1.- LIABILITY

Carrier liability falls on the company that actually provides the service. The transport company will not be liable for any breaches that are not directly attributable to it, nor for those caused by fortuitous events, force majeure, or due to its compliance with legal or administrative requirements.

Likewise, it will not be liable for missed connections between its inter-modal services and other means of transport, whether its own or otherwise. Without prejudice to the above, given that our services follow a pre-established itinerary that cannot be changed due to adverse traffic circumstances unless given express instructions from the competent authorities, any passengers wishing to link the contracted service with an air transport service are advised to purchase tickets to arrive sufficiently in advance bearing in mind the recommended arrival times at airports for national and international flights by AENA or the airline in question.

Alsa minimum time recommendations:

  • For national flights, you are recommended to purchase tickets to arrive at least three hours before the scheduled boarding time.
  • For international flights, you are recommended to purchase tickets to arrive at least four hours before the scheduled boarding time.
  • An additional hour should be added to these recommended times during particularly traffic-heavy periods reported by the Department of Traffic, such as during holiday periods, bank holidays or weekends.

On international lines, the liability, should it exist, falls on the company providing the transport service, in accordance with the laws and courts of its country. The passenger is solely responsible for carrying the necessary documentation to cross borders and complete the journey.

In this regard, national lines are those that depart and terminate in Spain, while international lines either depart or terminate outside of Spain, except for the lines between Pamplona/San Sebastián and Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, which are also considered to be national lines.

The Passenger Rights established in Regulation 181/2011 assist passengers on transport services where the point of departure or arrival is located in a European Union Member State, and depending on the distance of the route.

Services for passengers with special needs

Alsa provides services and facilities on its buses and at bus stations to assist people with special needs (such as passengers with disabilities, the elderly, or people with reduced mobility).

Please refer to the conditions in the Special assistance section of the website.

Availability is not guaranteed in the case of international services and facilities.

2.- TICKET SALES

The company will sell tickets at authorised points of sale and establishments, where customers can purchase tickets and request any discounts that may apply, depending on the licence conditions. Tickets may also be bought through alternative means, via travel agencies, Internet, phone, self-service machines, etc., each with their own specific conditions.

The improper use of any official Alsa sales channel for fraud will result in the corresponding liability if bad faith, blame, or negligence are proven.

Ticket validity

  • The validity of long-haul tickets, both for national and international routes, will be 6 months from the date of issue; In other words, once 180 days have passed from the date of purchase, no changes or cancellations will be accepted on these tickets.
  • The validity of round-trip regional tickets is established up to 7 days, depending on the line, starting from the date of completion of the outward journey.

The number of passengers on each bus may not exceed the authorised number of places. Accordingly, all minors are counted as passengers (Royal Decree 965/2006) and must hold a ticket, whatever their age.

3.- PASSENGER TRANSPORT

Boarding the bus

On national routes, buses may be boarded directly, without passing through a point of sale. Passengers are required to be at the boarding point 10 minutes before departure time, and to show the driver their national ID card or PASSPORT, selecting one of the following options:

  • A printout of the electronic ticket
  • The booking reference or ticket number noted down
  • A text message with the ticket details

On international routes:

On international routes, the traveler must present themselves at the boarding point at least 30 minutes before departure, without having to go through the point of sale, and show the driver their DNI or PASSPORT together with one of these options:

  • The electronic ticket, either printed or digital
  • The physical ticket issued at the point of sale
  • The SMS with the ticket details

On routes departing from or arriving to points in Morocco, passengers must show a printed ticket.

On international routes, passengers aged under 16 years must be accompanied by a legally-authorised adult. Passengers aged 16 to 18 years must carry a passport and have police authorization to travel.

Unaccompanied minors

Passengers aged under 11 years must be accompanied by an adult.

Children aged 11 years and over may travel unaccompanied on general transport services, under the following conditions:

  • Children between the ages of 11 and 14 may only travel unaccompanied if their parents or legal guardians provide the corresponding authorization for the minor to travel alone (always under the responsibility of the parent or legal guardian), and in accordance with the following specifications:
    • The Authorization Form, which can be downloaded in the following point, must be completed and signed by the parents or guardians and sent within 48 hours prior to leaving the service, through this form, from where you will receive confirmation from our Customer Service.
    • When boarding, minors are required to present their ticket along with an authorization form, signed by a parent or legal guardian and stamped by Alsa.
  • There are two types of authorizations:

Passengers in wheelchairs

Passengers in wheelchairs can avail of special wheelchair-reserved spaces (PRM in wheelchair) so that they can travel while sitting in their wheelchairs. These spaces cost the same as the other seats on the vehicle. Passengers wishing to sit in a wheelchair-reserved space will not have the option of choosing where they sit, as these spaces are located in specific parts of the bus.

