Madrid to St Jean in one day?

[ilbestro12]

Can i make it from Madrid to Pamplona to St Jean in a single day? Is a taxi from pamplona to st j expensive?

 

[Tincatinker]

Can i make it from Madrid to Pamplona to St Jean in a single day? Is a taxi from pamplona to st j expensive?

Depends on your arrival/departure time Madrid but possibly. Taxi, figure €100, less if you can share it

https://www.rome2rio.com/map/Madrid/Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port

Or just start walking from Pamplona

 

[Molly Cassidy]

If you take the early morning train from Madrid you'll be in time for the bus from Pamplona.

 

[Helen O'Shaughnessy]

A few years ago, a group of 4 travelled to Pamplona from Barcelona, and had organised a mini bus to pick us up for the Pamplona go SJP … I was amazed it all worked out, albeit the minivan was a bit late. We did that journey in one day, so it’s possible! A bus from Pamplona would be ideal. From memory, the train leaving Madrid for Pamplona leaves early am

 

[Molly Cassidy]

A few years ago, a group of 4 travelled to Pamplona from Barcelona, and had organised a mini bus to pick us up for the Pamplona go SJP … I was amazed it all worked out, albeit the minivan was a bit late. We did that journey in one day, so it’s possible! A bus from Pamplona would be ideal. From memory, the train leaving Madrid for Pamplona leaves early am

When I looked it up (in response to this thread) it didn't seem to be too early - between 7 and 8 am. I didn't note the exact time.

 

[Pafayac]

Can i make it from Madrid to Pamplona to St Jean in a single day? Is a taxi from pamplona to st j expensive?

Rome2Rio says yes, changing train in Zaragoza:
Madrid to SJPP by train and car

 

[Bob P]

I caught a Bla Bla car, my share was 30 euros and I got to SJPDP in time to vist the pilgrims office before closing. Took some planning, but worth it, I think.

 

[Bob P]

BTW, the couple were French, with no English, I'm American with no French, so with translate on phone and hours to figure it out, we had a fun trip. It was my "first" Camino experience.

 

[Pilgrim9]

Can i make it from Madrid to Pamplona to St Jean in a single day? Is a taxi from pamplona to st j expensive?

One might be wise to allow for unexpected delays.

The two-lane road between Pamplona and SJPdP goes through mountainous terrain and is very twisty. There are many possible causes of road blockages such as traffic accidents, fallen trees, wash-outs, landslides, etc.

In 2017 my bus between Pamplona and Roncesvalles was delayed by many hours due to a big bicycle race on that road. That caused me to miss my bus-to-SJPdP connection in Roncesvalles. There were no other buses that day, no taxis to be found, and I did not know the telephone numbers of any local taxi companies. I hovered around the main road wondering what to do. Fortunately, a couple of hours later a taxi arrived and disgorged some passengers. I rushed over just as the driver was pulling away and was able to convince him to take me to SJPdP. It was costly.

 

[Former member 92300]

Can i make it from Madrid to Pamplona to St Jean in a single day? Is a taxi from pamplona to st j expensive?

I took a taxi from Roncesvalles to SJPDP and it was 50, thankfully I split the fee with 2 other pilgrims I had met at the bus station in Pamplona.

If you can get from Madrid to Pamplona in the AM - then taking a bus in the early afternoon is possible. I don't know if there is a very early train or bus to Pamplona though. I looked for a mid-morning one and couldn't find one when I was there - so took an afternoon train and had to take the bus to SJPDP the next day (but due to COVID it only took me to Roncesvalles then I had to taxi).

 

[Kanga]

Yes, I've done it several times. Train to Pamplona, bus to SJPDP.

 

[DwainS]

Can i make it from Madrid to Pamplona to St Jean in a single day? Is a taxi from pamplona to st j expensive?

I was wondering the same thing as I land in Madrid at 10:20 AM. That's assuming there's no delays.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Do you NEED to go through Pamplona?
There have been (during season) buses from Terminal 4 in Madrid to SJPP.
Are they not running?

The bus from Madrid to Pamplona is 7 hours.
I love it, but would suggest staying in Pamplona a couple of days to rest from your flight and see the city.
Grab a cheap bus to SJPP from there.
Then just walk right past it on your way back through.

 

[DwainS]

Do you NEED to go through Pamplona?
There have been (during season) buses from Terminal 4 in Madrid to SJPP.
Are they not running?

The bus from Madrid to Pamplona is 7 hours.
I love it, but would suggest staying in Pamplona a couple of days to rest from your flight and see the city.
Grab a cheap bus to SJPP from there.
Then just walk right past it on your way back through.

Yes, my common sense tells just to go from Madrid to Pamplona and stay the night there then on to SJPP the next day. But my eagerness to start the camino wants me to get from Madrid to SJPP in the one day. Oh, such are the dilemmas of the planning, ha ha. But enjoying the planning.

 

[trecile]

Yes, my common sense tells just to go from Madrid to Pamplona and stay the night there then on to SJPP the next day. But my eagerness to start the camino wants me to get from Madrid to SJPP in the one day. Oh, such are the dilemmas of the planning, ha ha. But enjoying the planning.

