Getting to Galicia in 2012 - 2013
Use the sections headed UK, Ireland and USA (below) to find out how to get to Galicia from your country. Please be aware that flight schedules and available airports are continually changing and that, whilst we try to provide the most up-to-date information, you should check any routes with the airline in question before you plan your trip. This page was last updated on 18 January 2012.
From the UK (and France)
If you live in, or can travel to, the south of England, you can take a direct flight to Galicia using the following airlines and airports.
- Carrier - Ryanair - Airports - London Stansted to Santiago de Compostela.
- Carrier – Vueling - Airports - London Heathrow to la Coruna.
- Carrier – Vueling - Airports - London Heathrow to Vigo.
- Carrier – Vueling - Airports - CDG (Paris) to Vigo.
- This schedule operates four flights per week and ran from April to October during 2012. It usually stops for the winter season, but check as this may not be the case this winter. This flight schedule will continue to operate until at least the end of 2013. At that point the contract will be renegotiated. Look out for deals and special offers on this route, but be aware of extra charges (baggage etc) from Ryaniar. That said, I have to say that Ryanair have been pretty good the last few times that we have used them. A regular (e.g. every 10 minutes) shuttle bus travels from the airport to the central Santiago bus station.
- This is a 12 month per year schedule and it has been in place for a number of years, although under different incarnations of the same company (i.e. Iberia and ClickAir). It should continue indefinitely. You book for flights using the Vueling or Iberia sharecode. If you are staying in Santiago de Compostela you will require transport out of la Coruna.
- From 16th April 2011, Vigo airport was connected with London-Heathrow airport by the Spanish carrier Vueling. There are three flights per week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. This schedule will continue until the end of October 2012. (It started in March.) It will then be reviewed at the end of the year with the intention of continuing it in 2013 if it remains economic.
- For anyone wishing to fly to Galicia from France we have been told that there are three flights per day from CDG (Paris) to Vigo.
- Information about the Vueling Airline - Vueling absorbed Clickair last year and now operates both the flights to and from Vigo and to and from la Coruna. They are part of what used to be Iberia. Iberia and clickair were once and the same airline (i.e. Clickair being the budget arm of Iberia).
Two further direct flight options that land close to, but not in, Galicia are Oviedo (Asturias) and O Porto (Portugal). See below for more details.
- Carrier – Jet2 - Airports - London to Oviedo (Asturias).
- Carrier – Several budget airlines - Airports - (Numerous departure points) to O Porto (Portugal).
- If you plan to stay in northern Galicia, i.e. around the Lugo province, then a further option that is open to you is to fly via Jet2 to Oviedo airport in Galicia’s neighbouring province of Asturias. I think that London Stansted is the departure airport from the UK. A new highway connects the two regions, so travelling time is no longer a major issue.
- A direct flight to O porto (Porto) in northern Portugal from which you can then drive into Galicia. Driving distances from Oporto airport in northern Portugal to the major cities in Galicia are given below. All routes see motorways or toll roads (See note ** below) covering the greater part of the journey. E.g. You will easily reach Vigo or Pontevedra (and probably Santiago) within 2 hours.
Oporto (Portugal) to Vigo (approx) driving distance 75 miles (over 120km)
Oporto (Portugal) to Pontevedra driving distance 88 miles (142km)
Oporto (Portugal) to Santiago de Compostela driving distance 119 miles (192km)
Oporto (Portugal) to Lugo driving distance 138 miles (223km)
Oporto (Portugal) to la Coruna driving distance 153 miles (247km)
Note ** - At the end of 2010 a new toll charge system was introduced on the route from O Porto to Galicia. As far as we are aware, this toll requires you to buy a toll road voucher with a minimum value which is considerably more than your actual toll road charges. Obviously this is a con to get visitors to over pay for their road use and the government of Galicia are currently seeking legal redress to get this decision overuled.
For all other UK locations you can make a connection
A connection from your nearest local airport to Madrid or Barcelona, and then on to Santiago, la Coruna or Vigo (in Galicia) is possible from a number of different regional airports in the UK and Ireland.
From the USA
Getting to Galicia from the USA requires you first to reach an international airport within the USA. From there you will need a flight to either Madrid or Barcelona. Both of these Spanish airports have internal flights to either (or all of) Santiago de Compostela, la Coruna and Vigo airports. These internal flights are provided by a number of carriers including, Ryanair and Vueling.
You can also fly to Oporto in Northern Portugal (a large international airport) and drive into Galicia. You will find driving distances from this airport in the UK section above.
Flying in to London Heathrow, and then on to la Coruna airport (35 km from Santiago de Compostela) is another option. See the UK flight details for further information.
From the Ireland
As far as we can tell the direct Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Santiago de Compostela is no longer operational. This means that you need to reach Galicia by either, taking a flight to Malaga or Madrid (Spain), or Lisbon or Faro (Portugal). followed by a connection to Santiago de Composteal, Vigo or la Coruna.
Unfortunately, schedules in and out of Galician airports seem to vary on an annual basis, so you will need to check which connections are current.
Unfortunately we only have travel information for the locations listed above, however your travel agent should be able to advise you on the best and most economic route to a Galician airport.