Should such passengers wish to sit in a conventional seat on the bus, the wheelchair may be stored in the hold at no extra cost. If this option is chosen, passengers should be able to board the vehicle and seat themselves on their own, or have a companion who can assist them. In this case, the seat can be selected when making the booking.

Alsa recommends that if passengers have any of the special needs described below, they should travel with a companion who can attend to those needs:

  • The passenger needs special assistance in order to communicate with others.
  • The passenger does not understand instructions from onboard staff that affect safety.
  • The passenger needs special assistance to eat or drink during the trip.
  • The passenger needs to go to the toilet during the trip.

This service may not be available on international routes.

4.- TICKET PRICES

The total cost of tickets bought through Alsa’s digital channels consists of the price of the ticket as per the current rates in the concession with the applicable promotions and discounts, plus the additional amount stated for booking fees through that sales channel . Booking fees apply to each ticket; to this effect, return tickets are considered a single ticket. The booking fee is not returned if tickets are cancelled. The booking fee that you pay to purchase our services online or on the app includes the costs of providing, maintaining and updating the website or app, providing the secure payment gateway, hosting the website or app, among other costs.

Booking fees vary depending on the baseline fare for the journey, i.e. taking no promotions or discounts into account.

All prices include VAT at 10%. 

 

The booking fee is not applied to Alsa Plus customers from the first purchase.

Seat change surcharge

Seats that are pre-allocated by the sales system will have no extra cost.

Changing your automatically allocated seat may incur extra charges depending on demand for certain seats from passengers and optimisation of vehicle occupancy, among other considerations.

The surcharge varies and will depend on the fare type, the bus, the seat chosen, the purchase channel, and the service schedule.

The surcharge is applied individually to each passenger, for each route.

5.- CAMPAIGNS AND SPECIAL OFFERS

Special promotional campaigns organised by the company for certain tickets are subject to particular conditions, available to passengers at the point of sale or on the website. These conditions prevail over all other conditions.

Short-distance and regional tickets for routes in Asturias and Cantabria, bought via our website, self-selling machines or mobile App cannot be changed or cancelled under any circumstance. This is due to the peculiar characteristics of the service and the lack of restrictions regarding how far in advance tickets should be booked.

6.- DISCOUNTS

Discounts vary per concession and line.

The conditions for changing or cancelling discounted tickets are exactly the same as for other tickets. Nevertheless, in certain promotions there may be specific limits regarding changes and cancellation. Accordingly, we advise passengers to read the conditions of the promotion before booking tickets, as accepting them implies knowledge of same.

For discounts based on age, special groups, etc., passengers must hold and show the corresponding documents when booking tickets. Likewise, when boarding the bus, passengers must show said documents to Alsa staff when required. If they fail to do so, the driver will refuse to accept the ticket. In this case, it will not be possible to pay the difference between the discount ticket and the full price, and passengers will be required to acquire another ticket in order to travel.

No general discounts apply to international routes, and passengers are required to abide by the specific conditions of each international service at all times.

Discounts for large families

There are two classes of large family discounts

  • General large family: 20% discount off ticket price.
  • Special large family: 50% discount off ticket price.

Both types of large family discounts may be combined with other Alsa promotions and offers. They may also be combined with other compatible discounts.

Large family discounts may not be combined. Likewise, they may only be used in combination with one other promotion or discount.

To obtain a large family discount, passengers are required to show Alsa staff, on request, their national ID card or passport, along with the document that proves their large family status. These documents must also be in force at the moment of boarding the bus.

Discounts for large families are not applicable to international routes.

7.- PAYMENT METHODS

The only payment methods accepted on official Alsa electronic channels are credit and debit cards (American Express, Visa, 4B, Maestro and Mastercard), PayPal, and Bizum.

Payments made using PayPal or debit or credit cards are handled by Servicios del Principado, SA (VAT No. A33088220), an Alsa Group company.

The payment methods accepted at physical Alsa points of sale are cash, credit or debit card (American Express, Visa, 4B, Maestro and Mastercard), and the Alsa Travel Pass.

8.- LUGGAGE

As a general rule, the passenger has the right to transport up to 20 kg of luggage free of charge, except for concessional exceptions that can be checked at the point of sale.

