taxi – expect to pay €20–30 to the city centre
By rail
Campanhã station is the arrival point for long-distance and international trains, and there are four metro lines connecting this station to the centre. See www.cp.pt
By bus
Bus stations vary by company. For domestic travel, see Rede Expressos (www.rede-expressos.pt); for international travel, see InterNorte (www.internorte.pt), Eurolines (www.eurolines.com) and Alsa (www.alsa.es).
Tui
By air
Vigo-Peinador airport (www.aena.es) is the closest airport to Tui, 24km away. From the airport, take a taxi to Vigo or Redondela (about €23), then take a train (www.renfe.es) to Tui. There is also a local bus between the airport and Vigo centre (line L9A, www.vitrasa.es) requiring you to either walk or take a taxi to Vigo Urzaiz train station for onward trains to Tui.
By rail
Tui’s train station is 1.3km from the cathedral; see www.renfe.es for information.
By bus
Alsa (www.alsa.es) connects Tui with Porto and Spanish destinations. Monbus (www.monbus.es) connects Tui with Pontevedra.
Leaving Santiago
By air
Santiago’s Lavacolla airport (www.aena.es) is 10km from the city. To reach it, there are the following options:
bus – the airport bus (€3, 45 minutes) departs from Praza de Galicia twice hourly. See www.empresafreire.com
taxi – taxis take approximately 15 minutes and cost around €21
Airports in A Coruña (70km north) and Vigo (90km south) are accessible by train then bus/taxi.
By rail
The train station is 1.2km south of the cathedral. There is a Renfe ticket counter inside the pilgrim’s office. See www.renfe.com
By bus
The bus station is at Praza de Camilo Díaz Baliño, 1.6km north-east of the cathedral; see www.tussa.org. There’s an Alsa ticket counter inside the pilgrim’s office (www.alsa.es).
See Appendix C for a list of all transport contacts.
When to go
April to October is the most popular time, with peak numbers in July and August which are also the hottest months. Spring brings wildflowers and comfortable walking temperatures but you may also experience days of rain. In summer (with temperatures reaching over 30˚C), coastal accommodation is extremely busy and requires advanced booking. In winter many albergues and some coastal hotels close, so plan ahead and expect rain. Although typically drier in the summer months, Galicia is known for its wet weather, so pack a rain jacket or poncho no matter the time of year.
For detailed climate information, see www.ipma.pt (for Portugal) and www.aemet.es (for Spain).
Blossoms on a country lane near Ansião (Central Camino Stage 8)
Festivals and annual events
Timing your Camino to coincide with (or avoid) one of the many festivals held in Portugal and Spain may be just as important to you as deciding on where to begin, so the following table should provide a handy reference. There may be additional regional holidays observed. To confirm festival dates and for detailed information, contact the local tourist office – see Appendix C.
| Month | Day | Festival | Location |
| Portugal | |||
| January | 1 | New Year’s Day | National |
| February/March | Carnival Shrove Tuesday | National | |
| February/March | International Film Festival | Porto | |
| March | 19 | St Joseph’s Day | Santarém |
| March/April | Good Friday | National | |
| April | 25 | Liberty Day | National |
| May | 1 | Labour Day | National |
| Early | Festival of the Crosses, municipal holiday | Barcelos | |
| Mid | End of university year ‘Burning of the Ribbons’ | Coimbra | |
| Late | May Fair | Azambuja | |
| May/June | Corpus Christi | National | |
| June | Early | National and Agricultural Fair | Santarém |
| 10 | Portuguese National Day | National | |
| 12, 13 | St Anthony’s Day | Lisbon | |
| 23, 24 | St John’s Day | Porto, Vila do Conde | |
| Late | Horse fair | Ponte de Lima | |
| July | Early | Red Waistcoat Festival | Vila Franca de Xira |