Pamplona is in Northern Spain, in the autonomous region of Navarra, about 2 hours driving from Bilbao, 3.5-4 hours driving from Madrid and 4.5-5 hours driving from Barcelona. Please note that you’ll see Pamplona written as “Iruña” as well – it is the Basque name for the city. Here are some details about how best to get to Pamplona:

By air

There are a lot of options available if you are flying to Spain. Please note that you’ll have to combine most of these with onward travel (detailed further on).

Pamplona (domestic flights only) – the airport is just outside Pamplona in Noain and is about 15 min by car from the center of town.

Bilbao (domestic flights and short-haul flights connecting to many European cities) – Bilbao airport is about a 2-hour drive from Pamplona. You can fly direct on British Airways from London to Bilbao, and from all over Europe and Spain. The airport has good rental car facilities within the airport. There is a public bus (3247) that travels every 30 min to the centre of Bilbao and to Bilbao bus station (20 min), for onward connections to Pamplona if you are not renting a car.

Barcelona (long-haul international flights, short-haul European flights, domestic flights) – This is a large international airport, about a 4.5-5-hour drive from Pamplona. Barcelona has direct train and bus connections to Pamplona from the centre of town.

Madrid (long-haul international flights, short-haul European flights, domestic flights) – A big international airport and a hub for long-haul flights, with many direct connections to Latin America. From the centre of Madrid you can take buses or trains direct to Pamplona, and there is now a direct bus from the airport to Pamplona (details below under bus). If renting a car, Madrid is a 3.5-4-hour drive from Pamplona. There is a direct Metro connection from Madrid Barajas airport to the centre of the city, and to the bus and train stations.

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By rail

Spain has a limited, but comfortable train network servicing major towns and cities. Tickets can be booked directly from RENFE, the national rail network. High speed AVE train tickets can usually be bought up to 3 months in advance and all other tickets about 2 months in advance. Buy tickets early to save money as ticket prices will go up the closer to the date you get. Please note that RENFE is not totally consistent in when it puts tickets on sale, so don’t be surprised if you try to buy and they are not on sale yet. 

RENFE website: http://www.renfe.com

A great website in English that gives more details into how the Spanish rail system works: http://www.seat61.com/Spain-trains.htm#Spain_by_train,_in_a_nutshell

Madrid (travel from Madrid Atocha Station direct to Pamplona) – This journey takes about 3.5 hours and is very comfortable. If two or more of you are travelling together, you may want to consider buying a table of four seats, which is good value and very comfortable. Atocha station is in the centre of Madrid and connects to the Metro. Pamplona’s station is about 5-10 minutes by car to the centre and not really walkable with luggage (taxis available).

Barcelona (travel from Barcelona Sants Station direct to Pamplona) – The journey takes just under 4 hours. Sants train station connects to the Metro and is fairly central. Pamplona’s station is about 5-10 minutes by car to the centre and not really walkable with luggage (taxis available). Please note to make sure you book a direct train rather than a journey with a change of trains (“con enlace”).

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By bus

Spain’s bus network is excellent and buses are comfortable. It’s great value, too. Private companies run the routes, so there is not a central website for booking bus tickets. Ticket prices do not go up the closer you get to the date of travel (unlike trains), so they are a good option if you are leaving travel plans to the last minute. Usually you can buy 1-2 days ahead without a problem and even on the day if it is not a public/city holiday. You can get almost anywhere with buses, though some routes have more services than others. We list here the major connections from the big cities with airports, but if you are coming from somewhere else, do get in touch with us if you need some help. Pamplona’s bus station is in the centre of town, about a 10-min walk from anywhere in the old town.

Bilbao (travel from Bilbao San Mamés Bus Station direct to Pamplona) http://www.autobuseslaunion.com/en/  There are usually buses every two hours, the journey lasts 2 hours, and it costs €14.50 each way. You can usually show up on the spot and buy the tickets, though you can also buy them in advance. La Unión/La Burundesa bus company has a kiosk at both the Bilbao and Pamplona bus stations, and both of these stations are in the centre of the city. San Mamés is directly linked to the Bilbao Metro system and there is also a direct bus (3247) to the airport that takes about 20 min. Below is the current timetable – we will post the summer timetable when it’s available. It should be similar.

Madrid (travel from Madrid Avenida de America Bus Station direct to Pamplona) http://plmautocares.com There are several buses each day, the journey lasts about 5 hours and it can cost about €25 each way. Make sure you take a bus that is “semi-directo” rather than “pueblos.” The “pueblos” bus will stop in all of the small towns! The “semi-directo” usually only stops to change drivers and in Logroño (La Rioja). There is also now a bus with this company that goes directly from Madrid’s Barajas Airport Terminal 4 to Pamplona. The bus station, Avenida de America, is just north of the centre of Madrid and is on the Metro system.

Barcelona (travel from Barcelona Sants or Barcelona Nord direct to Pamplona) – http://www.monbus.es/es There are only 2-3 buses a day from each of these stations and they last about 5.5-6 hours. Each station has an overnight bus option that is about 6hr duration. Full price is about €27, but you can get 50% off if you buy them in advance. Barcelona’s bus stations connect to the Metro system.

If you’re coming from somewhere else, let us know and we’ll find out the company for you.

 

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By car

Spain’s road network is very well maintained (a pleasure to drive) and generally traffic-free except in the cities. In the countryside your main concern may be sheep (see above). You can rent cars through all of the major companies (and some European ones) at the airports and in Pamplona. A car is a great option if you plan to do some trips in the countryside, and other harder to reach areas – especially in Navarra.

Some highways have tolls. Spain drives on the righthand side. Petrol is expensive, like the rest of Europe.

Americans should obtain an international driving permit and allow plenty of time for this (https://www.aaa.com/vacation/idpf.html).

Please be aware that if you are staying in historic centres, including the historic centre of Pamplona, that parking can be extremely difficult or impossible. Usually this means parking in designated lots or on the street of more modern neighbourhoods close by. (above photo by Álvaro Santiago)

 

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Walking/Cycling

Pamplona lies directly on the pilgrim route for the Camino de Santiago (St James Way) that runs from France to Santiago de Compostela. 

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Swimming

Not yet available on this route.

Please get in touch if your questions are not answered here, or if you have something more detailed to ask.