If the luggage is checked in, the passenger will be provided with proof of check-in. In the event of loss or damage of transported luggage, without prejudice to Condition 17 below, the passenger is advised to submit their claim immediately upon arrival, showing the ticket and the proof of check-in, where applicable.

The liability for any damage or loss of transported luggage will be determined, limited, and quantified in accordance with Law 16/1987 of 30 July on Land Transport Planning and by Regulation (EU) no. 181/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 concerning the rights of passengers in bus and coach transport in force at this time and applicable at any given time.

Special conditions for travelling with mobility aids or sports equipment

A surcharge must be paid to transport bicycles, surfboards or skis, or any other mobility aid, which is added to the price of the ticket. This supplement will not apply in cases where it must be provided free of charge in the corresponding autonomous community.

On international services, the transport of bicycles is allowed, prior booked and paid in advance.

For reasons of space, only four special items (bicycles, surfboards) may be carried in each vehicle (one per ticket). To ensure the safety and integrity of luggage and other items being carried in the hold, bicycles and surfboards will be carried only when suitably packed in bags or boxes. Tickets for transport with bicycles have to be purchased individually. It is not possible to tick this box if you have selected 2 or more seats.

If there is no space available for bicycles on the service in question, the travel with bicycle checkbox will be disabled. And furthermore, this service is not available on double-decker buses.

When travelling with a bicycle, please be at your departure point at least 15 minutes before departure time.

Musical instruments as a luggage

Musical instruments may be carried in the hold with the other luggage, at no additional cost. Like luggage, musical instruments may weigh no more than 20 kg.

Other special items

The same fees and conditions apply to similar sporting and/or leisure items which, due to their size and/or characteristics, must be carried in the hold. To ensure the safety and integrity of luggage and other items being carried in the hold, these items will be carried only when suitably packed for transport.

In relation to electric scooters, unicycles and personal mobility devices, their access to the vehicles is not permitted, neither in the part designated for luggage nor for travelers.

This restriction will remain in place until its access is regulated by regulations and in the terms and conditions of said regulation, and does not apply to vehicles for people with reduced mobility.

Special conditions for carrying companion animals on regular national lines

Under Article 11 of the General Traffic Rules, no animals may be carried in the passenger cabin, except emotional support animals, service animals and guide dogs, as well as those prescribed accordingly with the accredited certificate to prove it. In any case, they are carried under the responsibility of and accompanied by their owners.

Accordingly, at most one companion animal may be carried per service, in the luggage hold. Only small pets (dogs, cats, ferrets, birds (not poultry), etc.) may be carried. Their weight may be restricted depending on the conditions of the vehicle. Animals must travel in the luggage hold, in a cage, pet carrier, or other secure, closed container provided by the passenger. Cages and pet carriers must have an impermeable base to retain excrements.

In general, pets are carried under the sole liability of their owners, who must travel on the same service as the pet.

Pet owners are required to come to the boarding point with their pet at least 15 minutes in advance, personally introducing the animal, in its carrier, into the bus, following the driver’s instructions. Animals must be in good physical, hygienic and emotional conditions; muzzles are not obligatory, but recommended. The animal will be taken on and off the bus by its owner, if possible without other people close by in order to prevent any awkward or dangerous circumstances that could affect other passengers.

The cost of transport will be a percentage of the ticket price according to the current rates in the concession without promotions or discounts, and must be paid prior to the journey.

The transportation of animals on international services is not permitted, except those considered to be for emotional support, service animals and guide dogs, as well as those prescribed accordingly with the accredited certificate to prove it and always under the responsibility of their owners and accompanied by them.

The conditions and recommendations for transporting pets are included in the corresponding section on alsa.com/en/web/bus/home

Transporting equipment and items that assist mobility

  • In wheelchair-reserved spaces (PRM in wheelchair), only wheelchairs that do not exceed the currently accepted measurements may be transported: length 1200 cm x width 700 cm x height 1090 cm. The maximum weight of a wheelchair, including the occupant, depends on the maximum capacity of the lifting platform (approx. 300 kg), however the exact capacity is indicated in the platform’s instructions.
  • Passengers may bring walking sticks and crutches with them, as long as they can store them in such a way that is not a risk to passenger safety.
  • Other items used to assist mobility must be stored in the hold as luggage. Any kind of mobility assistance item of any weight is permitted, provided it does not exceed the following dimensions: Length and width 140x70 cm. Height: 100 cm. When storing items in the hold, we recommend that passengers use a cover as a way of protecting both the item and other people’s luggage.
  • If any of these items needs to be transported, the passenger should be at the boarding area with their luggage prepared as described above, at least 15 minutes prior to the departure time.
  • Transport of any such mobility assistance items is completely free of charge.

