Leaving Santiago logistics

LauraL · Aug 29, 2022

Hi all,
Sorry if this has been covered before, but I can't find it
I will get to Santiago on Thursday, will pick up my luggage from the post office, and need to work out accommodation and transport, so I can catch a flight early on Friday.
My flight departs 8.30 and I suppose I should aim to be there 2 hours before, to be safe.
Initially I thought I can stay at an albergue in Santiago and get a taxi in the morning.
A friend suggested staying somewhere near the airport instead. I'd like to keep it economical (within reason) and would appreciate suggestions.
Thank you!

kelleymac · Aug 29, 2022

I stayed at the Seminario menor, and had a taxi take me to the airport early in the morning. It worked out fine-- it's about a 10 minute drive to the airport.

Albergues del Camino

Web oficial. Albergues de peregrinos en el Camino de Santiago: Santiago de Compostela y Sarria. Alojamiento para peregrinos.

www.alberguesdelcamino.com

StFina · Aug 29, 2022

LauraL said:
Hi all,
Sorry if this has been covered before, but I can't find it
I will get to Santiago on Thursday, will pick up my luggage from the post office, and need to work out accommodation and transport, so I can catch a flight early on Friday.
My flight departs 8.30 and I suppose I should aim to be there 2 hours before, to be safe.
Initially I thought I can stay at an albergue in Santiago and get a taxi in the morning.
A friend suggested staying somewhere near the airport instead. I'd like to keep it economical (within reason) and would appreciate suggestions.
Thank you!

We just stayed at Hostal Concha in Lavacolla on August 12th. It was very basic but clean and cheap. Close to the airport as well. Upstairs from the bar but very quiet. Most people there were pilgrims getting an early flight.

C clearly · Aug 29, 2022

Click on the tag "travel to/from santiago" now placed at the top of this thread under the title. Perhaps there will be some threads that can help you.

Camino Chrissy · Aug 29, 2022

One time I stayed at a hotel in Lavacolla and took the bus outside the hotel for an early morning flight, but it was full, so we had to wait until they sent out another bus ten minutes later to accommodate the need as there were several pilgrims waiting like us; it was a little unsettling wondering if the 2nd bus would come on time. Another time I stayed in Santiago and had to walk very early to the local bus station to get to the airport. The third time we had our hotel call for a taxi. They picked us up on time (very early) and I think the cost was $22 but worth it.

LauraL · Aug 29, 2022

kelleymac said:
I stayed at the Seminario menor, and had a taxi take me to the airport early in the morning. It worked out fine-- it's about a 10 minute drive to the airport.

Albergues del Camino

Web oficial. Albergues de peregrinos en el Camino de Santiago: Santiago de Compostela y Sarria. Alojamiento para peregrinos.

www.alberguesdelcamino.com

That would be my preferred albergue if I stay in Santiago. I waa there a few nights ago, before my Finisterre/Muxía extension, and I liked it a lot.
Good to know driving time, thanks. Taxi cost would be around 22€ as mentioned in this thread?

LauraL · Aug 29, 2022

Camino Chrissy said:
One time I stayed at a hotel in Lavacolla and took the bus outside the hotel for an early morning flight, but it was full, so we had to wait until they sent out another bus ten minutes later to accommodate the need as there were several pilgrims waiting like us; it was a little unsettling wondering if the 2nd bus would come on time. Another time I stayed in Santiago and had to walk very early to the local bus station to get to the airport. The third time we had our hotel call for a taxi. They picked us up on time (very early) and I think the cost was $22 but worth it.

Do you remember which hotel in Lavacolla? Was the bus a shuttle bus provided by the hotel?
Thank you!

LauraL · Aug 29, 2022

StFina said:
We just stayed at Hostal Concha in Lavacolla on August 12th. It was very basic but clean and cheap. Close to the airport as well. Upstairs from the bar but very quiet. Most people there were pilgrims getting an early flight.

Thanks for that.
Did you take a taxi to the airport in the morning? Do you remember approximate cost?
Cheers

Camino Chrissy · Aug 29, 2022

LauraL said:
Do you remember which hotel in Lavacolla? Was the bus a shuttle bus provided by the hotel?
Thank you!

Yes, we stayed at the Ruta Jacobea hotel. It is along the Camino and not too far from the airport. The hiway was near the hotel and so it was a short hop to the bus stop. No, we did not know of a shuttle bus from the airport, but you could check it out to see if they offer one. We were there a few years ago.

Kathy F. · Aug 29, 2022

Camino Chrissy said:
One time I stayed at a hotel in Lavacolla and took the bus outside the hotel for an early morning flight, but it was full, so we had to wait until they sent out another bus ten minutes later to accommodate the need as there were several pilgrims waiting like us; it was a little unsettling wondering if the 2nd bus would come on time. Another time I stayed in Santiago and had to walk very early to the local bus station to get to the airport. The third time we had our hotel call for a taxi. They picked us up on time (very early) and I think the cost was $22 but worth it.

