Santiago de Compostela airport – things you need to know

If you visit Galicia from an international destination, the chances are you will fly into and out of the region via the airport at Santiago de Compostela. So here are a few useful snippets of information that might help you.

• Galicia's main international airport in located about 10km outside Santiago de Compostela in the region's A Coruna province.
• The provincial capitols of A Coruna, Lugo, Pontevedra and Ourense can all be reached on main (toll) motorway or highway routes in between one and two hours of the airport.
• The airport is serviced with car rental desks representing several national and international chains, although you would be best advised to make any hire bookings in advance.
• The airports main international carriers are IBERA, SPAN AIR and more recently RYAN AIR, the latter having its own dedicated check-in in a similar way to EASYJET at Leeds-Bradford in England.
• Both taxi's and buses are available from drop off spots immediately outside the airports main entrance. The pick-up and return car parks for all rental vehicles are also within easy walking distance (and under cover).
• The main shopping and cafeteria section of the airport is in the open access area which you pass on route to the check-in's. The refectory offers everything from snacks to hot and cold meals along with a variety of beverages. Once through passport and customs control there are no further airport facilities (bar toilets).
• Santiago airport is new, clean, efficient and on a scale that would make it difficult for anyone to get lost. There are also many English speaking staff at Help Desks and car and flight check-in desks.
• For all international flights you need to report to your carriers desk at least two hours before the flight is due to take off. In the case of Ryan air flights, the desk will rarely open in advance of the two hour buffer. You will also see a hand luggage "check basket" in the Ryan Air check-in area which you can use to confirm that your hand luggage satisfies their size parameters.
• The airport is staffed by armed security police at all times although random checks on individuals are few.
• The other airports in Galicia are in la Coruna and Vigo.
• Between 2009 and 2011 Santiago de Compostela airport was significantly enlarged and upgraded. It is now a fairly large airport, although one with very few carriers and flights.