9.- CHANGING TICKETS

National and international tickets

The date or time of a ticket may only be changed up to two hours before the scheduled departure and will depend on the availability of seats at the new time or date requested.

IMPORTANT: in date changes on return tickets, the outward date can never exceed the return date.

Tour packages: no changes are allowed in the tour packages purchased. If you need to change, you must cancel the purchase and start a new purchase process.

Tickets purchased via any official Alsa sales channel may be changed via the same channel through which they were bought, providing the tickets have not yet been printed by a ticket office. In other words, tickets bought via an electronic channel may be changed or cancelled via the same channel, providing they have not yet been printed by a ticket office.

The self-selling machines make changes and cancellations of tickets purchased both at the machines themselves, as well as on the alsa.es website and at the points of sale.

Price changes may be made in accordance with current conditions, and only for the same or a higher value.

Rate changes for tickets bought at the points of sale at service stations must be done in accordance with current conditions and always choosing the current rate for the selected service.

Short-haul tickets do not allow more than 2 months between the date of departure and the date of return at the time of making the change.

National tickets only

Ticket changes are free of charge if the change is requested at least 8 days in advance. If requested between 7 days and 48 hours in advance of the travel date, the surcharge will be 5%. A fee of 10% of the ticket price is charged if the change is requested 24 to 48 hours in advance. Changes made less than 24 hours in advance are subject to a surcharge of 20% of the ticket price.

In the event that the change is to a ticket with a higher rate than the ticket being changed, the change is free, but the price difference between the two rates must be paid.

Change fees are not applied to Alsa Plus customers.

Short-haul and regional tickets purchased on the website, self-service machines or mobile apps may have special conditions that will be indicated at the time of purchase due to the particular characteristics of the type of service.

International tickets only

Ticket changes are free of charge if the change is requested at least 30 days before the day of travel. A fee of 25% of the ticket price is charged if the change is requested 7 to 29 days in advance. For changes made less than 1 to 6 days in advance, or less than 1 day and up to 2 hours in advance, a 50% surcharge will apply.

If the new ticket has a higher fare, the difference in price between the two fares must be paid.

10.- TICKET CANCELLATION

National and international tickets

Ticket cancellation is only possible if requested at least 2 hours before the start of the service. Tickets purchased through the information and sales service 902 422242, alsa.es or the mobile application may be canceled through the same channels where they were purchased as long as the tickets have not been printed at a point of sale.

In the case of cancellation of round-trip tickets, it is necessary to cancel the return before canceling the departure. Otherwise, the system will not allow it.

Tourist packages: cancellation of tourist packages is only possible if requested at least 24 hours before the start of the service.

Tickets purchased at self-selling machines and ATMs may only be canceled through the sales channels themselves.

Tickets can only be canceled against the same payment method with which the purchase was made.

The non-presentation of the traveler at the place and time of departure will lead to the loss of the trip and will not give the right to exchange the ticket or refund the amount.

Cancellation charges will not apply for Alsa Plus customers.

National tickets only

Cancellation fees are free when tickets have not been previously modified and are made at least 8 days in advance. If requested between 7 days and 48 hours in advance of the travel date, the surcharge will be 5%. For cancellations made between 48 and 24 hours in advance, a fee of 20% of the ticket price will be charged. Cancellations made between 24 and 2 hours in advance will incur a fee of 30%.

Alsa Plus customers may cancel free of charge up to 2 hours before departure.

International tickets only

Cancellations are free of charge when made at least 30 days before the day of travel on tickets that have not been previously changed. A fee of 25% of the ticket price is charged if the change is requested 7 to 29 days in advance. For changes made 1 to 6 days in advance, a 50% surcharge will apply, while changes made less than 1 day and up to 2 hours in advance will incur a 75% surcharge.

Only for regional tickets in the areas of Asturias and Cantabria

The short-haul and regional tickets for the areas of Asturias and Cantabria, purchased on the website, self-selling machines or mobile apps, do not allow change or cancellation under any circumstances due to the particular characteristics of the type of service and the absence of restriction in advance purchase.

11.- RIGHT OF WITHDRAWAL

This refers to the right the user has to withdraw from the contract in certain circumstances without having to substantiate any such decision or accept any penalty. In accordance with Article 93(k) of Royal Legislative Decree 1/2007 adopting the codifying legislation of the General Consumer and User Defence Act, the remote sales regulation (except for Article 98(2) thereof) does not apply to passenger transport contracts. Accordingly, the right to withdrawal does not apply to passenger transport service reservations. Thus, if users wish to cancel their tickets the terms and conditions in place at the transport operator company in question shall apply.

