns and villages you want to travel.

Rome2rio: discover how to get anywhere

Discover how to get anywhere by searching plane, train, bus, car and ferry routes

www.rome2rio.com

.

Taxis will be a safer bet.

 

[t2andreo]

Also, and building on what Sabine said, taxis GENERALLY cost about €1 per km.

So a 8 km trip from the cafe where you 'pooped out' to your days' destination should cost ABOUT €8. Depending on the situation and weather, you could offer to share the ride with other pilgrims in similar circumstances. I usually just offer them a free ride if they are going to the same town up ahead as me.

Buses are very much cheaper per km. BUT, many villages and small towns have very limited service as described above.

I strongly endorse starting with the Rome-2-Rio app or website. Once you drill down enough to find the name of some of the contracting bus lines for a given route or area, see if they have a website or an app.

It is true that ALSA is the largest and national carrier, per se. But many provinces and regions contract more localized service to smaller, private companies.

Hope this helps.

 

[Donjek]

There is bus service to most villages. I don't know if they will stop to pick up flags between scheduled stops.

Once you get past Astorga most of the camino is located away from roads wide enough for buses. If there is service its once per day at most and some places have no bus service at all. Otherwise you have to go from one village to another via a transport hub such as Lugo.

Transportation Hubs

Pamplona

Bienvenidos a la Estación de Autobuses de Pamplona

La nueva estación de autobuses de Pamplona está construida con el objetivo de acercar lo ultimo en comodidad y movilidad a sus clientes.

www.estaciondeautobusesdepamplona.com

Autocares Artieda Roncesvalles to Pamplona

La Estellesa Pamplona to Logrono

ALSA SJPdP to Pamplona (but no pickup between these stops)

Burgos

Horarios de autobuses | Ayuntamiento de Burgos

Sitio Web del Excmo. Ayuntamiento de Burgos

www.aytoburgos.es

Autobuses Jiminez Logrono to Burgos

Amaya Burgos to Fromista

ALSA Carrion de los Condes (and Osorno) to Leon

There is no direct service between Fromista and Carrion de los Condes

Renfe train Fromista to Osorno

ALSA Leon to Ponferrada

There is once per week service local bus to and from Astorga to Rabanal

There is no bus service between Rabanal and Ponferrada

ALSA Ponferrada to Piedrafita do Cebreiro (no stops)

Gonzalez y de la Riva Ponferrada to Vega de Valcarce and El Castro on demand

Empresa Portomarin (not confirmed) O Cebreiro to Sarria. If there is service its once a day each way during weekdays only.

Empresa Portomarin Sarria to Portomarin

There is not service between Portomarin and Palas de Rei.

Empresa Portomarin Portomarin to Lugo

Empresa Friere Lugo to Palas de Rei

Empresa Friere Palas de Rei to Santiago

 

[Donjek]

Hi all
Can someone plse tell me is there are buses between towns daily even early evening? Failing that are their always taxis available around this time?

Try this where you live. Walk to a location on a remote country road between two small towns. Then try to explain to the dispatcher (if you have cell phone coverage) where it is that you are located.

Now imagine doing that in Spanish.

There are not ranks of taxis waiting in every village on the camino in the hopes of getting a fare from a pilgrim. If you're going to walk be prepared to walk the full distance.

 

[John Sikora]

For all my Caminos, I like to plan a bail out on all probable segments. You never know whether blisters, lack of sleep, weather or some other factor will force your hand.

I, like others, use rome2rio to do the initial check. That usually tells you whether there are any alternatives available (bus,train). You then have to look at the schedules and see if they match. Some towns are great for service, others have service only the morning or only in the evening, and weekends are a crapshoot.

Once you figure this out, you have your backstop with not a lot of effort.

And, as others have said correctly, there are always taxis. Perhaps a little expensive depending on your budget but usually reliable, run by locals so they know the area and trails well, and most restaurants, hotels, bars, and cafes are more than happy to give them a call (sparing you the language events).

 

[t2andreo]

John:

In my former line of work this was called always having a Plan B to get you safely out of any dicey situation. At least it prevented embarrassing stations, and at worst avoided injury, to me or someone else.

In retirement, and on Camino, it means, to have previously assessed your situation and circumstances, adapted a plan to address this issue or problem, and then simply the plan to overcome the challenge. You encapsulated this very well.

Assess, adapt and overcome. Having that 'float plan" in your mental pocket at the start of each day also helps remove any stress or anxiety some of us might feel. I do. I make these sort of plans all the time. I do not like surprises...unless they are very good surprises.

