few questions for the first timer on the camino

[camino virgin]

hi, this is my first time to walk the camino and i have a couple of questions someone might be able to answer,
we are planning to start in sarria & i was wondering how can we get from the santiago airport to sarria, our flight is due in approx 4.30pm
also is there somewhere we can leave luggage until we arrive back in santiago approx 5 days later?
what time do people start walking at in the morning?...ive heard stories about 5am starts.
also is it true if you arrive at the pilgrim hostels without a back pack they will not let you stay?
sorry for all the questions just one more, we will be arriving mid july, will we be ok with just a sleeping bag liner or will a full sleeping bag be necessary

many thanks
cv

[Covey]

Hi, I admire your courage in choosing your Forum name!!

Your first problem is getting to Sarria. The normal route to Sarria is to take the coach from just outside the Santiago airport terminal doors to the city of Lugo where you change to a local bus which then takes you to Sarria. In the airport passenger hall is a Tourist Information desk which will tell you the times of the coach. The times are also usually displayed on the front of the desk if unmanned. The journey from Santiago Airport to Lugo takes around 2.5 hours minimum.

The bus station at Lugo is where you get off the airport coach and catch the Sarria bus. HOWEVER........the next coach to Lugo after you arrive at Santiago is 1840hrs so you will not be in Lugo until 2100hrs. I do not have the time of the Sarria busses because they do not have a web site but even if a Sarria bus left immediately you arrived, you would not get to Sarria until 10pm and that is far too late to find a bed or get a Pilgrim Passport which you need to be allowed to stay in an albergue.

I would suggest that you consider staying the night in Santiago and then catching an early coach to Lugo from the Santiago Bus Station. This coach service is an express service to Lugo which misses out the airport and all stops to Lugo and takes 90 minutes. Catch the Sarria bus and be in Sarria by lunchtime which then gives you plenty of time to collect your Pilgrim Passports from the Pilgrim/Tourist Office and find a bed. A couple of beers, a meal and a nights sleep, and you will be ready to set off at dawn the following morning.

I did say dawn so you need to be on the track by 0730hrs!! You get thrown out of most albergues by 8am anyway. Most pilgrims carry spare clothes etc in a pack but some use the baggage service which has sprung up in the past 5 years to have their pack carried to your next stop. Such a service can be useful for those who are injured and need a break, but the vast majority carry their burden! Its only for a few days. After 30 days it just seems like part of you.

A sleeping bag liner (preferably bug treated) is fine in July and a good stout pair of walking shoes will be sufficient.


Bus Update: There is a new bus service from Santiago to Sarria which departs Santiago Bus Station at 1800hrs and gets to Sarria at 2100hrs

http://www.monbus.es/horarios/consul...echa=2010-7-21

The problem is that the service still only gets you in to Sarria at 9pm and that is still too late. The Monbus service is only once a day.

[camino virgin]

Thanks a million Covey....whats in a name!! :-) ...
we have our pilgrim passports already and we have accommodation booked for our first and last night....so im thinking 10pm arrival into sarria will be fine, ill look into the baggage service...maybe even for 1 day...thanks for the tip on the bug treatment it seems a must

[Covey]

If you catch the airport bus to Santiago it terminates at the same bus station as the Monbus goes from so you should be in Sarria at 9pm. Santiago Airport is actually about 15kms outside Santiago.