12.- RETURN TICKETS

In open return tickets, where the day, time, seat and vehicle are not specified for the return trip, passengers are required to confirm the return trip as early as possible, via the same channel through which they bought the ticket (except in the case of tickets bought via electronic channels, which may be confirmed via any channel). Confirmation of the return trip will depend on the availability of seats on the date and the vehicle requested. Without prejudice to the paragraph below, confirmation of the return trip does not incur any additional cost. “Open return” tickets for Long distance trips are valid for six months from the date they are issued. Return tickets for regional services are valid for seven calendar days (starting on the date of the outgoing trip). The return trip for tickets purchased online can be booked directly on alsa.com/en/web/bus/home or self-selling machines.

Open return national tickets covering a distance of 150 km or more, with a price (outgoing trip not including discounts and taxes included) of €10 or more, will be subject to a surcharge of €1.60, to be paid at the time of purchase. The customer will be informed of this at the time of purchase. Alsa Plus customers will not be charged this surcharge.

13.- TICKET HOLDERS

Tickets bought via official Alsa electronic channels are made out in the name of the passenger. When using these tickets, it is necessary to show the passengers NATIONAL ID CARD or PASSPORT, the number on which must coincide with that on the ticket.

When acquiring tickets over the Internet for minors not issued with national ID cards, the national ID number of their travel companion must be entered in the corresponding section of the web form.

If these numbers do not coincide, the ticket will automatically be annulled.

Name changes on tickets may require a surcharge.

14.- SMOKING PROHIBITED

Smoking is not allowed on Alsa vehicles (Art. 6 RD 1293/1999).

15.- BACKUP SERVICES

In accordance with the transport regulation, on national and international routes, the company reserves the right to provide the service using vehicles from partner companies when circumstances call for it, particularly in order to deal with intense traffic. The company reserves the right to change the seat assigned to the passenger to a bus operated by another company.

In this case, the service will be considered to have been rendered by the operator of the regular service, to all private legal effects and with regard to the corresponding administrative liabilities.

16.- BILLING

Tickets are considered valid invoices, as they contain all the required information, including the VAT rate applied. Nevertheless, customers requiring an invoice may:

  • Use the invoice request form available in the Ticket management section of alsa.com/en/web/bus/home
  • Request that tickets be printed at the point of sale and be mailed to: Servicio de Atención al cliente. C/ Josefa Valcárcel, 20, 28027, Madrid (Spain). Please include the required details of the recipient and the address to which it is to be sent.

17.- COMPLAINTS

Complaint forms are available to customers at points of sale and on buses serving national routes. In accordance with existing regulations, complaints must be made within the three months following the date on which the scheduled service was provided or would have been provided. Within the month following the complaint, the transport company will notify the customer as to whether their complaint has been accepted, dismissed, or if it is still pending examination. The definitive response will be provided within the three months following the date on which the complaint was received.

For public regular transport services for interurban general use, owned by the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, there is the possibility of making an official claim through the electronic form available at this link.

18.- CONTACT

Alsa may be contacted via various channels:

  • By email, using the Contact forms.
  • Customer helpline: 91 020 7007 - 900 81 41 14
  • C/ Josefa Valcárcel, 20,PC: 28027 Madrid
  • At any official Alsa point of sale

FAQs

19.- CONFIANZA ONLINE

For any conflicts which may arise, the parties agree to be bound by the decisions of the courts and tribunals of the user's place of residence. Our company belongs to Confianza Online (non-profit association), listed in Group 1, Section 1 of the National Registry of Associations, national number 594400, tax ID number G85804011, Carrera de San Jerónimo, 18, 4º 1, 28014 Madrid (Spain). For more information: www.confianzaonline.es. These General Conditions are governed by Spanish law. In compliance with the Alternative Dispute Resolution Act, we inform consumers that, as a member organisation and under the terms of the Code of Conduct, the users may contact Confianza Online to resolve any disputes that may arise (https://www.confianzaonline.es/como-reclamar/formulario-de-reclamaciones/). If the dispute relates to electronic transactions with consumers or to data protection in relation to these transactions, it will be resolved by the Confianza Online Mediation Committee, which is licensed to resolve consumer disputes. If the dispute relates to digital advertising or data protection in relation to this area, it will be handled by the AUTOCONTROL Advertising Jury. You can also access the European Online Dispute Resolution Platform via the following link: https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/main/?event=main.home2.show