Towns on the Camino Francés with direct bus and/or train links with Madrid

[Castilian]

The aim of this thread is to make a list of towns and cities along the Camino Francés that have direct bus and/or train links with Madrid that can be used for planning purposes. The parentetical next to the name of each town (or city) shows the bus company (or companies) making the route to Madrid. Links to the bus companies are provided at the bottom of the post. In the case of trains, the train company is always RENFE. All routes can be made in both directions; i.e.: from the quoted town or city to Madrid and from Madrid to the quoted town or city.

CAVEAT: I think all the info posted on this post is right at the time of the last edition of this post (look at the right corner at the bottom of the post; just above the dotted blue line) but info might be incomplete and there could be mistakes. There could also be changes on bus routes and/or on train routes that made outdated (part of) the info on this post. Therefore, you must confirm by yourself that whatever route you plan to make is really available on your travel date and what bus company (and/or train company) makes it. The links provided at the bottom of this post might help you to confirm it.

Towns with direct buses to Madrid:

Pamplona (PLM)
Puente la Reina (PLM)
Estella (PLM)
Los Arcos (PLM)
Viana (PLM)
Logroño (PLM and Alsa)
Nájera (PLM)
Santo Domingo de la Calzada (PLM)
Belorado (PLM)
Burgos (Alsa)
Castrojeriz (La Sepulvedana)
León (Alsa)
Astorga (Alsa)
Ponferrada (Alsa)
Villafranca del Bierzo (Alsa)
Ambasmestas (Alsa)
Santiago de Compostela (Alsa)

Note: there's also bus service from Pedrafita do Cebreiro (operated by Alsa); roughly 4 kms away from O Cebreiro.

Towns with direct trains to Madrid:

Pamplona
Logroño (six days per week although there are daily options changing trains along the route)
Burgos
Frómista (just once a week although there are daily options changing trains along the route)
Sahagún
León
Astorga
Ponferrada
Sarria
Santiago de Compostela

Note: there's also direct train service from Veguellina de Órbigo; roughly 3 or 4 kms away from Hospital de Órbigo.

Webs of the bus companies:

http://plmautocares.com
www.alsa.es/en
www.lasepulvedana.es

Web of the train Company:

www.renfe.com

 

[VNwalking]

Thank you, Castilian--as usual you are a font of useful information! Bookmarked.
Might you consider posting this list in the resource section?

 

[Deacon Jason]

The aim of this thread is to make a list of towns and cities along the Camino Francés that have direct bus and/or train links with Madrid that can be used for planning purposes.

Thank you for the information...I have just been looking at how to get from SdC to Madrid for my flight home in October and had looked at both RENFE and RyanAir, but hadn't considered the Alsa bus service.

Question: Having never having ridden on either RENFE trains or the Alsa buses, how do they compare for comfort, services etc.(Supra Economy bus vs. 2nd Class train ticket)? The prices are pretty close...so I was wondering if one or the other was a clear 'winner' in other respects.

Ultreya,

-Jason

 

[Castilian]

Might you consider posting this list in the resource section?

I'm not too familiar with that section and this sort of posts/threads are useful just if they are kept updated so I think it could be better if a mod made it a sticky.

Question: Having never having ridden on either RENFE trains or the Alsa buses, how do they compare for comfort, services etc.(Supra Economy bus vs. 2nd Class train ticket)? The prices are pretty close...so I was wondering if one or the other was a clear 'winner' in other respects.

I would go for the train. The plus side of the train is that the journey to Madrid is several hours shorter (big plus), you can walk through it and you have a bar where you can get (paying) drinks, snacks... and increases the socializing options/chances, if you were interested. I'm not sure if the train offers wifi. Alsa offers it so that would be on the plus side of the bus. Another plus of the bus is that some of them leave you at the airport itself (terminal 4) so you don't have to commute from the downtown. Not sure which one offers a wider range of enterteiment options along the route. Otherwise, both options are fine.

 

[NualaOC]

Thank you for the information...I have just been looking at how to get from SdC to Madrid for my flight home in October and had looked at both RENFE and RyanAir, but hadn't considered the Alsa bus service.

Question: Having never having ridden on either RENFE trains or the Alsa buses, how do they compare for comfort, services etc.(Supra Economy bus vs. 2nd Class train ticket)? The prices are pretty close...so I was wondering if one or the other was a clear 'winner' in other respects.

