starting Camino from Tui next week

[eirenearchos]

Hi all I am taking my first Camino starting next week. Some of the albergues from Tui to Santiago have not opened as of yet. Can any pilgrims who have recently walked this month or are going to next week let me know which ones they have found are open and taking reservations? Also can anyone suggest the best way to get from Porto to Tui as that is my route. Thanks all and Buen Camino. A bit nervous but excited too.

 

[CarolamS]

I don't know what is currently open but maybe Gronze.com can help. In Tui I heartily recommend Ideas Peregrinas I believe they are open.
There is a good bus service, Alsa, from Porto to Tui. You can get one from the city or from the airport. I got off at Valenca and walked across the bridge to Tui, following the yellow arrows. But I think some buses drop off in Tui. Rome2rio.com can give you details and a link to the Alsa website too.
Buen Camino

 

[eirenearchos]

I don't know what is currently open but maybe Gronze.com can help. In Tui I heartily recommend Ideas Peregrinas I believe they are open.
There is a good bus service, Alsa, from Porto to Tui. You can get one from the city or from the airport. I got off at Valenca and walked across the bridge to Tui, following the yellow arrows. But I think some buses drop off in Tui. Rome2rio.com can give you details and a link to the Alsa website too.
Buen Camino

Thank you

 

[sharonmonty]

I don't know what is currently open but maybe Gronze.com can help. In Tui I heartily recommend Ideas Peregrinas I believe they are open.
There is a good bus service, Alsa, from Porto to Tui. You can get one from the city or from the airport. I got off at Valenca and walked across the bridge to Tui, following the yellow arrows. But I think some buses drop off in Tui. Rome2rio.com can give you details and a link to the Alsa website too.
Buen Camino

Thank you. I’m doing this in May. I hadn’t seen the bus from the airport so that’s very useful. Will check Alsa website

 

[Former member 22438]

You can take the train from Porto Campanha station to Valença do Minho.
nice trip through the north of Portugal and end up in Valença. From there walk through the famous fortress and the more famous bridge between Portugal and Spain, built by the famous George Eiffel, builder of the Paris Eiffel tower.
a walk from about three quaters of an hour to Tui. Very nice.
and fully waymarked with the yellow caminho markers ( only about two hundred meters from the station to the fortress is not waymarked

CP - Comboios de Portugal

At CP - Comboios de Portugal, you can check train times and discounts and buy tickets online. Further details.

www.cp.pt

to get to the station take the metro from the airport to Campanha station. About 20 minutes.
the train journey is more intresting than the bus

 

[Former member 100027]

Thank you. I’m doing this in May. I hadn’t seen the bus from the airport so that’s very useful. Will check Alsa website

Autna is also another bus/coach company that operates a service from Porto airport to Vigo, stopping in Valenca. If you have an early morning flight, Autna's service departs at 11.30 from Porto Airport whereas Alsa departs around 13.15. I didn't find the Autna website very user friendly, so actually booked my coach ticket via the Trainline website (here in the UK).

 

[Jen25]

You can take the train from Porto Campanha station to Valença do Minho.
nice trip through the north of Portugal and end up in Valença. From there walk through the famous fortress and the more famous bridge between Portugal and Spain, built by the famous George Eiffel, builder of the Paris Eiffel tower.
a walk from about three quaters of an hour to Tui. Very nice.
and fully waymarked with the yellow caminho markers ( only about two hundred meters from the station to the fortress is not waymarked

CP - Comboios de Portugal

At CP - Comboios de Portugal, you can check train times and discounts and buy tickets online. Further details.

www.cp.pt

to get to the station take the metro from the airport to Campanha station. About 20 minutes.
the train journey is more intresting than the bus

Great advice. I am starting from Tiu, walking with my sister, from late April. The train from Porto to Tui sounds like a good idea.

 

[sharonmonty]

Autna is also another bus/coach company that operates a service from Porto airport to Vigo, stopping in Valenca. If you have an early morning flight, Autna's service departs at 11.30 from Porto Airport whereas Alsa departs around 13.15. I didn't find the Autna website very user friendly, so actually booked my coach ticket via the Trainline website (here in the UK).

Thanks. I had seen the 11.30 one and it looks a better for me. Trainline looks useful.

