• For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here.
    (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation)
  • ⚠️ Emergency contact in Spain - Dial 112 and AlertCops app. More on this here.

Search 69,459 Camino Questions

Best airports for Portuguese Costal

JohnCilladi

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
2022
My wife and I are planning to hike the Portuguese Costal route next year. I need advice on which airport(s) would be best to Lisbon from USA, and from Santiago to USA. Thanks!
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Your question is a little confusing. The Portuguese Coastal route begins in Porto, not in Lisbon. If you fly into Porto, you can literally walk out the door of the airport and start walking on the coastal route. Here is a screenshot from Windy Maps, showing the Porto airport and the coastal route, which is in blue. Btw, I highly recommend Windy Maps as a general mapping app. It includes all hiking trails everywhere, including the various routes through Portugal, without the need to download anything further. Free for both Apple and Android.
 

Attachments

  • EEFBFB1C-B1FD-4F41-99D8-5CFF6FBE18A7.png
    EEFBFB1C-B1FD-4F41-99D8-5CFF6FBE18A7.png
    1.5 MB · Views: 42
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
You need to check out sites like Google Flights and Skyscanner. But I've heard that the cheapest flights from the U.S. to Lisbon are on TAP. According to a site I saw on Google: TAP Air Portugal flies direct from six US cities to Lisbon. There are regular nonstop flights from Boston (ATL), Chicago (BOS), Miami (MIA), New York (JFK and EWR-Newark), San Francisco (SFO), and Washington, D.C. (DUL) to Lisbon.
Santiago has a small airport so that's more complicated. You need to look at Barcelona, Madrid and Lisbon.
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
It's an easy bus ride back to Porto - the bus even stops at the airport.
Yes, you can take the bus from Santiago to Porto. You can also take the train, as my wife and I did in 2019. It's very easy. You take the Spanish train from Santiago to Vigo. After a few hours' wait at the station there, you pick up the Portuguese train that goes to Porto via Tui, Valença, Caminha, and Viana do Castelo. That was a relaxed, scenic ride. From Porto it's an easy train connection back to Lisbon.
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
Thanks, and that's why I asked. I did not know that Porto has an airport.
I am also considering that local/regional airports can be more costly to use compared to national/international airports. Would it be better to fly into Lisbon and take a train or bus to Porto?
I've always found Rome2rio to be a reliable source of key information. Yours is not a journey I will ever undertake but if I was ever considering it I would fly USA airport of choice to Lisbon, enjoy some time in Lisbon. Use bus, rail or if pushed an internal flight to Porto. Walk to Santiago. Bus, rail or use one of those damned internal flights from Santiago back to Lisbon. Enjoy Lisbon some more and then fly direct back to where I putatively started. I've not found any direct flights USA - Porto or USA - Santiago, let alone Santiago direct to USA. I consider all time spent in Airports, and particularly Airport security, as practice for my forthcoming time in Purgatory. I see little to be gained from practising what's going to be a long-stand.

Happy planning.

PS. Don't buy your tickets via Rome2, always buy direct from the badge-holder.
 
I've not found any direct flights USA - Porto or USA - Santiago, let alone Santiago direct to USA.
There actually are a few direct flights from the U.S. to Porto, from New York and Newark, on TAP. Most TAP flights from Newark go through Lisbon but a few times a week they go direct to Porto.
 
Thanks, and that's why I asked. I did not know that Porto has an airport.
I am also considering that local/regional airports can be more costly to use compared to national/international airports. Would it be better to fly into Lisbon and take a train or bus to Porto?
I am flying in and out of Porto to do the CP and the price difference was very minimal from the price Lisbon to and from Canada. Flights in and out of the US are always less expensive than from Canada.

Unless you wanted to spend time in Lisbon, why would you fly into there?
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
You can fly to Lisbon from the USA if that is the fastest and cheapest way .
there is an excellent high speed trainconnection between Lisbon and Porto
Porto is a beautiful town to stay for a couple of days before you’ll start your caminho.
the Alfa Pendular (AP) is the high speed train. In about 3 hours you will be in Porto Campanha station nearby the center of Porto

once back in Porto after acomplishing your caminho you can take the bus back to Porto it takes about 3 hours to bus/undergroundstation Casa da Musica
there are also buses to Lisbon but takes you 8 till 9 hours
I advice you to take the bus to Porto. Book the bus ahead as soon as you can. It can be busy .
in Porto take the Alfa Pendular train back to Lisbon
the train from Santiago to Vigo goes on a wider railtrack .In Vigo you have to change to the Portuguese train on a smaller track and this is a train that stops at all small places so takes a lot of time.


