Bus from Oviedo and Gijón to Fuentes de Invierno

You can ski at Fuentes de Invierno without a car too, although you have to plan it. The most direct way is the bus that the Asturias Transport Consortium runs between Oviedo, Gijón and the resort at weekends and public holidays, until the season ends. On other days you have to combine the regular bus or the train with a taxi.

The weekend bus

According to the resort itself, the Consortium service links Oviedo and Gijón with Fuentes de Invierno every weekend and public holiday of the season. Timetables and stops are published at actualidad.asturias.es, the regional government's news portal, and on the Alsa website. The resort does not publish the price or the timetables on its page, which change every winter, so check them before each trip. Alsa answers on 902 422 242.

With a same-day return bus, the day is set by it: you will arrive at the time the bus arrives and will have to be at the base before it leaves for the return. The ticket offices open daily from 8:45 to 16:30 and the lifts run from 9:00 to 16:30, so there is room to hire equipment at the base and make the most of the day.

On weekdays: regular bus or train and taxi

Monday to Friday, the nearest stop is Felechosa, 15 kilometres from the resort, on the Alsa line between Oviedo and Felechosa. Felechosa is also a good place to sleep if you are going for several days: Casa El Rápido is there, with its dining room.

By train, the nearest station is Collanzo, 20 kilometres away, on the metre-gauge line (the former FEVE) from Oviedo to Collanzo. FEVE's information in Asturias is on 985 982 381 and 985 982 380, and the timetables are on the Renfe website. At Collanzo there is a taxi rank, on 661 280 072; it is the closest to the resort, and the sensible thing is to call ahead so they wait for you, also for the return journey.

What to bring and what is up there

If you go by bus, you do not need to carry equipment: at the base there is hire with 300 ski sets and 80 snowboards, a school and a café-restaurant open from 8:00 to 18:00 at weekends and on public holidays. Bring spare warm clothing in a small bag for the return.

Before setting out, check the snow report on the resort's website: in a storm they may close lifts or the pass road. For the rest of the day, the skiing at Fuentes de Invierno listing explains the runs, and if you do not ski there are snowshoes and sledges. If you go by car, see the car park.