Leon to Santiago--need advice on getting to Leon

[snowcone]

hello!

I'm walking from Leon to Santiago starting in late May of this year. I'm starting to look at flights from JFK to Leon and I'm kind of surprised at how few options there are. I'm open to taking a bus from an airport other than LEN, so I'm just looking for some recommendations (of airports to fly into/how to get from there to Leon) in case any of you guys have made the same trip!

thanks!!

 

[MeganG22]

It will just be a matter of looking around and comparing prices. Iberia flies into Leon from Madrid and Barcelona (Barcelona is definitely cheaper). Iberia offers flights from other airports outside of Spain but they are astronomically high.....
There are of course trains you can take as well. Like I said- just a matter of researching and seeing what fits best into your budget and time!

 

[jpflavin1]

Snowcone:

I would suggest flying to Madrid and then bus to Leon. You can get the bus right outside T4.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[fraluchi]

... I'm just looking for some recommendations (of airports to fly into/how to get from there to Leon) in case any of you guys have made the same trip!

From Madrid Barajas airport there are 7 buses a day to Leon: http://www.alsa.es You can reserve tickets over the internet. :wink:

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Iberia Airlines from New York to Leon with a return from Santiago will be your best option in price and time. Round trip from New York to Madrid will be a lower international airfare, but you will spend a lot of time getting from and to Madrid on the bus. Round trip from New York to Madrid is about $1102; the multiple city routing is $1199. The bus from Madrid airport to Leon is 25E and takes about 4 1/2 hours. The fare from Santiago to Madrid is about 45E and takes 9 1/2 hours. Seventy Euro is about $91.

 

[Kiwiangela]

I too, am starting from Leon in May. After 2 nights in Madrid I was planning to catch the 0730 train to Leon but it seems Sunday is the only day it doesn't run at that time. Or could it be that it is booked out already? (Or am I looking in the wrong place?). Can anyone recommend if it is better to bus or train?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

No 0730 on Sunday. There is a 0815 bus, fare 24.07E. The bus takes about two hours longer than the train.

 

[molly382001]

I don't know if this I itinerary would work for you but I am flying into Madrid on March 19 Nonstop from Chicago on an Iberian flight Which arrives at around 7:30 AM. It seems the ticket was somewhere just under $900 round-trip. I'm taking the train from Madrid to Leon which leaves at 11:30 AM arriving Leon around 4 pm. I don't recall the price of the train ticket but it seems like it was about $45. If you check the RENFE.com Website you can see all the schedules. There is a later train in the day as I recall also. My research also indicated that there are a number of buses that leave each day from Madrid going directly to Leon. I just don't particularly care for bus travel if there's a train that can get me where I want to go. Hope this helps. Buen Camino.

 

[lynettefoo]

Last year I started from Leon. I flew into Barcelona from Singapore and then took a connecting flight from Barcelona to Leon. I met no one doing the Camino on the flight. It is not very popular to fly it seems but it got me there very quickly. You can buy tickets on edreams.com.

Stay at Hotel Real Colegiata San Isidoro. Its really beautiful and not very expensive. A great start to the Camino and very close to everything. Take a day of rest before you start off so that you can get over your jet lag. I stayed 2 days before setting off on my journey.

Lynette

 

[bryans]

IS the train station for the Madrid to Leon train at Madrid airport or how far away is it/how easy is it to access.

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, bryans

The trains to Leon leave from the Madrid train station called Chamartin. It is on the northern side of town, which makes it relatively close to the airport. The best way to get there from the airport is to take the RENFE Cercanias (commuter line). It's line C-1, two stops, twelve minute ride. The train leaves every half hour, so not as frequently as the metro, but much easier and more comfortable. You can also take the metro, though.

You don't say where you arrive in Madrid. If it's in T4 (the new terminal used only by Iberia and its partner airlines),it's a bit easier, because the RENFE stop is at T4. If you arrive in the old airport (T1, 2, or 3), you will have to take a bus to T4 and then find the RENFE, which is right at the entrance to the Terminal.

 

[bryans]

We are trying to decide when we finish this section finishing in Leon whether to fly from Bilbao or Madrid. This would depend on ease of getting to each airpoprt from Leon.

 

[peregrina2000]

The best way to do that is to check the RENFE schedules renfe.com for trains between Leon and Madrid and then compare to the schedule for Leon to Bilbao.

Getting to the airport from the Chamartin station is a snap as I described above, I'm not sure about Bilbao train station to Bilbao airport. My impression is that the airport is somewhat out of town with a public bus to downtown. Bilbao does have some light rail, but it is mainly within the city as I remember it. good luck.

 

[miamijhp]

Try here to find your best flight:

http://matrix.itasoftware.com/


Get the information here, write your best combination on a piece of paper and later buy the tickets directly to the airline.

YOU CAN NOT BUY TICKETS HERE, IT IS ONLY TO KNOW YOUR BEST COMBINATIONS.

 

[bryans]

I have looked at the alsa website and can only see 4 buses per day from Madrid airport to Leon. Earlier 7 were mentioned.

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, bryans,

I think you're right that there are 4 daily buses from Leon to T4 (only two on weekends). Bus takes 4-5 hours. Cost about 25 euros. Not all buses stop at Barajas, so maybe he was looking at the schedule from Leon to Madrid. Oh, but I see you mentioned Madrid to Leon in your most recent post -- are you going Madrid to Leon or Leon to Madrid?

Some people love bus travel, but I'd take the train any day. There are more trains -- 9 total, of which 5 are high speed 3 hour trips. If you buy far enough in advance, the price for the high speed train is as low as 27 euros. True, that you have to get from Chamartin to airport, but that's easy on Cercanias. Good luck with this.

 

[bryans]

We think that we will fly into Bilbao and get a bus to Logrono arriving late pm then start walking the next day. We intend to walk as far as Leon and then bus it back to Bilbao--- stay a night or two and fly out from Bilbao. The flights to and fro Bilbao are reasonable and the times suitable. We have previously walked other sections of the Camino.