Booking return flights!

[SFHiker]

Hi all. Im flying out from the US in a couple weeks to start the French route.
I hadn’t booked a return flight yet as I dont know exactly when ill be finishing. I was going to wait till I was halfway and make a decision then.
How has everyone else handled this? Did you book your return flight before starting out? During? At the very end? Thanks!

 

[J Willhaus]

We always book round trip. Our first Camino we flew in and out of Paris and gave ourselves about 2 months total. Lots of people take much less time than that. We booked a flight from Santiago for the return. We flew to Paris. Spent a night for jet lag, then flew to Easy Jet to Biarritz (many people take the train), then took Express Bouricott to St. Jean. On the way back, flew Vueling from Santiago to Paris on , spent the night and then back to the US. Both Easy Jet and Vueling were separate tickets from our overseas flight.

Now we always fly into Madrid. For me it is less complicated. I have never wanted to start in St Jean since that first time and have found it easier to navigate my way around Spain with trains and buses. From Madrid, train, bus or flight to Pamplona and then in summer there is one mid-day bus to St. Jean.

Either way, it is very difficult to get to St. Jean all in one day unless you are coming in extra early in the morning to either Paris or Madrid and I recommend an overnight in either Paris or Bayonne or in Madrid or Pamplona.

 

[montyhiker]

Hi all. Im flying out from the US in a couple weeks to start the French route.
I hadn’t booked a return flight yet as I dont know exactly when ill be finishing. I was going to wait till I was halfway and make a decision then.
How has everyone else handled this? Did you book your return flight before starting out? During? At the very end? Thanks!

I had the exact same wonder. I booked a One-Way ticket because I didn’t know exactly how long it would take me to finish, and I didn’t want to be pressured by a schedule to adhere to. However, I posed this question to the forum and got valuable feedback concerning Immigration concerns for my destination country (France, Spain). I learned that many countries require a return flight to insure you won’t overstay your visit. You might be denied entry or not even allowed on your flight without purchasing a return flight (very expensive). I DIDN’T want to take that chance. I ended up buying a very cheap ticket from Porto to ANYWHERE in the US (I chose JFK). The ticket was dirt cheap and I don’t even plan to use it. Just using it to get through Immigration. I think I used like points to pay for it. Hope this helps. Buen Camino!

 

[C clearly]

I'm sure you'll get lots of recent experience and opinions on this, but in the meantime you can browse through this other thread on the topic.

 

[wisepilgrim]

Time and time again this is the one topic that drives me up the wall. Thank you for posting the question though, as this forum allows for a much more intelligent discourse than others.

In short the law obliges you to to have a return ticket, see the official notes from the Spanish Gov here.

A lot of people have managed to travel without one, and they are quick to assure you that it is not a problem. Even more people have not even tried, but are also happy to assure you that it is not a problem. Neither of these groups of people will guarantee that you will enter without a return ticket.

They will also tell you how friendly the border agents were, but none will tell you that the airline staff at the start of your journey (home country) are the ones responsible for ensuring that you have the paperwork in order as they are the ones that get fined if those friendly border agents become more diligent.

The more sensible approach is to have a flexible ticket that you can change; it seems to me that if you have the budget for 2 one-way tickets then you have the budget to change a ticket along the way.

-OR-​

Budget for more time than you need and find a place to go once you complete your camino... there is a high probability that you will meet someone else along the way that recommends a destination or even invites you to theirs.

 

[C clearly]

In short the law obliges you to to have a return ticket, see the official notes from the Spanish Gov here.

I don't agree that the notes on the website are quite that explicit, but I am not an authority who can explain or interpret the requirements.

However, I do agree with the following..

Neither of these groups of people will guarantee that you will enter without a return ticket.

I always travel with a return ticket anyway, because it almost always make more sense to change a return ticket than to buy separate ones.

 

[Robo]

I always travel with a return ticket. If I go anywhere!

I plan how long my Camino will take, including rest days and add 2-3 more days. (this would be on a 40+ day Camino) I'm conservative in my planning and usually finish a bit ahead of time.

Once I had to contact the airline and change the return date.

To @wisepilgrim 's point.

I have been asked a number of times when checking in to leave my home country, to show my return booking!

On my last Camino, I was going to be in Spain close to the 90 days allowance.
The border agents on arrival in Madrid asked me about my planned return date.

 

[wisepilgrim]

I have been asked a number of times when checking in to leave my home country, to show my return booking!

This is part of the problem with everyone saying that it is not a problem; you are the rare case of a person that has a return ticket and is still asked. Most people have a return ticket and are therefore not asked, and assume that because they were not asked because it is not necessary when in reality they were no asked because the airline could already see they had a return ticket.

I often travel from the US to Europe on a one way ticket, and I am always asked. It is that experience that tells me that the airlines are aware and vigilant. My circumstance does not require me to have a return ticket, but most people will.

