Hi. We have been planning to take the train from Madrid to Granada and are seeing on RENFE that the route is a combination AVE train with a bus to Granada once arriving at the Antequera-Santa Ana train station. A couple of questions: Is the bus station located within the Antequera-Santa Ana train station, and visibly so? The train arrives at Antequera-Santa Ana at 9:37am and the bus leaves for Granada at 9:55am. Plenty of time to make the connection? Since the ticket is purchased all together (train and bus), is there anything else that needs to be done, or just board the bus? Thanks!
Posted by
Whittington
984 posts
'Is the bus station located within the Antequera-Santa Ana train station, and visibly so?'- No, you cannot get a bus onto the platform or into the station. :-)
You will be guided by staff to the bus in the park below, about three or four minutes walk and no-one will be left behind.
Posted by
OP
54 posts
Thanks, Neil!
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15791 posts
They are upgrading the tracks between Antequera and Granada, so Renfe is running special buses in and out of Granada. The bus will take you from the Antequera train station to the Granada train station (not the Granada bus station which is farther from the center),
Posted by
OP
54 posts
Thanks, Chani!
Posted by
California 🦋
5294 posts
Jeff,
You've already received great advice by Neil & Chani.
When is your trip taking place?
The railway renovations have been in progress since last April, so the last time & spoke with a Renfe representative (last month), I was told that they were supposed to have finished the renovations in December.
So... If your trip is not till later this year, the renovations may be completed by then!
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15791 posts
We have a saying here, roughly translated - happy is the believer. The original completion date was last October. Renfe's schedule still shows the bus will be running for the next 2 months - that's as far as the schedule goes. Maybe if you're going this coming December . . . . :-)
Posted by
Myrtle Beach, USA
12315 posts
Normally the train to Granada from Madrid takes about the same time as a bus but costs much more (unless you buy train tickets well in advance). The best reason for a train is the larger area inside.
If I've got to transfer to a bus in Antequera, it seems like the train becomes a really bad choice - slower and more expensive.
Buses run everywhere. The bus stations have an information kiosk, with an English speaker, who will help you navigate your choices and book your tickets (it's more like an airport, multiple competing companies use the same stations). I book a day or so early, just so I can plan my travel day - but you really don't need to purchase in advance.
I'd catch a bus directly to Granada. It's a shorter route. With the connection, it's likely faster than the train option.