sarria to santiago

[jonh]

My daughter and I are arriving at Santiago airport about 5pm on March 22 2008 to complete the last part of the Camino Frances. Can anyone offer advice on how to travel from the airport to Sarria on the same day? There is a bus from Santiago airport to Lugo run by Empresa Freire but it does not go via Sarria. Any help would be appreciated.

Jonathan

[spanishlancer]

There is a bus service from Santiago to Sarria, however it operates from Santiago bus station and I don't think it runs on a Saturday.the bus company is Castromil, but I cant access their website. www.castromil.com
Bus to Lugo from airport leaves at 18.40 and arrives Lugo at 20.30. www.empresafreire.com
Bus from Lugo leaves for Sarria at 20.45, arrives Sarria at 21.15, last bus of the day,run by Bus Company Monbus. www.monbus.es. I suppose you could get a taxi from Lugo to Sarria if you miss the last bus.If you do let me know how much it costs
I am doing the same route starting 30th April.
Buen Camino

Ron

[spanishlancer]

There is a bus service from Santiago to Sarria, however it operates from Santiago bus station and I don't think it runs on a Saturday.the bus company is Castromil, but I cant access their website. www.castromil.com
Bus to Lugo from airport leaves at 18.40 and arrives Lugo at 20.30. www.empresafreire.com
Bus from Lugo leaves for Sarria at 20.45, arrives Sarria at 21.15, last bus of the day,run by Bus Company Monbus. www.monbus.es. I suppose you could get a taxi from Lugo to Sarria if you miss the last bus.If you do let me know how much it costs
I am doing the same route starting 30th April.
Buen Camino

Ron

Was in Santiago yesterday on a short visit.The bus service Santiago to Sarria only runs Monday to Friday and leaves Santiago Bus Station at 18.00 hrs and arrives in Sarria at 21.00hrs. The operating company now is Monbus. www.monbus.es
Bus times I quoted in original post are for weekends, there are later buses on weekdays from Santiago to Lugo and also for Lugo to Sarria.

[pat fitz]

thanks spanishlancer for the information on bus to sarria. Do you know if it would be possible to get a train or failing that is it possible to start the camina from lugo.We have two weeks to walk

[spanishlancer]

thanks spanishlancer for the information on bus to sarria. Do you know if it would be possible to get a train or failing that is it possible to start the camina from lugo.We have two weeks to walk

Train from Santiago is possible,however it is a roundabout route.Santiago to La Coruna, change for a train to Sarria.
You can walk on the Camino Primitiva from Lugo to San Roman da Retorta and then on to Melide where you join the Camino Frances.I believe that is the original route from Lugo but I also know that some pilgrims walk Lugo to Palas de Rei.The Camino Primitiva is thought to be the original pilgrims trail from Oviedo when that City was the centre of Christian Spain.
You shouldnt have a problem with the bus to Sarria via Lugo as the connection is advertised and I was told that the connecting bus waits for the bus from Santiago.
I have read that accomodation is difficult on the stage to San Roman.
If you have two weeks you will have time to carry on to Finisterre, Sarria to Santiago will be 7 days max.
I will be starting from Sarria on 30th April to walk this years stage to Santiago.

Buen Camino.

[Jude]

Some websites say you can get a passport at various places i.e police stations,ayuntamientos etc is this possible in Sarria where I intend to start?Also how far ahead can one get them and how long are they valid for?

[Covey]

You can get a Pilgrim Passport at the main Church in Sarria, at the official Albergue and according to one person I met, at the Police Station!

You can also obtain one before you leave the UK from Home page - The Confraternity of St James who will do one for you by post.

There is no fixed validity because all the Pilgrim Passport does is state that you are walking/cycling as a Pilgrim and it is a daily record of where you have stayed. I have used an old Pilgrim Passport when I have gone to Spain to just walk for a few days.

If you are just walking from Sarria to Santiago, then you need TWO stamps in your Pilgrim Passport per day. One must be from the Albergue where you stayed, and the other can be from a bar or wherever. Even fruit stalls at the side of the road have a stamp!

If you start your Camino from before Sarria ie: Leon or Pamplona, then you only need the single Albergue stamp each day.

You will like Galecia cos it's just like Cornwall and often is as wet as where I was born and brought up!

[Jude]

Thanks for the reply I did not realise you needed two stamps on your passport daily if walking from Sarria to SdC what happens if ,as I plan to do ,you say at hotels and not albergues ?

