Hello All,
Transit shenanigans all over the place...trains are full on two routes (MAD-Bilbao; SS-MAD) more than 90 Days in advance-they promise 60 days. And I've heard trains are loaded 'randomly' by Renfe. Nuts. So I booked the Alsa Supra for both one-ways...was wondering:
--Do the bus drivers actually make comfort stops? Rick Steves (2024) forum has folks noting that sometimes the driver locks/won't stop for toilet breaks. Is this possible? It's a 5hr+ ride?
--Where are the toilets located on the Supra bus?

Hoping you have good news for me!

some
https://www.alsa.com/en/web/bus/faqs...uses-have-a-wc

of course, these things can get blocked

why I always prefer the train

The SUPRA service, as mikelg explained on the other travel forum, and as I´ve mentioned here, is the fastest ride so yes, these buses of the SUPRA service do have toilets.
The SUPRA service is direct, and because it´s the fastest way to go, it doesn´t make stops (see mikelg's comment on your thread on the other travel forum regarding SUPRA service).
The COMFORT service buses, which are slower, make stops for passengers to stretch their legs, and yes, they make COMFORT stops.

The toilets are located at the back.
SUPRA service buses always have toilets and wi-fi, leather seats, etc. That's why they're called SUPRA (the nicest, the best...).

The 9:15 SUPRA from the airport Barajas T4 directly to Bilbao with no intermediate stops takes only 4 hours, 10 minutes.
Is this the bus departure that you've booked?

Again, here is what the SUPRA service on ALSA provides:
https://www.alsa.com/en/web/bus/faqs...-does-it-offer

https://www.alsa.com/en/web/bus/on-board/buses/supra

I've tried to check Renfe this morning for your dates but the service is "down". "Down" means that Renfe is loading more fares. This is the time in late June when Renfe loads its summer fares.

pepperment,
As I suspected in my post above, Renfe has loaded today more fares. This is precisely why when I checked this morning, the system was down. At this time in June, every year, Renfe loads its summer fares.

I see tickets available on Sept. 19 (is this your return date) for the 8:52 am ALIVIA from SS to Madrid-Chamartín, a ride of 5 hours, 4 minutes.
The fare in Elige Confort with XL seats, extra leg room, in a first class "preferente" car is €77.8/p.

This Alvia train is the one that stops in Vitoria, Burgos, Valladolid and Segovia before arriving at Chamartín. You can see the stops by clicking on "ver detalles del trayecto".
This is the train that I have taken from SS to Madrid.

I've checked again on the availability of Renfe tickets for your train trip from Madrid-Chamartin and Bilbao on September 7. "Service is temporarily unavailable" means that Renfe. is loading more fares. So stay tuned.

No stops for using the toilet: on a 5 hour trip!!! Absurd and thoroughly disrespectful of their customers. Reminds me of 1950s attitude to Americans.

As per our email, I have learned from you that indeed Renfe continues a process over a period of days (!) to load trains, so as per my pm, I secured train tickets MAD-Bilbao. We will go to Segovia Guiomar, just working on whether to buy tickets all the way to Madrid or only to Guiomar.

I just sent you a PM.

It's a 4 hour 10 min. trip, non-stop on that particular direct bus that departs at 9:15, September 7, from Madrid's Barajas airport, Terminal 4. That direct SUPRA service bus doesn't take a comfort break, since there are toilets on board every SUPRA ALSA bus (which should not be "locked" by the driver).

If that SUPRA service, ALSA's premium service, took a comfort break, the journey would be even longer. That's the reason that the SUPRA service goes directly without stops. It's not a 5 hour journey on the 9:15 SUPRA departure, but instead 4 hours 10 min., which is the quickest ride, without stops.

This is the "VIP" service that ALSA provides, with a/c (or course), wi-fi, XL leather seats, a 2-1 seat configuration, the ability to choose one's seat in advance, entertainment screen at each seat and complimentary water with toilets onboard, so with their SUPRA service, the company (rightly or wrongly) doesn't see the need to stop for a comfort break in a journey under 5 hours.

Actually, we can't drive from our Madrid home to Bilbao any quicker, but of course, in our vehicle we do make a stop for coffee/comfort break.

What does one's country of origin have to do with it? And how is it disrespectful? If I read the very through description correctly, Supra don't stop because...they have toilets on board. There is no "disrespect" here, it's how they run their service. If you want or need stops, book the Comfort. You book based upon your needs, the accomodation has been provided.

From Alsa's web page description of their COMFORT class.

Comfort: for all your journeys, trust in Alsa

Enjoy a comfortable and peaceful trip with the following:

WiFi connection
Choose how to enjoy your trip.

On board entertainment
Touch navigation screens. To enjoy the best audiovisual content.*

Foot rests
To make your journey more comfortable.

WC
Always available en route.

Huh?? Plus - it does seem you haven't read all the responses.

That´s a very strange answer, pepperment. First of all, this service is not intended to visitors, but for locals. And therefore the bus company adapts to LOCAL ways. There are TWO options, one of them is the Comfort (Maribel is doing a great job trying to make you see the two options available), that takes longer and stops for a break. The other one, very demanded, is the SUPRA, in a luxury bus that offers toilets on board. Where is the disrespect here???? It´s called FREEDOM OF CHOICE and has NOTHING to do with any kind of attitude to US citizens, this bus service is NOT intended for tourists, although it seems you are expecting us to adapt to your needs. By the way, quite a long post for such an easy decision.

