Arriving at our beginning: Villafranca or O'Cebriero

[toejammer]

We are intending to spend about 8 or 9 days on the Camino in early May. We fly into Madrid on the afternoon of 3 May and were thinking to catch the train the next day to Leon, and from there make our way by bus along the Camino to either of the above starting points.
My question is: is this a reasonable plan , and can we actually get a bus from Leon to either Villafranca or O'Cebriero?If so can anyone direct me to a bus timetable, please? Any advise would be most welcome.

[Covey]

The major inter city coach service is provided by ALSA.

http://www.alsa.es/portal/site/Alsa/

You can buy tickets on line and print the tickets at home, having selected your seat!!

The bus/coach services in Spain are excellent and not that expensive. You tend to use Alsa to get between the main hubs and then switch to a local bus company to get from the hub to the smaller towns.

Alsa runs a route between Burgos and Santiago (and in reverse!) which roughly follows the Camino Frances from town to town.

To get to Villafranca use the Alsa service from Leon. Costs ?10 single and takes 2 hours

[toejammer]

thanks for that, very useful.