Santander-Oviedo

[mieke]

Beginning of April - within 4 weeks - I fly to Santander to walk the Camino Primitivo,
should I book a bus to Oviedo in advance?
I read here there is also a train to Oviedo, is this a good idea?

Which guide should I carry with me?

Thanks to all your input, I know I should wear warm cloths and be prepared for rainy days... any suggestion is welcome

Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to it!

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, mieke,

Welcome to the forum. I think you will love the Primitivo! Hope the weather cooperates.

There are so many buses per day between Santander and Oviedo, that I don't think it's necessary to book in advance, assuming it isn't some special holiday weekend. I've attached a screen shot to this post.

As far as guides go, I think that Liz's resource is probably all you need. You can download it here: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...tiago-and-then-to-muxia-finisterre-guide.225/

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[CaptBuddy]

mieke, I have family in Santander and have been there many times. I suggest if you have a day or 2 to spare that you check out the sights. Especially where the Camino Norte crosses the bay and goes through "the center" of town.
Make sure you have some sort of jacket for the cold. April and May can be surprisingly chilly. Rain is not a surprise, it is a sure thing.
Buen viaje.

 

[Castilian]

Beginning of April - within 4 weeks - I fly to Santander to walk the Camino Primitivo,
should I book a bus to Oviedo in advance?

If it's during Holy week (Semana Santa) or the previous week-end, it would be a good idea to book in advance. Otherwise, booking the day before just to have peace of mind should be enough.

I read here there is also a train to Oviedo, is this a good idea?

The train is a scenic narrow gauge train that makes tons of stops and is very slow (5 hours while by bus is something between 2h 15m and 3h 15m depending on the bus).

 

[peregrino_tom]

Mieke
here's a photo of part of a map made of tiles of the Feve train route in relation to the northern Caminos. I hope the uploaded version is readable! You should be able to see the route the train takes along the coast side by side with the camino, until just before Oviedo when the train cuts inland. I found this on the wall of the Feve station in Ribadesella.
The Feve station and Alsa bus station are pretty much next to each other in central Santander and about 5 mins walk from the albergue.
The Alsa bus is a great service that I have taken many times. As Castillian says, it might be worth booking in advance if you are travelling during Holy Week. Otherwise, I have found the tickets cheaper at the bus station than booking on-line
cheers, tom

 

[Rajy62]

Mieke,
I walked the primitivo in June last year. Very warm and dry trails. Be prepared for more rain and muddy conditions in April.

Weather permitting, do take the Hospitales route. You will love it. It is not as difficult as people make it up to be. Yes there are no bars/coffee stops. But a beautiful section.

Yes. Liz's guide Laurie referred to is all you need. She compiled all the relevant info in her short guide. I had a slightly different staging. I stopped at Borreas to take the Hospitales early. You can find my staging here. https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...mitivo-may-25-june-27-2014.27811/#post-226937

 

[Tia Valeria]

We have taken the FEVE several times, it leaves Santander at 9.10 and 16.10 arriving in Oviedo about 14.15 and 21.15. There are only those 2 through trains per day but it is a lovely ride.
We have usually booked our night in Oviedo just to make life easy, but if planning on the late train IMO it would be advisable. You get to see the coast and it is a beautiful ride - just sit in the front section facing forward, or rear section facing backwards as the visible 'rock' on the carriage join is a bit like being at sea.
There are several buses, but some just take the motorway so not very scenic but they might suit your timing better.

We used the CSJ guide to the Primitivo (Caminos del Norte F) if you like a paper guide, and Gronze and the Cicerone guide for extra info. Liz guide I think incorporates much from each of these and sounds good too.

Buen Camino