 

[TreshaA2]

Hoping for other options... we arriving in Porto also and beginning our walk from Tui. We arrive on a Sunday at 9:30 in the morning, so we will probably clear customs and be out of there by 11am is my guess. The next bus isn't until 1:30.. we arrive at 3:30, but we've lost an hour because we are now in Sapin and it's really 4pm. I was thinking why not hire a taxi to take us at 11 am-- it's only an hour's drive and then we don't lose a whole afternoon and we can be exploring Valenca or Tui! Anyone have any ideas on transfer services or drivers they have used?? Thanks in advance!

 

[trecile]

I just checked my Uber app, and you take take an Uber from the airport for around €80

 

[Former member 100027]

Hoping for other options... we arriving in Porto also and beginning our walk from Tui. We arrive on a Sunday at 9:30 in the morning, so we will probably clear customs and be out of there by 11am is my guess. The next bus isn't until 1:30.. we arrive at 3:30, but we've lost an hour because we are now in Sapin and it's really 4pm. I was thinking why not hire a taxi to take us at 11 am-- it's only an hour's drive and then we don't lose a whole afternoon and we can be exploring Valenca or Tui! Anyone have any ideas on transfer services or drivers they have used?? Thanks in advance!

There is a bus at 11.30 that goes from Porto Airport to Vigo but stops at Valenca. The bus company is Autna.

Sorry I can’t help about other transfer devices. You could try haggle a fare with a taxi at the airport?

 

[Former member 22438]

There is a bus at 11.30 that goes from Porto Airport to Vigo but stops at Valenca. The bus company is Autna.

Sorry I can’t help about other transfer devices. You could try haggle a fare with a taxi at the airport?

The buscompany which services Porto to Santiago is ALSA bus.

Wherever you want to go - Alsa

Buy bus tickets at the best price. At Alsa we offer bus rental, travel deals, on-board services and information on routes and schedules.

www.alsa.com

An hour ago I booked my journey with them from Valença to Santiago for March 28 th and my return on April 13th from Santiago to Porto Airport
look at the ALSA website (in English too) there are two buses a day from Casa da Música in the center of Porto with a stop at the airport and in the Vigo busstation

The one which stops in Valença comes from Lisbon , stops in Porto ( at the airport I do not know) and goes to Braga and Valença and also has a stop in Vigo.

in 2019 we started in Valença
we took the metro to the Campanha railway station in Porto and took the train to Valença
very comfortable and not expensive

My reason to take the bus this time
I fly on saturday 26th of March to Porto, take the train to Tamel and get a taxi to Casa da Fernanda where I stay two day as they are friends of mine
I have to be in Santiago the 28th of March, starting voluntairy work at the pilgrimsoffice the next day.
But there are only two international trains per day one early in the morning and one later in the evening
the early one should be possible but to get an international trainticket I have to be very early at the station in Viana do Castelo because the local station nearby Fernanda does not sell international tickets.
I tried to buy aticket online but did not succed because the Comboios de Portugal does not sell these tickets but RENFE , the Spanish company ( very complicated)
long story short..I buy a trainticket at the station nearby Fernanda when I leave there and travel easy to Valença and wait there for ALSA bus to Santiago which delivers me there at 18:00 hrs

The ALSA bus back to Porto we took many times. Advice is to reserve on beforehand
we experienced very busy busses the times we travelled back and last minute booking can be a risk That’s why I booked both busses today.

There is a new busstation in Santiago at the backside of the railwaystation. That was new to me to find out today.

About Autna I have seen this brand before but never travelled with them and I only see that they go as far as Vigo. No problem because there is a good railconnection between Vigo and Santiago .

https://www.autna.com/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2020/03/Horarios-de-Autna-2022.pdf

But I have experiences since years with ALSA bus so….

bom caminho

 

[TreshaA2]

I just checked my Uber app, and you take take an Uber from the airport for around €80

Sometimes I make things way more complicated for myself!! Thanks!!!

 

[TreshaA2]

The buscompany which services Porto to Santiago is ALSA bus.
An hour ago I booked my journey with them from Valença to Santiago for March 28 th and my return on April 13th from Santiago to Porto Airport

ALSA and AUTNA buses do not start until 1:30 on Sundays....Thanks!

 

[mspath]

Check out this earlier post re walking through the Fortress towards Tui.
Pictures are included. Buen camino.

 

[Former member 22438]

Great advice. I am starting from Tiu, walking with my sister, from late April. The train from Porto to Tui sounds like a good idea.

The train stops in Valença at the Portuguese side of the Minho river
so you have to walk over the bridge to Tui. But it is a nice walk. You will like it.