Santiago to Ponferrada

[cate]

I am wondering if someone can please help me.
I am travelling to Santiago in Septmeber and arrive by air at 2.15pm, all going well with no delays.
According to the alsa.es website the next available bus is at 21.30 arriving Ponferrada the following day 1.30am.
This sounds most unfortunate, and wonder if it is true - maybe it wil change?!
Is there perhaps another bus/coach company whose timetable I can look at or is there perhaps another way to get to Ponferrada from Santiago?
It would seem a pity to have to catch the bus the day after we arrive in Santiago by air and then travel by bus the following day, only to start the +- 220km pilgrimage two days later.

Advise here would be most welcome

Thanks

 

[ivar]

Hi Cate,

I called the bus station and it seems like ALSA is the only company with busses between Santiago and Pontferrada.

Then I called ALSA to check the bus schedules. Here is what he told me. There are several busses between Santiago and Ponferrada each day. The first buss leave the bus station in Santiago at 8.00 (then there is one at 9.00 and 10.00). There is also a bus at 14.00. The last bus is at 21.30 as you say. Between 14.00 and 21.30 there are no busses.

I also did check the train option (http://www.renfe.es). There is a train leaving Santiago at 9.00, so that does not help much.

A rental car would be another option...
http://www.hertz.es (at the airport)
http://www.avis.es (at the airport)
http://www.europcar.es (at the airport)

Anyone else have any other ideas on this one?

Welcome to Santiago,
Ivar

 

[Peter Robins]

Looks like quite a good service to me! Although Santiago is the regional capital, it is not a major population centre and so not a major public transport hub. Ponferrada even less so. It's simply not realistic to assume there are going to be frequent buses/trains from Santiago to anywhere in Spain you fancy going. If you want to start your walk somewhere that's easy to get to from London, don't start in Ponferrada - simple as that. On the Camino Frances, the meseta stretch is reasonably accessible from Valladolid; the Ebro valley from Zaragoza; coastal airports like Santander, Bilbao, Oviedo offer other possibilities. But if you insist on starting in a small remote town like Ponferrada (or Sarria, or Roncesvalles, or ...), you must expect it to be time-consuming to get there.

 

[cate]

Thanks for the advise.
Point taken re where to start from

Thanks Ivar for re-affirming the times of the busses and trains.

I just thought that perhaps there may have been something that i missed regarding busses leaving Santiago in the afternoon and heading towards Ponferrada. Appreciate the advise from you

Regards
Cate