A Follow the Camino guide to getting in, getting out, and gliding through Day 0.
Walking the Camino feels simple; travel days sometimes don’t. That’s why we plan your Camino backwards from your finish and forwards from your first flight, so the joins are seamless.
On this page you’ll find how we think about flights, the easiest airports for each major route, what our private transfers look like, and how to decide between public transport and a door-to-door pick-up.
How we plan your travel days (so you don’t have to)
When you share your travel dates and decide on the route, we map your arrival and departure around three principles:
- Finish first. Most itineraries end in Santiago; the cleanest exit is from SCQ with a simple city↔airport connection.
- Start smart. Choose the best-connected hub near your starting point (often Santiago, Porto, Lisbon, Bilbao, Madrid, Santander, or A Coruña/Vigo for Galicia) and get you from airport to trail with either public transport or a private transfer—whichever is calmer for your arrival time.
- Protect Day 0. If your flight lands late or you’re crossing time zones, we’ll recommend a hotel first night + morning transfer to the trail. Arrive, shower, stroll for tapas. No racing buses.
Airport pick-ups & private transfers (what it’s like with us)
- Where we operate: we can arrange private transfers on every Camino route we sell—airport to first hotel, point-to-point during your trip if needed, and hotel back to the airport when you’re done.
- Meet & greet: your driver meets you in the Arrivals hall with a sign in your name and takes you straight to your accommodation.
- Flight monitoring: share your flight numbers and origin; we monitor delays and coordinate directly with our transport partners. Full contact details appear in your Travel Documents.
- From Santiago city to SCQ: if you’ve booked a transfer at the end, be ready at hotel reception at the agreed time; your driver will collect you there and drop you at Departures.
Public transport option: if you’d rather go DIY, our trip pages’ “How to get there” sections outline the usual train/bus patterns for each start town. We’ll still design the walking days around your schedule.
We don’t book flight tickets. You choose the flights that suit your budget and schedule; we build the Camino around them.
Route-by-route: the airports that make life easiest
Below we keep things paragraph-style (no dense bullet lists) and explain why each airport works, plus the common way to reach your start. If you want, we’ll tailor this to your exact itinerary and origin market.
Camino Francés (French Way)
If you’re walking the classic last 100 km from Sarria, flying into Santiago de Compostela (SCQ) is hands-down the simplest inbound. Travellers typically go from Santiago city towards Lugo and on to Sarria by bus, or they book a direct private transfer from the airport to their hotel in Sarria for a completely friction-free Day 0.
For other entry points—Pamplona, Logroño, Sahagún, León—the best hubs tend to be Bilbao, Santander, Madrid, or Santiago depending on your start; from there it’s an easy rail or coach connection or, if you prefer, a transfer arranged by us. However you begin, the end is blissfully simple: finish in the city of Santiago, then head to SCQ by the frequent city↔airport connection or a pre-booked hotel pick-up.
Camino Portugués (Portuguese Way: Central & Coastal)
For full routes starting around Porto, Porto Airport (OPO) is the natural gateway. The city is well linked to both Coastal and Central variants, and it’s effortless to position from the centre to your first stage.
If you’re choosing a shorter Galician section, such as Tui or Oia, many walkers fly to Vigo directly; others prefer a private transfer directly from SCQ to their first hotel. When you finish in Santiago, you already know the drill: hop to SCQ by shuttle or let us collect you at your hotel.
Camino del Norte (Northern Way)
For the Basque and Cantabrian coast, Bilbao (BIO) and Santander (SDR) are the workhorses. If your first stages are near Bilbao, land at BIO, ride the short airport→city connection, and you’re set. Starting nearer Cantabria? SDR is wonderfully practical with straightforward onward links along the coast. If your Northern Way eventually drifts into Galicia, many travellers still route home via SCQ for the neatest exit.
Camino Primitivo (Original Way)
Two tidy entries keep returning to the top of the list: Oviedo for the full route and Lugo for those chasing a shorter finish into Santiago. If you choose Lugo, a flight into Santiago (SCQ) followed by a bus north to Lugo keeps Day 0 compact; if you begin in Oviedo, choose the best hub for Asturias, arrive at a civilised hour, and let us arrange a pick-up if you don’t fancy juggling timetables. As ever, end in Santiago and roll to SCQ your preferred way.
Camino Inglés (English Way)
The Inglés features A Coruña and Ferrol as start towns, both an easy reach from Santiago (SCQ) and A Coruna Airport. Many travellers route into SCQ, go on to their chosen start by rail or bus (or transfer if they land late), then finish back in Santiago and fly home from the same airport. It’s a wonderfully compact, week-friendly plan.
Should you go public transport or private transfer?
If your flights land midday and you enjoy a bit of way-finding, public transport is absolutely fine—and our trip pages list the usual combinations for each start. If you land late, you’re a group with luggage, or you’re coming off a long-haul and want Day 0 to feel like a holiday, a private transfer is worth every minute it saves. We’ll quote both and let you choose.
Country-by-country notes (how to think about flights)
- Ireland & U.K: You’ll find a good mix of year-round and seasonal services into SCQ, OPO, LIS, BIO, SDR and the Madrid/Barcelona hubs. If you’re tight on time, “flying into the biggest nearby hub + private transfer” is often faster than waiting for a once-a-day regional link.
- United States & Canada: The most resilient year-round pattern is direct to Madrid or Barcelona, then a short domestic hop or rail to your gateway (Santiago/Porto/Bilbao). For Portuguese routes, Lisbon/Porto are excellent starts; for Francés/Primitivo, Madrid + rail works beautifully.
- Australia, South Africa & elsewhere long-haul: Build a buffer night before Stage 1 if you can; it makes jet-lag vanish. Route via your preferred global hub into Madrid/Barcelona/Porto/Santiago, and we’ll join the dots from there.
(We purposely avoid listing specific airlines and seasonal timetables here—they change often. Pick what’s best on the day; we’ll shape your ground plan around it.)
What we need to arrange your transfers
When you’re ready to lock transfers, send us: origin airport(s), flight numbers, scheduled arrival/departure times, and your mobile number. We’ll confirm pick-up points in your Travel Documents, along with the 24/7 contact for our local transport team in case your plans shift en-route.
FAQs
Do you book flights?
No. You book the flights you prefer; we design the Camino around your dates and arrange the on-the-ground logistics.
Where will my driver meet me?
In the Arrivals hall with a sign in your name. For hotel→airport transfers at the end, be ready at reception at the agreed time; we collect you there.
Can I do this by public transport instead?
Of course. Our trip pages include “How to get there” guidance for each start. If timetables are sparse or you’re landing late, a private transfer keeps things smooth.
Which airport is “best” for my route?
It depends on your start. Santiago (SCQ) is the best exit if you finish in Santiago. Porto (OPO) is ideal for Portuguese Way starts. Bilbao (BIO) or Santander (SDR) suit Northern Way starts. Madrid (MAD) and Barcelona (BCN) are versatile for Francés/Primitivo connections. Tell us your dates and we’ll map the cleanest pair.
Ready to plan?
Open your calendar, pick your dates, and tell us where you’d like to start. We’ll propose the best airport plan, book any private transfers, and we will build a day-by-day you can’t wait to walk—right down to your final hop to SCQ after that last Compostela stamp.