[Covey]

You will find that all the hotels have a stamp, especially between Sarria and Santiago. The "two stamp rule" came in about two years ago, but if you start before Sarria, then only the Albergue/hotel stamp is needed.

Some like to collect as many stamps as they can and you can easily pick up 5-8 per day but you quickly run out of space in your passport, at which point you either add on another passport document or tack on a blank piece of paper.

At the same time as the two stamp rule for Sarria came in the Cathedral authorities cleaned up the wide variety of Pilgrim Passport "documents" being issued by churches and priests in Spain, and even tour companies. Now only the official Pilgrim Passport published by the Cathedral in Santiago is acceptable for pilgrims starting in Spain and it is issued by all the albergues and churches.. Pilgrims starting at St Jean get the Carnet De Pelerin De St Jacques issued by the French Friends of the Camino, and the Pilgrim Passports issued by the various National Associations such as the UK, Canada, USA etc etc are always accepted at the Cathedral in Santiago.

[cornishchick]

Hi all,
I'm planning to walk from Sarria to Santiago in May this year, to arrive in Santiago on my 37th birthday. It's my first time doing this, and I just have a few questions am hoping someone can help with...

Would 5 days be sufficient to allow from Sarria to Santiago?
Are there buses from Santiago to Sarria (as i'll be flying into Santiago)?
And lastly, is it necessary, or usual, to book accomodation in advance? I would likely be staying in some hotels and some albergue.

Thanks in advance for any advice. Am really looking forward to this. Also hoping it's not going to be too busy after Martin Sheens 'The Way' comes out in April!

[Covey]

Does the name "Cornishchick" mean you are the real deal and come from west of Plymouth. Being a Portscatho man such things are important!

5 days from Sarria to Santiago are fine. When you get to Santiago airport you go first to the Tourist Information desk in the main hall and on the window they have a list of bus times to Santiago and Lugo. You want the Lugo bus which goes from the bus stop just outside the main door of the terminal. When you arrive at Lugo bus station you go in to the ticket hall and buy your self a one way ticket to Sarria.

Santiago to Lugo takes about 2 hours and Lugo to Sarria about 30 minutes. Bus fares are cheap in Spain and the whole journey will cost around €10.

When you get to Sarria bus stop, cross the main road and go up the hill towards the church. The church is on the Old Town Main Street which is also the Camino route. To your right the street is full of places to stay for the night. In May you do not have to book in advance.

Having walked from Sarria to Santiago this year, plan on starting in St Jean next year!!

Buen Camino.

[cornishchick]

That's super thanks! I'll see how Sarria goes this year before thinking of St Jean!

Am from Blisland up on Bodmin moor, so most definitely a cornish chick :-) Saw your post that Galicia was like Cornwall, so am looking forward to it.

[Covey]

The weather in Galecia is just like Cornwall, sunny and wet and not necessarily in that order!

[Jude]

I too live in Cornwall -Liskeard -although we spend half the year in Spain I would love to hear from you after you walk in May I am planning hopefully to walk next year but not as a Cornish chick as I hope to celebrate my 70th b,day by walking from Sarria to Santiago Bit nervous and I am considering a guided walk but they are pricey also considering roping in my husband to take the luggage and I would stay in hotels.Do let me know how it all goes

[Covey]

Jude, please don't get the idea that at 70 the Camino Frances is a worry. You are but a Spring Lamb compared to some who walk the Camino!

The only difference between you and the pilgrims in their 30's & 40's is time and speed. You have the time, so you don't need the speed.

People who are still working can rarely get more than 3 weeks holiday in one go (except teachers!!) so they are up against time and therefore need to walk faster. You, on the other hand, can walk at your own pace, enjoy the countryside, have an afternoon nap and wander down the Way enjoying life in general. Every year I meet those who just wander from one albergue to the next at their own pace, and why not? There are no rules on the Camino about how far or how fast. It is your Camino and you walk it whichever way you want.

Enjoy

[grayland]

Jude.....I have walked the Camino from St. Jean twice over the age of 70 and would say I did as well or even better than many much younger Pilgrims.
I saw very few 60+ Pilgrims give up and quit in comparison to those younger. Perhaps a commitment to finish is stronger as we age.
Several times over the two Camino I carried the pack of ladies I came across who just could not continue on the last 5-10 kms to the next village. They were not "older" ladies.
It is not an easy thing to do but can be done.....and I was not exactly fit and well trained. Don't let your age bother you unless you are just not physically able to walk. You can do it on your own if you keep your pack weight to an absolute minimum and take lots of time.
Buen Camino

[Covey]

Very true Greyland, very true.

