Transport from A Coruna (airport) to Ferrol

[Drew1578]

OK - I'm just slightly freaked out about my Camino which starts on May 5th. I think I have everything set except for getting to Ferrol. I fly into A Coruna on Saturday morning from Barcelona and I'm trying to get to Ferrol at a reasonable hour (hopefully before the tourist center closes so I can get my sello, etc.).

I arrive at LCG around 10:30 and I'm trying to find out how to get from the airport to A Coruna then from A Coruna to Ferrol.

I miss the early trains so I think my best bet is the bus but I can't seem to work out where the airport bus stops in town so that I can get the bus to Ferrol. Does anyone have any experience with getting to Ferrol by bus from the airport?

Thanks for your help!!!!!

 

[Deleted member 67185]

This may help give you some suggestions
https://www.rome2rio.com/map/A-Coruna-Airport-LCG/Ferrol

When I fly into LCG in October, Jill and I are planning on taking a taxi to Ferrol. I'll check for other pilgrims when boarding the flight from Madrid and again at the A Coruna airport; perhaps there will be one or two others to share the fare.

 

[Tincatinker]

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Unfortunately the bus from the bus station in A Coruna doesn't seem to stop at the airport as it passes.

@davebugg was faster on the key-board than me on this one I'll get him next time

 

[Bradypus]

The bus from the airport into A Coruna stops on the main road into the city: outside the main bus station and almost opposite a petrol station. Very close to the railway station. It does not enter the bus station so please do not sit on it expecting to arrive there. Only about a 20 minute journey from the airport. Buses for Ferrol leave the main bus station fairly frequently during the day.

 

[Drew1578]

The bus from the airport into A Coruna stops on the main road into the city: outside the main bus station and almost opposite a petrol station. Very close to the railway station. It does not enter the bus station so please do not sit on it expecting to arrive there. Only about a 20 minute journey from the airport. Buses for Ferrol leave the main bus station fairly frequently during the day.
View attachment 55951

Thanks - I assumed it would go directly to the bus station (last thing I want is a tour of A Coruna by airport bus!). Looking at Google Maps I see the bus depot and petrol station. I just need to make sure to get off then!

 

[peb]

Do not know how much luggage with you, but if it is your rucksack, I would recommend taking the airport bus into La Coruna, spending some time there, having lunch (seafood is very fresh, as has been landed that morning), and catching the train (maybe the 14.31 or 15.05) in the afternoon to Ferrol. A Coruna has so much more to offer than Ferrol, and there is a huge choice of restaurants in the old city and on the promenade facing the port. In addition, restaurants in Ferrol do not open for dinner until 8pm -8.30pm, and therefore after a long travel when you just need an early dinner and bed ready for beginning walking, it is nigh impossible to do in Ferrol,, unless you either go to the McDonalds or go to bed hungry.

The airport bus does pass both the bus and train stations at A Coruna. The bus stop for both is the one after the bus has stopped opposite a very large Carrefour supermarket. For the bus station just carry on up the embankment on the side of the road where the bus stop is. For the railway station, go over the dual carriageway on the pedestrian footbridge, then up the hill and you will see the railway station the other side of the roundabout.

Although the train takes twice as long as the bus, I prefer the train firstly for security reasons, as you have your luggage in your sight, instead of it being in a hold down below, and you do not have to fret every time the bus stops whether someone has walked off with your luggage - it has been known to happen. Secondly, after Betanzos, the railway essentially does the first two days of the Ingles in reverse, so you have a good chance to see where you are going to walk. You can also see the two short cuts over the N-651 bridge and on the footpath by the railway bridge, if you are walking all the way to Pontedueme on the first day.

There are local buses which go from La Coruna city centre to the railway station, but you really need to know where to get off. If you ventured into the centre, I would recommend either taking a taxi for the short distance to the railway station, or taking the airport bus (basically get off on the first stop on the dual carriageway road once you have turned away from the port. It will also be the stop that lots of people get on the bus with their suitcase. Walk in reverse for 50 metres, then follow the footpath up the slope on the left, and carry on up the street to the roundabout which you cross over.

No need to arrive at the railway station more than 20 minutes before the train departs. There are no queues, especially in mid afternoon. The ticket machines have an English language option, and there are plenty of seats on the train, so do not worry that you need to book in advance or that there will be no seat.

@davebugg, on the basis that a taxi fare from La Coruna airport to the centre of La Coruna cost me some € 40, a taxi from La Coruna airport to Ferrol will likely cost a fortune. As to fellow pilgrims being on the flight from Madrid, you will be very lucky to see any. The Ingles is very lightly walked, especially in October. I saw no more than 10 pilgrims per day on the Ingles, and that was in Holy Week

 

[Phil71]

Everyone here has given you more info than I can remember! I'll just add I did the bus option. 1 from the airport to the bus station and then bus to ferrol and it worked out fine. Although had an hour wait in la caruna and there didn't seem to be much around the bus station......

