Getting to Benicassim, Spain

Benicàssim is a small Spanish beach town located 1 hour north of Valencia and ~2.5 hours south of Barcelona (via car and train). This is popular spot for Spaniards during the summer and for Europeans during July (for FIB). Like most small towns, this requires some additional steps to get there, but it’s great to visit if you want to experience some amazing local beaches. I’ve included general travel tips, flying information, and train instructions below.

General Travel Tips

  • Low Cost Airlines (e.g., Norwegian, Level, Ryanair): Be prepared to pay extra for a checked bag and meal on the flight on these low cost airlines
  • Flight booking best practices: Apparently airlines track your cookies and may increase the flight price if you look frequently (it has happened to me a few times). I would avoid searching directly on the airline’s website and use Kayak or Skyscanner to search.
  • One-way transcontinental tickets: They can be more expensive than if you booked a round trip or multi-trip flight.
  • Check flight / train times before booking: Check the train times (Renfe) to see if there are still trains when you arrive from your flight (also need to factor in transportation to the train station). I’ve booked a flight arriving too late for a train (since it was much cheaper) and just stayed overnight to catch a train in the morning. Make sure you have enough time between your flight arrival and the train departure since you will need to:
    1. Wait for luggage (if checking in
    2. Getting to the train station from the airport – BCN (check times but give yourself at least an hour to be safe), and MAD (check times but say 30 min to 1 hour)
    3. Finding your platform at the train station and if you want to print your tickets (you should print your train tickets beforehand or use your mobile)
    4.  Any queues / security – yes, there is security scans before boarding the train
  • Connection time: If you are flying transcontinental, then it’s best that your connection is at least an hour to get through customs. There are certain airports that take longer than others like CDG and ATL (from our personal experiences).
  • Should I take the train or rent a car after my flight: You should consider 1) price (check the tolls if you want to drive and remember automatic cars are more expensive in Europe), 2) convenience (MAD and BCN have trains but would need to take a metro or bus to the train station), 3) time you arrive (check train times since there may not be a train if your flight has a late arrival), 4) flexibility (car allows you to leave whenever and visit other towns), and 5) time saved (faster to take the train from MAD, around the same time driving vs. taking the train from BCN, but check the train times online since they vary).

Flights to Get to Benicàssim

There are at least 4 airports you can fly into (see below).  For US travelers, we recommend looking for flights to and/or from MAD or BCN since there will be more flight options and most likely cheaper. However, if you plan to travel beforehand, then potentially there are cheap flights to VLC (2nd closest airport) and CDT (closest airport). For European travelers, try looking for flights to CDT (ideal since it’s the shortest distance) or VLC.

  1. BCN (Barcelona):
    1. Pro: tends to be cheaper since BCN is one of the largest airports in Spain
    2. Con: need to take a train or drive to Benicàssim (~2.5 – 3 hours), see below for instructions on taking the train.
  2. MAD (Madrid):
    1. Pro: tends to be cheaper since MAD is one of the largest airports in Spain
    2. Con: need to take the train or drive to Benicàssim (~4 hours), see below for instructions on taking the train
  3. VLC (Valencia):
    1. Pro: Closer than BCN and MAD (1 hour drive to Benicàssim)
    2. Con: probably will be expensive if flying directly from the US
  4. CDT (Castello):
    1. Pro: Closest airport to Benicàssim (30 min drive)
    2. Con: 1) only selected European cities fly to CDT, and 2) normally there aren’t good public transportation options to Benicàssim (would need to take a car, 30 min drive),  but believe in the summer there is a bus to Benicàssim (~10€)  – check here to book and here for instructions

Bay Area to Spain 

Los Angeles to Spain 

East Coast to Spain: there are many low-cost and major airlines flying from JFK directly to BCN or MAD as of Jan 2018

  • [Direct flight] KLM: JFK to BCN or JFK to MAD
  • [Direct flight] British Airways: JFK to BCN or JFK to MAD
  • [Direct flight] Finnair: JFK to BCN
  • [Direct flight] Air France: JFK to MAD
  • [Direct flight] Delta: JFK to MAD
  • [Direct flight] Level (Iberia’s low cost airline): BOS to BCN; EWR (New York) to Paris only, no Barcelona
  • [Direct flight] Norwegian (another low cost airline): JFK / EWR or BOS to BCN
  • Monitor flight options via Kayak (flying to BCN from JFK or flying to MAD from JFK) or Skyscanner

Post Flight: Taking the Train

From Barcelona Airport

There are trains from Barcelona city center (Sants train station) to Benicàssim (stopping through other towns), but it’s important to check the schedule since the trains do not run 24 hours. The train takes between 2.5 and 3 hours and cost between 20 and 35 euros (one-way). You need to buy your train tickets in advance via Renfe, see below.

