Transport from Santiago to Madrid

[riatolken]

Hi, as you can see - I am new! Please tell me how can I get from Santiago to Madrid? Thanks a lot xx

 

[NCfishboy]

I booked a airplane ticket with ryanair that fit in with my plans.

 

[piogaw]

hello,
you can either take a flight with ryanair or vueling or take the train. of the airlines, ryanair is the cheapest. the fare on weekdays from sdc to madrid during july is usually 29.69 euros. there are 2 flights per day at 0810 hr departing sdc and arriving at madrid barajas t1 at 0910 hr. and the second flight departing sdc at 2215 hr, arriving madrid barajas t1 at 2320 hr. vueling,since being taken over by british airways is more expensive. their fare start at 99.73 euros.
on the other hand you can take the train. there are 2 train weekdays, a day train and a trenhotel. the day train depart sdc at 1605 hr, arriving at madrid chamartin at 2148 hr. the fares are either 27.10 euros or 21.70 euros for a journey time of 5 h 43 m (train no 04154). the trenhotel departs sdc at 2233 hr, arriving madrid chamartin the next morning at 0802 hr, a journey time of 9 h 29 m (tren 852). the fare is 54.20 euros. this comes with a couchette or reclining seat. the price taking into consideration of getting a hostal to stay for the night is not very much different.
i would not recommend taking the bus, it is too uncomfortable for the long trip.
ryanair is still the best choice if you follow the rules.
buen camino.

 

[Peregrina 2013]

I agree with everyone. My first thought had been to take the train, but when I saw the airfare price on Ryanair, that made up my mind immediately. Do pay attention on what they charge for luggage, though, if you have to check it in. If you do have something to check in you are better off ding it right away as you make your reservation. If you take a look at their fees, the price keeps going up depending on when you decide to check in baggage.

Ultreia!

Mary

 

[Anniesantiago]

The train and bus both give you a wonderful visual tour of the countryside with the bus winning out in my opinion.

I disagree that the bus is uncomfortable. I've taken the bus for as many as 9 hours and Soanish buses are VERY spacious, clean, and comfortable. They make frequent stops and the windows are perfect for sightseeing. There are no bad seats. I much prefer the bus to the train in Spain.

The buses in The USA are crowded, old, tight, and dirty. Once you bus in Spain, you will be spoiled!

 

[mlhhome]

I took the bus from Santiago to Madrid and had an enjoyable journey. If you take the ALSA's Supra service, enjoy the wifi while eating breakfast and lunch.

 

[piogaw]

hi annie,
i agree with you in terms of comfort on the bus. my only concern is the long trip of approximately 9 hours. i have taken alsa bus from madrid to soria and also taken a bus from soria to salamanca, both trips in term of comforts inside the buses are unquestionably excellent. please note not all the bus companies have wifi on their buses. however the seats are wide, clean and very comfortable. however the trips i took were short in comparison to sdc to madrid. also remember the senior citizen discount card on the train.

 

[Orafo]

I see that for my departure date from Santiago to Madrid (2 Nov.), the RyanAir fare is only 18.69€ for an online purchase (including taxes and fees, apparently). Checking my pack, since it will be under 15 kilo, will be another 15€ if done online, for a total of 33.69€. This seems somewhat cheaper and much quicker than the train (49.20€, although I would get a senior discount), or the bus (47.46€, no discounts I know of). Any reason not to do it, from those experienced Camino travelers among you? I'm thinking I would just get a hotel near the airport that night, since I fly to the US the following morning. Thanks for any advice.

 

[Orafo]

Let me pose another related question: does anyone have experience with staying at Hostal Viky, which is in Barajas adjacent to the airport? Thanks.

 

[jimkaszynski]

I took the bus a few weeks ago, it was a nice ride, each seat had a TV and a computer you can check your F.B., and movies but were all in Spanish. There is a big difference in price depending on when you leave Santiago, book it a few days in advance. I couldn't get on the lower priced one trying to leave the same day. I took the overnight one to save the cost of a room in Madrid. The bus will take you to downtown or the airport same charge. At the airport there is a tourist info booth which a past pilgrim worked she helped me find a hostel, very helpful.

