feve train and camino del norte

[rioja routard]

Hello
I am thinking of parking my camper west of Santander, maybe near B00 and walking the norte with the intention of getting the FEVE train back to my camper each day and walking train again next day to where I broke my previous days walk.
Wondering if the FEVE route to Oveido from Santander can make this feasible?

Guess I will study google maps but wondered if anyone else has used the little train and combined it with walking.

Thanks

 

[Drumbo_hiker]

Hi, very interesting approach. I suggest you check the FEVE timetable very carefully before committing. I wanted to use it back in 2018 and 2019 but it was totally impractical, there just were not enough trains.

Ian

 

[miguel_gp]

Here is a link to the timetable. It is a very slow and as mentioned above infrequent train with lots of stops so it may not prove very practical or at least you may have a lot of waiting and travelling time. Do I understand that you are thinking of moving your Camper on each evening or morning to the place that you finished walking the previous day?

I did a similar thing with a hire car on the Camino Portugues for a few days a couple of years back. Although it worked out it was a bit of a pain after a day's walk to then arrange for the car to be in the right place.

Hope it works out.

Buen Camperino

https://www.renfe.com/es/en/suburban/cercanias-feve/timetables

and map

https://www.renfe.com/content/dam/renfe/es/Viajeros/Secciones/Cercanias/Mapas/feve/map_oviedo_santander.png

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

It may work better if every few days you moved your camper further along the route at the end of the day. It’s been years since I walked the Norte but when I did there were few albergues, fewer people and most of them men. A pilgrim became overly attentive and I didn’t have many lodging options. Then I found a nice hotel on the beach for a great price. For three steps I’d walk then train back, next day train to start point and walk then train back. By the third day I was waiting on or riding trains most of the day. But at that time (current train schedule may vary) it worked ok for three days but no more than that—it served its purpose however and let me lose my “companion” before I turned onto the Primitivo

 

[Barbara]

It can be done, but you will have to accept days of variable length.

 

[Bernice M]

The others above have given you the timetable and map, but I recommend the trip on the FEVE for its intrinsic delights. It really is worth the trip. Yes, it's slow and is at different times of the day more like a commuter train, but overall a delightful artefact of another time. I took the FEVE from Ferrol to Bilbao after finishing in Santiago. It took three days, although I might have been able to do it quicker. Stayed Ferrol, Oviedo, Santander and then on to Bilbao. I could have gone on to Léon.
And remember that if you're over 60, the Renfe old folks discount card that costs you about 6 euro knocks a huge amount off the fare. Just get it at any station on production of your passport. I recall that the fare Ferrol to Oviedo was 12 euro for an over-60.

At some stations there is a separate FEVE office for ticket sales. In Ferrol there is just a dispenser machine.

For lovers of slow trains, there is also the FEVE Algeciras-Granada. It goes over Ronda.

 

[rioja routard]

It may work better if every few days you moved your camper further along the route at the end of the day. It’s been years since I walked the Norte but when I did there were few albergues, fewer people and most of them men. A pilgrim became overly attentive and I didn’t have many lodging options. Then I found a nice hotel on the beach for a great price. For three steps I’d walk then train back, next day train to start point and walk then train back. By the third day I was waiting on or riding trains most of the day. But at that time (current train schedule may vary) it worked ok for three days but no more than that—it served its purpose however and let me lose my “companion” before I turned onto the Primitivo

Thanks for your reply. Can you remember the name of the hotel on the beach?

 

[witsendwv]

The others above have given you the timetable and map, but I recommend the trip on the FEVE for its intrinsic delights. It really is worth the trip. Yes, it's slow and is at different times of the day more like a commuter train, but overall a delightful artefact of another time. I took the FEVE from Ferrol to Bilbao after finishing in Santiago. It took three days, although I might have been able to do it quicker. Stayed Ferrol, Oviedo, Santander and then on to Bilbao. I could have gone on to Léon.
And remember that if you're over 60, the Renfe old folks discount card that costs you about 6 euro knocks a huge amount off the fare. Just get it at any station on production of your passport. I recall that the fare Ferrol to Oviedo was 12 euro for an over-60.

At some stations there is a separate FEVE office for ticket sales. In Ferrol there is just a dispenser machine.

For lovers of slow trains, there is also the FEVE Algeciras-Granada. It goes over Ronda.

Thanks for the "jubilado" information. I have been planning to take a FEVE trip along the coast as my husband wants to go back to San Sebastian after our next camino! I think the FEVE goes to Bilbao and then the Euskotren continues to San Sebastian.

 

[Barbara]

There are also greenways made out of some of the closed lines that used to run into the interior. You could explore for ever in this area. I've done the return from Santiago twice by this train, on the first one I was invited to join a group of men celebrating their retirement by a trip to Santander. Tapas and wine all the way.

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

Thanks for your reply. Can you remember the name of the hotel on the beach?

Kype Quintamar but it’s been years ago so I wouldn’t book just on my word. I used booking.com (probably, may have just walked in and asked) which often since I was booking for same or next day got me great prices …including parador in SdC. But I had a balcony looking over the water and beach was right outside the door. The true Pilgrim de Norte experience Buen Camino, the Norte was breathtaking (and not just from all the up and down hill climbing).

 

[Tia Valeria]

We have used the FEVE and it is well worth the ride. For using it to help with walking there may be days when it is better to have the camper van ahead and take the FEVE back to the start of that day's walk. This means walking forward to your camper. You might be able to park a couple of days' walk ahead depending on train times. It is easier after LLanes as there are (or were) more trains per day. We stayed in Ribadasella, morning FEVE back to Celorio and walked to Nueva de Llanes then afternoon FEVE to Ribadasella. Next day - morning FEVE to Nueva and walked to Ribadasella. We recommend that you check the train times carefully, and sometimes it runs late!!!! but don't depend on that happening
Buen Camino

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

We have used the FEVE and it is well worth the ride. For using it to help with walking there may be days when it is better to have the camper van ahead and take the FEVE back to the start of that day's walk. This means walking forward to your camper. You might be able to park a couple of days' walk ahead depending on train times. It is easier after LLanes as there are (or were) more trains per day. We stayed in Ribadasella, morning FEVE back to Celorio and walked to Nueva de Llanes then afternoon FEVE to Ribadasella. Next day - morning FEVE to Nueva and walked to Ribadasella. We recommend that you check the train times carefully, and sometimes it runs late!!!! but don't depend on that happening
Buen Camino

From personal experience I can say that any advice given by Tia Valeria is priceless and wise people take it to heart. I hadn’t even consider parking ahead. What a great idea!

 

[rioja routard]

I saw these plans at LLanes which shows the relationship between the FEVE lines and the Camino.

 

[Barbara]

They are also on the FEVE/RENFE web site

 

[BobC]

Hello
I am thinking of parking my camper west of Santander, maybe near B00 and walking the norte with the intention of getting the FEVE train back to my camper each day and walking train again next day to where I broke my previous days walk.
Wondering if the FEVE route to Oveido from Santander can make this feasible?

Guess I will study google maps but wondered if anyone else has used the little train and combined it with walking.

Thanks

I used Feve from Santander to continue Norte I had stopped in Ribdesella. I had no problems and it gave me another perspective on the countryside of Northern Spain. Two other couples with backpacks got on between Santander and Ribdesella.... they looked happy.

 

[poogeyejr]

This has worked well from Irun to Deba for a friend staying in San Sebastian, but I lost touch with them after Deba. They used the local train but didn't specify which one.

I love that we are boosting this old thread, as it is relevant to those who wish to stay still for a few nights at a time.

Kathy