Note: Prices vary based on cancellation policy and class type: Promo (cheapest, strictest cancellation), Promo +, Ida y Vuelta, and Flexible (most expensive), and Clase Type – 1) Turista (not as nice seats but honestly they are fine) or 2) Preferente (more expensive).

Getting to Barcelona-Sants: You will need to take the local train, Cercanias (in Spanish, or “Rodalies” in Catalan) (do not need to book in advance, just purchase at BCN airport and it runs frequently) to Barcelona-Sants. You can learn more via here.

  • In “Departure” or “Origen”, type and select “Barcelona (Todas)” to see all options, but most likely it will be from “Barcelona-Sants”
  • Screen Shot 2018-01-15 at 11.01.21 AM.png
  • In “Destination” or “Destino”, type and select “Benicassim”
  • Screen Shot 2018-01-15 at 11.01.40 AM.png
  • Select the desired time slot in “Journey Date” or “Fecha del Viaje”. If you are selecting one-way only, then do not put a date in “Return” and click on the price (purple) or “Next”
  • Screen Shot 2018-01-15 at 2.32.56 PM.png
  • Fill out name, email, telephone in both sections and check the box for the terms and conditions before purchasing. You probably want to check the box for “Tick this box if you DON’T want to receive advertising emails…”
  • Screen Shot 2018-01-15 at 2.36.24 PM.png
  • Complete the rest of the application to book your tickets.
  • At the train station: When you are at the station, you will need to look for your train’s platform number. There will be several large boards that show the platform corresponding to each train. Look at the “Salidas” section on those large boards and find your train based on your train’s departure time or train number. The destination shown on the large boards may be the final destination (vs. Benicàssim). Once you find your platform, go through security and find the correct train car for your assigned seat.

From Madrid Airport

There are trains from Madrid city center (Atocha train station) to Benicàssim (stopping through other towns). I noticed there are fewer times available compared to Barcelona and the train is longer (3.5-4.5 hours) and cost between 30 and 60 euros (one-way). You can take a high-speed train to Castello, but from Castello you would need to take a taxi or bus to Benicàssim. Purchase your Madrid-Atocha to Benicàssim tickets in advance via Renfe, see below.

Note: Prices vary based on cancellation policy and class type: Promo (cheapest, strictest cancellation), Promo +, Ida y Vuelta, and Flexible (most expensive), and Clase Type – 1) Turista (not as nice seats but honestly they are fine) or 2) Preferente (more expensive).

Getting to the Madrid-Atocha: You can take the 1) train from MAD to Atocha (From Terminal 4 via Cercanias, see here; faster / cheaper than the metro), 2) Metro (Nuevos Ministerios station where you will transfer to the C-2 or C-7 lines to Atocha Station), 3) Bus (24/7 express bus from MAD to Atocha Station – 3rd and last stop. This yellow bus can be found right outside terminals 1, 2, and 4; cheap / longest option), 4) Taxi (most expensive / shortest) – see full details here.

  • In “Departure” or “Origen”, type and select “Madrid (Todas)” to see all options, but most likely it will be from “Madrid-Atocha”
  • Screen Shot 2018-01-17 at 10.53.03 PM.png
  • Repeat the other steps outlined in the top section, “From Barcelona Airport”
  • At the train station: When you are at the station, you will need to look for your train’s platform number. There will be several large boards that show the platform corresponding to each train. Look at the “Salidas” section on those large boards and find your train based on your train’s departure time or train number. The destination shown on the large boards may be the final destination (vs. Benicàssim). Once you find your platform, go through security and find the correct train car for your assigned seat.

Post Benicàssim Train Station

After arriving at Benicàssim Train Station, you will need to call one of the taxi companies to get a cab:

  • Radio Taxi Castellón: +34 964 23 74 74
  • Su Taxi:+34 964 10 11 01

 

3 thoughts on “Getting to Benicassim, Spain”

    1. Thanks Oktawia and happy travels! There are so many amazing places in Europe, but there is something amazing about Dubrovnik, Hvar, South of Spain, Madrid, Valencia, Budapest, Paris, Prague, Florence, Berlin, London, and Porto. Let me know if you need any other tips!

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  2. Pingback: 10 Things I Learned about Spain’s Valencia Region from a Valencian – Across Oceans

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