+1 to Travel_Nerd and janisj

I stand in awe of those of you who have tried (and tried, and TRIED!) to address this question on this thread and elsewhere.

I apologize if I have offended you. But the Supra bus doesn't stop...if it does it's only to drop/pickup...so how is one to get to the bathroom, which I understand is down a ramp? Hmmm I didn't make this concern up...it was written on several online forums, including this one. So I wrote to Supra (in Spanish) asked a direct question courteously re. my concern, hoping for a human clarification. Instead I got a bot who quoted the website: '...on standard buses 50% have toilets. On Supra toilets are on-board, but the bus doesn't stop".

The bathroom on the ALSA SUPRA BUS is ON the bus. Why would you need to "go down a ramp"? On what online forum are you reading this? Where on the Fodor's Europe forum is this mentioned? I'm confused.
I've never seen another discussion of the ALSA SUPRA service from Madrid to Bilbao on this Europe forum with the concern about "going down a ramp" (???) , but perhaps I've missed it.

But.... about that ramp..... I think (maybe) I know the answer.... Are you speaking perhaps (??) of the double decker buses in which, if seated on the upper deck, you would simply go down the steps or a ramp (in lieu of steps) to the lower deck where the WC (bathroom) is located? That may be the ramp that you've read about on other forums.

Mikelg, a resident of Bilbao, who has taken this ALSA SUPRA bus, has assured you that the toilet is onboard.

You didn't write to SUPRA, which is a class of service (like "economy", "premium economy", "business", "first class").

You wrote to the ALSA bus company (owned by National Express), and their response was a standard response (a "bot" if you prefer), referring to ALL ALSA BUSES in its vast fleet, not specifically to the SUPRA SERVICE.

50% of the entire ALSA fleet, Europe-wide, has toilets onboard.

Alsa operates outside of Spain as well, and in the north of Spain it operates on short runs, not long distance, where onboard toilets aren't needed---for example, from SS to Bilbao, only a 1 hr. 20 min. ride.

Once again, I'll try to explain.

The ALSA SUPRA SERVICE bus, the "luxury", "VIP", or "superior" (thus the name "supra") bus, which has a 2+1 seat configuration, leather seats with foot rests, entertainment screen at each seat, the ability to choose one's seat, even the ability, if available, to block out the seat next to you if sitting on the 2-seat row, with complimentary bottled water and only a 4 hour. 10 minute ride from the Madrid Barajas airport, Terminal 4 to Bilbao---- DOES HAVE TOILETS ON THE BUS.

Again, the SUPRA service from Madrid to Bilbao doesn't stop for a "comfort break" precisely because there is no need, since toilets are onboard.
This then, is exactly why it does not stop in Lerma mid-trip for 30 minutes for a COMFORT break, which the other COMFORT buses (NOT SUPRA) do. The ride is longer on a COMFORT service bus.

The SUPRA service is much in demand specifically because it is the quickest ride, non-stop (with toilets).
Again, quicker than I am able to drive to Bilbao from my Madrid home---can't do that in 4 hours 10 min.

Again, SUPRA is Alsa's VIP service, with toilets on board, plus the other amenities that I've mentioned above and on my posts #4 and #7 and on another thread, as mikelg has confirmed here and as mikelg has confirmed on your thread on another travel forum.

I hope that mikelg sees this and can try to explain further or at least verify what I have written.

Are you being this obtuse on purpose? Maribel is a real person. She is a respected member of the Fodorite community, an ex pat who lives in Spain. Her response to you was NOT a bot. It was, likely, a copy and paste from an internet site doing research for YOU to explain, again, how the toilets work on the buses that have them. And also an explanation of the bus lines that do not.

It sounds as if you have posted your concern in two or more internet forums. And people have responded and explained ad nauseum.

And instead of taking their word for it, you continue to read OTHER responses to other threads to form your concern, despite that it has been addressed, multiple times.

Enough is enough. Perhaps if taking this journey is going to cause you stress, it may need to be reconsidered.

It´s easy, step by step: you are on a SUPRA bus, seated. Then, suddenly, you feel the urge to go use the bathroom. You get up from your seat, move backwards (or forward, depending where you are seated), locate the bathroom door, open it with your left or right hand, enter the toilet, do whatever you need to do inside AFTER closing the door behind you, you clean your hands, open the door again to exit, close the door and return to your seat. Cannot be easier

OK -- I guess I will cut you some slack. Perhaps you have never ridden a long distance bus that has on-board facilities?? Many Americans just don't ride coaches very often if at all.

The loo on a modern coach is similar to an airplane bathroom. Do you complain that a 7 hour flight doesn't land for a bathroom break? Thought not.

Get over it. Relax. Find something else to worry about. The bus is comfortable and the bathroom is readily available.

mikelg, thank you my friend!
And thank you very much as well, Travel_Nerd
And janisj is spot on, as many Americans just don't take European long distance buses (coaches) that often, if at all, as they think they're the equivalent of the American Greyhound, which of course they're not.

Supra service Alsa bus=comfortable
Bathroom (loo) in a supra service bus=readily available

After all of this, I believe that pepperment may have decided to take the train, at least one way, since Renfe has now finally posted its fares for her dates.

Interesting thread. Perhaps peppermint has concerns about using the loo on a moving bus?

No different from using the loo on a moving train, I reckon.