Porto to Santiago (Central route) in September 2020

[provodnikcamino]

Planning my second Camino, the 1st one was last year and only from Sarria to Santiago due to time restrictions. This time I am thinking about doing it from Porto in Portugal to Santiago and the Central route. I'll be checking the forum's calendar to see if anybody posts his/her dates there. Maybe will connect if you are an early riser (5am is good).
If we connect and go together for a minute, a mile, or a day, please do not feel imposed or obligated to stay for the rest of the way. Come and go is the best way to do it. Some walk fast, some do it slow, some talk, some don't. Feel free to be your own self.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

A Warm Welcome to the Forum And Buen Camino. I'll be doing the CP from Porto; starting with the Litoral for a day, then moving to the Central. Starting on October 4, though.

 

[lt56ny]

A Warm Welcome to the Forum And Buen Camino. I'll be doing the CP from Porto; starting with the Litoral for a day, then moving to the Central. Starting on October 4, though.

Senor Bugg, Who knows if we will meet in Porto. I will be walking with a few of my college buddies. There are 10 of us who have stayed brothers (not fraternity brothers) since 1972 and we all graduated in 1975. Right now there are 4 walking. Maybe more as we get closer. I will probably be the only one starting in Lisbon with the other guys meeting in Coimbra. We could be in Porto when you are there. Maybe we will meet for a Port in Porto. We will walk the litoral up the coast. It would be great to meet you if you can and if we are there at the same time. You are going to love Portugal, the food, the scenery, lots of people speak English. But what you will love the most is the Portuguese people. None better, anywhere!

 

[Peter Wright]

Planning my second Camino, the 1st one was last year and only from Sarria to Santiago due to time restrictions. This time I am thinking about doing it from Porto in Portugal to Santiago and the Central route. I'll be checking the forum's calendar to see if anybody posts his/her dates there. Maybe will connect if you are an early riser (5am is good).
If we connect and go together for a minute, a mile, or a day, please do not feel imposed or obligated to stay for the rest of the way. Come and go is the best way to do it. Some walk fast, some do it slow, some talk, some don't. Feel free to be your own self.

Welcome, I did Porto to Santiago starting 26 September 2019. Weather was perfect, only rained on last day into Santiago. A word of caution though. I am also an early riser but got lost twice by starting in the dark and missing yellow arrows or route markers. Walked about 2km the wrong way both times. Bon Camino

 

[provodnikcamino]

When walking Sarria to Santiago, I used a GPS file (*.gpx) with all turns and twists. It was very helpful and I got off the track only once while talking with somebody and not watching. Other than that, it was very accurate. I already downloaded the Portugal gpx file (all routes in one file) and hope that it is as good as the Spanish one was.

 

[provodnikcamino]

I wonder if somebody can point me in the right direction to find out if it is possible to split the flight (not sure what the correct term is for this). I fly from New York via Porto to Madrid. The return flight is the same MAD-OPO-NYC. My camino will start from Porto. It seems a huge waste of time and money to go all the way to Madrid on the first leg of the trip, then fly back to Porto, and waste a whole day and some $70, on top of being exhosted. Does anybody know if TPA (that's the airline I'll be flying on) will cause me any trouble if I disembark in Porto and not in Madrid on the incoming flight. But then return to Madrid an the end of the camino and fly the full return flight MAD-OPO-NYC? I found some information regarding other airlines but nothing from TAP is to be found anywhere. Any help much appreciated. I'd prefer just practical (knowledgeable) advice, not any scolding or moralizing, if possible. In my mind, if I paid the full price for the flight, it should be completely up to me how to use the product.

 

[zimbo]

4 of us planning to walk porto to santiago early september which would be best route and would we need to book accommodation in advance. this is my 3rd camino.

 

[Molly Cassidy]

I wonder if somebody can point me in the right direction to find out if it is possible to split the flight (not sure what the correct term is for this). I fly from New York via Porto to Madrid. The return flight is the same MAD-OPO-NYC. My camino will start from Porto. It seems a huge waste of time and money to go all the way to Madrid on the first leg of the trip, then fly back to Porto, and waste a whole day and some $70, on top of being exhosted. Does anybody know if TPA (that's the airline I'll be flying on) will cause me any trouble if I disembark in Porto and not in Madrid on the incoming flight. But then return to Madrid an the end of the camino and fly the full return flight MAD-OPO-NYC? I found some information regarding other airlines but nothing from TAP is to be found anywhere. Any help much appreciated. I'd prefer just practical (knowledgeable) advice, not any scolding or moralizing, if possible. In my mind, if I paid the full price for the flight, it should be completely up to me how to use the product.

You will need to make sure you tell them you want to retrieve your luggage at Porto so that they don't check it through to Madrid. Other than that I don't think it will be a problem.

 

[provodnikcamino]

My luggage is going to be a carry-on only. TAP does not have anything on their website that I could find. United has some draconian rules about it.

 

[Molly Cassidy]

If you check in at the airport tell them you won't be taking the flight to Madrid or they may check you in for both flights.

 

[provodnikcamino]

I found a phone number for them and called them. What they said did not sound encouraging. The lady said that if I miss the flight from Porto to Madrid, all remaining flights will be automatically cancelled due to "no-show". They squeeze us from all directions: luggage limitations, bag fees, nasty food, and force to spend more money. Oh well, what do you do. I'll have to fly to MAD and then back to OPO.

