Experiences of ALSA buses

[monxton]

I'm interested to hear from cyclists who have used ALSA buses in Spain in recent times.

The booking process seems quite transparent and simple - there are four bike places per bus, and if they are not all booked, then you can add one to your bus ticket for €10. According to https://www.alsa.com/en/web/bus/alsa-ex ... ey/luggage, the bicycle must be "wrapped", e.g. in a CTC plastic bag. That page does not say that any disassembly is required, just that the bike must be wrapped.

Nonetheless, you can search and find all sorts of warnings about turning up and there being no bike places, depending on the whim of the driver, or having to partially disassemble the bicycle.

If anyone here has first-hand experience of ALSA buses, I'd be grateful for your comments, experiences, photos ...

The journey I'm intending to do is the daily bus from Mérida to Santander.

[ernest]

After doing the Camino about 6 years ago I got an Alsa bus to Oviedo and cycled back to Santander from there. I had booked it but wanted to change the date of travel. This I did with no problem. Although I had a CTC plastic bike bag, others simply used bin bags and did so without any apparent difficulties. So my experience was positive.

[horizon]

Although I haven't taken one recently, my experience was that if the service was heavily booked long distance, then the rules were rather strictly enforced (at least they were for me). That was wrapping, handlebars (if not front wheel off IIRR). OTOH, a more local bus with plenty of space and most passengers without large luggage items, you could just sling it in the hold. For your journey, personally I would err on the safe side. Provided you'v eased off your pedals etc back at home, have got your Allen keys with you and have found some bubble wrap it isn't a huge job.

I'm planning to take a bike on some buses in Spain again in 2020 so let us know how you get on.

[MartinBrice]

I've done it a few times and its been a dream. Alsa is good, cheap, reliable, frequent and goes all over Spain. What is irritating about it is the fact that it is owned by Stagecoach, which is a UK company but nowhere near as good as Alsa.
So: from Santiago to Santander with two people, two bikes. Bought bin liner bags and parcel tape, cut up bin bags and stuck together with the parcel tape. At bus station driver demonstrated with a flick of the hand and arm that he wanted the front wheels off and bikes upside down. This took five seconds, bikes in the luggage section no problem. At the bus station in Santiago there was a photo of how they want the bikes to be. Worked well.
Also: Irun to Madrid, two of us. We'd pre made the bags, driver didn't ask for them. Bikes in hold, no worries.
Then same day, Madrid to Guadalajara, driver wanted the bikes covered, so we used the bags we made.
But I once tried to get a bike on a bus at fuenterroble de salviaterra without a bag and it was v early in the morning, the bus was empty and the driver wouldn't let me on BUT that wasn't with Alsa and that company didn't sell tickets for bikes.
To sum up: Alsa is good for bikes, comfy, reliable, recommended. You can download the app and buy the ticket a few minutes before boarding, just show the driver your phone with the booking on it. I've flown into Madrid airport and while on the airport shuttle bus I've bought a ticket for the next Alsa bus to Burgos and walked on.
Shame the UK is so far behind in public transport.

[horizon]

Did you happen to notice if the tickets are cheaper if bought in advance?

[monxton]

Thanks everyone for your very helpful advice. Nobody mentioned any problems with buses being cancelled or refusing booked bicycles, so that made me feel more positive, not like Flixbus. So, I've booked. I don't want to leave it until the last minute just in case the 4 bike spaces all get booked. We'll be catching the ferry from Santander the day after the bus journey, so I don't want anything to go wrong.

It's difficult that the driver seem to follow their own rules, so I guess we'll just be prepared with the handlebars turned, front wheels off, and the bikes bagged. Mérida isn't the starting point of the bus (it's coming through from Sevilla), so I don't expect we'll have long to get on board. How long do you usually get at the stops? Is there time to get out and buy food en route? Ours is just the standard bus, so I don't think there is food on board. I'm expecting that I'll put one pannier in the hold and bring the other one on board, will that be OK ?

[MartinBrice]

One pannier on board with one in the hold is what I did. You have paid for a ticket for the bike so there shouldn't be a problem. The cover for the bike is important, though. The driver will probably want that.