 

[Roland49]

Booked my return flight from the Albergue in Sarria on the CF. 5 days before takeoff.
All went well, but I am from a Schengen country. I don't know if this is possible, if you are from abroad.

 

[bks]

Hi all. Im flying out from the US in a couple weeks to start the French route.
I hadn’t booked a return flight yet as I dont know exactly when ill be finishing. I was going to wait till I was halfway and make a decision then.
How has everyone else handled this? Did you book your return flight before starting out? During? At the very end? ThanksI

Your on the right track!! Now your not pressured to meet some arbitrary deadline and you have the flexibility to stay longer or return earlier. Sometimes it costs a little more to fly one way but often it's cheaper. Be somewhat flexible with your departure point. Also if something unexpected comes up and you have to return home earlier you've saved a lot of money.

 

[CWBuff]

The document that @wisepilgrim refers to above has this section (highlights are mine)

Documents accrediting the purpose and conditions of the planned stay: At the request of the competent authorities, the reasons and conditions of the planned stay must be accredited by documentary proof or other means. To this end, the presentation, among others, of the following documents may be required:

• Return or tourist circuit ticket, in all cases.

So MAY be required but as many stated why chance it? I dont EVER recall travelling anywhere without a return ticket. Sometime in EU yes you absolutely can come into say Spain and leave from Germany or France or Italy etc but if asked you can produce that return ticket proving yu have an exit strategy.
Thats all they want and IMHO it is pointless to argue with any government official of any government. You WILL lose (you may win in the long run but in the short one would be a HUUUUGE shane and disappointment if your Camino comes to an end! )

 

[bks]

The document that @wisepilgrim refers to above has this section (highlights are mine)

Documents accrediting the purpose and conditions of the planned stay: At the request of the competent authorities, the reasons and conditions of the planned stay must be accredited by documentary proof or other means. To this end, the presentation, among others, of the following documents may be required:

• Return or tourist circuit ticket, in all cases.

So MAY be required but as many stated why chance it? I dont EVER recall travelling anywhere without a return ticket. Sometime in EU yes you absolutely can come into say Spain and leave from Germany or France or Italy etc but if asked you can produce that return ticket proving yu have an exit strategy.
Thats all they want and IMHO it is pointless to argue with any government official of any government. You WILL lose (you may win in the long run but in the short one would be a HUUUUGE shane and disappointment if your Camino comes to an end! )

That's never been an issue!!!

 

[bks]

Booked my return flight from the Albergue in Sarria on the CF. 5 days before takeoff.
All went well, but I am from a Schengen country. I don't know if this is possible, if you are from abroad.

It's not a problem!! I'm always booking one way tickets!!

 

[bks]

This is part of the problem with everyone saying that it is not a problem; you are the rare case of a person that has a return ticket and is still asked. Most people have a return ticket and are therefore not asked, and assume that because they were not asked because it is not necessary when in reality they were no asked because the airline could already see they had a return ticket.

I often travel from the US to Europe on a one way ticket, and I am always asked. It is that experience that tells me that the airlines are aware and vigilant. My circumstance does not require me to have a return ticket, but most people will.

I've never been asked and I've flown dozens of times!

 

[CWBuff]

With all Respect Due by all means continue to book one way tickets for yourself.
However when other members of the Forum are siting THE LAW which clearly specifies the POSSIBILITY of something that just MAY GO WRONG why would you take it upon yourself to advise somebody else to take a risk?
Even if nothing ever happened to you, wouldn't it be more prudent to advise to err on the side of caution?
There are posts above that already stated that the situation DID happen to those folks, so it's not that far-fetched.
What, if anything, would you be able to offer the OP if things don't exactly work out? Even the most humblest apology will not make it better...
...lookin at your immediate above posts, you are in disagreement with not one not 2 but 3 people! There is a saying in my old country: When 3 people tell you that you are drunk - go to sleep...

 

[Bristle Boy]

Thank you @CWBuff and @wisepilgrim for the clarity and accuracy of your contribution to the OP's question. As for the rest I will happily ignore.
Like the requirement for access to a provable, minimum daily funding requirement, proof of a return ticket is also necessary. These are the rules.
The fact that you haven't been asked to provide this evidence does not mean that it doesn't apply or the advice to others is not to worry about it.
The fact that last month, last week or yesterday you were not asked does not mean that tomorrow you won't and when (not if) it does what will have changed?
In short, Nothing!
The regulations and requirements on entry have been clearly outlined in this thread.

 

[Bristle Boy]

I've never been asked and I've flown dozens of times!

As a post script I thought I would be the first to congratulate you on your good fortune.

As for me I am just grateful for all the bad luck that comes my way....without it I wouldn't have any luck at all.