Roncesvalles to Pamplona by public transport

[Claire&Amelia]

Hello,
I am struggling to work out public transport from Roncesvalles to Pamplona. I know there is a bus run by Artiedas that covers this route but their website says that tickets have to be bought at the bus station (not in advance on-line).
Does anyone know where I might buy tickets in Roncesvalles or if I can get them from the driver on the day?
I have emailed the bus company but have had no reply!
I am keen to use public transport rather than a taxi!

Thank you in advance for any help.

 

[Scott...O]

Have a look at this website...

Tus billetes de autobús en un instante | Movelia

www.movelia.es

 

[Former member 49149]

I have seen that bus on its way to Pamplona, and it looks like it is a local type bus, rather than inter city. My guess is that any person who lives/works in Roncesvalles can show you the bus pickup point. Good luck.

 

[Claire&Amelia]

Thank you very much for the replies.

 

[Trishagale]

My husband and daughter and I caught the bus from St Jean Pied de Port to Pamplona. We bought tickets online but some people bought tickets from the bus driver. It stopped in Roncesvalles. Just a word of warning, the ride is very windy and bumpy, both my daughter and I suffered from travel sickness on the trip. On the return trip we took travel sickness tablets and we were fine.
We bought the tickets on this website, it will show you the schedule, however it looks like you can’t get tickets from Roncesvalles to Pamplona so you will need to get them from the bus driver. I think Roncesvalles was about halfway time-wise.

Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Pamplona Bus Tickets | Busbud

Book your bus ticket from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Pamplona with Busbud. You can expect to pay $29 with an average trip length of 1 hour 45 minutes.

www.busbud.com

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

We bought the tickets on this website, it will show you the schedule, however it looks like you can’t get tickets from Roncesvalles to Pamplona so you will need to get them from the bus driver.

I don't think you can take the ALSA/CONDA bus from Roncevalles to Pamplona. ALSA/CONDA has Navarra's international license and Artieda has the main local license. PLM does has service a few days a week between Pamplona, Valcarlos and Arneguy (actually still Spain but just a short walk across the border with Arneguy).

[Edit: I think you will find that the stop in Roncevalles is done for pickups to SJPdP or dropoffs from SJPdP. I suppose that if you buy a Pamplona to SJPdP ticket (or one for the other way) they really can't stop you from getting off in Roncevalles though.]

 

[Claire&Amelia]

Thank you for replying. I checked out busbud but it’s only possible to book from St Jean. I have emailed ALSA to see if it’s possible to join at Roncesvalles.
I’ll bear in mind the travel sickness!
If that bus service doesn’t work out I might just get a bus back to St Jean and travel from there.
Last year we walked from St Jean to Roncesvalles. We enjoyed it so much that we want to do that walk again and then continue walking from Sarria to Santiago- I didn’t think about how we’d bus the bit in the middle!!

 

[Trishagale]

Certainly people started with us in St Jean and got off the bus in Roncesvalles. They paid the bus driver and he knew they were getting off at Roncesvalles. I don’t think anyone got on the bus at Roncesvalles either way though. Good point Rick.
Good luck!

 

[Pilger99]

Rick is well informed, I'm just remembering the "old times". Maybe it gives you an idea.
The local bus left Roncesvalles very early (~6am) and did the route back from Pamplona in the afternoon.
The bus driver and the bus stayed in Roncesvalles or nearby during night.
The way down should be semi empty since it is only conveniant for the village people who work in Pamplona. The way up it carries a lot of pilgrim. They had no prebooking service, only the booth at the station and the bus driver.

You can also look for the backpack transporters. They shouldn't pass that early.
Taxi to Pamplona should be about 100€, maybe a bit less in the evening, asking a driver who just brought someone up.

expressbourricot serves Saint Jean-French Border @15€ two times a day.

Skipping Pamplona - Puente de la Reina (up to Logrono) is easier. You have connecting buses about every hour (La Estellesa).

 

[Ianinam]

The bus to Pamplona stops dayly (except on Sunday) at 9:20 am; the busstop is near restaurant/hotel La Posada (3 minutes walk from the albergue); ask the hospitaleros in the albergue, the bustimes are signposted there.
The costs are € 5,00, you can buy a ticket from the busdriver.

I expect you will not have much problems with sickness; this is only the case when you drive from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port; that is a ride through the mountains and over the pass, with many, many hairpins. The drive into Pamplona (1 hour) is a nice, comfortable ride.

