AboutVíctor Díaz Expertise I live in Madrid,and travel frequently to Valencia. I have also travelled to many places all over spain, if haven't been there i'd try to help anyway providing my knowledge and links.
I enjoy trekking in the mountains, and know pyrinees, Picos de Europa and mountains in the center.
Question Hello: Am arriving Madrid Airport around 9 am on Sept 4. Trying to get to Bayonne/capbreton and there seems to be only one train at 8 am. All my flights are booked with huge cancel fees. Is there a bus to Biarritz? I have an 8 AM flight out of Madrid on the 7th. I was led to believe it was a three hour train ride. I am trying to see my daughter in Capbreton and will do it even if for just one day. Can it be done? Thank you for your help. And lastly I am afraid of the Narrow mountain roads like near Perpignon. Excuse the spelling. Mary
Answer Hello Mary
Ther are no direct buses from Madrid to Biarritz or Bayonne, and no way it's 3h, it is much more, there are almost 500km of distance, there aren't high speed trains operating this route. And you must change trains in the border with France and wait for the next train available with french trains SCNF. The border is not too far from Biarritz and Bayona so there will be probably many trains available (the ride border -> Bayona takes about 30minutes).
The problem is getting to the border in time to get another train or bus to Bayona.
There are two stations right in the border, Irun belongs to Spain, Hendaya/Hendaye belongs to France. The spanish train operator Renfe offers trains ending in both Irun and Hendaya, and the french opertaor SNCF does the same. Renfe don't allow to choose Hendaya as origin though, i have tried sncf and happens the same. (well they allow, but show that there aren't any train)
By train could be as follows,
Madrid-Hendaya with RENFE, then Hendaya-Biarritz or Bayona with SNCF.
check renfe stie in english http://www.renfe.es/horarios/english/index.html
the english version is shown in such a way you may choose all main stations and most of secondary stations directly, such as Hendaya.
Choose origin:Madrid, destination:Hendaya and there are two trains available for day 4th of september. First is at 8am, and this is the second
04167 ALVIA departure:16:10 arrival:22:03 cost 50.90 1st class:78.90
I have clicked the button 'buscar transbordo' for combinations of trains looking for any that could arrive before 22:03.
There is one, but need to change trains in Palencia, waiting about 60minutes there.
04133 ALVIA 13:30 15:14 PALENCIA 00280 ARCO 16:11 20:40
arrives at 20:40.
I think is perfectly possible to be in time for the train leaving 1t 16:10, even if you have delays with your flight and the possible time spent in the passport control at the airport, and allowing 30minutes to get from the airport to the CHAMARTIN station, by taxi (cost about 20euros) or by metro (cost 2euros). It's also possible to be in time for the 13:30 train.
Getting from Airpoirt to Chamartin by metro is easy, and there are scalators and elevators in all the stations in the route, so travelling with luggage at about 10am wouldn't be a problem.
The route would be from Aeropuerto (t4 or t1,2,3 stations) L8 to Nuevos Ministerios, then change to L10 (short change) heading to Chamartin. http://www.metromadrid.es/en/index.html
Once in Hendaya use SNCF train to your final destination http://www.sncf.fr/
I have done a simple search for that day and there is at least one train after 22h from Hendaya to Bayona
22h24 - HENDAYE 23h08 BAYONA
Conclusion: It is possible by train but takes a lot of time. Seems there is a combination of trains that could save some hours.
To be in time in Madrid for the 8am flight, by train you should do the opposite travel and spend the night in Madrid. If you need to be in the airport a couple of hours before you should use a taxi or a shuttle service as metro opens at 6am.
Another option is by bus. http://www.alsa.es
Alsa links Madrid and San Sebastian and Irun, also Bayona but needs to use two buses
departure from Madrid at 16 and change bus in Suco(service area)-->this sound an strange place
and arrives to Bayona at 00:45. Seems that train is better here.
Madrid-Irun, a bus leaving at 10:30am with change of buses in Valladolid would arrive at 19:50 to Irun, from there you could take a taxi to Hendaya train station (it's less than 5km, but i think that not for walking with luggage) and from Hendaya many trains to Bayona with SNCF
Other buses to Irun arrive about 22:10, about the same time that trains, and you still need to get to Hendaya train station.
In the alsa site MADR-E.SUR = Madrid Estacion Sur autobuses (located at Mendez Alvaro metro station L6) --> beware L6 there is closed for works until 13th of september, so no metro.
MADR-A.AME = MAdrid-Avenida de america underfround bus station at the metro station of Avda America (L6,L9,L4,L7)
Another option i have checked is bus to San Sebastian or Irun and then another bus to Biarritz-Bayona with Pesa (notice that here san sebastian is founs in spanish and basque name as donostia-san sebastian) http://www.pesa.net/pesa/home/ctrl_index.php
but the last bus in the route donostia-Irun-Biarritz-Bayona leaves at 14:30, you can't be there so early, so it's not an option. It's an option to consider in the return travel.
The highway in the border (irun-Hendaya) seems to be good, never read any complaint, so no problem with narrow roads.
To sum up
Madrid-Bayona--> best by train
Bayona-Madrid-->consider train or buses Bayona-San Sebastian-Madrid