Ultreya,

-Jason

I took the train from SdeC to Madrid last year. I had to change trains in Ourense, but it was still a fast and comfortable journey. My ticket was 'turista' class (€37), which was probably the cheapest fare. This explanation of train classes might help (or totally confuse!) you: http://www.seat61.com/Spain-trains.htm#Spanish_train_classes

As regards the different types of Alsa buses, I've travelled on both the 'regular' bus and the 'supra' one. The supra one had better seats and included snacks, served by a hostess. There were probably other extras too, but I can't remember. The regular one was fine too. I should add that I am not a particularly fussy traveller - others might give you a more discerning opinion.

I chose the train as it was a shorter journey and the schedule fitted perfectly with my flight time. I would probably make the same choice again. As regards which bus to choose - for me, this would be based solely on the departure time. I took a Supra bus from Ponferrada to Madrid simply because it left at my preferred time. I would have had to wait a few hours for a 'regular' bus.

That's probably a very long-winded way of repeating what @Castilian already said - both are fine. I am a big fan of the Spanish trains and buses.

 

[NualaOC]

The aim of this thread is to make a list of towns and cities along the Camino Francés that have direct bus and/or train links with Madrid that can be used for planning purposes. The parentetical next to the name of each town (or city) shows the bus company (or companies) making the route to Madrid. Links to the bus companies are provided at the bottom of the post. In the case of trains, the train company is always RENFE.

Thanks Castilian. This is very helpful information - presented clearly and logically, as always!

 

[Castilian]

The supra one had better seats and included snacks, served by a hostess

I think snacks are included in Supra+ but not in Supra Economy but I'm not an expert in Alsa so I might be wrong.

I took the train from SdeC to Madrid last year. I had to change trains in Ourense

There are several trains from Santiago de Compostela to Madrid that don't require changing trains along the route. And there are a few more options changing trains in Ourense (what isn't a big hassle). Choose whatever schedule suits you better and/or whatever fare gives you better value for money.

 

[GreatDane]

The aim of this thread is to make a list of towns and cities along the Camino Francés that have direct bus and/or train links with Madrid that can be used for planning purposes.

Ha ha ha, this is funny! I worked up the same thing last night along with 3 different 2 week scenarios on Godesalco.

 

[danielgzepeda]

The aim of this thread is to make a list of towns and cities along the Camino Francés that have direct bus and/or train links with Madrid that can be used for planning purposes. The parentetical next to the name of each town (or city) shows the bus company (or companies) making the route to Madrid. Links to the bus companies are provided at the bottom of the post. In the case of trains, the train company is always RENFE.

Towns with direct buses to Madrid:

Pamplona (PLM)
Puente la Reina (PLM)
Estella (PLM)
Los Arcos (PLM)
Viana (PLM)
Logroño (PLM and Alsa)
Nájera (PLM)
Santo Domingo de la Calzada (PLM)
Belorado (PLM)
Burgos (Alsa)
Castrojeriz (La Sepulvedana)
León (Alsa)
Astorga (Alsa)
Ponferrada (Alsa)
Villafranca del Bierzo (Alsa)
Ambasmestas (Alsa)
Santiago de Compostela (Alsa)

Towns with direct trains to Madrid:

Pamplona
Logroño (six days per week although there are daily options changing trains along the route)
Burgos
Frómista (just once a week although there are daily options changing trains along the route)
Sahagún
León
Astorga
Ponferrada
Sarria
Santiago de Compostela

Note: there's also direct train service to Madrid from Veguellina de Órbigo; roughly 3 or 4 kms away from Hospital de Órbigo.

Webs of the bus companies:

http://plmautocares.com
www.alsa.es/en
www.lasepulvedana.es

Web of the train Company:

www.renfe.com

Thank you! Will ome in very helpful for late August fly in to Madrid.

 

[Diane Kinney]

Thank you for the information...I have just been looking at how to get from SdC to Madrid for my flight home in October and had looked at both RENFE and RyanAir, but hadn't considered the Alsa bus service.

Question: Having never having ridden on either RENFE trains or the Alsa buses, how do they compare for comfort, services etc.(Supra Economy bus vs. 2nd Class train ticket)? The prices are pretty close...so I was wondering if one or the other was a clear 'winner' in other respects.