 

[Thomas1962]

Thanks for all your info! It helped me to prepare my trip back to madrid on 5th of october after doing the camino madrid.

 

[Letsgocamino]

I see that for my departure date from Santiago to Madrid (2 Nov.), the RyanAir fare is only 18.69€ for an online purchase (including taxes and fees, apparently). Checking my pack, since it will be under 15 kilo, will be another 15€ if done online, for a total of 33.69€. This seems somewhat cheaper and much quicker than the train (49.20€, although I would get a senior discount), or the bus (47.46€, no discounts I know of). Any reason not to do it, from those experienced Camino travelers among you? I'm thinking I would just get a hotel near the airport that night, since I fly to the US the following morning. Thanks for any advice.

My husband and I took the train from Santiago to Madrid/Chamartin station, the afternoon train, on May 27th. Although it was a long 5hr+ trip, it was not unpleasant. very comfortable ride and the passing countryside was beautiful. When we arrived at Chamartin we just walked across the lot where all the taxis line up and stayed at the Hotel Husa. Sort of like a Motel6 but ok for an evening. Next morning took a taxi directly to the airport. Granted, all this adds up and can be done cheaper. What I regret most is that we did not take an extra day or two to relax and decompress before getting on the plane and flying home after our Camino. I kick myself for not visiting the city of Avila, only another hours train ride away from Madrid/Chamartin.

Have a wonderful time and Buen Camino to you.

 

[Chris.2013]

Great information here. It has been very helpful.

One question, do the trains in Spain have a 'quiet' car? Do you have to reserve a seat for that? I am just anticipating a ride back from the camino full of noise. (I will need to take a few days to decompress and get that ipod charged) A few years ago, I remember being on a bus for about 5 hours and there was one passenger who used the total time to connect with family members on his cellphone as we were heading to the airport!

It's the getting to and from the camino that I am finding the most challenging - can't wait to get to the walking part!

 

[kilgore]

Hello
I live in Madrid and sometimes I have to use spanish trains and buses. Regarding the bus, the company which travels from Santiago to Madrid is Alsa (www.alsa.es). It's true that there is a luxury category (supra and supra+) where you have a screen in front of you in which you can choose what you can see. Even you have some movies in v.o.s. (last friday I travelled from Madrid to León and you could choose Prometheus). "Normal" buses are good enough but you don't have a screen in front of you. Another advantage in Supra is that you can travel with nobody next to you if you are looking for quietness.
If you consider the train, another possibility is to sleep in it. It takes 9 hours to arrive to Madrid and is not very confortable. In the AVE you have "Preferente" in which you can choose a single seat but I think that it's only available in the AVE (Madrid-Barcelona for instance).
Finally if you fly to Madrid and you want to stay one or more days then you can consider sleeping in some "cheap "hotel near the city center. I think you have an Ibis in next to Bilbao underground station, for instance. Cities like Toledo, Segovia or Ávila are really beatiful as well as the monasterio de El Escorial.

 

[Rosemaryk1]

Hi Kilgore,

I read your post and really appreciated it! I am thinking of just flying to Madrid from Santiago so I can see the beautiful cities you mentioned and "come down" from the Camino experience. Not sure when I will get back that way so I plan on making the most of it!! I will be saving my money like crazy so it will all work!

 

[Rosemaryk1]

My husband and I took the train from Santiago to Madrid/Chamartin station, the afternoon train, on May 27th. Although it was a long 5hr+ trip, it was not unpleasant. very comfortable ride and the passing countryside was beautiful. When we arrived at Chamartin we just walked across the lot where all the taxis line up and stayed at the Hotel Husa. Sort of like a Motel6 but ok for an evening. Next morning took a taxi directly to the airport. Granted, all this adds up and can be done cheaper. What I regret most is that we did not take an extra day or two to relax and decompress before getting on the plane and flying home after our Camino. I kick myself for not visiting the city of Avila, only another hours train ride away from Madrid/Chamartin.

Have a wonderful time and Buen Camino to you.

Hi!
I am glad you posted that you regretted not having an extra day or two to decompress......that has caused me to change my plans a bit so I can do just that!
Thank you!