 

[Trishagale]

Great information Ianinam. I will certainly file that away for future reference.
As for the travel sickness, if you are prone to sickness I would still think about taking medication. There is still a substantial part of the journey through the Pyrenees coming down from Roncesvalles, and my daughter and I suffered just as much on this section of the journey when we did it a couple of weeks ago. If it’s not a problem for you I’m sure you’ll be fine
Good luck

 

[Claire&Amelia]

Thank you everyone for your help and advice.
In case this helps anyone: I emailed ALSA regarding their St.Jean - Pamplona service and checked if it’s possible to board their bus at Roncesvalles but they said they are only allowed to drop off there and drivers cannot sell tickets there.

Buen Camino!

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Thank you everyone for your help and advice.
In case this helps anyone: I emailed ALSA regarding their St.Jean - Pamplona service and checked if it’s possible to board their bus at Roncesvalles but they said they are only allowed to drop off there and drivers cannot sell tickets there.

Buen Camino!

Thank you for checking (and reporting).

 

[Ianinam]

In addition to my earlier post: in July and August the bus stops twice a day at Roncesvalles: 8.30 and 11.30 am. This is not the ALSA bus which does not take passengers, this is a bus from Autocares Artieda.

 

[Trishagale]

Thanks to everyone for their input and advice, I have learnt a lot from this thread!

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Hello,
I am struggling to work out public transport from Roncesvalles to Pamplona. I know there is a bus run by Artiedas that covers this route but their website says that tickets have to be bought at the bus station (not in advance on-line).
Does anyone know where I might buy tickets in Roncesvalles or if I can get them from the driver on the day?
I have emailed the bus company but have had no reply!
I am keen to use public transport rather than a taxi!

Thank you in advance for any help.

Since the bus company is not replying to your email maybe hospitaleros in the towns along the way could tell you whether you can get on the bus by paying the driver.

 

[Former member 49149]

If people can get on the bus in Zabaldika, and pay the driver - which they can and do - then it seems most likely that the same applies at the start of the journey, in Roncesvalles.

 

[Claire&Amelia]

If people can get on the bus in Zabaldika, and pay the driver - which they can and do - then it seems most likely that the same applies at the start of the journey, in Roncesvalles.

The reason for not picking up is that another company services Roncesvalles to Pamplona route so ALSA are not officially allowed to pick up there. In their email to me they said that they cannot guarantee that the driver will stop at Roncesvalles- I guess if no one requests to get off there they don’t stop.
I just don’t want anyone assuming that they’ll be able to get that bus (like I almost did!) and then possibly missing a connecting bus further on.

As another poster mentioned Autocarres Artiedas covers this route and although you can’t book online the driver will take payment.

 

[Claire&Amelia]

In addition to my earlier post: in July and August the bus stops twice a day at Roncesvalles: 8.30 and 11.30 am. This is not the ALSA bus which does not take passengers, this is a bus from Autocares Artieda.

Thank you for this. This was the company I had emailed to find out how to book tickets but hadn’t heard back from them. I’ve since found out that the driver will take payment.

 

[Ianinam]

I suppose you emailed them in English? There are only few people in that area that can speak English, so maybe thay is the reason why they did not answer. But this bus definitely picks up passengers from Roncesvalles to Pamplona!

 

[Former member 49149]

The reason for not picking up is that another company services Roncesvalles to Pamplona route so ALSA are not officially allowed to pick up there. In their email to me they said that they cannot guarantee that the driver will stop at Roncesvalles- I guess if no one requests to get off there they don’t stop.
I just don’t want anyone assuming that they’ll be able to get that bus (like I almost did!) and then possibly missing a connecting bus further on.

As another poster mentioned Autocarres Artiedas covers this route and although you can’t book online the driver will take payment.

yes, that must be the name of the bus I was referring to, I did not refer to Alsa. The main thing is that you will be able to get to where you need to go!

 

[Claire&Amelia]

Just to answer my own question-Roncesvalles albergue has a timetable for buses running to Pamplona! Artiedas run twice a day on Thursdays and Sundays at 8.30 and 11.30 am.
It takes about one hour.
I’m not prone to travel sickness but I felt really bad by the end of the journey.

We arrived safely in Pamplona this morning and are making our way by train now to continue our walking Camino to Santiago.

 

[Claire&Amelia]

Just to answer my own question-Roncesvalles albergue has a timetable for buses running to Pamplona! Artiedas run twice a day on Thursdays and Sundays at 8.30 and 11.30 am.
It takes about one hour.
I’m not prone to travel sickness but I felt really bad by the end of the journey.

We arrived safely in Pamplona this morning and are making our way by train now to continue our walking Camino to Santiago.

I forgot to mention that the bus stop has been moved temporarily so check where the bus will pick up from!

 

[gailsweb]

Hi there don’t suppose you noticed what time the bus leaves other days - my research suggests same timetable 6 days and I’ve done this before without problems- I too love starting my caminoing with the Pyrenees.