Ultreya,

-Jason

Hi Deacon, in my opinion the train is more comfortable. The bus can be very warm especially if seated near the rear (engine at back) and the ability to get up and walk around is limited. At least on a train you can move a bit and use the facilities if necessary. Also generally the train trip is faster. I also found there was a bit more leg room. I have taken the train from Madrid to Leon (first camino) and bus from Madrid to Ponferrada, bus from Santiago to Porto and then train from Porto to Lisbon (second Camino).
Buen Camino

 

[whariwharangi]

Castilian ... You might want to post this stuff under the thread 'Compendium of useful links for travel in Spain'. Either that or get it pinned by staff.

 

[Castilian]

You might want to post this stuff under the thread 'Compendium of useful links for travel in Spain'.

No, I won't. That way it would have less visibility.

I'm going to ask a mod if it could be made a sticky.

 

[Marc Hamel]

I'm also interested in travel from Santiago to Madrid. If I take the train to Madrid, what is the connection to the airport?

Thanks,

Marc

 

[Castilian]

I'm also interested in travel from Santiago to Madrid. If I take the train to Madrid, what is the connection to the airport?

Trains from Santiago de Compostela arrive to Chamartín train station in Madrid. From Chamartín train station, the easiest way to reach the airport is to take a Cercanías (commuter) train to the Airport. Cercanías trains from Chamartín to the airport run every 30 minutes and arrive to Terminal 4. If your flight departs from other terminal, you can take a free shuttle bus among terminals at the airport. If you take a Cercanías not later than 4 hours after your arrival to Chamartín from Santiago, the Cercanías ticket will be free using the combinado cercanías code available on your train ticket from Santiago de Compostela to Madrid (take a look at the upper left corner of the ticket to see it). You can get your Cercanías ticket either at one of the self-service machines or at the Cercanías sales desk at Chamartín station. Cercanías are operated by RENFE too but have their own area on the RENFE web (www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/cercanias/index.html) and can't be booked in advance.

Other transport options from Chamartín train station:

• Taxi: fixed fare: 30 Euros.
• Metro: Line 10 from Chamartín to Nuevos Ministerios and Line 8 from Nuevos Ministerios to the Airport. Be aware there's a metro station serving terminals 1, 2 and 3 (i.e.: a single metro station for these three terminals) and another metro station serving terminal 4 (and its satellite T4S).

 

[Marc Hamel]

Trains from Santiago de Compostela arrive to Chamartín train station in Madrid. From Chamartín train station, the easiest way to reach the airport is to take a Cercanías (commuter) train to the Airport. Cercanías trains from Chamartín to the airport run every 30 minutes and arrive to Terminal 4. If your flight departs from other terminal, you can take a free shuttle bus among terminals at the airport. If you take a Cercanías not later than 4 hours after your arrival to Chamartín from Santiago, the Cercanías ticket will be free using the combinado cercanías code available on your train ticket from Santiago de Compostela to Madrid (take a look at the upper left corner of the ticket to see it). You can get your Cercanías ticket either at one of the self-service machines or at the Cercanías sales desk at Chamartín station. Cercanías are operated by RENFE too but have their own area on the RENFE web (www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/cercanias/index.html) and can't be booked in advance.

Other transport options from Chamartín train station:

• Taxi: fixed fare: 30 Euros.
• Metro: Line 10 from Chamartín to Nuevos Ministerios and Line 8 from Nuevos Ministerios to the Airport. Be aware there's a metro station serving terminals 1, 2 and 3 (i.e.: a single metro station for these three terminals) and another metro station serving terminal 4 (and its satellite T4S).

Thank you - this is exactly the kind of detailed information that I was looking for!

 

[Bala]

Oh, happy day! I put a like on this thread 2 years ago when it first went up. Now I'm putting a double like.

After a very frustrating hour plugging the names of individual towns into ALSA and Rome2Rio, trying to figure the best way from "somewhere east of Santiago" back to Madrid, I remembeted this thread. Bingo! Direct train from Sarria! I hadn't even gotten to the Renfe schedule yet.

Thank you, Castilian, for going to all this trouble. It's paying off to pilgrims years after the fact. This forum is the best.

 

[Coffee Bean]

Trains from Santiago de Compostela arrive to Chamartín train station in Madrid. From Chamartín train station, the easiest way to reach the airport is to take a Cercanías (commuter) train to the Airport. Cercanías trains from Chamartín to the airport run every 30 minutes and arrive to Terminal 4. If your flight departs from other terminal, you can take a free shuttle bus among terminals at the airport. If you take a Cercanías not later than 4 hours after your arrival to Chamartín from Santiago, the Cercanías ticket will be free using the combinado cercanías code available on your train ticket from Santiago de Compostela to Madrid (take a look at the upper left corner of the ticket to see it). You can get your Cercanías ticket either at one of the self-service machines or at the Cercanías sales desk at Chamartín station. Cercanías are operated by RENFE too but have their own area on the RENFE web (www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/cercanias/index.html) and can't be booked in advance.