You certainly can travel from Madrid to St Jean in one day, but I wouldn't do it on the day that I arrive in Madrid.

 

[DwainS]

You certainly can travel from Madrid to St Jean in one day, but I wouldn't do it on the day that I arrive in Madrid.

Yes thanks. I wanted to spend a little extra time in Pamplona anyway without taking a rest day there. So this way I will be able to spend two nights there, my first night in Spain and when I travel back through on my camino for another night. Plus I will be able to get into SJPP at a decent time the next day. Forum very helpful, I now have my first couple days planned.

 

[dick bird]

Can i make it from Madrid to Pamplona to St Jean in a single day? Is a taxi from pamplona to st j expensive?

Am I right in assuming you live in the US? And will be flying into Madrid from the US?

OK, yes you can get from Madrid to SJPdP in one day if you arrive early and make the right connections (bus to Pamplona, then bus to Saint Jean, possibly even a bus direct to SJPdP). Spain has a pretty good public transport system. But you do realise you are going to be pretty jet-lagged? I would lower the stress and allow your body clock to adjust to the new time zone. Maybe stay a night in Madrid, then make the trip next day. You could even hang out for a while in Madrid (or Pamplona) on the way. Hurrying is not something you'll b doing a lot of on the camino.

 

[deano5]

I just booked our train tickets to Pamplona from Madrid Atocha for April 30 , 2023 for 2x $21 total of $42 on Trainline.com . Next I am looking for a taxi to share that day. I am not in a rush as we will be in Madrid area for the previous 4 days.

 

[trecile]

I just booked our train tickets to Pamplona from Madrid Atocha for April 30 , 2023 for 2x $21 total of $42 on Trainline.com . Next I am looking for a taxi to share that day. I am not in a rush as we will be in Madrid area for the previous 4 days.

You can start a new thread and use the "Ride share" prefix.

 

[deano5]

You can start a new thread and use the "Ride share" prefix.

View attachment 138326

Was more interested in sharing that Trainline books some routes more than 90 days out. Price on rome2rio was outrageous, easily triple the price. Booking your train asap is cheaper.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Yes, I did Madrid to SJPdP in one day. I have never stayed the night in Madrid after landing at the airport. If I were to bother doing that I would want to explore Madrid for a few days beforehand. My US flight has always arrived in early morning(sun up), and I've taken both the bus and train to Pamplona, then a taxi to SJPdP. My afternoon arrival gave me enough time to explore, walk around the rampart walls, have a nice dinner, and by morning I was ready to head out.
There is no right or wrong way; this was just my experience and my jet lag did not seem much of a problem.

 

[deano5]

Yes, I did Madrid to SJPdP in one day. I have never stayed the night in Madrid after landing at the airport. If I were to bother doing that I would want to explore Madrid for a few days beforehand. My US flight has always arrived in early morning(sun up), and I've taken both the bus and train to Pamplona, then a taxi to SJPdP. My afternoon arrival gave me enough time to explore, walk around the rampart walls, have a nice dinner, and by morning I was ready to head out.
There is no right or wrong way; this was just my experience and my jet lag did not seem much of a problem.

I agree with your post but this is our first, I hate to have a rushed feeling from the start, we love Spain and me and my son were born there , it is special to us but we don’t want any negative starts or feel rushed, I understand the limits of walking/lodging in the 1st 3 to 4 days , but as being a point a to b anal person I need to make sure from the start, we will probably start shortening our stages after Pamplona, due to a granddaughter graduation we will stop in Burgos .granddaughter is my favorite person in the world we brought her to Spain in April 2022

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I agree with your post but this is our first, I hate to have a rushed feeling from the start, we love Spain and me and my son were born there , it is special to us but we don’t want any negative starts or feel rushed, I understand the limits of walking/lodging in the 1st 3 to 4 days , but as being a point a to b anal person I need to make sure from the start, we will probably start shortening our stages after Pamplona, due to a granddaughter graduation we will stop in Burgos .granddaughter is my favorite person in the world we brought her to Spain in April 2022

You asked the question about going from Madrid to SJPdP in one day. I merely answered that I did it in one day with no problems.

 

[peregrina2000]

You certainly can travel from Madrid to St Jean in one day, but I wouldn't do it on the day that I arrive in Madrid.

It’s not often that I disagree with @trecile, but my reaction is different. I travel overnight to get to Madrid, and in the best of circumstances I will have dozed for a few hours when I arrive early the next morning. For me, the absolute best way to spend that arrival day is plowing through whatever travel remains to get me to my starting point. I’m not going to use that day as a tourist, and I surely don’t want to sleep it away because that will totally mess my body up. I’m going to be zonked no matter what I do, and for me it’s more of a hassle to schlepp into Madrid, get a place to stay, and then the next morning get back on some form of transportation. That turns one day’s travel into two with no added benefit for me.

