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Train and bus schedule.

Clive Williams

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Walking the Camino de Santiago, only the last 100km from Sarria to Santiago I'm April 2020
Hi,
I was wondering if anyone could advise on the best form of travel between Santiago and Sarria. I am walking the last 100km of the Camino de Santiago and finding the train/bus websites very unclear on times and cost. The walk starts from Sarria and as I fly in to Santiago need to get to Sarria the same day.
Has anyone had any experience of this and willing to give me some guidance please.
Many thanks
Clive Williams
 
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...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
Clive, you might contact Caminofacil and ask them what they charge, then perhaps post something asking if any other pilgrims want to share a taxi? Depending on the MONTH you go there are regular buses.
 
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The cost is about €10 for the bus to Lugo and bout €5 from Lugo to Sarria. If you let me know what date and time you arrive, I am happy to check the timetable for you.
 
When I went to the rome2rio site, it shows a bus but only a few times a week. There is hourly service on the train from Santiago to Ourense and then a change of train but the schedule isn't that great. It looks like a better bet would be from A Coruna (direct train to Sarria) and buses that you have to change in Lugo but better connections. With all the pilgrims from Santiago you would think there would be a Santiago->Sarria direct train.
 
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With all the pilgrims from Santiago you would think there would be a Santiago->Sarria direct train.
There were plans announced in 2018 to create a direct bus service that would run from Santiago to O Cebreiro and passing through Sarria and the other main Camino Frances towns along the way. I have heard nothing more about the idea since. :rolleyes: Personally I would find it very strange and unsatisfactory to travel all the way to Santiago just in order to leave it by bus or train and then walk back to there. Seems a peculiar way of approaching a pilgrimage to begin from your destination!
 
This video is worth a watch:
The cost is about €10 for the bus to Lugo and bout €5 from Lugo to Sarria. If you let me know what date and time you arrive, I am happy to check the timetable for you.
Hi Mark
We fly into Santiago on Sunday 29th March about 3pm. We would like to get to Sarria on that Sunday so that we have a day to look around on the Monday before starting the walk on the Tuesday. We are then planning on have a couple of extra nights in Santiago after completing the walk.
Really appreciate your help so many thanks,
Clive
 
There is a bus at 18:45 which gets into Lugo at 20:30 amd they you have a quick change at Lugo stop to take the 20:35 Monbus to Sarria. It is a small bus station and the bus generally arrives in early so a 5 minute switch over should be OK. The Monbus arrives in Sarria at 21:05. It is about a 10/15 minute walk from the bus station to the old town where most of the albergues are based. There is not a lot to see in Sarria itself and personally, if I had an extra day I would either split the third day (which is the toughest day) by staying in Melide or have an extra day in Santiago.
 
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There is a bus at 18:45 which gets into Lugo at 20:30 amd they you have a quick change at Lugo stop to take the 20:35 Monbus to Sarria. It is a small bus station and the bus generally arrives in early so a 5 minute switch over should be OK. The Monbus arrives in Sarria at 21:05. It is about a 10/15 minute walk from the bus station to the old town where most of the albergues are based. There is not a lot to see in Sarria itself and personally, if I had an extra day I would either split the third day (which is the toughest day) by staying in Melide or have an extra day in Santiago.
I think it may be better to stay in Santiago on the Sunday as the bus times are a bit tight. Would you mind letting me know what the bus times are early afternoon on the Monday to Sarria please.
Sorry to be a pain and really appreciate your help.
Clive
 
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As well as the bus that goes direct from Santiago to Lugo there is also a bus that goes via the airport - you will be able to check the schedule on the link already given by changing the start point

Once you've landed you should buy your ticket from the machine at the airport outside the terminal - typically you'll need a credit card not cash - and, if there are seats available, it will print out your ticket; if the bus is already full (unlikely at your time of year) you might have to take the airport bus into the bus station in Santiago and get a direct bus to Lugo instead

So please don't fret too much but always have a plan B just in case
 
MonBus used to have a direct route to Sarria at around 3pm, weekdays. It doesn't show it anymore, even though Rome2Rio still advises about it. Their webpage doesn't let to chose Sarria as a bus station at all now, neither from nor to Sarria.
I emailed them last week and was said that schedules are changing and better to give them a call - 982292900 .
I just hasn't done it yet, as still have plenty of time and hoping they will amend the webpage schedules accordingly.