 

[Drew1578]

Do not know how much luggage with you, but if it is your rucksack, I would recommend taking the airport bus into La Coruna, spending some time there, having lunch (seafood is very fresh, as has been landed that morning), and catching the train (maybe the 14.31 or 15.05) in the afternoon to Ferrol. A Coruna has so much more to offer than Ferrol, and there is a huge choice of restaurants in the old city and on the promenade facing the port. In addition, restaurants in Ferrol do not open for dinner until 8pm -8.30pm, and therefore after a long travel when you just need an early dinner and bed ready for beginning walking, it is nigh impossible to do in Ferrol,, unless you either go to the McDonalds or go to bed hungry.

The airport bus does pass both the bus and train stations at A Coruna. The bus stop for both is the one after the bus has stopped opposite a very large Carrefour supermarket. For the bus station just carry on up the embankment on the side of the road where the bus stop is. For the railway station, go over the dual carriageway on the pedestrian footbridge, then up the hill and you will see the railway station the other side of the roundabout.

Although the train takes twice as long as the bus, I prefer the train firstly for security reasons, as you have your luggage in your sight, instead of it being in a hold down below, and you do not have to fret every time the bus stops whether someone has walked off with your luggage - it has been known to happen. Secondly, after Betanzos, the railway essentially does the first two days of the Ingles in reverse, so you have a good chance to see where you are going to walk. You can also see the two short cuts over the N-651 bridge and on the footpath by the railway bridge, if you are walking all the way to Pontedueme on the first day.

There are local buses which go from La Coruna city centre to the railway station, but you really need to know where to get off. If you ventured into the centre, I would recommend either taking a taxi for the short distance to the railway station, or taking the airport bus (basically get off on the first stop on the dual carriageway road once you have turned away from the port. It will also be the stop that lots of people get on the bus with their suitcase. Walk in reverse for 50 metres, then follow the footpath up the slope on the left, and carry on up the street to the roundabout which you cross over.

No need to arrive at the railway station more than 20 minutes before the train departs. There are no queues, especially in mid afternoon. The ticket machines have an English language option, and there are plenty of seats on the train, so do not worry that you need to book in advance or that there will be no seat.

@davebugg, on the basis that a taxi fare from La Coruna airport to the centre of La Coruna cost me some € 40, a taxi from La Coruna airport to Ferrol will likely cost a fortune. As to fellow pilgrims being on the flight from Madrid, you will be very lucky to see any. The Ingles is very lightly walked, especially in October. I saw no more than 10 pilgrims per day on the Ingles, and that was in Holy Week

Peb -
This is exactly the info I was looking for - thank you SO much! I owe you a drink!
I was worried about the time frame to get to Ferrol, but since there is a train around 14:00 or so I'll take that to Ferrol and spend a few hours checking out A Coruna. My backpack is large but I don't plan on taking much over 17 or 18 pounds/8 kgs (I'll pack it this Sunday) - I read that there is storage at the bus station so I hope that's correct and then I'll leave my backpack there for a few hours while I explore the town.
Thanks again!

 

[peb]

Drew,

If you land at 10.30, you will struggle to catch the 10.45 bus, so the 11.15 is more likely. You are then in La Coruna at 12. Airport buses leave the port at the same times (15 and 45 minutes past the hour) to go back to the station, so think about whether the 14.31 train is too early, as opposed to the 15.05. Also think, if you are going to carry your backpack for the next week, whether you want to waste 45 minutes stopping off at the bus station to book your pack into left luggage for a couple of hours.

One advantage of the 15.05 train is that you go on the modern Alvia train for the privilege of paying 10 Euros extra (don't worry, the vast majority of passengers get off at La Coruna, so there are plenty of seats). Also, it gets into Ferrol after 4pm, and there is a tourist office in the concrete square on the left when you walk down the road from Ferrol station that opens after Siesta at 4pm, and will gladly give you a first stamp on your credencial (stamped next day if you ask), which helps, as the tourist office down by the harbour where the Ingles starts opens in the morning after most people want to set off. The tourist office also have very good free maps of Ferrol, which show the Ingles route through the city centre and out through the suburbs

 

[Drew1578]

Drew,

If you land at 10.30, you will struggle to catch the 10.45 bus, so the 11.15 is more likely. You are then in La Coruna at 12. Airport buses leave the port at the same times (15 and 45 minutes past the hour) to go back to the station, so think about whether the 14.31 train is too early, as opposed to the 15.05. Also think, if you are going to carry your backpack for the next week, whether you want to waste 45 minutes stopping off at the bus station to book your pack into left luggage for a couple of hours.

