Traveling to start the Primitivo

[ritaj]

In May we are flying from Boston Massachusetts, or Hartford Connecticut, planning to fly to Madrid, then take the train to Oviedo (last September we took that train to Leon to start the San Salvador and understand we can continue further to Oviedo). Does anyone have a different suggestion for a destination city in Spain and the route from there to Oviedo? Or would Madrid and the train be the best way to do this?

 

[-karioo-]

Madrid is best choice. Straight connection from Madrid to Oviedo by Alvia train takes about four or four and half hour.

 

[Phil71]

I took the night bus from Madrid to Oviedo. It took forever. Take the train!

 

[HeidiL]

I quite liked the night bus to Oviedo, slept well and had my picnic breakfast in the bus terminal before I sterted walking as the sun was coming up. There was a lovely café about half an hour out where I had a warm croissant.

 

[Phil71]

Ha ha - Heidi - between us I'm not sure we helped!
I love the idea of the night bus, used it a few times to and from various places, but I can never sleep, so the next day is painful. We all walk our own way!

 

[Tossi]

I took a flight vom Madrid to Oviedo (Asturia). Takes about an hour plus waiting time at the gates. If you book early it is fairly inexpensive. Try at Iberia.com...

 

[Maduggan]

Ditto what Tossi said - my flight from Madrid to Oviedo last summer was just $29! That's not typical, but I think flights are generally pretty reasonable between these two cities. Buen Camino!

 

[ritaj]

Thank you all! Will plan on the train but am going to check out flights to Oviedo as well. Love this forum!

 

[Tia Valeria]

Thank you all! Will plan on the train but am going to check out flights to Oviedo as well. Love this forum!

You need to be aware that Oviedo airport is Asturias airport and is approx 40 kms from Oviedo itself. There is public transport - so long as it is not a late flight.

 

[ritaj]

Thanks Tia Valeria -- that's good to know.

 

[nutalia]

In May we are flying from Boston Massachusetts, or Hartford Connecticut, planning to fly to Madrid, then take the train to Oviedo (last September we took that train to Leon to start the San Salvador and understand we can continue further to Oviedo). Does anyone have a different suggestion for a destination city in Spain and the route from there to Oviedo? Or would Madrid and the train be the best way to do this?

Definitely do Madrid and take the train to Oviedo. It is very easy, fast and convenient.

 

[Sakami]

I just bought tickets from American Airlines which code shares with Iberia. I depart Boston at 5:25 pm on Friday, April 27th and arrive in Oviedo 10:10 am the next morning changing planes in Madrid. Less than 10 hrs travel. I'll start walking the Primitivo on April 29th after spending a night in Oviedo.

It's funny that prices to/from smaller airports sometimes are better than RT Madrid tickets. We'll return from Bilbao in June after a post-Camino road trip. My daughter starts the Camino Frances next month and she'll fly from Boston to Pamplona. The bus from the airport will probably take her directly to the bus station where she can catch the bus to SJPP. The airports in Northern Spain, Vigo, SDC, Santander, Oviedo, etc., appear to be well served by domestic and international airlines.

When I walked the CF three years ago I had to rush from the airport to catch the Pamplona train at Atocha station. Made it with perhaps a minute to spare. Should be more relaxed transiting the airport on a Saturday morning.

 

[ritaj]

Does anyone have an idea of how long the train trip is from Madrid to Oviedo? Trying to compare the timing with flying Madrid to Asturias and taking a bus to Oviedo. Of course, when we are ready to commit to tickets, the pricing will play a part as well.

 

[Tia Valeria]

You should be able to check this on the RENFE website as the timetable will give start and arrival times.

 

[-karioo-]

Read my first answer

 

[fraluchi]

[...] It's funny that prices to/from smaller airports sometimes are better than RT Madrid tickets..

We've found that out years ago, and if not, added flights from/to Madrid in Spain have been inexpensive. Worth your while for example on Sevilla and Pamplona connections (Iberia tickets extensions)

 

[Sakami]

One of the best reasons to fly while in Spain is that it allows you to avoid the maddening Renfe website. I love the Spanish trains, but buying tickets via the web always feels like punishment.

Bus lines, on the other hand, couldn't be more accommodating. All in all, Spain is very friendly for travelers.

 

[alaskadiver]

Does anyone have an idea of how long the train trip is from Madrid to Oviedo? Trying to compare the timing with flying Madrid to Asturias and taking a bus to Oviedo. Of course, when we are ready to commit to tickets, the pricing will play a part as well.

