San Sebastián Travel Forum

Hi

I'm going to be in Barcelona for a week or so in May and want to visit a friend living in San Sebastian on the weekend of 16 & 17 May. Has to be the weekend because he works during the week and wants to show me around. I've looked at the Spanish trains website www.renfe.es and although (with the help of lovely Isa) the first page can be seen in English, when you get to the next page it is in Spanish and I become totally lost. I can figure some things out like that you can save a euro or two by purchasing on internet rather than station but that's about all. Don't understand about the period section etc.

I would just like a bit of help or advice in getting from Barcelona to San Seb and back by train if possible. Want to have as much of Saturday and Sunday in San Seb as possible so I figure an overnight train would be good. i would definitely want a sleeping compartment where I could lie down, sleeping sitting up is not an option for me due to bad back.

If anyone has done this trip or can offer advice I would be very grateful. Maybe there is an easy to navegate website in English or a agent site.

Is there even an overnight train? I'll be in Barcelona from Wednesday 13 or Thursday 14 so if it's likely that there will be plenty of space I am happy to buy tickets at the station a day or two ahead instead of pruchasing them now, to save the hassle of going through the renfe.es confusion.

Any suggestions welcome.

Thank you
Anita

I agree that the Renfe.es site is a pain...and it's been getting worse each time they "improve" it...

For this reason, you might use the German rail website (all the Western European rail websites use the same HAFAS database anyway) at www.bahn.de .

Using the Bahn website, it seems that there isn't an overnight solution...well, to be honest, the bahn website gives 2 solutions, neither of which is practical (one has you sitting in a train station at Tudela de Navarra for 6 hours in the middle of the night, and the other has you sitting at Zaragoza Delicias for 3.5 hours in the middle of the night).

To be honest, I entered only Barcelona Sants...there is a small possibility that entering another station in Barcelona might give you different results...I doubt it, as the website should have noted a short jump over to the other station, but you can try anyway...note that the Bahn website won't give you pricing but at least you can see if the trains exist.

The problem is that these two cities are too close - you can take a train during the day in just over 5 hours, and I have noticed over the years that the number of night trains have been reduced in Europe, as the railroads compete with the airlines as well as just become faster through track and equipment improvements.

Bill

>>...and it's been getting worse each time they "improve" it... <<
OMG I agree! They're now using some sort of clearing house system to complete payments that does not work - it's always rejecting your cards.


I can book tickets at the Die Bahn site all day long - Renfe, I used to be able to - now it's mission impossible!

You can fly using clickair round trip for about 80 euro to Bilbao and then it is an easy bus ride to San Sebastian.

Hi Anita!!

Yes there are no nigh trains and only a couple of direct trains that take for ages. No many people travel from Barcelona to Donostia nowadays if not driving or flying

Now I remember there are buses
http://www.barcelonanord.com/esp/servicios/companias_vibasa.asp

but I do agree with Kalr above, flying from Bilbao will be faster and maybe even cheaper. There are few flights from SS to BCN and these tend to be expensive

looking forward to meet you here :)

yeah train ride is not that good and RENFE is part of it . I have done it by car.
I think for your situation the best way is to flight now they are having specials at about 52 euros in rumbo.Es, straight. You can also try the fly to bilbao and then pesa buses(pesa.net) to Donostia but straight fly is better for you i think.

Thank you everyone... I will look into flights from Barcelona. Can anyone tell me how easy it is to get to the airport for an early flight like 7am or 9am?

Anita x

you can go by metro line 1 to Hospital de Bellvitge, then take Bus 46 to airport. about 1H10
or
by bus from plaça catalynya take bus No 9 to plaça Espanya and take bus No 46; takes about 1H30

the fastest, then of course you can take a taxi.

hi pedmar... not sure if I missed something here... but there are easier and faster possibities

* Aerobus: first one leaves Pl. Catalunya at 5.30 am, arriving at the airport at 6:00. Buses every 15 min

* Renfe C2 train: first one 05.28 from Passeig de Grŕcia (or a few min later from Sants), arrives 05.53 at the airport. Trains every 30 min

both options are too rushed for a flight at 7:00 tough (1hour should be enough for domestic flights, but I would not dare to do it if I was not familiar with the airport)

not a problem if you fly at 9:00

yes of course Belsaita, there are many possibilities, but I knew you will come by with the aerobus and C2 train stuff ::)
cheers

;o)

Thank you both, I will book the later flight I think just to be safe. Will be in Barcelona for a week so would love to catch up with people. Isa, we should definitely arrange to see each other whenever you're free.

Anita x