Obviously our bodies are all different, so what works for one won’t work for all.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

It’s not often that I disagree with @trecile, but my reaction is different. I travel overnight to get to Madrid, and in the best of circumstances I will have dozed for a few hours when I arrive early the next morning. For me, the absolute best way to spend that arrival day is plowing through whatever travel remains to get me to my starting point. I’m not going to use that day as a tourist, and I surely don’t want to sleep it away because that will totally mess my body up. I’m going to be zonked no matter what I do, and for me it’s more of a hassle to schlepp into Madrid, get a place to stay, and then the next morning get back on some form of transportation. That turns one day’s travel into two with no added benefit for me.

Obviously our bodies are all different, so what works for one won’t work for all.

Exactly what I have done and why, but you've said it much better than me.

 

[CrimsonBear]

Does anyone have a taxi outfit in Pamplona that they would recommend to drive to SJPdP?

Is one able to make a reservation with them ahead of time for the ride?

Or is it more of a "show up at the train/bus station" and then work it out with whomever is there at the time?

 

[trecile]

Does anyone have a taxi outfit in Pamplona that they would recommend to drive to SJPdP?

Is one able to make a reservation with them ahead of time for the ride?

Or is it more of a "show up at the train/bus station" and then work it out with whomever is there at the time?

You can book in advance with this company and they will attempt to pool you with other pilgrims:

The Way - Taxi Pamplona

Taxi Pamplona - Since 1984 serving citizensin Pamplona and the surrounding area. In a hurry?You need a taxi? Immediate attention 24 h - 365 days a year .Security. Professionalism. Trust. Confort. Availability. Speed

taxipamplona.com

Or you can just get a taxi at the station when you arrive.

 

[CrimsonBear]

That is SUPER helpful. Thank you, Trecile, my fellow Oregonian!

 

[henrythedog]

Does anyone have a taxi outfit in Pamplona that they would recommend to drive to SJPdP?

Is one able to make a reservation with them ahead of time for the ride?

Or is it more of a "show up at the train/bus station" and then work it out with whomever is there at the time?

Pamplona train station is large enough with a queue of taxis waiting outside. You may save pennies by pre-booking, but hopefully your next few weeks are going to be more spontaneous.

If you landed in a big city in the states and wanted an hour’s cab-ride, would you pre-book? If yes; carry on ..

 

[Mr_Ross_Duncan]

Yes, I've done it several times. Train to Pamplona, bus to SJPDP.

Hi Kanga.
Do you happen to remember any of the bus details from Pamplona?.
Rome2Rio suggests there's a daily ALSA bus.
However the ALSA website seems to think otherwise, only throwing up an error message, no matter what date I try.
Thanks for your help.
Ross

 

[trecile]

Hi Kanga.
Do you happen to remember any of the bus details from Pamplona?.
Rome2Rio suggests there's a daily ALSA bus.
However the ALSA website seems to think otherwise, only throwing up an error message, no matter what date I try.
Thanks for your help.
Ross

ALSA currently isn't running any buses from Pamplona to SJPdP. You will have to wait for their Spring schedule.

I think that in the past that the bus leaves around 2:30pm - others here will have better information.

 

[Mr_Ross_Duncan]

ALSA currently isn't running any buses from Pamplona to SJPdP. You will have to wait for their Spring schedule.

I think that in the past that the bus leaves around 2:30pm - others here will have better information.

Thanks for the update there, much appreciated.

 

[Kanga]

Hi Kanga.
Do you happen to remember any of the bus details from Pamplona?.
Rome2Rio suggests there's a daily ALSA bus.
However the ALSA website seems to think otherwise, only throwing up an error message, no matter what date I try.
Thanks for your help.
Ross

ALSA runs during the summer months, but I thought there was also a local line that runs all season, a milk run stopping at the small villages, at least to Roncesvalles. I can't find it, but my quest looking through the different bus websites did throw up some fun stuff - like how to get to Jaca and Canfranc station from Pamplona. The winter pictures look gorgeous.

 

[Mr_Ross_Duncan]

Thanks for your time Kanga, much appreciated. I think the issue with the ALSA website is they don't run the service over their winter months, not enough customers I'd imagine. I've found a link to a local cab company that can be booked in advance and will try and hook up passengers together to save on cost.
Cheers.
Ross

 

[YvonneKT]

Yes, I did Madrid to SJPdP in one day. I have never stayed the night in Madrid after landing at the airport. If I were to bother doing that I would want to explore Madrid for a few days beforehand. My US flight has always arrived in early morning(sun up), and I've taken both the bus and train to Pamplona, then a taxi to SJPdP. My afternoon arrival gave me enough time to explore, walk around the rampart walls, have a nice dinner, and by morning I was ready to head out.
There is no right or wrong way; this was just my experience and my jet lag did not seem much of a problem.

Hi - how long did it take to go from Pamplona to St Jean in a taxi and what was approx cost? Thanks

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Hi - how long did it take to go from Pamplona to St Jean in a taxi and what was approx cost? Thanks

We booked it on-line ahead of time and the taxi was €100. I was with three other family members so we were able to share the cost, averaging €25/each.
The ride took approximately one and a half hours.

 

[trecile]

Here are the rates from Teletaxi San Fermín
(click to enlarge)