information on most long-range routes and schedules, and with some you can buy tickets online, too. In Madrid, there are two main bus stations for long-distance travel: Mendez Álvaro and Avenida de América. Both are on the Circular Line 6 on Madrid's Metro, and both are an easy fifteen-minute ride from the centre of town.
ALSA(service to northwestern Spain, Valencia coast and Barcelona) – maximum of five bikes permitted on each bus; €3 surcharge per bike long-distance, €1.20 short distance. SOCIBUS/SECORBUS(service to western Andalusia and Córdoba) – bikes permitted once a €7 freight surcharge has been paid. You can pay the surcharge when you buy the ticket. CONTINENTAL-AUTO (service to eastern Castile, Pamplona, La Rioja, Granada and eastern Andalusia) – Bikes permitted on any bus that has a hold. While you're supposed to check your bike in before boarding (anywhere between €3 and €15, depending where you're going), drivers often don't reinforce this rule. Be at bus 30 minutes before boarding. AUTO-RES(service to western Castilla-La Mancha and Extremadura) andLA SEPULVEDANA(service to central Castile and Jaén) – both are part of the Avanza Group, whose policy seems to be to allow bikes on with a €3 surcharge, payable at time of ticket purchase. At Madrid’s Mendez Álvaro station, arrive an hour early to check the bike in (“Facturación”). Sepulvedana buses going to Segovia don’t always have a hold; you may find it less hassle to take the train (2 hours, €5.50). Smaller/Regional Operators– Generally there's no problem/surcharge taking a bike on a bus, especially if it’s not a busy route. Transportes Comes (www.tgcomes.com), which operates around Ronda and the Cádiz coast, have a great reputation for being super-helpful – much better than their Seville-based counterparts, Los Amarillos. * INFORMATION BICYCLES on RENFE TRAINS
