Planning a Trip

Getting There -- Burgos is well connected by train from Madrid (trip time: 3 1/2 hr.), Barcelona (trip time: 8-9 hr.), the French border, and Valladolid. Fares from Madrid range from 24€ to 61€; from Barcelona, 42€ to 61€; and from Valladolid, 9€ to 27€. The Burgos railway station is at the terminus of Avenida de Conde Guadalhorce, .8km (1/2 mile) southwest of the center, Plaza de la Estación. To get here, head for the major traffic hub in Plaza Castilla, and then walk due south across the Arlanzón River. For train information or tickets, call tel. 90-224-02-02 (www.renfe.es).

Between 12 and 15 buses a day make the 2 3/4-hour trip from Madrid. A one-way fare costs 17€. The bus depot in Burgos is at Calle Miranda 4 (tel. 94-726-20-17), which intersects the large Plaza de Vega, due south of (and across the river from) the cathedral.

Burgos is well connected to its neighbors by a network of highways, but its routes to and from Barcelona (trip time: 6 hr.) are especially wide and modern. The road from Barcelona changes its name several times, from the A-2 to the A-68 to the E-4, but it is a superhighway all the way. From Madrid, follow the N-I north for about 3 hours; the highway is fast but less modern than the road from Barcelona.

Visitor Information -- The tourist office, Plaza Alonso Martínez 7 (tel. 94-720-18-46; www.turismocastillayleon.com), is open July to September Sunday to Thursday 9am to 8pm, and Friday and Saturday 9am to 9pm; and October to June daily 9am to 2pm and 5 to 8pm.