Best way back to UK

[Teez]

Flying back to the UK last time (2019) was a nightmare. Santiago was locked in by fog. Take-off at 9 was delayed until 10.30. Missed connecting flight to Heathrow. Stood in a queue for 2 hours to reschedule. No one wanting to reschedule was being seen. A group including us protested. Security was called. Eventually management turned up and processed the 200 or so people who’d been standing around waiting to reschedule. More waiting. Eventually we got into Heathrow at about 10pm.
All the flights I see from Santiago to London have only a maximum of an hour and a half between them at Madrid. Don’t want the same experience again. Suggestions please. Two separate bookings or another way altogether?

 

[Bradypus]

I have flown from A Coruña to London several times. Flying directly to Heathrow rather than Stansted made it well worthwhile.

 

[Mycroft]

Flying back to the UK last time (2019) was a nightmare. Santiago was locked in by fog. Take-off at 9 was delayed until 10.30. Missed connecting flight to Heathrow. Stood in a queue for 2 hours to reschedule. No one wanting to reschedule was being seen. A group including us protested. Security was called. Eventually management turned up and processed the 200 or so people who’d been standing around waiting to reschedule. More waiting. Eventually we got into Heathrow at about 10pm.
All the flights I see from Santiago to London have only a maximum of an hour and a half between them at Madrid. Don’t want the same experience again. Suggestions please. Two separate bookings or another way altogether?

That does sound nightmarish.
I think some of the cheap airlines fly from SCQ to various places around London, if that's where you are headed, but I like Bradypus' idea of flying out of A Coruña. I will need to remember that one for the next time.

 

[MinaKamina]

Unless you insist on a plane, try trains, busses, walking or the ferry from Santander:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...-by-ferry-from-santander-advice-please.74090/

 

[naplesdon]

Unless you insist on a plane, try trains, busses, walking or the ferry from Santander:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...-by-ferry-from-santander-advice-please.74090/

Or a pub crawl

 

[MinaKamina]

Or a pub crawl

I second this proposal.
The mere fact that an airport is there does not mean that you are spiritually obliged to visit. Yet people keep on flocking and standing in line. Why in the name of sanity is that?
A dedicated pub crawl may be all it takes to kick the habit.

 

[Corned Beef]

Stood in a queue for 2 hours to reschedule.

I don't know if this was an option in 2019, but last month when my flight was cancelled Easyjet's representatives told us to use the app. It took 2 minutes to reschedule or I could have cancelled for a refund if I decided to fly a different route.

I also had the chance to claim compensation using the app, and the compensation was in my account before I even got back. So the message at least from Easyjet is have the app loaded on your phone.

As regards flight cancellations / delays, I don't think we are back to "normal" yet looking at the daily cancellations at the local airport so best check the apps before you fly.

PS. There's an app for pub crawls too. But not sure how useable it would be after the first six.

 

[David with new Kit!]

I flew back from SDC to LGW direct, with Vueling last September.

Is that no longer an option for you?

 

[SueL_UK]

I’m flying direct from SdC to Gatwick with EasyJet in June. I think they only fly on certain days of the week though rather than every day.

 

[Barbara]

Train, bus, ferry. Santander or Bilbao. The really nice way is a bit slow, but worth it, the narrow gauge train from the coast to Hendaye (two days) then French train to Paris and Eurostar or a ferry from Caen or Calais. Or walk home if you have time.

 

[TallSimon]

I have done the ferry across the Bay of Biscay, it was fine on the way south, but northbound it was rough and 2/3rds of the party were really seasick. Biscay has a reputation for being like that, but I much prefer the ferry to the airport stress.

 

[ukjohn99]

Flying back to the UK last time (2019) was a nightmare. Santiago was locked in by fog. Take-off at 9 was delayed until 10.30. Missed connecting flight to Heathrow. Stood in a queue for 2 hours to reschedule. No one wanting to reschedule was being seen. A group including us protested. Security was called. Eventually management turned up and processed the 200 or so people who’d been standing around waiting to reschedule. More waiting. Eventually we got into Heathrow at about 10pm.
All the flights I see from Santiago to London have only a maximum of an hour and a half between them at Madrid. Don’t want the same experience again. Suggestions please. Two separate bookings or another way altogether?

I flew to Toulouse where I stayed for the night then by train to St Jean the next morning, changing at Bayonne (I think that there's a bus for the last section at the moment for some reason). It was a pleasant journey that went through Lourdes and Pau. I returned by bus from Santiago to Toulouse. Another night there and flew back to London the next morning. The only nuisance was that the bus arrived in Toulouse very early in the morning, too early to book into my hotel so I left my backpack at the hotel and wandered around a bit, had breakfast and a few coffees. Otherwise I enjoyed both journeys.

 

[chinacat]

Take the slow train (aren’t they all?) to Pamplona, stay overnight, (or two), train to Irun/Hendaye, train to Bordeaux , then train up through France, stopping off if anywhere looks appealing, then Eurostar.
A lovely way to rejoin the rest of ’civilisation’ after your Camino …


… or the pub crawl …

 

[miguel_gp]

Fly direct to Gatwick from Santiago or A Coruna with Vueling.

 

[GailGwyn]

Flying back to the UK last time (2019) was a nightmare. Santiago was locked in by fog. Take-off at 9 was delayed until 10.30. Missed connecting flight to Heathrow. Stood in a queue for 2 hours to reschedule. No one wanting to reschedule was being seen. A group including us protested. Security was called. Eventually management turned up and processed the 200 or so people who’d been standing around waiting to reschedule. More waiting. Eventually we got into Heathrow at about 10pm.
All the flights I see from Santiago to London have only a maximum of an hour and a half between them at Madrid. Don’t want the same experience again. Suggestions please. Two separate bookings or another way altogether?

We're flying from Santiago to Gatwick. Don't know if that would help you? Never tried that route before so don't know how it will be.