Getting There By Air:Aeropuerto de Lavacolla, Santiago de Compostela (SCQ) Tel: 902 404 704.
Website:
www.aena.es Santiago de Compostela’s airport is situated 11km (7.5 miles) to the northeast of the city, in the province of A Coruña. In 2006, the number of passengers traveling through the airport was nearly 2 million.
Approximate flight times to Santiago de Compostela: From London is 2 hours; from New York is 9 hours 40 minutes; from Los Angeles is 16 hours;
from Toronto is 11 hours and from Sydney is 26 hours.
Airport facilities: Services include duty-free, shops, a bank and bureau de change, restaurants, cafes and car hire from local operator
Atesa, as well as from
Avis,
Hertz and
Europcar. There are no business facilities at the airport.
Transport to the city: Empresa Freire SL (tel: (981) 588 111) buses to the city center run from early morning until late in the evening (journey time - 20 minutes). Taxis to central Santiago de Compostela (journey time - 15 minutes) operate 24 hours.
Getting There By Road:Motorways (
Autopista)
are prefixed by the letter ‘A’, while highways (
Autovía)
and other major roads (
Carretera Nacional) are indicated by either two Roman numerals or, more commonly, three digits. Many motorways have tolls and rates are shown at tollbooths - cash is preferred, although major credit cards may also be accepted.
Traffic
drives on the right. No person under 18 years may hire or drive a vehicle over 75cc. Seat belts are compulsory for front-seat passengers and for back-seat passengers, if belts are fitted. Crash helmets must be worn on motorcycles and dipped headlights used during the day. After sunset, sidelights must be used at all times - spare bulbs and red hazard triangles must be kept in all vehicles. The speed limit for cars and motorcycles is 120kph (75mph) on motorways, 100kph (62mph) on dual carriageways, 90kph (56mph) on roads outside built-up areas, 50kph (31mph) within towns and 20kph (12mph) in residential areas. Fines for traffic offences are strictly enforced. On-the-spot fines for traffic violations are hefty. The legal alcohol to blood ratio for driving is 0.05%. Drivers who fail an alcohol test are subject to fines.
Foreign visitors require a valid driving license to drive in Spain. National licenses from EU countries are accepted - nationals of other countries, including the USA, Canada and Australia, are advised to obtain an International Driving Permit. Third-party insurance is required and documents should be carried at all times. A Green Card is compulsory for visitors bringing their own vehicles.
Breakdown services and motoring information can be obtained from the
Real Automobile Club Espana -
RACE (tel: 902 404 545; website:
www.race.es), which has reciprocal agreements with the
AA or
RAC in Britain and
AAA in America.
Emergency breakdown service: RACE (tel: 902 300 505).
Alternatively, drivers can contact the
Ayuda en Carretera via the roadside SOS telephones, located on both sides of the carriageway at 2km (1.2-mile) intervals, who will contact the breakdown services.
Routes to the city: Santiago de Compostela can be reached by road from major cities in Spain and Portugal but a common alternative route is along the Pilgrim’s Way via Santander, running parallel to Spain’s north coast. The AP-9 is the major north-south route running through the city. The national roads, N547 and N525, have route connections to the A6/NVI, which branches off southeasterly toward León (connected by the N120 and N630), Valladolid (connected by the E80/N620) and finally to the capital, Madrid.
Coach services: Estación Central de Autobuses, San Caetano (tel: (981) 542 416), to the northeast of the city center, is the main terminus for international coach services. The coach operator
Castromil-Monbus (tel: 902 292 900; website:
www.castromil.com), runs services from Madrid and other major Spanish cities, as well as from Portugal and other foreign destinations. The other major coach operator is
Alsa (tel: 902 422 242; website:
www.alsa.es).
Driving times to Santiago de Compostela: From León - 4 hours; from Valladolid - 6 hours 45 minutes; from Madrid - 6 hours.
Getting There By Rail:RENFE (tel: 902 240 202; website:
www.renfe.es) operates the Spanish rail network, which radiates from Madrid to all the major cities. There are also transversal routes and services running from the French border down the Mediterranean coast. Spanish trains are relatively punctual, reasonably priced and usually clean. Seat reservations are required on all inter-city trains.
The principal station, Hórreo, Rúa de Hórreo, off
Avenida de Lugo (tel: (981) 591 859), is centrally located, just to the south of the Old Quarter. Facilities include left luggage, car hire, tourist information and currency exchange.
Rail services: There are several daily services from Madrid (journey time - 7 hours 45 minutes) - including day services and an overnight sleeper, the
Trenhotel Talgo. There is also one daily cross-country train linking the city with Bilbao and San Sebastian (journey time - 10 to 11 hours). For those arriving in Santander by ferry, there is a daily service via Palencia (journey time - 12 hours). There are connections to Oporto in Portugal via Vigo and regular local services to A Coruña (journey time - 1 hour 15 minutes).
Getting Around:Public TransportBuses in Santiago de Compostela are provided by
Trapsa (tel: (981) 581 815). Services are reliable and operate regularly between 0730 and 2230. You can buy standard tickets and bonobus tickets (a book for 10 trips) on the bus.
TaxisMunicipal taxis are white with a green light and can be safely hailed in the street. There are also many taxi ranks around the city. These include the railway station (tel: (981) 598 488), bus station (tel: (981) 582 450), central area (tel: (981) 575 959), Avenida Figueroa (Alameda) (tel: (981) 585 973) and 24-hour services at Praza de Roxa (tel: (981) 595 964) and Praza de Galicia (tel: (981) 561 028).
Radio Taxi (tel: (981) 569 292) operates 24 hours a day, and
Eurotaxi (tel: (981) 535 154) has adapted vehicles for disabled travelers. It is common to give a tip of between 5 and 10% of the total fare.
Driving in the CityThere tends to be a fair amount of traffic in Santiago de Compostela and traffic jams can be expected, particularly when it rains heavily. Rush hours are around 1300-1400 when everyone races home for lunch and again in the evening from 2000 onwards.
The Old Quarter of Santiago de Compostela is small and compact - it is best for visitors to walk, as it can be very hard to find a place to park in the narrow streets, and much of the quarter is pedestrianized. Visitors are advised to leave their cars at one of the many car parks around the Old Quarter’s perimeter. There are car parks at Praza de Galicia, Rúa de Ramon Pineiro (near the Galician parliament building) and near the police station on Avenida Rodrigo de Padron. Metered parking is also available in the city - the cost depends on the location.
Car HireA valid driving license is required - national licenses from EU countries or an International Driving Permit for non-EU nationals are accepted. The minimum age is usually 21 years. Third-party insurance is mandatory in Spain and should be included in the hire price at no extra charge.
Cars are available for hire from
Atesa (tel: (981) 581 904
or 599 877; website:
www.atesa.es),
Avis (tel: (981) 590 409
or 888 204; website:
www.avis.com),
Europcar (tel: (981) 547 740
or 597 476; website:
www.europcar.com) and
Hertz (tel: (981) 598 893; website:
www.hertz.com). Special rates are available for weekend or weekly hire.
Bicycle HireBicycles are available for hire from
Bici-Total, Avenida de Lugo 221 (tel: (981) 564 562) and
Tour n Ride, Rúa Laverde Ruiz 5 (tel: (981) 936 616; website:
www.tournride.com). Cyclists can also count as genuine pilgrims on the Way of St James, if they cycle at least 200km (124 miles) along the historic route. Cyclists must wear a helmet outside town centers.
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