How to Ask When the Next Bus or Train Leaves in Spanish
Learn to ask what time the next bus or train leaves in Latin American Spanish, understand schedule answers, and avoid confusing departure with arrival time.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
When you travel in Spanish-speaking countries, one of the most practical questions you can ask is what time the next bus or train leaves. In Spanish, this is not the same as asking when it arrives. This lesson teaches you a simple question pattern using sale, plus useful words for schedules, and it shows you how to understand common answers. You will practice a short station dialogue and learn a mistake that often confuses beginners.
By the end, you can…
- ask what time the next bus or train leaves in Spanish.
- understand simple schedule answers about departure time.
- tell the difference between asking about departure and asking about arrival.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
¿A qué hora sale el próximo autobús?
What time does the next bus leave?
ah keh OH-rah SAH-leh el PROHK-see-moh ow-toh-BOOS
Standard Latin American way to ask about the next bus. Próximo means next in this sequence.
¿A qué hora sale el próximo tren?
What time does the next train leave?
ah keh OH-rah SAH-leh el PROHK-see-moh trehn
Same pattern, with tren instead of autobús. Use it at train stations.
¿Cuándo sale el próximo camión?
When does the next bus leave?
KWAHN-doh SAH-leh el PROHK-see-moh kah-MYOHN
In Mexico and parts of Central America, camión commonly means bus. In other regions, camión usually means truck.
Sale a las tres y media.
It leaves at three thirty.
SAH-leh ah lahs trehs ee MEH-dyah
A typical schedule answer. Spanish uses a las before clock times.
Sale en diez minutos.
It leaves in ten minutes.
SAH-leh ehn dyehs mee-NOO-tohs
Use en for a time from now. Do not use por for this meaning.
¿A qué hora llega?
What time does it arrive?
ah keh OH-rah YEH-gah
This asks about arrival, not departure. Llega comes from llegar, to arrive.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is ¿A qué hora sale...? followed by the transport. Sale is the he/she/it form of salir, to leave. You can say ¿A qué hora sale el próximo autobús? or ¿A qué hora sale el próximo tren? If you already mentioned the bus, you can simply ask ¿A qué hora sale? The answer often begins with Sale a las... plus a time, for example Sale a las siete. For a time from now, use en: Sale en cinco minutos.
When to use it
Use this question when you are at a station, stop, or ticket window and need the next departure. It is polite and direct, so it works with strangers. If you want to be more formal, you can add Disculpe, ¿a qué hora sale el próximo autobús? Do not use this question for arrival. For arrival, ask ¿A qué hora llega? If you need both, ask two questions: ¿A qué hora sale y a qué hora llega?
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Disculpe, ¿a qué hora sale el próximo autobús?
Excuse me, what time does the next bus leave?dees-KOOL-peh, ah keh OH-rah SAH-leh el PROHK-see-moh ow-toh-BOOSSale a las cuatro y cuarto.
It leaves at four fifteen.SAH-leh ah lahs KWAH-troh ee KWAHR-toh¿Y a qué hora llega?
And what time does it arrive?ee ah keh OH-rah YEH-gahLlega a las seis, más o menos.
It arrives at six, more or less.YEH-gah ah lahs sehs, MAHS oh MEH-nohsA little context goes a long way
In much of Latin America, autobús is understood, but local words vary: camión in Mexico, guagua in parts of the Caribbean, and colectivo for some shared buses in Argentina and nearby countries. Tren is more stable, though service may be limited in some regions. At small stops, schedules can be approximate, so answers like más o menos are common.
One thing to watch for
Using ¿A qué hora llega? to ask when the bus leaves.
Try this instead: Llega means arrives, not leaves. For departure, use sale: ¿A qué hora sale el próximo autobús? If you want arrival information, ask ¿A qué hora llega? Keeping sale and llega separate prevents confusion.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask what time the next train leaves?
Show a sample answer
¿A qué hora sale el próximo tren?
This uses the departure verb sale with el próximo tren. You could also say ¿A qué hora sale el tren? if the next train is clear from context.
2Someone says Sale en quince minutos. What does that mean?
Show a sample answer
It leaves in fifteen minutes.
En quince minutos means in fifteen minutes from now. Sale en... is a common way to give a short wait time.
3You want to know the arrival time, not the departure time. What do you ask?
Show a sample answer
¿A qué hora llega?
Llega is the arrival verb. This question asks when it arrives. If you need both, ask ¿A qué hora sale y a qué hora llega?
Use ¿A qué hora sale...? for departure and ¿A qué hora llega? for arrival. Keep sale and llega separate, and listen for a las for clock times or en for minutes from now.
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