 

[krazeekuban]

I have been looking into the trenhotel from Santiago to Madrid but it is not listed. Does anyone know if it is discontinued? Thank you

 

[lynnejohn]

Trenhotel information here:

Departure point: SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA
Destination: MADRID (*)
Trains for the day: Friday 20 September 2013
Número de viajeros: 1
Departur

Arrival Duration Precio desde*
99588 LD 08.42 14.40 5 h. 58 min. 49,20
04084 ALVIA 09.05 14.40 5 h. 35 min. 50,25
99234 AVANT-LD 11.50 17.47 5 h. 57 min. 36,90
04154 ALVIA 16.05 21.48 5 h. 43 min. 54,20
00852 TRENHOTEL 22.33 08.02 9 h. 29 min. 50,90

 

[krazeekuban]

Thank you

 

[piogaw]

Great information here. It has been very helpful.

One question, do the trains in Spain have a 'quiet' car? Do you have to reserve a seat for that? I am just anticipating a ride back from the camino full of noise. (I will need to take a few days to decompress and get that ipod charged) A few years ago, I remember being on a bus for about 5 hours and there was one passenger who used the total time to connect with family members on his cellphone as we were heading to the airport!

It's the getting to and from the camino that I am finding the most challenging - can't wait to get to the walking part!

Yes, the train do have a quiet car, it is usually in the number 1 or 2 coach. The train from santiago to madrid is consisted of around 18 coaches and around 3 locomotive pulling it. They will also give you an ear phone for free. I took this train from madrid to santiago in the afternoon less than 3 weeks ago (5 hours and 44 minutes) at a cost €33+ With a senior citizen discount.I believe the duration of the trip has been increased due to the train accident. The train did slow down at the scene of the accident and we came into santiago 13 minutes late. All distance trains in spain come with a reservation. You will not be able to buy a ticket if there are no seats available. However the local short distance trains do not have seat reservation in order to buy a ticket.

For comfort if you want to decompress there is no comparison to an alsa bus trip. You will arrived in madrid fresh and relaxed.

For hostel or hotel in madrid, i can recommend a few that i have stayed in. They are all centrally located from puerta de sol but not in the noisy section.

There are many cities closed to madrid where it is worthwhile to make day trips - toledo, segovia, avila, aranjuez, even salamanca.

Good luck to all and hope to see you all in your next camino in santiago. God bless.

 

[johns]

hi. haveing been on the overnight train from madrid to santiago shareing for four not a good trip. plane or travel in the day.

 

[Chris.2013]

"For comfort if you want to decompress there is no comparison to an alsa bus trip. You will arrived in madrid fresh and relaxed." Today

"i would not recommend taking the bus, it is too uncomfortable for the long trip." April 30,2013

Thank you Piogaw for your response. Just a quick question/clarification about your two quotes from above: Are you saying that taking the train and not the bus would be the more comfortable and relaxing way to go?

Buen Camino!

 

[piogaw]

Hello chris,

Welcome to the forum.

I do not know where you live, but my experience with taking trains in spain have no comparison with the like of amtrack in the us, british rails (the like of virgin train, arriva), sncf, irish rails. Renfe trains are very, very posh in comparison with first class trains in all these other countries. I have travelled at least 5 times second class in the last 18 months on distance trains - santiago to zamora, salamanca to madrid, madrid to santiago. I will be travelling again soon on the santiago to zamora, salamanca to madrid and madrid to barcelona trains. I alway travelled in the quiet cars, no cell phone calls, no shouting children, no loud conversation to distract you.

These trips on renfe trains are regular fare tickets. As compared to alsa bus travel the trip is shorter than the bus. Without the discount, bus travel is normally less expensive. However you do not have opportunity to walk around and stretch your leg. Also the train has a cafeteria car for you to relax and have a snack. The space between the seats are quite large. You will not be disturbed once your ticket has been checked by the train conductor on the first leg. The scenery on the route are also very spectacular.

I am not saying travelled by alsa bus is uncomfortable. I am just saying train travel here is more relaxing and comforting than bus travel. Bus travel in spain is also better than travel by bus in other countries.

One other thing i fail to mention is if you travel by train in 4 with seats and a table facing each other, you will pay only for 2 tickets. This is a 50% discount. You are not going to get anything cheaper.

Good luck. Que tengas un buen camino y que dios los bendiga.

