How to get to the Camino de Santiago - where to fly into / airports

One of the first steps after deciding to walk the Camino is to decide where to start. Each pilgrim chooses their starting point—and any place is valid—but there are some more common starting points due to their accessibility and services.

In this article, we explain how to get to the main starting points of the most popular routes, whether by car, train, bus or plane. We also include practical information on connections from airports and shuttle services to city centres.

Remember that if your goal is to obtain La Compostela (the certificate that proves you have completed the Camino de Santiago), you must complete at least 100 km (62 miles) on foot or horseback, or 200 km (124 miles) by bicycle. To do this, many pilgrims choose to start in places such as Sarria, Tui, Ferrol or Ponferrada.

Camino del Norte

From Irún or San Sebastián / Donostia

By car: The AP-8 motorway connects Irún with Bilbao and France. San Sebastián is 20 minutes away on the N-I road, and both cities are well connected by bus and train (30 minutes).
By train: Renfe has long-distance and medium-distance services from Madrid, Barcelona and Zaragoza to San Sebastián. You can also use the Euskotren narrow-gauge railway network, which connects Bilbao, Donostia and Irún.
By bus: Several companies connect Irún and Donostia with cities in the north and centre of the peninsula. The main one is ALSA.
By plane: The nearest airports are San Sebastián (20 km/12.5 miles from Irún) and Bilbao (110 km/68 miles), both with shuttle services to the city centre or nearby towns.
By ferry from the UK: You can reach Santander or Bilbao with Brittany Ferries, sailing from Portsmouth or Plymouth.

French Way

From Roncesvalles or Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (France)

By car: Drive to Pamplona and take the N-135 national road. Roncesvalles is 50 km (31 miles) from the city. If you prefer to start the Camino in France, it is another 30 km (18.5 miles) to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.
By train/bus: There is no train service to Roncesvalles, but you can travel to Pamplona and take a bus or taxi from there. There are regional trains to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port from Bayonne with snfc (France).
By plane: The nearest airports are Pamplona, Biarritz (France) or Bilbao (the largest and with the most connections). From Bilbao, the fastest way is to travel by train to Pamplona and then take a bus to Roncesvalles.

Other possible starting points: Pamplona, Logroño, Burgos, León, Ponferrada, Sarria.

All have good road, train and bus connections. Sarria (the typical starting point for the last 100 km/67 miles) has a train station, or you can get there by bus from Lugo.

Portuguese Way

From Lisbon

By car: From the north, the A-1 motorway is the fastest way to get to Lisbon. From the centre of the peninsula, you can take the A-6 from Badajoz.
By train: From most parts of Spain, the easiest way is to travel to Madrid and then take a direct train to Lisbon. The main company is Renfe.
By plane: Lisbon Airport, with a direct metro to the city centre. Some airlines offer very competitive prices for flights to Faro, from where you can take a train to Lisbon (3h 50 min).
By bus: there are more bus connections between Lisbon and Spanish cities than train connections. You can check ALSA or Rede Expressos.

From Porto

By car: Take the A-3 motorway from the north or the A-62 from Salamanca, which becomes the A25 when you cross the border.
By train/bus: Porto is the main city in northern Portugal, with good train and bus connections. You can check the websites of Renfe (train in Spain), ALSA (bus in Spain), Rede Expressos (bus in Portugal) or Comboios de Portugal (train in Portugal).
By plane: Porto has an airport with a shuttle service to the city centre.

English Way

From Ferrol or A Coruña

By car: Both cities are accessible via the AP-9 motorway, which separates them by approximately 50 km (31 miles). This motorway can be accessed from Santiago de Compostela and from the A6 past Lugo if you are travelling from the centre of the peninsula. From the north, it connects the AG-64 with the A8 in Villalba.
By train/bus: Both cities have train and bus stations, and Ferrol, the smaller city, is well connected to A Coruña. You can check the ALSA (bus) and Renfe (train) websites.
By plane: A Coruña (LCG) has an airport. You can also fly to Santiago and from there take the train or bus to Ferrol or A Coruña (between 1h 30min and 2h 30min).

Camino Primitivo

From Oviedo

By car: Access via the A-66 from the south or the A63 and A-64 if you are already in the north of the peninsula. If you are not in a hurry, the national road that passes through the Pajares Pass, connecting León with Asturias, is spectacular.
By train: Oviedo has recently been connected to Madrid by AVE high-speed train. To the north, there are several medium and long-distance lines connecting the city. You can check the Renfe or Rome2Rio websites for connections.
By bus: ALSA is the main company, but you can also check Flixbus, which offers international routes.
By plane: the nearest airport is Asturias, near the city of Avilés.

Vía de la Plata

From Seville

By car: Seville is well connected by road from the north, south, east and west.
By train: There is a direct AVE high-speed train from Madrid and medium-distance trains from other cities.
By bus: The main bus company is ALSA. Use the Rome2Rio website to find the best connection.
By plane: Seville Airport (SVQ) has many connections, both domestic and international, and there is a shuttle bus to the city centre.

Camino Sanabrés

From Granja de Moreruela

By car: The A-66 motorway passes by Granja de Moreruela, and can be accessed from Zamora, about 40 km (25 miles) to the south, or near Benavente, to the north. If you prefer to take the national road, take the N-630, which crosses the village.
By train/bus: Granja de Moreruela is a small village and does not have a train station. By bus, there are connections from Zamora or León with the ALSA or AutocaresVivas (Line Zamora - León) companies.
By plane: The nearest airport is Valladolid, but it offers very few connections. The nearest airports with more connections are Madrid, Oporto or Asturias, several kilometres away. It is advisable to use another means of transport.

Practical tips:

Airport shuttles: all airports are connected to the city's main bus and/or train stations.
Book in advance during high season (summer and Easter). It is advisable to book some tickets in advance, especially for buses. Some tourist areas receive many travellers who also use public transport.
Compare timetables to plan your connections between different modes of transport, and bear in mind that on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, there are special timetables and, in general, fewer services.
For trains, you can visit the websites of Renfe (for the whole of Spain) and Euskotren in the Basque Country. Other companies that compete with Renfe are Ouigo and iryo.
By bus, ALSA is the main company covering the entire territory and also offers international connections. In some areas, local companies operate, which you can check on Rome2Rio.