Getting There – The 3 Main Spanish Caminos

Here’s a starter guide to help you reach the starting points of the Camino de Santiago routes and return from Santiago de Compostela, covering the Camino Francés, Camino Norte, and Camino Inglés, starting from major UK and Ireland airports:

Camino Francés (Start: St Jean Pied de Port)

Best Route: Fly to Biarritz, then travel by train to Bayonne and onward to St. Jean Pied de Port

1. Fly to Biarritz Airport (BIQ):

  • Closest airport to St Jean Pied de Port (about 55km/35 miles).
  • Direct flights from London (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted), Dublin, and other major airports are available seasonally.
  • The Irish connection – if you find no direct flights EG from Liverpool then I have used the L’pool – Dublin 35 min flight / Dublin – Biarritz 80 min flight with Ryanair

2. Transfer to St Jean Pied de Port:

  • From Biarritz, take a bus or train to Bayonne (approximately 30 minutes) and then connect to St. Jean Pied de Port via the scenic mountain railway (approximately 1.5 hours)​
  • CaminoWays.com
  • Macs Adventure
  • Bus services may also operate between Biarritz and St Jean Pied de Port.

Camino Norte (Start: Irun)

Best Route: Fly to Bilbao or San Sebastián and connect to Irun by local transport.

1. Fly to San Sebastián Airport (EAS):

  • This airport is close to Irun and offers some international flights.
  • From San Sebastián, take a short local train or bus to Irun (approximately 20 minutes)​
  • El Camino con Correos
  • Macs Adventure

2. Alternative: Fly to Bilbao Airport (BIO):

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  • Direct flights from London and Dublin are available.
  • From Bilbao, take a train or bus to Irun (approx. 1.5–2 hours).
  • Fly to Bilbao (direct flights available from Manchester and Edinburgh) or San Sebastián (connecting flights via Madrid or Barcelona).
  • From Bilbao, take a bus to Irun (1.5 hours).

Camino Inglés (Start: Ferrol)

  1. Fly to A Coruña Airport (LCG):
    • This is the nearest airport to Ferrol (45km/28 miles).
    • Flights are available from London and Dublin.
  2. Transfer to Ferrol:
    • A direct bus or train from A Coruña takes about 30–40 minutes.
    • Alternatively, you can fly to Santiago de Compostela Airport (SCQ) and take a bus to Ferrol (approx. 2 hours).

Best Route: Fly to A Coruña or Santiago de Compostela and transfer to Ferrol by bus or train.

From Midlands, Manchester, Leeds Bradford, or Edinburgh Airports:

  • Fly to A Coruña or Santiago de Compostela (connecting via Madrid or Barcelona).
  • From A Coruña, take a train or bus to Ferrol (approximately 1 hour).
  • From Santiago de Compostela, take a direct bus to Ferrol (approximately 1.5 hours)​

CaminoWays.com

Return from Santiago de Compostela

  1. Return from Santiago de Compostela (SCQ):
    • Best Route: Fly directly to the UK or Ireland from Santiago de Compostela Airport.
    • Direct flights are available to London (Heathrow or Stansted) via British Airways or Ryanair
    • For Midlands, Manchester, Leeds Bradford, or Edinburgh, connect via Madrid or Barcelona. Regional flights to UK cities are offered by Ryanair, Vueling, or Iberia​
    • CaminoWays.com
    • Macs Adventure
    • Connections to other cities are available with layovers in Madrid or Barcelona.
  2. Alternative: A Coruña Airport (LCG):
    • Smaller airport with limited connections, but a backup option.

Booking and Transportation Resources

  1. Flights:
    • Use airline websites or aggregators like Skyscanner for the latest availability.
  2. Train and Bus Transfers:
    • Renfe (Spain's national train service) for domestic rail connections.
    • SNCF for French train services.
    • Rome2Rio for detailed journey planning.
    • Buses: Companies like ALSA and FlixBus cover most Spanish regions, including transfers from major airports to Camino starting points​
    • El Camino con Correos
    • Macs Adventure
    • Trainline

    • Helen from Trainline HQ visited this site and found it very useful for travellers. She wondered if I could add this link. I know this company well so I’m happy to do so . 

    • Trainline, of course many of us know them . but their Pan- European capabilities may not be so well known. They help users plan their train journeys with real-time schedules and easy booking. They work with 270 rail operators in Europe - handy for Camino planning and want to make train travel even easier. 

  3. Airport Details:

For further insights into the Camino de Santiago and related travel options, CaminoWays.com and TourRadar offer useful resources.

Let me know if you need tailored help for a specific route or additional information!

  •  

Booking and Transportation Resources

  1. Flights:
    • Use airline websites or aggregators like Skyscanner for the latest availability.
  2. Train and Bus Transfers:
    • Renfe (Spain's national train service) for domestic rail connections.
    • SNCF for French train services.
    • Rome2Rio for detailed journey planning.
    • Buses: Companies like ALSA and FlixBus cover most Spanish regions, including transfers from major airports to Camino starting points​
    • El Camino con Correos
    • Macs Adventure
  3. Airport Details:

For further insights into the Camino de Santiago and related travel options, CaminoWays.com and TourRadar offer useful resources.

Let me know if you need tailored help for a specific route or additional information!

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