How to get to Flores del Camino
From Madrid to Flores del Camino
Madrid offers the widest range of international flights & follow on transport. It is therefore the recommended airport to arrive in Spain.
Our retreat centre Flores del Camino (Flores for short) is located in a small village called Castrillo de los Polvazares.
Astorga is the nearest town to Castrillo (5 min drive), with a train station and a coach station. An alternative transit is León, the main city of the region.
Should you arrive earlier, both Astorga and León are worthy of a visit. Astorga deserves to spend the day and León, a couple of days.
See the map below and the descriptions on the right for the various transport options from Madrid to Flores.
See further below how to book trains, coaches, taxis.
Indicative prices as of 2023
Option 1.
Coach or train to Astorga. Could be as cheap as 40€ (coach / train fare + ~12€ taxi ride to Flores). Some coaches stop in the centre of Madrid (from where you can take a taxi or the underground). Some go all the way to the airport. Door-to-door: around 5 or 6h.
Option 2.
Fast train with taxi transfers. There are fairly frequent fast trains between Madrid (Chamartín Station) and León. Door to door: about 4h. Total cost would vary but probably around 120€ per person (taxi from the airport: fixed fare 30€ + train ticket + taxi from León to Flores: ~60€) Note: you can also use suburban trains or the metro between the airport and the train station.
Option 3.
Renting a car gives you freedom to visit the country before and/or after the retreat. Check through the internet.
Option 4.
Door-to-door taxi. ~395€ and 3h30. Fastest and most comfortable. If you can share the taxi this is great.
Airports, trains & coaches
How to check schedules & make reservations.
We recommend that you should book trains and/or coaches in advance. They are fairly inexpensive but can get full, especially around holiday periods. Public transport is reasonably good and cheap. Roads are reasonably safe. Not all Spanish people speak English but many are friendly so do not hesitate to ask for directions.
Trains www.renfe.com
You can book Spanish trains only about two months in advance. Trains for Astorga or León always leave from Chamartín station in Madrid. (See below how to get from the airport to the city centre / train station).
Coaches www.alsa.com
Coaches from the airport operate from Terminal 4. There is a free shuttle between the airport terminals. Some coaches leave from the city centre. See below how to get from the airport to the city centre / train station.
Between Madrid airport & Madrid city centre / train station
You do not need to make any reservation. Taxis between the airport & anywhere in the city have a fixed fare of 30€ (as of early 2020). There is also the cheaper possibility to use the underground (Metro) or the suburban trains. Taxis & public transport are well indicated inside the airport & there are help desks.
Google Maps estimates 10 min by car, 30 to 35 min by public transport. You should allow extra time for possible delays & if it is your first time.
Taxis to & from Flores del Camino
We work with two reliable and professional local taxi drivers:
-Mini-van (8 seats) &/or long distance: Luis (+34) 609 417 205. Luis speaks English.
- 4 seats: Isidro (+34) 630 829 294. Isidro does not speak English but can communicate in English via text/WhatsApp. He does local rides but can do long distance as well.
If you want to book, you can send them a WhatsApp or a text message with the following information:
Say that Flores del Camino gave you their number
Your name
Pick up point & time (if you go to the airport, you can ask at what time he recommends to leave)
Total number of passengers & quantity of luggage
Destination
Your flight details (if any)
Ask for a quote
Other than landing in Madrid.
From both overseas and Europe, you can also land in Barcelona, or even Lisbon, in case you would wish to visit these cities. There are domestic flights between Barcelona and León airport. Travellers from London can also land in Oviedo, Santiago de Compostela, Bilbao, Santander, A Coruña, . See coach lines or trains from these cities. Car rentals are available in all airports (check on the internet). Our recommended taxi drivers can also pick you up. From the UK there are ferry boats to Bilbao and Santander. It is the opportunity for a delightful mini-cruise .
Flores del Camino Retreat Centre Calle Real 36
24718, Castrillo de los Polvazares Spain
Phone & email
+34 691 221 058
bg@floresdelcamino.com