It's something like 3 1/2 hours. We decided to take the train because it was faster than checking in for another flight (which for us would have been 2 hours later), waiting around to board, and then having to wait and take a bus after arriving in Asturias airport. Plus we enjoy the train rides in Spain. Very spacious seats and pretty scenery. We stayed at the AC Mariott that is at the train station in Oviedo so we literally got off the train and walked less than 10 minutes to the front desk. That very street is also the route so when we started the walk we just stepped outside the hotel onto the sidewalk and were on the trail. We went to the Cathedral the day after arriving and picked up our credenciales, walked around the cathedral, shipped our after Camino luggage to Ivar and relaxed from our 36 hour travel to Spain
I had no issues with the RENFE site and this was our second time using it. Granted, I'm fluent in Spanish so I had no trouble reading the language.

 

[Ern]

How far is the railway station from Madrid Aiport and what is the fastest way to get there please ? Am landing at Madrid airport in the late afternoon and wonder if I should rush to the railway station of catch the domestic flight instead. Planning to travel in August but the Iberia website doesn't seem to have the flight schedule for Aug yet

 

[peregrina2000]

How far is the railway station from Madrid Aiport and what is the fastest way to get there please ? Am landing at Madrid airport in the late afternoon and wonder if I should rush to the railway station of catch the domestic flight instead. Planning to travel in August but the Iberia website doesn't seem to have the flight schedule for Aug yet

Hi, Ern,

I see five flights per day from Madrid to OVD on a random day in August -- 7:35, 11:40, 3:35, 15:45, 22:00. The last one might be the only one you can catch with your arrival into Madrid. At the Asturias airport, there is a bus as late as 11:20, which you in theory can catch, but if the flight is late, you would have have to take a cab into Oviedo. People are booking summer travel now, so though the flight times might change a little, I think you can rely on the times that are showing.

The train station for trains to Oviedo from Madrid is Chamartin (there are several stations in Madrid, so you have to know where you are going). It's about a 12 minute ride on a very fast commuter rail line from the airport. The commuter trains are called Cercanías and they are fabulous. From the airport, you have to get the train in T4, which is the new Iberia terminal, where only Iberia and its partners can land (they are American, British Airways, and a few more, it's the One World Alliance). All other airlines land in T1-3, which means taking an intra-airport bus to T4. They run very frequently and take about 10 minutes. But the Cercanías trains only run twice an hour from the airport.

RENFE doesn't release train tickets for sale until about 3 months (?) before the trip. You can get an idea of times though by looking at current schedules. I see a bunch of trains, (for a late afternoon arrival to Madrid, it is currently showing 5 pm, 5:30 pm and 6:30 pm), so you have to figure out if those would work for you.

Madrid also has an excellent metro system, which connects the airport to the train station as well. It will take longer and will require a change in Nuevos Ministerios, I think, but will also get you there. And if you arrive in T1-3, it may be easier.

My default Camino travel is to book a domestic flight from Madrid to my starting point, as part of my international ticket. Then I make my return ticket from Santiago-- there is an early morning flight that arrives in time for all of the US-bound flights. As others have said, it usually add very little to my overall cost, is most hassle-free, and if I miss the connection, the airlines has to figure out how to get me there. That is not the case if you miss a connection that is a separate ticket. But it sounds like you may already have that international ticket.

Anyway, hope this isn't too much information, but I know you want to get yourself to the starting point. Worse thing that happens is that you spend the first night in Madrid and catch a train or bus the next morning to Oviedo.

 

[Ern]

Thanks for your very informative reply, peregrina2000 .
I will take some time to digest what you have written. Yes, the ideal plan is to catch a connecting flight out from Madrid shortly after I arrived, as the train journey would be quite painful after about 17-18 hours flight from Singapore. I will try to get an airline that will land in Madrid early if possible.

The dilemma is whether to reach Oviedo at the starting point easily if we take the train, or to land at the airport near Oviedo and then having to find the way from the domestic airport to Oviedo starting point.

Dilemma.

 

[alaskadiver]

How far is the railway station from Madrid Aiport and what is the fastest way to get there please ? Am landing at Madrid airport in the late afternoon and wonder if I should rush to the railway station of catch the domestic flight instead. Planning to travel in August but the Iberia website doesn't seem to have the flight schedule for Aug yet

If you buy your train ticket ahead of time for Oviedo, the train ride from the airport to the Chamartin station is free and relatively short. It's not far, about 15 mins max by train. Longer by taxi since you have to wait for one and then get through traffic.

 

[Princess Kaguya]

This is so helpful, thanks everyone!

We have just found out that for the same price of a flight Rome-Madrid we can actually fly from Rome to Oviedo! Our plane lands at 8.30 pm so we should have plenty of time to get the airport shuttle into town.

Can anyone give a personal recommendation for an affordable, slightly-nicer-than-an-albergue guesthouse where my partner and I could stay the first night, before we start the camino the next day?

Thank you! Really excited to get walking soon!

 

[Purky]

Can anyone give a personal recommendation for an affordable, slightly-nicer-than-an-albergue guesthouse where my partner and I could stay the first night, before we start the camino the next day?

A couple of recommendations here.