Spain's narrow gauge railway, FEVE

I've never heard of it, but a quick search on the RENFE website has come up with some resources - https://www.renfe.com/es/en/suburban/cercanias-feve

I have read about it, mostly when planning an extensive trip to Northern Spain but we did not take it. I’d love to learn more about it.

Carlos......thank you for the successful link to the timetables on the Renfe website; i swear i looked and couldn't find any information; you have the magic touch. Eagerly await posts with suggestions from people who have done parts of this trip. I first read about it in an article in The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/aug/15/slow-train-spain-feve-railway-santander-asturias-galicia

Happy to help ☺️

Thank you for the article, looks like a fun adventure!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renfe_Feve

https://www.pickledelisquare.com/blog/2018/10/5/traveling-renfe-feve-narrow-gauge-rail-galicia

In August of 2019 we took the Feve train, stopping for 1-3 nights each in Bilbao, Torrelavega, Oviedo, Ribadeo, Santiago de Compostela and Pontevedra. Planning our trip only a couple of months in advance, we couldn't find accommodations in some of the most attractive towns, and I hope to remedy that this year. But we did love Oviedo, a city of about 200,000 with a medieval center, a big plaza by a church, and lots of restaurants. But no foreign tourists. We loved seeing Spanish residents outside in the evenings, walking, eating, drinking, talking and laughing. Does no one there have a favorite TV program to stay home for? How wonderful!
Brooke

On the FEVE railway we worried that there might be no restrooms. But there are, on each train.

Study the schedules closely, and you'll find you can't hop off the train for a couple of hours then continue on. The trains are too few.

This is an alternate pilgrim route, and in some towns you'll see the brass scallop shell in the pavement indicating it.

Your trip is one of thought of, and look forward to doing some day!

I'll just add in that it is, in fact, three different train lines/systems. They connect or overlap to span the whole north coast, but it's not a 'through' train. (Not that anyone would want to do it in one go.)

I believe three have separate timetables, complicating the navigation a bit.

Thanks to those of you who responded. We have just finished a 10 day trip using FEVE, so thought i'd share some details. Most importantly: we really enjoyed traveling this way! First i'll give you our itinerary, and then some general thought.

• Left Bilbao, (a city we were surprised to really enjoy), transferred at Santandar, and traveled inland to Cabezon de la Sol, and stayed for 2 nights at El Jardin de Carrejo (highly recommended)!
• Cabezon de la Sol back to the coast at Ribadesella for 3 nights (rented an AirBnB on the square in the old town; charming)
• Ribadasella back into the countryside to Infiesto for 2 nights, our least touristy stop, but appreciated (stayed at Posada de Barro, a traditional old inn above a bar/restaurant)
• Infiesto to the coast again in picturesque Cudillero for 3 nights (am posting this from an AirBnB there); we transferred in Ovieto and very nearly missed the connection because we didn't realize that FEVE had a different set of tracks than another railway at the station and we were at the wrong Track 1. Oh my!!

From here we leave FEVE and head to Santiago de Compestelo. Cudillero is a remote village with limited public transportation. While here we learned about Bla Bla Car, a ride share app, and have arranged to do this for our next leg of the trip. Curious to learn more about it.

Re traveling by FEVE: a resounding YES, with the caveats mentioned!

• The number of trains are limited; be sure to check the schedule the day before you leave (easy to use link provided in this forum; https://www.renfe.com/es/en/suburban/cercanias-feve/timetables).
• It is slow! And perhaps prone to break down (once we were transferred to a bus for part of the way; another time we had to get off one train and get on another, but always arrived approximately on time)
• Stations are sometimes outside of town by a few kilometers.
• Amazingly inexpensive (a 2-3 hour trip for under 5 Euros)
• Comfortable: big windows, great views, maybe 25% full at the maximum
• At every station we used we had to buy a ticket through an automated system, which was a bit intimidating at first, and go through a turn style to get access to the train, But we always found someone to help us; lots of friendly people

Would we do it again? Absolutely. We home to return someday and take it to its "end" in Ferrol, Galicia.

Buen viaje!

Thank you for the report, and enjoy Cudillero! I am going there next month and I cannot wait, it's been 15 years since my first visit!

Thanks for the report -- this looks awesome. (Another one added to the backlog...)

Once you get to Santiago de Compostela, if you have the time, head toward Fisterra/Finisterre, the most Western point of mainland Europe known during the Middle Ages as the "end of the Earth" (hence the name in Latin finis=end terra=Earth) and like the pilgrims of the Camino de Santiago during all these centuries, accomplish the rituals of "taking a bath and matching the sunset".

https://concellofisterra.gal/turismo/portada_turismo/en
https://stingynomads.com/camino-finisterre-muxia-stages/

Does no one there have a favorite TV program to stay home for?

Hahaha, approx 6 to 10pm (and much later on weekends) is the time to stay out with friends, socializing in bars with our kids, friends and family, always on the street, as little as possible at home where there´s nothing to do. We just love to be out on the street, anytime!