USA West Coast to Spain logistics

[4d3fect]

Can't see recent info on this, apologies if it's covered somewhere. We are pondering Sarria>SJDC for our first attempt at a Camino, possibly mid-June 2015. Arriving from the West Coast ( SFO or LAX). I suppose air into Madrid, but stumped on how we would best proceed thence to Sarria, or thereabouts. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Any advice or illumination would be appreciated.

Thanks for looking.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I suggest a round trip ticket to Santiago de Compostela. On arrival, take the bus to Lugo and connect to the bus to Sarria.

Your flights to Santiago will connect through Madrid, but stopping there to connect to a bus or train is time consuming and as costly as the airplane to Santiago.

 

[4d3fect]

I suggest a round trip ticket to Santiago de Compostela. On arrival, take the bus to Lugo and connect to the bus to Sarria.

Your flights to Santiago will connect through Madrid, but stopping there to connect to a bus or train is time consuming and as costly as the airplane to Santiago.

Thanks. Just found the travel connections thread I was looking for, about buses I mean. I was thinking there were more direct air routes, welp.

 

[whariwharangi]

See Sarria Concello transport page.

You have at least two options:

a. Fly Madrid (MAD) to Santiago Labacolla (SCQ). Take Empresa Freire bus from airport SCQ to Lugo and Monbus from Lugo to Sarria. Sometimes its more time efficient to go from airport to Santiago bus station and take Monbus via Monforte de Lemos.

b. Take Renfe train from Madrid to Monforte de Lemos. At Monforte de Lemos decide on basis of schedule between train or Monbus bus from Monforte de Lemos to Sarria. Some trains continue on to A Coruna via Sarria.

Sarria
http://www.sarria.es/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=109&itemid=132&lang=gl

AENA manages airports in Spain
http://www.aena-aeropuertos.es/csee/Satellite/HomeAenaAeropuertos/en/Home.html

Renfe
http://www.renfe.com/

Empresa Freire
http://www.empresafreire.com/html/castelan/seccion3a.php

Monbus
http://www.monbus.es/index2.htm

 

[4d3fect]

See Sarria Concello transport page.

You have at least two options:

a. Fly Madrid (MAD) to Santiago Labacolla (SCQ). Take Empresa Freire bus from airport SCQ to Lugo and Monbus from Lugo to Sarria. Sometimes its more time efficient to go from airport to Santiago bus station and take Monbus via Monforte de Lemos.

b. Take Renfe train from Madrid to Monforte de Lemos. At Monforte de Lemos decide on basis of schedule between train or Monbus bus from Monforte de Lemos to Sarria. Some trains continue on to A Coruna via Sarria.

Sarria
http://www.sarria.es/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=109&itemid=132&lang=gl

AENA manages airports in Spain
http://www.aena-aeropuertos.es/csee/Satellite/HomeAenaAeropuertos/en/Home.html

Renfe
http://www.renfe.com/

Empresa Freire
http://www.empresafreire.com/html/castelan/seccion3a.php

Monbus
http://www.monbus.es/index2.htm

Thanks, idk why I couldn't find that before, I have lousy search fu

 

[Bajaracer]

Try http://www.rome2rio.com

 

[Deleted member 3000]

An example from Iberia.com

Your Travel Plan

• Outbound
• Los Angeles – Miami Tuesday Apr 7, 2015
  
• Miami – Madrid Tuesday Apr 7, 2015
  
• Madrid – Santiago de Compostela Wednesday Apr 8, 2015
  
• Return
• Santiago de Compostela – Madrid Thursday May 14, 2015
  
• Madrid – Los Angeles Friday May 15, 2015
  
• Passengers
• 1 Adult
• Total price
• $ 1,217.17

 

[4d3fect]

Thanks, falcon. Looking at June (schedule allows atm), so costs up about 50% from your ex. Most of these appear to be two stops (e.g.,JFK, MIA ) which I think my be better anyway--last long flight (to Bali) my wife's legs got uncomfortable, maybe not DVT but some cause for concern in considering longer air trips.

 

[Olivares]

You referred to this plan as "your first attempt at the Camino" which implies a possibility of return back to walk some others section(s). If so, I would STRONGLY suggest you start at St. Jean Pied de Port, or at a minimum, from Roncesvalles or Pamplona. The "vibe" from Sarria is such a different Camino. I am not saying it is worse, just different. I mentioned this before, if I had walked Sarria-Santiago as my first attempt to the Camino, I probably would had not returned.

 

[4d3fect]

Thank you, Olivares. Still pondering. Limited time and resources available, and uncertain about future good health-- hence the need to choose a portion. Common wisdom has the first "leg" being the most challenging. I expect it to be busier and more packed with philistines and gormless tourists along the last portion, but seeing as we're going to be undeniably in that group, hard for us to quibble on that point. Perhaps you meant something else. I welcome further explanation of your strong suggestion.

 

[Olivares]

4d3fect-- nothning to do with the people on the section at all. As a matter of fact, and I had posted this before, that was one of the few things I liked about that portion. Loved the enthusiasm, the anticipation on many new faces, the groups of youngsters and their funny banter on the road. There were also a lot more families with younger ones and I loved that.

The adverse reaction to that section was the local flavor. The scenery was dull. I found on average the locals were borderline unfriendly (Spanish is my first language). The quality of the food went downhill (not a great fan of the Menu del peregrino, but even so). Monuments and churches closed for the most part. It just was not the same. If your logistics is such that it works better from Sarria, then go for it.

 

[4d3fect]

4d3fect-- nothning to do with the people on the section at all. As a matter of fact, and I had posted this before, that was one of the few things I liked about that portion. Loved the enthusiasm, the anticipation on many new faces, the groups of youngsters and their funny banter on the road. There were also a lot more families with younger ones and I loved that.

The adverse reaction to that section was the local flavor. The scenery was dull. I found on average the locals were borderline unfriendly (Spanish is my first language). The quality of the food went downhill (not a great fan of the Menu del peregrino, but even so). Monuments and churches closed for the most part. It just was not the same. If your logistics is such that it works better from Sarria, then go for it.

Thanks, will take all this under consideration.

When you say "posted before", do you mean in a thread elsewhere or..?

Also, we'll have no previous Camino experience as a baseline, so will likely enjoy and be grateful for everything.

-on a side note, our first experience in Bali doing the Lonely Planet type visit for two months in 1991 was a life changer. The return in 2006 was tame in comparison. So maybe something like this might describe repeat Caminos for some folks.