bom caminho
 
Last edited:
You can also take the train, as my wife and I did in 2019. It's very easy. You take the Spanish train from Santiago to Vigo. After a few hours' wait at the station there, you pick up the Portuguese train that goes to Porto via Tui, Valença, Caminha, and Viana do Castelo. That was a relaxed, scenic ride. From Porto it's an easy train connection back to Lisbon.
They have been upgrading this rail route in the last year or two. I don't think you need to change trains anymore; they have made the tracks compatible between Portugal and Spain.

The train only goes once a day. It takes 2 hours 22 minutes...


(Remember that Spanish time is an hour ahead of Portuguese time.)
 
My wife and I are planning to hike the Portuguese Costal route next year. I need advice on which airport(s) would be best to Lisbon from USA, and from Santiago to USA. Thanks!
Hello ETB,
If I were going I would (as others have said) go direct to Lisbon Airport. You don't have to go into Lisbon City - you go 2 or so stops to beautiful Oriente Station and take connection to Porto. Only caveat is if you arrive too late in the day at the airport.
When I was in Portugal a few years ago for Camino Portugues there was a discount for Seniors on the train, if you are "the right age".
Blessings and Buen Camino
Ena b f5
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
You need to check out sites like Google Flights and Skyscanner. But I've heard that the cheapest flights from the U.S. to Lisbon are on TAP. According to a site I saw on Google: TAP Air Portugal flies direct from six US cities to Lisbon. There are regular nonstop flights from Boston (ATL), Chicago (BOS), Miami (MIA), New York (JFK and EWR-Newark), San Francisco (SFO), and Washington, D.C. (DUL) to Lisbon.
Santiago has a small airport so that's more complicated. You need to look at Barcelona, Madrid and Lisbon.
Don’t fly TAP read reviews!
 
They have been upgrading this rail route in the last year or two. I don't think you need to change trains anymore; they have made the tracks compatible between Portugal and Spain.

The train only goes once a day. It takes 2 hours 22 minutes...


(Remember that Spanish time is an hour ahead of Portuguese time.)
I wasn't able to enter Santiago de Compostela in the "from" field. When I search on RailEurope.com it only shows the itinerary with a stop in Vigo, which takes 2 hours 22 minutes to Porto Campanha station.
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
I wasn't able to enter Santiago de Compostela in the "from" field. When I search on RailEurope.com it only shows the itinerary with a stop in Vigo, which takes 2 hours 22 minutes to Porto Campanha station.
I think the train route only goes as far as Vigo. You would have to take a bus SdC to Vigo, first, which is not very far!
 
I don't really know the Spanish rail lines, having concentrated on Portugal.

This map may help...


Also the PDF one linked through the page when choosing the "Mid-Distance and Avant" tab; It shows the slower trains...
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Thanks to all for your input.
The best and cheapest flight I could find from NE USA is out of Newark, New Jersey (EWR). It is a direct flight to Porto and the price was $520 round trip.
Congratulations! You've done well. Enjoy your trip next year!
 
Two things:
- I flew TAP in Fall 2022 from USA and loved it! Price, comfort and care were all excellent.
- don’t assume a flight will be more because it has an extra leg to it. Case in point is that SFO-Lisbon-Porto is almost always actually cheaper than just SF-Lisbon. Always look at all options.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.

Most read last week in this forum

Hello! My partner and I are preparing to do around 7 days of the Camino Portuguese route, starting at the end of April. We're flying to Porto from Edinburgh, and looking at the best route to...
Will be walking the CP in Aug/Sep with planning clearly focused to staying (for the most part) on the Litoral. However, (using Brierley's Guide) the stage from A Ramallosa to Vigo sets up quite a...
Doing research for my upcoming Camino, I want to connect from coastal to central in Caminha. According to JB the ecopista is pleasant along the river, but I notice Stingy Nomads recommend the...

❓How to ask a question

How to post a new question on the Camino Forum.

Forum Rules

Forum Rules

Camino Updates on YouTube

Camino Conversations

Most downloaded Resources

This site is run by Ivar at

in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon
Official Camino Passport (Credential) | 2024 Camino Guides
Back
Top