My other option, as advised above is to get to Lugo either by bus (Empresa Portomarin) or by train (renfe) and then quite many trains/buses to Sarria.
 
Hi,
I was wondering if anyone could advise on the best form of travel between Santiago and Sarria. I am walking the last 100km of the Camino de Santiago and finding the train/bus websites very unclear on times and cost. The walk starts from Sarria and as I fly in to Santiago need to get to Sarria the same day.
Has anyone had any experience of this and willing to give me some guidance please.
Many thanks
Clive Williams

Empresa Friere bus from Santiago Airport to Lugo.

Monbus from Lugo to Sarria.

Aena Santiago Lavacolla Airport:
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
There is an Empresa Freire bus which leaves Santiago bus station at 12:45 on Monday and arrives in Lugo bus station at 14:45. The next Monbus then from Lugo to Sarria leaves Lugo at 15:20 and arrives in Sarria at 15:50.
 
Monday, Sept 27, 2021.

After a sorry Caldo Gallego lunch in O Cebreiro I hobbled 4 km downhill to the very forgettable truck-stop town of Piedrafita do Cebreiro. There I planned to snare a quite-late-afternoon ALSA bus to Santiago via A Coruna. My badly injured left foot had finally given up the ghost....

HOWEVER! Sitting in the Piedrafita bus shelter I glanced at the various handbills pasted onto the glass sidewalls. And there I saw, to my complete surprise, a MONBUS schedule. It showed a MONBUS route from Piedrafita to Santiago which tracked closely with the Camino. A route which would actually get me to my destination hours before the ALSA bus! Wow!

Sure enough, a shiny new bus pulled up at 3:15 pm and I hopped on. Ticket cost 16 Euros. I was the only rider for most of the journey. There were a few locals and a very few peregrinos.... The bus stopped at O Cebreiro, Triacastela, Samos, Sarria, Portomarin, and on and on. Wonderful ride, allowing me glimpses of many familiar Camino towns. It arrived at the new intermodal Santiago Station at 6:30 pm

Once back home I went online and tried to find/print that MONBUS schedule. Couldn't find it!

I'll bet it runs in the other direction, too, from Santiago to Sarria and O Cebreiro....
 
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Monday, Sept 27, 2021.

After a sorry Caldo Gallego lunch in O Cebreiro I hobbled 4 km downhill to the very forgettable truck-stop town of Piedrafita do Cebreiro. There I planned to snare a quite-late-afternoon ALSA bus to Santiago via A Coruna. My badly injured left foot had finally given up the ghost....

HOWEVER! Sitting in the Piedrafita bus shelter I glanced at the various handbills pasted onto the glass sidewalls. And there I saw, to my complete surprise, a MONBUS schedule. It showed a MONBUS route from Piedrafita to Santiago which tracked closely with the Camino. A route which would actually get me to my destination hours before the ALSA bus! Wow!

Sure enough, a shiny new bus pulled up at 3:15 pm and I hopped on. Ticket cost 16 Euros. I was the only rider for most of the journey. There were a few locals and a very few peregrinos.... The bus stopped at O Cebreiro, Triacastela, Samos, Sarria, Portomarin, and on and on. Wonderful ride, allowing me glimpses of many familiar Camino towns. It arrived at the new intermodal Santiago Station at 6:30 pm

Once back home I went online and tried to find/print that MONBUS schedule. Couldn't find it!

I'll bet it runs in the other direction, too, from Santiago to Sarria....
It's on Rome2Rio now. Just checked.

 
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Thanks! But as of this writing they're showing the ALSA bus route map, not the MONBUS route map.
No map on Rome2Rio, but there's a link to MonBus where you can find the schedule.
Screenshot_20211108-080710_Drive.webp
 
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That's weird. Here is a screen capture from rome2rio which shows the map and the stops. I wonder why you're not seeing it.
 

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Monday, Sept 27, 2021.

After a sorry Caldo Gallego lunch in O Cebreiro I hobbled 4 km downhill to the very forgettable truck-stop town of Piedrafita do Cebreiro. There I planned to snare a quite-late-afternoon ALSA bus to Santiago via A Coruna. My badly injured left foot had finally given up the ghost....