Chrissy, I felt my anxiety level rising ever so slightly as I read about your adventures getting to the airport on time. After the peace and calmness of the Camino, getting back into the real world with basic problems like that can be quite a jolt. Fortunately, the Camino teaches us what to worry about and what to leave in God's hands.

At the end of my second Camino, the ticket guy in Santiago wrote my train ticket from Barcelona for the wrong date, a day EARLY, so I was ticketed to leave Barcelona a day before I had actually arrived on the earlier train that day from Santiago!

I bet it doesn't make sense. *Sigh* You had to be there.

Laura, do whatever you can to make your trip stress free. But it is actually not in your hands and it will all work out.

Camino Chrissy · Aug 30, 2022

Yes, @Kathy F., it was stressful when the scheduled bus was totally full and the driver didn't let those of us on the bus at the stop. We always have to absolutely be on that flight back to Madrid to coincide with our flight back to the US so anxiety set in until the extra bus the driver promised showed up...whew!

Kathy F. · Aug 30, 2022

Camino Chrissy said:
Yes, @Kathy F., it was stressful when the scheduled bus was totally full and the driver didn't let those of us on the bus at the stop. We always have to absolutely be on that flight back to Madrid to coincide with our flight back to the US so anxiety set in until the extra bus the driver promised showed up...whew!

Camino Chrissy said:
I can imagine being in your shoes, NEEDING to get to the airport in a limited window of opportunity, and the bus YOU RESERVED is too full to take you and you have to wait for the next one - "Don't worry, I'm sure it will be here in plenty of time!!!" LOL, after walking and walking, you think we'd deserve a cosmic break

peregrina2000 · Aug 30, 2022

I could be wrong, but I don’t think there are any hotels in Lavacolla with airport shuttles. I really don’t think you gain anything by staying in Lavacolla if you’re going to have to take a cab anyway. Google doesn’t show any taxis based in Lavacolla, so if the cab comes from Santiago you will have the same rate. And you’ll also have the cost of getting to the Lavacolla hotel from Santiago the day before with your suitcase.

Cabs from Santiago to the airport are a fixed price, 20-something. It is easy to get one arranged the night before for the time you choose. I have done that many times and have never had a problem.

And as between spending the evening in Santiago or Lavacolla, well that should be obvious!

Camino Chrissy · Aug 30, 2022

Laurie, we had already spent a couple of days in Santiago, so had taken the cheap bus, (not a cab) from there out to the hotel from Santiago during the day, worrying about that early flight the next morning and feeling comfort to be much closer to the airport; we were "newbies" on our first Camino, so I felt great relief.
The next time in Santiago we stayed put and although we had arranged the taxi the night before I was still worried that the taxi driver would oversleep as our requested time for pick-up was 4:30am. He arrived on time, but drove like a maniac in the dark all the way to the airport. Thankfully no one else seemed to be on the road.
A taxi is definitely the way to go; easy peasy. "Live and learn".

kelleymac · Aug 30, 2022

Thinking back about getting a taxi to the airport from Seminario Menor, I was traveling with my two sons and the taxi was only a little bit more expensive than getting an early bus.

RJM · Aug 30, 2022

I know most people reading this won't do it but the last two times I was in Santiago I had early flights to Madrid so I took the last bus to the airport and spent the night in the terminal. I wasn't alone. Both times there were several pilgrims doing the same thing. I found a place to crash and slept.

Camino Chrissy · Aug 30, 2022

RJM said:
I know most people reading this won't do it but the last two times I was in Santiago I had early flights to Madrid so I took the last bus to the airport and spent the night in the terminal. I wasn't alone. Both times there were several pilgrims doing the same thing. I found a place to crash and slept.

Well it would certainly provide peace of mind that a person wouldn't miss their important flight, but I'm not so sure about having peace of sleep.

LauraL · Aug 30, 2022

Thank you all. It's so helpful to hear from people who have had the experience!
I am staying at Seminario Menor and taking a taxi

TaijiPilgrim · Aug 30, 2022

LauraL said:
Thank you all. It's so helpful to hear from people who have had the experience!
I am staying at Seminario Menor and taking a taxi

You could ask at the albergue if anyone wants to share the taxi. Could be other pilgrims heading to the airport for the same flight.

Gerard Griffin · Aug 30, 2022

Stay at the superb Albergue SCQ. The 6A stops 5 minutes away, it's never full, gets to the airport 20 minutes later. Always works for me.

lt56ny · Aug 30, 2022

LauraL said:
That would be my preferred albergue if I stay in Santiago. I waa there a few nights ago, before my Finisterre/Muxía extension, and I liked it a lot.
Good to know driving time, thanks. Taxi cost would be around 22€ as mentioned in this thread?

I bet if you ask around you can find some people to split a cab with. I have done that a few times from the bus stop. If you can get 3 people in a taxi it is about the same cost as the bus.

Leaving Santiago logistics

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