 

[Chris.2013]

Hello chris,

Welcome to the forum.

I do not know where you live, but my experience with taking trains in spain have no comparison with the like of amtrack in the us, british rails (the like of virgin train, arriva), sncf, irish rails. Renfe trains are very, very posh in comparison with first class trains in all these other countries. I have travelled at least 5 times second class in the last 18 months on distance trains - santiago to zamora, salamanca to madrid, madrid to santiago. I will be travelling again soon on the santiago to zamora, salamanca to madrid and madrid to barcelona trains. I alway travelled in the quiet cars, no cell phone calls, no shouting children, no loud conversation to distract you.

These trips on renfe trains are regular fare tickets. As compared to alsa bus travel the trip is shorter than the bus. Without the discount, bus travel is normally less expensive. However you do not have opportunity to walk around and stretch your leg. Also the train has a cafeteria car for you relax and have a snack. The space between the seats are quite large. You will not be disturbed once your ticket has been checked by the train conductor on the first leg. The scenery on the route are also very spectacular.

I am not saying travelled by alsa bus is uncomfortable. I am just saying train travel here is more relaxing and comforting than bus travel. Bus travel in spain is also better than travel by bus in other countries.

One other thing i fail to mention is if you travel by train in 4 with seats and a table facing each other, you will pay only for 2 tickets. This is a 50% discount. You are not going to get anything cheaper.

Good luck. Que tengas un buen camino y que dios los bendiga.

Thank you - I appreciate you taking the time to clarify. I live in the US and have travelled on the trains in the UK and France. The train sounds like the way to go for me!

 

[mustbjones]

I only know of booking trains through Raileurope.com. Fares are 81 USD. is there another way to book Spanish trains? Also there are two day schedules: 9:05am and 4:05pm. Both trains are ALVIA.

 

[piogaw]

Do not use raileurope if you can help it. They are a travel agency in london. Wait until you come to spain.

If you are arriving in madrid barajas airport, just go to the renfe office to buy your ticket. On long distance trains, reservations are only possible with confirmed seats. Your ticket will include a free cercanias (commuter train) to chamartin station for your train to santiago. I do not believe you will have any problems of buying a ticket for travel on the same day or the next day.

Since you are coming from the usa, i will recommend you stay overnight in madrid. Hostels with six or eight bed dormitory in central madrid close to puerta de sol (good hostel) cost around €10-12. Let me know if you want to find a hostel and i will recommend one for you. This is with breakfast included and you can also do your own cooking.

Buen camino.

 

[mustbjones]

Pigswill,

Need to take train from Santiago to Madrid. Will be in SdC for a day or two. Can I make reservation in person.

Will really appreciate any recommendations for places to stay. Will be in Madrid for a few days before flying back to the States.

Raileurope also operates in the US.

 

[peregrina2000]

I think piogaw's advice not to use Raileurope is based on the very high fees they charge, not where they are located. I think it's something like $18 a ticket. Some people in the US use them for convenience and to avoid going crazy on RENFE's website. I think that petrabax.com, which is another travel broker, has lower fees than Raileurope.

But if you will be in Spain for a while before you need your train ticket, it is much easier to buy it in Spain in a RENFE office. I always fly in and out of Madrid, and if I'm going to take the train down from Santiago before my flight home, I buy my train ticket for the end of my camino in the Madrid airport at their office.

Another option is to buy it along the way if you take a rest day in Leon or Burgos for example. You can get the Santiago-Madrid ticket at any train station.

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Saint Mike II]

Hola mustbjone! Unless you are travelling during a peak season or on one of the major holidays you should be ok booking a day in advance. If you are in SDC you visit the station and make a booking. If I remember correctly the direct train from SDC to Madrid is an overnight service (departing around 22.30 and getting into Madrid around 8.00 (approx - I did not study the timetable that closely). I think there is also a departure in the morning that gets into Madrid around 8-9.00 PM. Have a look on RENFE site - you can select one of 3 or 4 languages (Spanish/English/French & maybe German). It took me a good 15-20 mins to make a booking via renfe using my Australian mastercard. Hope this helps.

 

[mustbjones]

Thanks for the replies and suggestions. I will be in SdC for two or three days. Can I go to the satiation and make the reservation?