Rome2Rio remains the best initial go-to app. Once you an identify the local bus route operator licensed by the local government, or have the requisite app you know, from the provider (bus or rail), then have at it.

Taxis make a good fall back, just in case.

 

[Montana Jayne]

Hi all
Can someone plse tell me is there are buses between towns daily even early evening? Failing that are their always taxis available around this time?

 

[Friend from Barquinha]

From my observations in rural Portugal and Greece. (I would suspect the same is true in rural Spain.)

The local bus services are set up for local priorities. Thus the networks are typically planned so people from small villages can get to larger market towns once or twice a day (in the morning), and back in the late afternoon before dinner. Similarly, high school students tend to use them to get to the bigger town hubs where there are enough students for secondary schools to be practical. Then in the afternoon they go back to their home towns/villages. It usually turns out to be sheer luck if you can find a bus from one small town to another!

Trying to get from town to town in the evening is pretty challenging. Taxis are the practical alternative (and you're generally supporting a local family business, as well).

Bom caminho!

 

[taigirl]

Hi all
Can someone plse tell me is there are buses between towns daily even early evening? Failing that are their always taxis available around this time?

 

[taigirl]

Double check that the bus stop is the correct one. We waited for a bus at Hospital de Orbigos at the designated bus stop on the main Street which never arrived. Later found out that every second day the bus route is along the next street. Not even the bus timetable on the shelter gave us that information.

 

[sugargypsy]

Double check that the bus stop is the correct one. We waited for a bus at Hospital de Orbigos at the designated bus stop on the main Street which never arrived. Later found out that every second day the bus route is along the next street. Not even the bus timetable on the shelter gave us that information.

Made the same experience.

Always double check, better: ask locals where the bus stop is (estación de autobuses). They will show you.

I got interviewed by a spanish lady in Galicia (student who was engaged to interview pilgrims / tourists) who wanted to know amongst other things what could be improved for pilgrims / tourists in Spain.

I told her, that I liked everything very much, everything was fine, except sometimes - if in need - it would be nice to be able to recognize the bus stops easily. She laughed and told me that even spanish people also have problems finding bus stops in environments that are unfamiliar to them and need to ask .

 

[taigirl]

We did ask a local. Also checked with the shop behind the bus stop. It was only after the person concerned called a taxi did another local tell us of the alternative stop.

 

[sugargypsy]

We did ask a local. Also checked with the shop behind the bus stop. It was only after the person concerned called a taxi did another local tell us of the alternative stop.

Sorry that it did not work out for you well.

 

[taigirl]

Thanks. I was waiting with a friend who had to fly back home for an emergency. Called taxi so all ended well.

 

[nycwalking]

Kathleen Tracy,

Take the Gronze.com app and Rome2Rio apps.

Look at your starting point for that day and where you wish to finish on Gronze.

Then check Rome2Rio to ascertain if there’s a bus from point-to-point.

If so, check the stops in between. Now, ask yourself do you wish to walk several kilometers to a bus stop. Or, take bus to an in-between town then walk from there. And, keep aware of the bus timetables.

It is far easier just to walk every step of the way.

But, if life requires a differently-abled camino: Go for it.

 

[trecile]

Take the Gronze.com app and Rome2Rio apps.

Just to clarify. Gronze.com is a website and does not have an app. Rome2Rio.com has a website and an app.

Get the Rome2rio Apps - Rome2rio

Find the best way to get from A to B, anywhere in the world, on your mobile phone or tablet.

www.rome2rio.com

 

[wynrich]

Try this where you live. Walk to a location on a remote country road between two small towns. Then try to explain to the dispatcher (if you have cell phone coverage) where it is that you are located.

Now imagine doing that in Spanish.

There are not ranks of taxis waiting in every village on the camino in the hopes of getting a fare from a pilgrim. If you're going to walk be prepared to walk the full distance.

For newcomers I wanted to explain that taxis will often advertise with little signs on poles, etc. (Sometimes to an annoying extent.) Also, we found that you can usually ask in the local bar about taxi service and they'll know if one is available. And there usually is, at least on the Frances, and they'll call for you. Taxis don't seem to be as readily available on the Norte. One time on the Norte, we'd found ourselves walking a lot further than expected and had foot problems. We asked in a restaurant about a taxi to take us the last 10 kilometers and the owner said it would be too expensive to take a taxi because the taxi would have to come from pretty far away. Then he thought a minute and said "Come on. Get in my car. I'll take you."

 

[MikeyC]

When you do see a local taxi driver advertising his number take a picture for easy reference. As mentioned above these are often posted on lamp posts or similar