Santiago to Madrid - how far ahead is it necessary to book?

My daughter and I walked the Camino last summer, and we had booked our flight home out of Barcelona, thinking it would be fun to see that city while we were there. However, we were rushed in our walk, because we had a deadline to catch this flight across the country. We were tired and dirty by the end, no clean clothes, and looking back, we wished we had just flown out of Santiago at the end of the walk, as it was such a fantastic walk, that it kind of spoiled it to go to the hustle and bustle of Barcelona, so far removed from the Camino. We wish now that we had spent the extra days on the trail seeing more of the villages we rushed through. We didn't pre-book our flight from Santiago to Barcelona, however, and it was easy to book a flight. (Avoid the airline that starts with "R!" at all cost, it is a total nightmare!) (Are we allowed to say that here?) There are national travel agents in offices in many places in Santiago, you will see their signs alongside the shops on the streets, (can't remember the name of them, but just ask anyone) to help with flights and accommodations. Don't forget to go to Finesterre, -- awesome ride through the seaside villages along the way on the bus. Also, we wished we had more time in Santiago, it was fabulous, we could have spent days there.

Kiwi-d said:

I'm planning on spending three or four days in Madrid after finishing the Camino Frances in October, before flying home to NZ. Without knowing exactly when I'll arrive in Santiago, is it foolish of me to plan on buying a plane, bus or train ticket when I get there? And not having access to technology, will it be difficult to find a travel agent or bus/train station to make a reservation/buy a ticket?

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There is ticket office for the train right next to the Pilgrims' Office in Santiago, and ticket office for the bus at the back of the courtyard where you enter the Pilgrims' Office. Both the main railroad station and the main bus station are within easy walking distance from the Pilgrims' Office -- a little over 1 km to the railroad station, and a little less than 2 km to the bus station.
Buen Camino,
Jim

peregrina2000 said:

Hi, kiwi-d,
In my experience, you can easily get a seat a few days ahead of time. Especially since you will be going in October, I don't think you'll have any problem. I know a lot of people who have bought their tickets at RENFE stations along the Camino, about a week before stopping. It can be something to do in a small town without much going on, and it's hassle-free. But that was during high season when things get filled up.

The only advantage to buying ahead is that you can often get some really cheap fares online, and other posts recently have described the wonders of the apparently newly redone RENFE website. Buen camino, Laurie

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Kiwi-d said:

I'm planning on spending three or four days in Madrid after finishing the Camino Frances in October, before flying home to NZ. Without knowing exactly when I'll arrive in Santiago, is it foolish of me to plan on buying a plane, bus or train ticket when I get there? And not having access to technology, will it be difficult to find a travel agent or bus/train station to make a reservation/buy a ticket?

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I agree with Peregrina2000 and others about not needing to book ahead since October is not in the high season. Early last May I bought a train ticket from Santiago to Madrid on the day of departure without any problem! If you are a risk-minimizer, you may want to book purchase a ticket a few days before getting to Santiago - once your schedule is more firmed up. One problem with pre-booking your plane/bus/train tickets is the rigidity of your schedule - and leaves no room for spur-of-the-moment kinds of explorations.

I arrived in SdC on an October morning. I attended the pilgrim's mass and walked down to the train station (about a 15 minute walk from the church), purchased an overnight train ticket to Madrid, and walked back into town and enjoyed the day in SdC. That night (about 2200 hours), the train left for Madrid. The train arrived in Madrid about 0700 hours. It was cheap, easy, and needed no reservations. Madrid is awesome. Enjoy!