Many of the youngsters forget the tale of the tortoise and the hare. We (I am over 60) know what our bodies are capable of, and when to apply the brakes and take things a little easier.

The one piece of advice I give which I think is vital is to keep an even pace. I am an ex soldier and have been there and done that and learnt that the right routine brings results.

I start at dawn at first light and walk at a steady even pace for the first hour and then stop for 10 minutes, pack off and weight off my feet . If there is somewhere to have coffee (hot chocolate is actually better for you!!) so much the better. Then walk another hour and stop for 20minutes then another hours walk and rest for 10 minutes etc etc. With that routine and pace you can walk for 18 hours without difficulty if one ever needed to.

When you stop, make sure you have a fleece to hand if it is spring/autumn and as you cool down, put on your fleece to stay warm. Do not let your muscles get cold again or else you will get cramp.

Over the years of walking the Camino it is a fact that the youngsters pick up far more stress related injuries than any of the older walkers do. Listen to what your bodies are telling you and obey!

[freedom13]

I too am planning on travelling from Sarria to Santiago, hopefully sometime in May / June this year. I can probably manage only around 10 days off work, so it should be very achievable and still give me plenty of time to take in the sights and sounds as i trek. Really looking forward to it. Will probably fly in to Santiago out of Dublin Ireland, then get the bus to Lugo and on to Sarria which is only another 30 minutes bus ride away.

[cornishchick]

Hi freedom13, am flying from Dublin too. I'm there from 5-14th May, so possibly see you on the way:-)

And hi Jude, i will defo send an update when i get back. Am really quite excited about it now. Am reading a book from a guy called Robin Hanbury-Tenison who did the pilgramige on horseback and is from Bodmin moor too.

I have boots that am walking in at the mo, but no other gear yet, so got to get shopping. A light pack seems to be the most important thing mentioned.

Good luck all :-)

[Covey]

Probably the best trail kit shop I have come across is in Tavistock. The guys who own it are ex-marines and know what they are doing. There are a lot of camping stores around, but the trick is to find one where any of the staff have actually used the kit they sell!!

[freedom13]

Well I booked my flight anyway , flying out to Santiago May 31st, flying back June 12th [ earliest available flight that doesnt make me run it lol] , guess I won't be seeing you on the trek cornishchick :-[, ah sure theres always next year :-]. Enjoy your trip . Just watched the movie The Way last night, really enjoyed it, gave me a feel as to what to expect, now if I could just get my sore ankle to heal :-[]

[cornishchick]

Yep, was hoping to watch The Way before i left, but it doesn't seem to be out here (Dublin) yet.
I have one more question, if someone could advise... Is it definitely still possible to get a Pilgrims Passport in Sarria? And i need two stamps a day yep?

Am hoping this gorgeous weather lasts for the next month... :-)

[joe]

I downloaded "The Way" using 'unethical' methods. But I will buy the DVD, I just like to know what I'm about to spend £10-15 on, I've bought some films in the past that just weren't worth the money I spent on them. So downloading them first is kind of like my way of previewing them.
I only watched "The Way" 2 weeks ago, and I knew nothing about the Camino de Santiago before I watched it... but after watching it I was intrigued and inspired, since then I've planned everything! I've bought all my equipment from scratch, bought plane tickets, train tickets, booked hostels, researched what I need and don't need, researched the Camino itself, and also bought a guidebook which I am currently having a quick look throughs... I leave in 4 weeks (29 days to be exact).
So, in my mind, if I had never downloaded The Way I would have never been able to experience what the Camino has to offer. I suffer from depression and just a month ago I was literally pleading to God asking him "why am I here, I don't want to be here, I don't belong here, why do I have to live." I begged him to take my life or to give me something to live for... and as always He didn't give me an answer straight away which made me feel a lot worse at the time. But 2 weeks later I just happen to stumble across a film called "The Way" and although it's wrong to download illegally, it might just be the one thing that will allow me to get my life back on track and be happy. So, I don't know, it might have been a sign from God guiding me onto the right path, showing me "The Way".

[Covey]

CornishChick.......... You can get your Pilgrim Passport in Sarria at any of the Albergues, and you DO need TWO stamps per day. One should be from an albergue or hotel, and the other from any bar/shop/fruit stall.