Hi

[KSun]

Hi experienced Pilgrims
Please can anyone advise me which is a cheap yet reliable way to get to St Jean from Madrid airport? I am due to land in Madrid at 6:45 on Saturday morning the 13th of April 2019 and would like to get to St Jean by that evening.
Thank you for your help!

 

[Jan_D]

My suggestion:
Madrid Airport to Atocha train station on C1 urban train (regular, takes 34 mins)
Madrid Atocha to Pamplona by train (Renfe), leaving 9:40 arriving 12:52.
Pamplona to SJPdP by bus (Alsa), leaving 14:30 arriving 16:15.

Note: There is only one bus per day from Pamplona to SJPdP in April, so you really need to be there before 2:30pm. I haven't found any buses from Madrid that would get you there in time. The train is around €30 if you book in advance - which you'll definitely need to to, as Saturday 13 April is the first day of the Spanish Easter holidays!

 

[KSun]

My suggestion:
Madrid Airport to Atocha train station on C1 urban train (regular, takes 34 mins)
Madrid Atocha to Pamplona by train (Renfe), leaving 9:40 arriving 12:52.
Pamplona to SJPdP by bus (Alsa), leaving 14:30 arriving 16:15.

Note: There is only one bus per day from Pamplona to SJPdP in April, so you really need to be there before 2:30pm. I haven't found any buses from Madrid that would get you there in time. The train is around €30 if you book in advance - which you'll definitely need to to, as Saturday 13 April is the first day of the Spanish Easter holidays!

Thank you so much, really appreciate your response, very helpful!

 

[Jan_D]

No problem! Just to add, I'd also recommend booking the Pamplona-SJPdP bus with Alsa in advance: when I was checking times, it told me that "x number of people are also looking at this ticket right now" - which I know is probably just a sales technique, but I suspect lots of people will be walking in the run-up to Easter, and with only one bus per day heading to SJPdP, I wouldn't risk turning up without a ticket!

 

[KSun]

Thanks Jan_D, I did just that, I'm booked all the way through from Madrid to SJPdP which makes me feel much more relaxed. It would have been disappointing and expensive to find myself stuck for a couple of days in Madrid and then Pamplona, just trying to get to SJ. Really appreciate your help!

 

[Jan_D]

That's great news! How very exciting; not too long to go now...

 

[Peligro]

Thanks Jan_D, I did just that, I'm booked all the way through from Madrid to SJPdP which makes me feel much more relaxed. It would have been disappointing and expensive to find myself stuck for a couple of days in Madrid and then Pamplona, just trying to get to SJ. Really appreciate your help!

Getting off that bus in SJ is one of the coolest feelings I've ever had! Also - check out Refuge Orisson halfway up the Pyrenees - it's a great experience- enjoy and Buen Camino!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Hi experienced Pilgrims
Please can anyone advise me which is a cheap yet reliable way to get to St Jean from Madrid airport? I am due to land in Madrid at 6:45 on Saturday morning the 13th of April 2019 and would like to get to St Jean by that evening.
Thank you for your help!

One year I took the train, the next time I took the bus. Both should be options for you since your flight arrives so early in the morning. I probably preferred the bus as it was a quicker option, already located at the airport. There was a little more rigamorole getting to the Atocha train station, but I managed.

 

[Jan_D]

One year I took the train, the next time I took the bus. Both should be options for you since your flight arrives so early in the morning. I probably preferred the bus as it was a quicker option, already located at the airport. There was a little more rigamorole getting to the Atocha train station, but I managed.

Hmm. I'm not sure about the bus being quicker - I checked with Alsa and PLM and the journey to Pamplona comes up as 6 hours, as opposed to 3 hours on the train. Also, there weren't any buses arriving in Pamplona in time for the final connection to SJPdP at 14:30pm. (Maybe I missed something?) In any case KSun's tickets have already been booked! It might be a little more of a hustle getting to Atocha, but I don't think the bus was an option in this case.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I was only referring to the bus in terms of quick and easy access from the airport, not the length of the journey. Looks like you are doing a good job with your research.
Buen Camino!

 

[Jan_D]

I was only referring to the bus in terms of quick and easy access from the airport, not the length of the journey. Looks like you are doing a good job with your research.

Oh, sorry I thought you meant length of the journey in total! As for my "research"... this forum is really bad (or good?) at enabling a chronic camino planning addiction

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Note: There is only one bus per day from Pamplona to SJPdP in April, so you really need to be there before 2:30pm.

The additional 17:30 bus service to SJPdP starts on Wednesday, April 17. Not a help in this case.

In front of the RENFE station is a street bus shelter. From there you can take bus #9 every 10 or 15 minutes or so to take you very near the bus station. Every hour bus #A will take you directly to the station. See the schedules at
https://www.infotuc.es/descargas/fichas/A_7.pdf
https://www.infotuc.es/descargas/fichas/9_1.pdf