Getting to Ferrol Sat night/Sunday morning

[JaneI]

Hi all,

Another question from this newbie, I'm afraid -

We're intending to fly from Heathrow to A Coruna on Saturday, but don't arrive until 8.20pm. We'd planned to stay in A Coruna overnight and catch the bus to Ferrol on Sunday morning to start our walk, but according to the timetable the first bus doesn't leave until around 11 am - which means realistically we wouldn't be starting our first day's walking until early afternoon.

Which would you more experienced hands recommend: travel to Ferrol on Saturday evening (by bus? by taxi?) to have an early start on Sunday morning, or stay in A Coruna as planned on Saturday night and then take a taxi to Ferrol early on Sunday? I'm thinking about the fact that we'll need to eat somewhere along the line on Saturday evening as well as having had past experience of being stranded in a small provincial airport with no taxis in sight!

Thanks again -

Jane

 

[miguel_gp]

Hi, on the Arriva.es website I can see a bus at both 8 am and 10 am on Sundays.
I caught that same flight in October and was able to get to the rail station via the airport bus (taxi would be even quicker) and catch the last train to Ferrol with time enough for a quick bite in the cafe at Coruna station. The timing would also allow to catch the last bus to Ferrol on Saturday night. This is all dependent on the flight being on time of course.

 

[JaneI]

I caught that same flight in October and was able to get to the rail station via the airport bus (taxi would be even quicker) and catch the last train to Ferrol with time enough for a quick bite in the cafe at Coruna station.

Thanks Migeul, that's really helpful - do you have a link for the rail service? I think we might stick to our night in Coruna, for safety's sake (as you say, too much depends on the flight being on time), but if there's a train first thing in the morning that would be ideal. I'm not sure I fancy an hour and three quarters on a bus going the opposite way to the way I'm about start walking!

 

[miguel_gp]

The link is www.renfe.es but it seems that the trains don't run very early on Sat and Sun.

 

[natefaith]

Hi, Jane!
We lived in La Coruña for a few years and if you can spare the time I'd highly recommend getting a hotel near the ocean and enjoying the scenery there. There's a beautiful paseo marítimo (oceanfront walk) that goes around the city, and since you land at 8:20pm you'll still have some daylight. You'll need to get a taxi from the airport into town but then after your overnight both the train and bus stations are close to the ocean and the center of town (i.e. Short taxi rides to and from either station).

Whatever you decide, enjoy it all and Buen Camino!
Faith

 

[JaneI]

Hi, Jane!
We lived in La Coruña for a few years and if you can spare the time I'd highly recommend getting a hotel near the ocean and enjoying the scenery there. There's a beautiful paseo marítimo (oceanfront walk) that goes around the city, and since you land at 8:20pm you'll still have some daylight. You'll need to get a taxi from the airport into town but then after your overnight both the train and bus stations are close to the ocean and the center of town (i.e. Short taxi rides to and from either station).

Whatever you decide, enjoy it all and Buen Camino!
Faith

Thanks Faith, we've taken your advice - it seemed like La Coruna would be a nicer place to spend our first night and it saves the stress of trying to catch the last train/bus to our accommodation if we were booked in Ferrol. Haven't quite worked out how we'll get to Ferrol on the Sunday morning, but I'm sure we'll be able to get good advice from the hotel.

Does anyone know if the tourist office in Ferrol is definitely open at 10.00am on Sunday mornings, as it says on its website?

 

[natefaith]

Thanks Faith, we've taken your advice - it seemed like La Coruna would be a nicer place to spend our first night and it saves the stress of trying to catch the last train/bus to our accommodation if we were booked in Ferrol. Haven't quite worked out how we'll get to Ferrol on the Sunday morning, but I'm sure we'll be able to get good advice from the hotel.

Does anyone know if the tourist office in Ferrol is definitely open at 10.00am on Sunday mornings, as it says on its website?

Jane,
Oh good! I do think you'll like staying in Coruña. And you're right, it's probably wise to build in some margin so you're not stressed and rushed getting to Ferrol.

As for the tourist office, most Spanish offices and businesses stay true to their posted hours and you can usually rely on their online information. Unless it's a holiday! But as far as I know, it will be a normal, non-holiday weekend in Spain this coming weekend.

Buen Camino!
Take care,
Faith

 

[Al the optimist]

On a Sunday you could always go to the church in Rua Ingexia. I think they issue credentials.

 

[mishlove]

Hi Jane

I am in the same situation for my Camino in September, and have decided to take a taxi to Ferrol to be able to start early on the Saturday, my time is limited so I need get going asap.

Best wishes and Buen Camino

 

[JaneI]

Hi Jane

I am in the same situation for my Camino in September, and have decided to take a taxi to Ferrol to be able to start early on the Saturday, my time is limited so I need get going asap.

Best wishes and Buen Camino

That's our thinking too - in fact we've been able to book a taxi with the same people that are going to move our bags for us - let me know if you would like the details!

 

[mishlove]

That's our thinking too - in fact we've been able to book a taxi with the same people that are going to move our bags for us - let me know if you would like the details!

Janel

That would be wonderful, please do.

Thanks.

 

[JaneI]

Janel

That would be wonderful, please do.

Thanks.

Hi @mishlove, the whole thing worked perfectly! We booked the baggage carriers and arranged for them to pick us up in A Coruna at 8.30am on the Sunday morning, we were in Ferrol at the precise start of the camino for 9.45am, plenty of time to have coffee at the cafe right by the waypoint (and meet our first fellow peregrino!) before the tourist office opened at 10.30am (we needed to pick up credenciales before we set off).

Every day our bags were picked up and delivered on, and it all worked like a dream (apart from the day my husband forgot to take our credenciales out of his trouser pocket and they disappeared off to our next stop in the bag ahead of us!). Highly recommended.

If you email José on jacotransleon@gmail.com you'll find him extremely helpful (and his English is much, much better than my Spanish)

Buen camino!

 

[mishlove]

Hi @mishlove, the whole thing worked perfectly! We booked the baggage carriers and arranged for them to pick us up in A Coruna at 8.30am on the Sunday morning, we were in Ferrol at the precise start of the camino for 9.45am, plenty of time to have coffee at the cafe right by the waypoint (and meet our first fellow peregrino!) before the tourist office opened at 10.30am (we needed to pick up credenciales before we set off).

Every day our bags were picked up and delivered on, and it all worked like a dream (apart from the day my husband forgot to take our credenciales out of his trouser pocket and they disappeared off to our next stop in the bag ahead of us!). Highly recommended.

If you email José on jacotransleon@gmail.com you'll find him extremely helpful (and his English is much, much better than my Spanish)

Buen camino!

Janel

Many thank for the info.....I will be in touch with José before I leave.

Regards Michael