Santiago de Compostela, Spain — Travel Tips
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
Traffic in Santiago drives on the right and the minimum driving age is 18 years. Speed limits are 120kph (74mph) on motorways, 100kph (62mph) on dual carriageways, 90kph (56mph) on roads outside built-up areas and 50kph (31mph) within towns. A valid driving license and third-party insurance are required to drive in Spain. National licenses from EU countries are accepted, although drivers are advised to obtain an International Driving Permit. A Green Card is strongly recommended for all visitors and is compulsory for those from outside the EU. Real Automóvil Club de España (RACE) (tel: 902 404 545; www.race.es) has reciprocal agreements with the AA and RAC in Britain and the AAA in America. * The speed limit on motorways in Spain has temporarily been reduced to 110kph (68mph). The new limit will remain in effect until the end of June 2011 at the earliest. The slowdown is intended to save energy in response to the surge in oil prices sparked by the unrest in Libya and elsewhere in the Arab world.
Emergency breakdown services
RACE (tel: 902 404 545).
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. From Britain, a ferry to Bilbao or Santander cuts down on road mileage and driver fatigue but is usually more expensive and a little longer than driving through France.
Driving times to the city
From León - 4 hours; Valladolid - 6 hours 45 minutes; Madrid - 6 hours.
Coach services
Santiago's Estación Central de Autobuses, San Caetano, to the northeast of the city center, is the terminus for national and international coach services. Monbus (tel: 902 292 900; www.monbus.es) operates coach 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; www.alsa.es). Eurolines (tel: 0871 781 8181, in the UK only; www.eurolines.com) run international coach services from London to Santiago with a couple of changes. The journey takes around 34 hours.
Getting There By Rail
Spanish trains are relatively punctual, reasonably priced and usually clean. Seat reservations are required on all inter-city trains.
Rail Services
The main railway station in Santiago de Compostela, Rúa de Hórreo, off Avenida de Lugo, is centrally located, just to the south of the Old Quarter. There's a day train and a night train to Santiago from Madrid. There's also a daily train to/from the French border at Irún/Hendaye via Bilbao and San Sebastián. You can get to Santiago from London by train via Paris in about 26 hours. The first leg is operated by Eurostar (tel: 0843 218 6186, in the UK only; www.eurostar.com). There are also connections to Oporto in Portugal via Vigo and regular local services to A Coruña.
Rail Operators
RENFE (tel: 902 240 202; www.renfe.es) operates the Spanish rail network, which radiates from Madrid to all the major cities.
Connections
From Madrid – 7 hours; London – 26 hours.
Getting Around in Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Public Transport
Buses in Santiago de Compostela are provided by Tralusa (http://tralusa.twa.es). 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.
Taxis
Municipal taxis in Santiago are white with a green light and can be safely hailed in the street. There are also many taxi ranks around the city. Radio Taxi (tel: 981 569 292) operates 24 hours a day, and Eurotaxi (tel: 981 535 154) has adapted vehicles for disabled travelers. Tips are not expected but it's fairly common to round the fare up.
Driving in the City
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. 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.
Car Hire
A 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. If you want to explore further afield, there are several car-hire agencies based both in town and at the airport. These include: Atesa (tel: 981 599 877 (airport), 981 599 007 (city); www.atesa.es), Avis (tel: 981 547 734 (airport), 981 590 409 (train station); www.avis.com), Europcar (tel: 981 597 476; www.europcar.com) and Hertz (tel: 981 598 893; www.hertz.com). Special rates are available for weekend or weekly hire.
Bicycle Hire
Cycle lanes around Santiago are gradually appearing. Bicycles are available for hire from Tour 'n' Ride, Rúa Laverde Ruiz 5 (tel: 981 936 616; 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.
