Barcelona to Santiago de Compostela with an Assembled Bicycle

[Former member 109910]

This fall, September 2023, we would like to travel by train, from Barcelona to Santiago de Compostela, with assembled touring bicycles with panniers. I am not sure which trains we should be looking for. We would appreciate any and all suggestions. Thank you.

 

[henrythedog]

This fall, September 2023, we would like to travel by train, from Barcelona to Santiago de Compostela, with assembled touring bicycles with panniers. I am not sure which trains we should be looking for. We would appreciate any and all suggestions. Thank you.

Here:

Take your bike by train from the UK to France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Austria or anywhere else in Europe...

A guide to taking your bicycle by train from London to mainland Europe, including taking a bike by Eurostar train or ferry to France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Amsterdam, Prague, even Istanbul. Covers taking your bike on Eurostar and on ferries, then on international trains...

www.seat61.com

A well known search engine would have got you there.

 

[Skinnybiker]

This fall, September 2023, we would like to travel by train, from Barcelona to Santiago de Compostela, with assembled touring bicycles with panniers. I am not sure which trains we should be looking for. We would appreciate any and all suggestions. Thank you.

You're looking for MD (media distancia) or Cercanias (local trains) no assembled bikes allowed on the AVEs (fast trains). Along the North Coast is the FEVE train.

Why not ride some of the route, it's a long way to take touring bikes on the trains.

It would be interesting to know how you get on. Richard

 

[Former member 109910]

Our plan is to train to Santiago, then cycle down the coast of Portugal and up the coast of Spain back to Barcelona. Due to the time of year, that we are traveling, September and October, we wanted to start in the north and be in the Mediterranean for October.
I like your idea we may have to bike some of the route to SDC.

 

[Corned Beef]

Here is a list of the Media Distancia lines to see where you can access them. If you do use train it will take you days to get there due to the slowness of these lines.

Media-Distancia (MD) (Spain) | ShowMeTheJourney

How to travel on the Spanish trains which are specifically branded as 'MD' services.

showmethejourney.com

Also a map to see the connections. It looks like you'll have a long ride to get to your first station so might need to ship the bikes to Santiago (Correos Paq Bicicleta).

OpenRailwayMap

OpenRailwayMap - An OpenStreetMap-based project for creating a map of the world's railway infrastructure.

www.openrailwaymap.org

 

[Skinnybiker]

Making some assumptions here:
you're Canadian so flying in to Barcelona with boxed bikes?
you're on a Camino de Santiago forum so wish to follow some Camino(s)?
you don't have time to a complete a circumnavigation of the Iberian peninsula?

Now some suggestions / ideas:
keep the bikes in their boxes, get across to the nearest Correos in Barcelona and as suggested by "Corned beef" use the paq bici service to send bikes to Pamplona / Bilbao / Santander / wherever. You are then unencumbered for up to two weeks to explore & travel before collecting bikes.
do the above in reverse; ride out of Barcelona towards Santiago, use MD / Cercanias / FEVE to hop along the route if necessary. When your time is up pack bikes, send to Correos office in Barcelona then train or bus to BCN.
use a mix of ride and public transport to help on your tour, bus networks such as ALSA & Rede Expresso will also take bikes as well as the trains.

 

[Corned Beef]

There is a direct flight from Barcelona to Santiago (IB5073) - saves you repacking the bike and you can start from there.

https://www.rome2rio.com/map/Barcelona/Santiago-de-Compostela#r/Fly-to-Santiago-de-Compostela/s/2

 

[Saint Mike II]

When I took my bike to Spain in 2015, I had it packed down as small/short as possible. It was still 1500mm. Thanks to a friendly conductor I was able to take in on a Media Distance train. The usual max length is 1250mm. The advice to ride parts of the Camino Frances is sound. But be careful on some of the busiest sections and slow down for walking pilgrims. Cheers