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Go to Pamplona from Madrid on July-5th, 2010

We plan to go from Madrid to Pamplona on July-5th, 2010 to celebrate San Femin holiday. Please tell me if it's better to take the train (cost $EU 60 pp - 3 hr 15), or take the bus (costs $EU 25 -- 5 hr) from Madrid?

In addition, please help me regarding lodging, and any tips you have regarding Pamplona. No, I'm not running w/the bulls. I just go there to watch the people running w/the bulls.

After two nights in Pamplona, we will take the train to Barcelona.

Our travel plan like this:

  1. 3 nights in Madrid (side trip to Toledo)
  2. 2 nights in Pamplona
  3. 2 nights in Barcelona. Will fly from Barcelona to Granada.
  4. 2 nights in Granada (w/ the Alhambra tour)
  5. 2 nights in Seville

Taking ALSA bus from Seville to Lisbon, and spend 4 nights in Lisbon, with a side trip to Fatima. After that, we will go Paris for 4 nights before going home.

Can someone help me to refine this plan, or my plan is OK?

Thanks,

Hoi

Please

Posted by
1167 posts

I don't know how you expect a total stranger to tell you if taking the train is better than taking the bus but here is my take on it: At E60 for a 3.5 hr train ride it is costing you 18.46/hr. At E25 for the bus it is costing 5/hr. If your time is worth more than E13.46 (about $20) per hour per person the train is the way to go. Now you tell me if it would be better for me to go to a Mexican restaurant or a Chinese restaurant for dinner tonight.

Posted by
160 posts

Michael:

You should make sure to nail down accomodations in Pamplona as soon as you can. Places tend to fill up around bull-running time, and lodging prices can rise accordingly.

Also, Pamplona is on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage trail (Camino Frances route, the most popular), so there will be many pilgrims vying for lodging with the partygoers around this time. And since 2010 is a holy year, there will be more pilgrims than usual (even though many people walk the Camino for secular reasons).

Cheers,

Erik