One advantage of the 15.05 train is that you go on the modern Alvia train for the privilege of paying 10 Euros extra (don't worry, the vast majority of passengers get off at La Coruna, so there are plenty of seats). Also, it gets into Ferrol after 4pm, and there is a tourist office in the concrete square on the left when you walk down the road from Ferrol station that opens after Siesta at 4pm, and will gladly give you a first stamp on your credencial (stamped next day if you ask), which helps, as the tourist office down by the harbour where the Ingles starts opens in the morning after most people want to set off. The tourist office also have very good free maps of Ferrol, which show the Ingles route through the city centre and out through the suburbs

Thanks again Peb -

I was starting to wonder why I was rushing to get to Ferrol - I guess I just wanted to get settled before leaving the next morning but checking out A Coruna sounds like a nice diversion.

Any recommendations about getting around A Coruna (walking or bus?) or sights to see while there for a couple of hours?

 

[Deleted member 67185]

Thanks again Peb -

I was starting to wonder why I was rushing to get to Ferrol - I guess I just wanted to get settled before leaving the next morning but checking out A Coruna sounds like a nice diversion.

Any recommendations about getting around A Coruna (walking or bus?) or sights to see while there for a couple of hours?

What you said, about wanting to get settled before departing on Camino, is part of the reason that Jill and I will be skipping A Coruna for sightseeing. it is simply a time factor.

Since we, too, will be landing at A Coruna in the late morning, I wanted to be able to get us to our lodging in time for some initial rest; then having the unhurried time for exploring Ferrol, getting Credencials stamped, eating, more relaxation and unwinding, more eating, and getting the final organization of the backpacks, etc completed for the next morning's departure. I like having everything ready to go by the time the late afternoon rolls around. I hate having things left that still need doing come evening time.

So, as much as I wanted to spend some time in A Coruna, for me it was a necessary sacrifice to keep a good cushioney pillow of time as I deal with the pre-trip antsy-ness which I always get the day before a big backpacking trip, and when departing on the first day of Camino

 

[peb]

Dave,

Do note my comment that apart from McDonalds, it is nigh impossible to find dinner in Ferrol until 8.30pm. Additionally, if you get to Ferrol after 2pm, the restaurants will have already closed for lunch, and the tourist office closed for Siesta until 4pm. I too wanted to get to Ferrol early, look round, settle in, have an early dinner and early sleep, but it simply wasn't possible. Unless you are going to have a nap in your hotel, 5 or 6 hours, from 2pm until restaurants open, is a long time to wonder round Ferrol (which after all is a military port; i.e. not too much touristy to see) with most things closed and, as I say, you being hungry. I arrived 2pm in Ferrol, because I had stayed in La Coruna for a night, as I especially wanted to see the Tower of Hercules.

Hence, suggesting to take a good lunch by the sea in La Coruna, take the later afternoon train to Ferrol, arriving after 4pm after a restful journey on the train. You can then go to the tourist office in the square by the train station either to pick up a credencial if you do not have one, or have the credencial stamped, for next day, if needed, because the tourist office does not open early enough when you want to set off. Then go and check into your hotel.

Once done, walk from your hotel down to the harbour for where the Ingles starts (you can pick up another stamp at the tourist office down by the harbour), then walk the Ingles to parallel to where your hotel is, so that the next morning, you pick it up where you left off, and this saves you 45 minutes on what is a very long stage if you are walking all the way to Pontedeume. You can visit the cathedral, and also stock up on fruit, water and supplies that you need from the supermarket at El Corte Ingles on the main shopping street (open till 10pm on weekdays).

The above doesn't even take 4 hours if you arrive on the train that gets in after 4pm, so if you have arrived, say, at 2pm, 6 hours in Ferrol, unless you have a nap, you are struggling, and, as I keep emphasizing, really hungry. You will also find much better food, at a much better price in La Coruna. I am speaking from frustrating experience, in that at 7pm, after wondering round Ferrol for 40 minutes to find a restaurant that was open, I was so desperate to eat that I took a taxi to McDonalds, and then was not surprised why I found half the town there.

Drew, if you only have 2 hours in La Coruna, I would simply take the airport bus to the end by the port and eat. There are loads of restaurants on the Avenida de la Marina, opposite the port, but the more local one's are in the old town and on Plaza de Maria Pita.

The five main things to see in La Coruna for me were:

1. Roman lighthouse / Tower of Hercules
2. Tomb of Sir John Moore in San Carlos Gardens
3. Esatdio de Riazor
4. Parque de Santa Margarita
5. The old trams (when they run)

Unfortunately, if you only have a couple of hours, and need to fit lunch in, if you eat in the old town, only the tomb of Sir John Moore is feasible, and there aren't signposts in the San Carlos gardens to find it.

