We plan to spend a few days in Santiago after the RS Barcelona-Madrid tour in June. We'd prefer to take a train from Madrid to Santiago (and back), but it looks like the train trip can take from 5 to 12 hours or more, and we can't seem to find reliable information/schedules. Flights are quick and cheap, but we'd like to see the countryside. If a train trip is 6 hours or less, we'd prefer that.
Any tips on sorting this out?
The fastest train is about 5hr50 since the AVE hasn't yet reached Santiago. That would be my choice if you wanted to see the countryside. Otherwise, just fly if you want to go from city to city.
Santiago del Compostela is the same distance from Madrid as Barcelona just for reference. Only difference is there is high speed rail at Barcelona.
The ALVIA, which is also a high speed train, directly connects Madrid to Santiago de Compostela and takes about 5 hrs: https://venta.renfe.com/vol/search.do?c=_THrq
The route makes stops at Zamora and Ourense.
Another option could be to rent a car in Madrid and drive to Santiago de Compostela (5:50 hr), stopping along the way for a few nights. Once in Santiago de Compostela, drop off the car, and then fly back to Madrid to connect with your other flight.
It appears there are 3 Alvia trains daily with trip times between 5 and 5.5 hours, and a differing number of stops depending on which you take.
04095 departs 09:15, 04145 departs 14:57, and 04185 departs 18:50. They all depart from the Madrid Chamartin station. The one with the fewest stops, as Carlos mentioned, is the afternoon one. The website is Renfe.com/en
I flew from Madrid to Santiago last year, using a super cheap Iberia ticket. The trip was quick and the Santiago airport is modern. I can understand why you want to take the train trip. Why not use trains in one trip and then fly back (or vice versa)? Flights are very affordable if bought at the right time.
Galicia offers amazing seafood. Don't miss this. Pontevedra is also very nice. We went there during their Medieval festival and it was a ton of fun. On the other hand, A Coruna seems to be a port city that's not very interesting.
BTW, as you may know, this part of Spain can be quite wet. It rained for a few days even in Sep. So, keep your umbrellas with you.
I liked A Coruna as well as Pontevedra. A Coruna's historic quarter is very nice, and there's an annual Blues and Jazz Festival in the summer. There were outdoor concerts while I was there. One thing to know about A Coruna is that it seems to be a lot sunnier, and thus considerably warmer, than other places in Galicia.
I took the train 4 years ago from Santiago to Madrid. Easy, comfy and fast. I think it was either 5 or 6 hours. I much prefer this to flying. This is a direct train.
If you have time in Santiago, take the all day bus tour that goes to Muxia and Finesttera. It costs around 39€ and is well worth it. Scenery is gorgeous! Plus you visit a huge waterfall, and have time for lunch looking out over the harbor.
Check the website for the cathedral, they may not be doing mass in there due to restoration. The roof top tour there is impressive, if that is happening.
Thanks everyone, including for advice on day trips from Santiago. We were planning on A Coruna, but now we're also considering Pontevedra or the Muxia/Fisterra bus tour.
