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Santiago to Santander/Bilbao by train

PingPongPilgrim

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
2023
Hi there,
I'm hoping to do the Camino Frances next year. I will be getting a ferry from Santander or Bilbao back to the UK after completing the Camino and wondered if anybody has travelled from Santiago to Santander/Bilbao by train and if so, which route would you suggest?
Many thanks in advance.
Chris
 
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While I didn’t travel to the cities you want, I did use Renfe, the FEVE (which I think now may be part of renfe) and Alsa (bus) a few times. I’d just go to each website (they can be translated to English) and look at times and prices. The bus might even be faster or better times and I thought they were clean and comfortable

Buen Camino!
 
This tool is very useful:

Rome2rio

Discover how to get anywhere by searching plane, train, bus, car and ferry routes
www.rome2rio.com

Rome2rio

Discover how to get anywhere by searching plane, train, bus, car and ferry routes
www.rome2rio.com

And if you are over 60, you can buy the Carta Dorada (gold card) for 6 Euros: It will give you 25% discount on all (I believe) train travels in Spain for a year's duration (!). You buy it in the train station prior to purchasing your ticket(s).

Edit: Welcome to the Forum! and Buen Camino!
 
Last edited:
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Thanks for your response, it is much appreciated
 
Thanks for your responses Alex, they are much appreciated
 
My wife and I took the train from Santiago to Santander in 2018 but broke our journey in Astorga to walk to the Cruz de Ferro and back. Train left Santiago about 0930 and we were in Astorga late lunchtime.
The train from Astorga to Santander left about 0700 and we had to change at Palencia. We arrived in Santander with plenty of time to catch that days ferry to Plymouth. I doubt if you could do the total train journey in one day and catch that days ferry.
you might want to check if foot passengers are allowed on the Bilbao ferry service. They were not accepted in 2018 so Santander was the only option.
 
Lightfoot Guide to via Francigena
Guides that will let you complete the journey your way.
Have just booked the Alsa bus from Santiago to Santander, its quicker and cheaper than the trains. You can book on Alsa website. The coach goes via Oviedo where you have to change coaches.
 
Richard Warr said:
Have just booked the Alsa bus from Santiago to Santander, its quicker and cheaper than the trains. You can book on Alsa website. The coach goes via Oviedo where you have to change coaches.
Click to expand...
when I walked i was surprised at first that often the bus was faster, then realized except for the "commuter" train between cities on the northern coast, most trains had to travel out of the way to a hub while the bus tended to take a more direct route and as you found, cheaper.
 
2016 we took the train from SdC to Santander. Very easy about 30 plus minutes maybe more changing trains in Palencia . Time for a snack lunch at the station buffet.
 
Lightfoot Guide to via Francigena
Guides that will let you complete the journey your way.
2006, but the tracks will not have changed! Santiago to Bilbao. A long, beautiful trip to Bilbao. As with your ferry, if that does indeed take foot passengers, the journey gives you time to be amazed at covering in minutes what took hours on foot. The scenery, particularly approaching Bilbao, is breathtaking. I am predujiced, as it is like parts of Scotland, except more majestic In size.
 
Hi, in 2008 after completing the Camino I travelled to Santander via bus. Very comfortable but a long journey. If you use the
bus make sure you have good and drink with you, the only long stop we made was in Oviedo.
Travelling back to the UK from Santander is a fantastic end to the Camino!
I wish you well.
Kevin UK
 
We took the bus to Ferrol, FEVE to Santander. A long journey but we stopped overnight in Ribadeo, Oviedo and LLanes. You could just stop once in Oviedo. Foot passengers can travel to UK from Santander but not from Bilbao as the latter has no pedestrian access to the port.
Buen Camino
 
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