 

[Molly Cassidy]

So if you miss your outbound flight they cancel the return leg? People miss flights all the time and have to travel by other means. I've never heard of that.

 

[Peter Wright]

4 of us planning to walk porto to santiago early september which would be best route and would we need to book accommodation in advance. this is my 3rd camino.

I started in Porto on 26 September last year, did not book accommodation in advance but had no problem finding a bed in first albergue or private hostel I tried each day. Looking at your user name, we might come from the same part of the world. Bon Camino

 

[zimbo]

I started in Porto on 26 September last year, did not book accommodation in advance but had no problem finding a bed in first albergue or private hostel I tried each day. Looking at your user name, we might come from the same part of the world. Bon Camino

thanks for info..grew up in gwelo

 

[Peter Wright]

I was Salisbury, Headlands , Marandellas, now Canada. Enjoy your Camino.

 

[provodnikcamino]

So if you miss your outbound flight they cancel the return leg? People miss flights all the time and have to travel by other means. I've never heard of that.

That's what the representative told me (I called their 800 number is the US). Her English was OK but I am not sure she completely understood me. She said if I do a "no-show" for any segment of the flight, everything after that would be canceled. I'll give them another call to see if I get somebody different but for now I reluctantly plan to fly to Madrid (via Porto), board another plane and fly back to Porto. It seems that airlines are really on a roll of doing whatever they want to their passengers.

 

[Molly Cassidy]

That's what the representative told me (I called their 800 number is the US). Her English was OK but I am not sure she completely understood me. She said if I do a "no-show" for any segment of the flight, everything after that would be canceled. I'll give them another call to see if I get somebody different but for now I reluctantly plan to fly to Madrid (via Porto), board another plane and fly back to Porto. It seems that airlines are really on a roll of doing whatever they want to their passengers.

I think the issue is if you check in for the flight then don't show at the gate then they will put calls out for you at the airport and the flight will likely be delayed. What you want to do is tell them you don't want to take the flight and not to check you in.
I appreciate they may not allow you to do that. And obviously you have to listen to what they say because I'm just speculating.

 

[CWBuff]

There is a clear difference between missing a connection and simply not showing up
The post 9-11 world surely don't want to deal with such possibilities for obvious reasons
In US IIRC you can get a pretty steep fine for stunt like that...
What I fail to understand is if there is a NYC-OPO route why not just take it?

 

[Loretta Jane]

I found a phone number for them and called them. What they said did not sound encouraging. The lady said that if I miss the flight from Porto to Madrid, all remaining flights will be automatically cancelled due to "no-show". They squeeze us from all directions: luggage limitations, bag fees, nasty food, and force to spend more money. Oh well, what do you do. I'll have to fly to MAD and then back to OPO.

That is true. They will cancel you.
It would be better to use expedia. Do a multi destination flight search putting in your cities and dates. See what it brings up for TAP (or others)to get choices of times and prices.

 

[provodnikcamino]

There is a clear difference between missing a connection and simply not showing up
The post 9-11 world surely don't want to deal with such possibilities for obvious reasons
In US IIRC you can get a pretty steep fine for stunt like that...
What I fail to understand is if there is a NYC-OPO route why not just take it?

It's because my wife and I planned to meet in Madrid and return home from Madrid. Interestengly, just flying to OPO is more expensive than flying to MAD. Now with the virus situation, everything changes and the whole trip may be postponed at best or canceled all together. So, so sad, both for the people who got ill and for many others who will be affected.

 

[kwfarq]

Welcome, I did Porto to Santiago starting 26 September 2019. Weather was perfect, only rained on last day into Santiago. A word of caution though. I am also an early riser but got lost twice by starting in the dark and missing yellow arrows or route markers. Walked about 2km the wrong way both times. Bon Camino

Hey just thinking about that route, which I loved and had hoped to reprise this year. Departed Pontevedra Sept. 30 after a 2-day rest stop, in direction Caldas de Reis. Splashed along the Rua Real before dawn on very foggy morning. Over the Puente de Burgo bridge we tagged behind the last of 3 guys walking together -- that guy wore flashing lights on his ankle. Lost sight of the lights in fog, missed a left-turn marker and ended up literally butting into a farmer leading horse thru the fog to the field. He pointed us back downhill and .... we picked up a faint flashing ankle light just as dawn approached. Camino-dreaming!

 

[jsalt]

The lady said that if I miss the flight from Porto to Madrid, all remaining flights will be automatically cancelled due to "no-show".

Hi, Yes, it’s true, your remaining flights will all be cancelled.

I know this thread is a bit old, and things have changed (a LOT!!) in the last few months, but I’ve only just seen it, so thought I’d post this anyway.

I had a cheap return flight to Porto via Madrid. I wanted to “get off” in Madrid on the way there.

Thank goodness I told this forum I was going to do that! Members told me I couldn’t.

So I checked and double-checked with the airline, and discovered for sure that if I didn’t take the Madrid to Porto flight on the way there, my return flights would all be invalidated.

So I had to fly to Porto (via Madrid), overnight at a hostel at Porto airport, and next morning I took another cheap flight back to Madrid.

Mad, but true.