Two summers ago I went to the Festival de San Fermin or more popularly known as the Running of the Bulls. This festival is in Pamplona, Spain. It is one of the most famous festival in all of Spain and possibly the world. This festival takes place the beginning of July. (The dates can change each year so please check to make sure). The Festival starts at 12 pm on a Thursday, and runs for the next 9 days. Don't miss the running of the bulls, because you are not sure how to get there!
5 ways to get to the Running of the Bulls (from Barcelona, Spain)
- Train - Book a train ticket months in advance from Estacion Sants (Barcelona) to Plaza de la Estacion (Pamplona) through the train company RENFE or call +34 90 224 02 02. If you have not booked your train ticket before June then I would not even bother with this option, because if you show up at the train station in June there will be no tickets available. Tickets will general run between 30-55 Euros for a one way from Barcelona to Pamplona.
- Bus - Ride a bus from Barcelona to Pamplona. There are two bus stations in Barcelona. One is located next to Estacion Sants (which is usually for all international bus travel). The other is called Estacion del Nord Bus Station, and is located by the Arc de Triomf. This bus stop has more buses running to local cities in Spain including Pamplona. A bus ticket will cost any where from 22-40 Euros one way.
- Car - Rent a car through a local car company in Barcelona for a couple days or a week.
- Travel Bar - There is a bar that is located right of La Rambla in the heart of Barcelona. This bar provides a bus ride up to Pamplona, a meal, and a bus ride back down to Barcelona. They take care of everything so that you don't have to worry about it. You will get to Pamplona around 6pm and then the bus leaves in the morning around 10 am. In reality, that is all the time you need in Pamplona to run with the Bulls and then leave town. I believe the cost last summer (2007) was 55 Euros. This is the best option for a budget traveler who plans last minute events! www.travelbar.com
- Plane - Right now there are 6 direct daily flights from Barcelona to Pamplona through Iberia. It is an easy hour or so flight. I would almost use this as the last resort if you have no other way to get to Pamplona, because a one way flight is going to cost you about $200 - $300 US Dollars. You can't put a price on how much fun you are going to have compared with missing the festival. So if it is your only option then it is definitely worth it! When I went to the running of the bulls there was no other option so my friends and I booked a last minute flight to make the first day! It was worth every penny