One final point. The train times are from the Renfe website for this week. If going later in the year, do check that the train times have not changed.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

Dave,

Do note my comment that apart from McDonalds, it is nigh impossible to find dinner in Ferrol until 8.30pm. Additionally, if you get to Ferrol after 2pm, the restaurants will have already closed for lunch, and the tourist office closed for Siesta until 4pm. I too wanted to get to Ferrol early, look round, settle in, have an early dinner and early sleep, but it simply wasn't possible. Unless you are going to have a nap in your hotel, 5 or 6 hours, from 2pm until restaurants open, is a long time to wonder round Ferrol (which after all is a military port; i.e. not too much touristy to see) with most things closed and, as I say, you being hungry. I arrived 2pm in Ferrol, because I had stayed in La Coruna for a night, as I especially wanted to see the Tower of Hercules.

Hence, suggesting to take a good lunch by the sea in La Coruna, take the later afternoon train to Ferrol, arriving after 4pm after a restful journey on the train. You can then go to the tourist office in the square by the train station either to pick up a credencial if you do not have one, or have the credencial stamped, for next day, if needed, because the tourist office does not open early enough when you want to set off. Then go and check into your hotel.

Once done, walk from your hotel down to the harbour for where the Ingles starts (you can pick up another stamp at the tourist office down by the harbour), then walk the Ingles to parallel to where your hotel is, so that the next morning, you pick it up where you left off, and this saves you 45 minutes on what is a very long stage if you are walking all the way to Pontedeume. You can visit the cathedral, and also stock up on fruit, water and supplies that you need from the supermarket at El Corte Ingles on the main shopping street (open till 10pm on weekdays).

The above doesn't even take 4 hours if you arrive on the train that gets in after 4pm, so if you have arrived, say, at 2pm, 6 hours in Ferrol, unless you have a nap, you are struggling, and, as I keep emphasizing, really hungry. You will also find much better food, at a much better price in La Coruna. I am speaking from frustrating experience, in that at 7pm, after wondering round Ferrol for 40 minutes to find a restaurant that was open, I was so desperate to eat that I took a taxi to McDonalds, and then was not surprised why I found half the town there.

Drew, if you only have 2 hours in La Coruna, I would simply take the airport bus to the end by the port and eat. There are loads of restaurants on the Avenida de la Marina, opposite the port, but the more local one's are in the old town and on Plaza de Maria Pita.

The five main things to see in La Coruna for me were:

1. Roman lighthouse / Tower of Hercules
2. Tomb of Sir John Moore in San Carlos Gardens
3. Esatdio de Riazor
4. Parque de Santa Margarita
5. The old trams (when they run)

Unfortunately, if you only have a couple of hours, and need to fit lunch in, if you eat in the old town, only the tomb of Sir John Moore is feasible, and there aren't signposts in the San Carlos gardens to find it.

One final point. The train times are from the Renfe website for this week. If going later in the year, do check that the train times have not changed.

I do appreciate your insights. Yeah, siesta time can really be a pain until one adapts to the Spanish reality of day-to-day life .

 

[Juspassinthru]

Depending upon what time you arrive at LCG, you can catch the train from A Coruña to Ferrol at the O Burgo-Santiago station which is about a 5€ taxi from the airport instead of going all the way into A Coruña. Not all trains stop at this station! Consult Renfe.com or the DB (German Rail) site to see which ones do. BTW, Renfe does not always show all available connections, DB does. Enjoy and Buen Camino.

 

[Drew1578]

Depending upon what time you arrive at LCG, you can catch the train from A Coruña to Ferrol at the O Burgo-Santiago station which is about a 5€ taxi from the airport instead of going all the way into A Coruña. Not all trains stop at this station! Consult Renfe.com or the DB (German Rail) site to see which ones do. BTW, Renfe does not always show all available connections, DB does. Enjoy and Buen Camino.

I looked at the time of my arrival at LCG (11:15 - assuming there’s no deviation whatsoever) and I miss the train leaving the O Burgo-Santiago station so I’ll need to head into A Coruña after all. Thanks for the info though.

 

[Juspassinthru]

I looked at the time of my arrival at LCG (11:15 - assuming there’s no deviation whatsoever) and I miss the train leaving the O Burgo-Santiago station so I’ll need to head into A Coruña after all. Thanks for the info though.

I too have a little time before my train, fortunately there’s a grocery store across the street from the O Burgo station so I can get some provisions. I start the Inglés on a Sunday and there will probably not be much open, especially early.

Enjoy your Camino. If you have time I’d love to hear about accommodations, etc.

 

[Drew1578]

I too have a little time before my train, fortunately there’s a grocery store across the street from the O Burgo station so I can get some provisions. I start the Inglés on a Sunday and there will probably not be much open, especially early.

Enjoy your Camino. If you have time I’d love to hear about accommodations, etc.

I'll give a report when I return.

 

[Juspassinthru]

I'll give a report when I return.

Thanks, Buen Camino.