Bus from Madrid

The bus is the most direct way to reach Segovia without a car and without having to think about the last stretch: Avanza runs the Madrid – Segovia line and drops travellers at the bus station on Paseo de Ezequiel González, a few minutes' walk from the centre. Unlike the AVE, which stops at Guiomar, about 6 km from the city, here you get off and start walking.

The line and tickets

Avanza does not publish the journey time or frequency on its Segovia page, and refers you to its booking website and its timetable and fares pages, so check the exact day before you set out: timetables change between weekdays, Saturdays and public holidays, and in summer or during strikes there may be reduced services. Tickets are bought at avanzabus.com, in its iOS and Android app or at the ticket office.

The conditions of the line are clear and worth knowing. The ticket can be changed free of charge before departure and up to 60 minutes afterwards, for the next service the same day if seats remain, and can be cancelled at no cost up to departure time. In the hold you can carry up to 40 kg of luggage in total free of charge, and in the cabin one hand-luggage item of about 56 × 45 × 25 cm and up to 10 kg. Children under 11 cannot travel alone. If you travel in a wheelchair, let them know beforehand, because access depends on the assigned vehicle. The line is part of the Club Avanza points programme.

Avanza's page also lists stops in Madrid in the Complutense University area (Metro Ciudad Universitaria, Agrónomos, Jardín Botánico and others), useful if you are coming from that side of the city; check the website for the one that suits you.

On arriving at the station

The station has inside it a tourist information point run by Segovia Tourism, intended for travellers arriving from Madrid, Valladolid and other cities: it is a good place to pick up the map. In the same station is the customer service office for the city buses, run by Avanza Movilidad Urbana (900 925 303). City lines 4, 6, 9, 12 and the night-time Búho leave from the station, and there are taxis and public bicycles; line 12 also goes to the AVE station.

But normally you will not need any of that. From Paseo de Ezequiel González you walk up to the Aqueduct and the Visitor Reception Centre in a few minutes, and from there Calle Real takes you to the Cathedral and the Alcázar.

Tips for the day

If you are spending the day, check the time of the last bus back before you set out and, at weekends and long weekends, buy your ticket in advance. Pack light if you plan to walk around the old town, because its streets go up and down over cobbles. And if you are comparing with the train, remember that the AVE is faster, but you must add the city bus from Guiomar to the centre; the details are on the page for Segovia-Guiomar station.