HOWEVER! Sitting in the Piedrafita bus shelter I glanced at the various handbills pasted onto the glass sidewalls. And there I saw, to my complete surprise, a MONBUS schedule. It showed a MONBUS route from Piedrafita to Santiago which tracked closely with the Camino. A route which would actually get me to my destination hours before the ALSA bus! Wow!

Sure enough, a shiny new bus pulled up at 3:15 pm and I hopped on. Ticket cost 16 Euros. I was the only rider for most of the journey. There were a few locals and a very few peregrinos.... The bus stopped at O Cebreiro, Triacastela, Samos, Sarria, Portomarin, and on and on. Wonderful ride, allowing me glimpses of many familiar Camino towns. It arrived at the new intermodal Santiago Station at 6:30 pm

Once back home I went online and tried to find/print that MONBUS schedule. Couldn't find it!

I'll bet it runs in the other direction, too, from Santiago to Sarria and O Cebreiro....
Here is the one that you caught, interestingly it says the fare is E14


Put in the name of the place where you caught the bus and Santiago de Compostela as the destination.

Reverse that to go in the other direction, leaves Santiago de Compostela at 11am.

Edit: Sorry, I didn't read ahead and see that @trecile had already provided the link.
 
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The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
That's weird. Here is a screen capture from rome2rio which shows the map and the stops. I wonder why you're not seeing it.
Rome2rio is not infallible. In the screen capture in the attachment in post #22 the stops listed on the left side and the route shown on the right side do not match. Rome2Rio has had a problem with Piedrafita do Cebreiro and O Cebreiro for years.

Here is a screen capture of the route of the MonBus going from Sarria to Santiago and without going through Lugo. It is the bus route that corresponds with @trecile's timetable but I can't make Rome2rio display the whole route from O Cebreiro, and this despite the fact that Rome2rio correctly indicates that the bus starts in Piedrafita do Cebreiro (orange label top right).

Monbus.jpg
 
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The two youngsters who started Rome2Rio in their parents living room in Melbourne have sold it for some enormous sum to a company that has a focus on selling tickets. Rather sad as it was very responsive when it was about the way to get from one place to another, rather than making a profit out of ticket sales. I once took a photo of a bus schedule and sent it to them and they replied with gratitude immediately, and updated their database. I can't imagine there is any profit in local bus schedules.
 
Monday, Sept 27, 2021.

After a sorry Caldo Gallego lunch in O Cebreiro I hobbled 4 km downhill to the very forgettable truck-stop town of Piedrafita do Cebreiro. There I planned to snare a quite-late-afternoon ALSA bus to Santiago via A Coruna. My badly injured left foot had finally given up the ghost....

HOWEVER! Sitting in the Piedrafita bus shelter I glanced at the various handbills pasted onto the glass sidewalls. And there I saw, to my complete surprise, a MONBUS schedule. It showed a MONBUS route from Piedrafita to Santiago which tracked closely with the Camino. A route which would actually get me to my destination hours before the ALSA bus! Wow!

Sure enough, a shiny new bus pulled up at 3:15 pm and I hopped on. Ticket cost 16 Euros. I was the only rider for most of the journey. There were a few locals and a very few peregrinos.... The bus stopped at O Cebreiro, Triacastela, Samos, Sarria, Portomarin, and on and on. Wonderful ride, allowing me glimpses of many familiar Camino towns. It arrived at the new intermodal Santiago Station at 6:30 pm

Once back home I went online and tried to find/print that MONBUS schedule. Couldn't find it!

I'll bet it runs in the other direction, too, from Santiago to Sarria and O Cebreiro....
Were you able to purchase your ticket from the driver or did you have to buy it in the shop that is close to the bus stop in Piedrafita do Cebreiro?

My experience (not Monbus) was that the driver was not permitted to sell tickets and they had to be pre-purchased.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Were you able to purchase your ticket from the driver or did you have to buy it in the shop that is close to the bus stop in Piedrafita do Cebreiro?

My experience (not Monbus) was that the driver was not permitted to sell tickets and they had to be pre-purchased.
Bought my ticket from the driver. No problem.
 
Were you able to purchase your ticket from the driver or did you have to buy it in the shop that is close to the bus stop in Piedrafita do Cebreiro?
On the Monbus website you will see your options for purchasing tickets for the route.
20211110_090326.webp

When you click on the symbols there will be a popup explaining them.

Screenshot_20211110-090246_Firefox.webp
 

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