Other transport options from Chamartín train station:

• Taxi: fixed fare: 30 Euros.
• Metro: Line 10 from Chamartín to Nuevos Ministerios and Line 8 from Nuevos Ministerios to the Airport. Be aware there's a metro station serving terminals 1, 2 and 3 (i.e.: a single metro station for these three terminals) and another metro station serving terminal 4 (and its satellite T4S).

Castilian, thank you for this info! I do have some additional question or advise. I’m flying to Madrid then taking a train to Sarria (6+ hours?) is that the quickest way? Then from SdC to Madrid to go home is there a train or do you think I should go back to Sarria from SdC and how long would that take. Then from Sarria to Madrid via train 6+ hours
Thank you in advance for any advise as to the best way to travel from Madrid to Sarria and back to Madrid after my walk.

 

[Albertagirl]

Castilian, thank you for this info! I do have some additional question or advise. I’m flying to Madrid then taking a train to Sarria (6+ hours?) is that the quickest way? Then from SdC to Madrid to go home is there a train or do you think I should go back to Sarria from SdC and how long would that take. Then from Sarria to Madrid via train 6+ hours
Thank you in advance for any advise as to the best way to travel from Madrid to Sarria and back to Madrid after my walk.

@Coffee Bean
This thread is from 2016. Castilian no longer posts on the forum, so he is called “guest” under his forum name. Thank you for finding this thread and bringing it back for general use. I need this information to get to where I shall be volunteering in September.
You can take a train or a bus, or fly, from Santiago to Madrid. If you want to take a train you may book through Renfe, the Spanish national train service. When I was last in Santiago, Renfe had a booking office down the hall from the Pilgrim Office in Santiago, so I went there after checking in at the Pilgrim Office and getting my Compostela. If you are short of time or traveling in the busy season between May and September you might want to book your ticket in advance online with Renfe.es . I think I have heard that schedules may only be available three months before your travel date. Good luck and Buen Camino.

 

[Coffee Bean]

@Coffee Bean
This thread is from 2016. Castilian no longer posts on the forum, so he is called “guest” under his forum name. Thank you for finding this thread and bringing it back for general use. I need this information to get to where I shall be volunteering in September.
You can take a train or a bus, or fly, from Santiago to Madrid. If you want to take a train you may book through Renfe, the Spanish national train service. When I was last in Santiago, Renfe had a booking office down the hall from the Pilgrim Office in Santiago, so I went there after checking in at the Pilgrim Office and getting my Compostela. If you are short of time or traveling in the busy season between May and September you might want to book your ticket in advance online with Renfe.es . I think I have heard that schedules may only be available three months before your travel date. Good luck and Buen Camino.

Albertagirl, muchas gracias!! Will look I to this options!!!

 

[Raymond]

Thank you for the information...I have just been looking at how to get from SdC to Madrid for my flight home in October and had looked at both RENFE and RyanAir, but hadn't considered the Alsa bus service.

Question: Having never having ridden on either RENFE trains or the Alsa buses, how do they compare for comfort, services etc.(Supra Economy bus vs. 2nd Class train ticket)? The prices are pretty close...so I was wondering if one or the other was a clear 'winner' in other respects.

Ultreya,

-Jason

Hi, I have used Renfe quite a few times and it is very comfortable. on the older track from Santiago it travels at a reasonable speed, but speeds up after , I think, Zamora. The journey time can be as litte as about 4hours and 30 minutes, depending on the train you take. Renfe has all the schedules. In 2019 I got the early train, around 7am and was in Madrid Chamartin by midday. Your ticket to Madrid includes a code in top corner that allows you to get a comuter train from Madrid Chamartin to terminal 4 . Then free schuttle to your desired terminal. Leave plenty of time to get around Madrid airport if you have not been there before, it is a big airport. Renfe do not but up their schedules much more than 60 days in advance. it is worth checking in regularly around the two month mark before your trip. if you manage to get on early they often have reduced fares. In the past I have travelled for as little as €20. Buen Camino