We are traveling from Santiago de Compostela to Lisbon in September/October 2017. I am trying to figure out how best to do this without going back to Madrid and taking the overnight train. I would rather not drive either since the drop off charge is very high with Eurocar between countries. Any suggestions?
Posted by
winston salem, nc, usa
1078 posts
Iberia has $100 one way flights through Madrid on Expedia-faster than train or driving.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
A direct bus operated by www.alsa.es takes 10 hours. A couple of other bus companies serve the route with connections, as do trains (find each country separately at www.renfe.es and www.cp.pt. You could also test connections from Vigo, which has several car rental agencies.
Posted by
Washington DC
28083 posts
Check Skyscanner for flights from Galicia. I didn't look at options from Santiago de Compostela, but on the random September date I checked, there was a non-stop from Vigo, plus several decent connections. Take a look at what might be possible from SdeC, but Vigo is easily reached from that city, though Vigo is not a particularly interesting town itself.
As for trains, the Deutsche Bahn website finds a couple of early-morning departures that make a connection to a Portuguese train in Vigo. Total travel time 7-1/2 to 8-1/2 hours to Lisboa Oriente Station (a bit longer to other stations in the city). I didn't find the total itinerary on either the Spanish or Portuguese rail websites, so I think you'd need to buy the ticket in two pieces. I would not risk the second of the morning departures from SdeC for fear of missing a critical connection.
Finally, there are buses. More than one company offers at least parts of the route. ALSA has direct buses, taking about 10 hours, but its website is unresponsive for me at the moment. Should you decide you prefer the bus, I suggest not waiting until your departure to buy the ticket. I've seen border-crossing buses sell out. I've found the ALSA buses to be quite comfortable, often with Wi-Fi. They do stop every 2 hours or so for a toilet/smoke break.
If you want to fly, you'll do best to buy the ticket as soon as you're sure of your travel date and time, because the fare can climb sharply. For other modes of transportation, I you might want to wait and check with the tourist office in SdeC on travel options to Portugal, assuming you will be in SdeC for at least a couple of days. There might be a new express bus, for example. However, I think there may be an early-purchase advantage on bus tickets, too. Can't be sure since I can't hit the ALSA website at the moment. And there can definitely be an early-booking price advantage on trains, though I haven't verified that such exists for the SdeC-Lisbon route.