Coming to Santiago de Compostela

Getting to Santiago de Compostela is relatively straightforward thanks to an efficient combination of air, rail, and road infrastructure. The main access options from key reference airports, as well as travel by private vehicle, are outlined below from a practical perspective.

Air access

By Michael Sender - https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/7677091, GFDL 1.2, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37629168

Santiago–Rosalía de Castro Airport (SCQ): The most direct option, located about 13 km from the city centre.
- Bus (Line 6A – Empresa Freire): Frequency: approximately every 30 minutes. Duration: 20–25 minutes. Route: airport – intermodal station – city centre
- Taxi:Duration: 15–20 minutes. Approximate fare: €21–25
- Car rental: Available at the terminal with direct access to the AP-9 motorway
A Coruña Airport(LCG): Located about 65 km from Santiago
- Bus (with transfer in A Coruña or limited direct options):Total duration: 1 h 15 min – 1 h 45 min
- Bus + train combination:Bus to A Coruña station (30–40 min) + train to Santiago (30–35 min)
- Car rental / taxi: Approximate duration: 50–60 minutes via AP-9
Vigo Airport (VGO): Located about 90–95 km from Santiago
- Bus + train combination: Airport bus to Vigo station (20–30 min) + train Vigo–Santiago (55–75 min) Total duration: 1 h 30 min – 2 h
- Car rental / taxi: Duration 1 h 10 – 1 h 20 min viaAP-9
Porto Airport (OPO): A major international hub widely used due to its excellent connectivity, located about 230–240 km from Santiago.
- International bus (direct or via Vigo):Duration: 4 – 5 hours
- Bus + train combination: Porto–Vigo bus (2 – 2.5 hours) + Vigo–Santiago train (55–75 min)
- Car rental: Duration: 2 h 30 – 3 h via A-3 (Portugal) and AP-9 (Spain)

Rail access

Santiago de Compostela has a well-connected intermodal station, with rail links to the rest of Galicia and Spain:

Madrid – Santiago (high-speed rail + connections) : 3 h 15 – 3 h 45
A Coruña – Santiago: 30–35 min
Vigo – Santiago: 45–75 min
Ourense – Santiago: 35–50 min

All trains arrive at the Santiago de Compostela Intermodal Station, which is connected to the city’s urban bus network and taxi services.

Bus access

Santiago de Compostela is served by a well-developed long-distance bus network through its central bus station, offering connections across Galicia, the rest of Spain, and selected international routes.

The bus station provides regular services to major destinations such as:

Within Galicia: A Coruña, Vigo, Pontevedra, Lugo, Ourense, and other regional towns
Rest of Spain: Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Zaragoza, and other major cities (depending on operator and schedule)
International connections: Limited services to Portugal and other European destinations, often with transfers in major hubs

The Santiago de Compostela Bus Station is integrated with the city’s transport system and is located next to the intermodal rail station, allowing easy transfers between bus, train, taxi, and urban bus services.

A Coruña: 1 h
Vigo: 1 h 30 – 2 h
Madrid: 7 – 8 h
Oporto (vía internacional): 3 h 30 – 5 h según servicio

Private vehicle access

Access by car to Santiago de Compostela is one of the most flexible options:

From A Coruña: AP-9 → 55–60 min (tolls)
From Vigo: AP-9 → 1 h – 1 h 15 min (tolls)
From Ourense: AP-53 → 1 h – 1 h 15 min
From Madrid: A-6 + AP-53 → 5 h 30 – 6 h 30 (tolls)
From Oporto: A-3 (Portugal) + AP-9 → 2 h 30 – 3 h (tolls)

Santiago de Compostela offers several peripheral car parks and regulated parking zones in the city centre. It is recommended to leave vehicles in areas close to the intermodal station or in park-and-ride facilities, allowing visitors to access the historic old town on foot.