Provincia de Navarra Travel Forum

Hey guys, i'm off to San Fermin this year, I'm flying into Vitoria and i presume there is a train to pamplona?? anyone know how often they run and will i need to book a seat? Also i am only staying a day or two, is there anyway i can lock my bag with change of clothes and passport/camera while i do the run? and is it easy enough to get some sleep in the park? i'd expect there to be fair few pickpockets.

Any help would be really appreciated, cheers.
Jimmy

Hi Jimmy,

I´m from just outside Cardiff, but living in Spain. The transport is simple to solve, the Spanish railway have a website, there appear to be about 4 trains per day...

http://horarios.renfe.es/hir/ingles.html

I´ve not been to the San Fermin festival, but do know that accommadation would be difficult to find, sleeping in parks and public areas is commonplace, but I dont know the pickpocket situation, best to try and join up with a group, there are many Brits and Americans about the town.

As for running with the bulls, I watch the news reports here, most serious injuries occur amongst people who have no experience of this, or are drunk, or both,but hey, I´m not your mother, I´d probably be considering doing it myself at your age.

Best of luck.

There are lockers at the train station, but I would not recommend you leaving your passport there. You can keep it in your pants pocket when you do the run. You can not carry anything else. Go to sanfermin.com for details. There are a great many pickpockets and petty thieves. In the first class section of the high speed train from Madrid was only half full when I took it four years ago. There are numerous parks that you can sleep in, however, it can be very cold in the early morning (even though it's July). The petty theft is rampant. One couple were sleeping in the park with their camcorder between them and some guy lifted it. The girl ran him down and held him until her bruiser boyfriend shook off the hangover. There was one dive bar off that we literally watched the gypsy's target drunken partyr's as they came out the door. I'll be there the 8th and 9th. Have a great time. Karl

And suitably dressed too, Karl. Do you run?

As fast as my tired old butt will go. ;-0

Thanks guys, all that really helps, i've experinced my fair share of thrieves and tricks on my travels but as long as they arn't the crazy sort that will jump you i should be ok. Cheers karl i'll keep my passport on me and leave my spare clothes in the lockers.
So its the inexperienced that usually get seriously hurt?? only one way to get experience haha, any tips to keep all my bits attached properly??

Cheers again guys.

Jimmy, Probably the safest area to start the run is right at the end of Estafeta where it makes a sweeping left towards the bullring. There are fences at that point you can slide through (although the polizia wasn't about to let me bail when I caught Mr. Toro's attention about 10 feet away. Fortunately he turned and went after someone else). The most dangerous areas are at the start, just before Estafeta and Estafeta (as there is no way out along the street). Get to the staging area in front of the old town city hall before 7 am. Also, try to start in the last third and try to get into the bullring. They send out play bulls for 5 minutes each that are about half the size (300 kilos) of the fighting bulls. Lots of fun in the ring. Karl

Cheers Karl, you have just swayed my mind again haha, found out no insurence would cover me if i got hit so was unsure cos last year on exactly July 7th i ended up in intensive care in a Slovenian hospital for two weeks (don't ask!!) Would have cost thousands, scared the *** out my mum too. So might be pretty selfish if i do yet another thing to scare her to death get in trouble and then she have to help me pay for it haha. But i'm def coming anyway, Just really want to do it, so that advice you have given really helps thankyou, owe you a beer man.
Cheers, Jimmy.

Maybe I should not be telling you this Jimbo (dont tell your mum it was me), but if you go to your local post office and get the E.111 form, fill it in and get it stamped, your are entitled to the EEC reciprocal Health Cover. With that you are entitled to Spanish Health Service cover, the same as any Spaniard (at no cost to yourself). The hospitals here are pretty good, I came off a ladder last year, broke a finger, three ribs and my left lung collapsed, I had better treatment than I ever would have got in Univ. Hospital of Wales.

Yeah i have one already, can't believe i forgot about E111 form. Thats awesome man thanks. Does it cover all health care regardless of the cause e.g. hit by a bull haha?

Thanks alot for that man.

Well obviously it wont cover you for items like artificial limb replacement, but it will cover you to patch up, the torn off limb until you get back to the UK. Yes you will be covered regardless of cause, as the Health Service does in the UK. It will not cover you for any repatriation costs or air ambulances back to UK, as insurance normally would. It would only cover you for basic medical care, hospital stay etc. to save life and get you back into fit/travelling condition.

In actual fact, Spain will not refuse any medical treatment to any injured person, regardless of where you are from or whether you have insurance. They could concievably hit you with a bill later though, if not covered by insurance or reciprocal health agreement (E111)