How to get to Sarria to start the Camino de Santiago
One of the most common questions we receive in Santiago Ways is how to get to Sarria from Santiago or from the main Spanish cities, such as Madrid and Barcelona. It is not surprising that this is the most recurrent question, as 1 in 4 pilgrims begins the Camino the Santiago from Sarria, the most popular stretch on the Camino Frances.
Being also one of the most common issues in the forums of the Camino de Santiago, we have decided to dedicate an article on our blog to explain the various transport options that you have to reach Sarria, from Santiago, Madrid and Barcelona.
Before continuing with all the details, if you want to do the Camino de Santiago from Sarria without any worries, tell us when you plan to travel and let us take care of organizing all the details.
How to go from Santiago to Sarria
Many of the pilgrims who start the Camino de Santiago from Sarria arrive in Santiago de Compostela, from abroad or from other communities in Spain, either by plane, train or bus. Below, we explain all the options you have to get from Santiago to Sarria, both from the city centre and from the airport.
Bus from Santiago de Compostela to Sarria
The best option to get from the city of Santiago de Compostela to Sarria is by bus. There are three bus lines connecting the Compostela capital with Sarria.
Direct bus Santiago-Sarria
The direct bus line is offered by Monbus and departs from Santiago’s main bus station. There is only one departure per day, at 15:00h.
The journey takes approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes. The bus stops in Silleda, Lalín, Chantada and Monforte de Lemos, before arriving in Sarria. The ticket price is 12.25 euros, without discount.
Go from Santiago to Sarria by bus via Lugo
Another option, to get by bus from Santiago de Compostela to Sarria, is to transfer in Lugo. This alternative is very interesting for those who arrive at Santiago Airport and who, from there, want to go to Sarria by bus.
Despite the inconvenience of having to transfer in Lugo, this option has a cost and duration very similar to the direct bus from Santiago to Sarria. Its main advantage is that it offers a much wider range of departure times.
To get from Compostela to Lugo you can take the Freire company bus line. This company makes departures from 7.00h to 21.00h. Departure times vary depending on the day, but are distributed throughout the day, 7 days a week. Check the schedules here.
The journey time from Santiago to Lugo is 2 hours. The price of the ticket is 9.75 euros.
Alsa is another bus company that links Santiago with Lugo. The length and price of the trip is very similar to those of the Freire company. Check their schedules here to find out which one suits you best.
From Lugo you can reach Sarria with the company Monbus. The cost of the trip is 2.55 euros and the journey time is 30 minutes.
The company has departures throughout the day, but the last service leaves at 20:45h. That means if you take a bus from Santiago to Lugo that departs after 18:00 in the afternoon, it won’t give you time to transfer that same day.
How to get from Santiago to Sarria by train
There is no direct train line between Santiago de Compostela and Sarria. The only option is to take a RENFE train to Ourense or Monforte de Lemos. In one of these two locations you will have to transfer to another train, one that goes to Sarria. There are two connections a day, late in the afternoon.
Another option is to take the train from Lugo. From there, RENFE has several departures to Sarria.
Go from Santiago Airport to Sarria
To get from Santiago Airport to Sarria, a transfer to Santiago de Compostela or Lugo is required. The best way to get between the airport and Santiago de Compostela is by bus, as there is no train line between the airport and the city centre.
The Freire company connects the airport 24 hours a day with the centre of Santiago, departures are every 30 minutes. The cost of the trip is 3 euros and the journey time is 20 minutes.
From there, you can take one of the three options that we explained in the previous sections. You should know that if you decide on the train, the Freire company also stops at the railway station.
This same company allows you to travel between the airport and Lugo, between 7.15h in the morning and 20.15h, but with a much reduced frequency in departures. The price of the trip is 9.75 euros and the duration of the trip is 1 hour and 45 minutes.
The best option if you arrive at Santiago Airport is to take a bus to Lugo and from there, get to Sarria, with Monbus. The total cost of going from Santiago airport to Sarria is 12.30 euros and the journey time, 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Getting to Sarria from Santiago by car
If you live in Santiago or arrive in the city with your own car or in a rental car, and from there you want to head to Sarria to start the Camino de Santiago, you must take the AP-9 motorway, until linking with the A-6, which heads to Lugo. From the A-6 you must take exit 488, and then follow the CG-2.2 road, which joins Lugo with Monforte, until you reach Sarria.
If you arrive in Santiago de Compostela by car, whether you decide to leave it there parked or travel with it to Sarria, we recommend that you check the post that we dedicate to the car parks in Santiago and Sarria. We’re sure you’ll find it useful!
Other ways of arriving in Sarria
In addition to public transport and the use of a private vehicle you have another option to get to Sarria from Santiago. We mean BlaBlaCar or shared cars.
These are individuals who will make this journey and who decide to share the expenses of their trip, taking other passengers. You can research this type of transport online.
How to get to Sarria from Madrid
Many pilgrims, especially foreigners, fly to Madrid and from there take transport to reach Sarria and start the Camino de Santiago. To go from Madrid to Sarria it is not necessary to pass Santiago de Compostela if you are traveling by train, if you want to travel by bus you will have to transfer in Santiago de Compostela.
Going to Sarria from Madrid in train
To get to Sarria, from Madrid, by train there is a direct train from Chamartin Station. There are two daily departures. One at 13:00h, lasting 6 hours; and another overnight train that departs from Madrid at 22:14h and arrives in Sarria at 6:42h in the morning.
There are also several trains connecting the capital of Madrid with Santiago de Compostela and Lugo. From both cities you can get to Sarria, as explained in the previous sections.
Other options to arrive in Sarria from Madrid
There are also several buses connecting Madrid with Santiago de Compostela or Lugo, both from the city centre and from the airport. Another option is to take a flight to Santiago de Compostela, from Madrid, and then go to Sarria. Iberia and Ryanair connect both cities with several daily flights, approximately 70 minutes long.
Another alternative is to travel by private car, from Madrid to Sarria. To do this you must leave the capital by the A-6, towards A Coruña. Once in the province of Lugo, and without leaving that highway, you will have to take exit 479, heading to the national road N-VI of Castroverde.
Then we must continue on the CP-1611 road and then follow the LU-546 road. The journey from Madrid to Sarria by car is approximately 5 hours.
How to get to Sarria from Barcelona
For those pilgrims who want to get to Sarria from Barcelona, the train is also the most comfortable option. There is a direct daily service and others with a transfer in Monforte de Lemos. The duration of the trip is 12 hours and you will find both day and night lines.
If you prefer to travel by bus, you will have to link with Santiago de Compostela or Lugo. The Alsa company offers various daily connections.
Another much faster alternative is to take a flight from Barcelona to the capital. Ryanair and Vueling offer flights every day.
To arrive in a private vehicle from Barcelona to Sarria, you will have to leave the Catalan capital in the direction towards Zaragoza. Then by the AP-7, the AP-2 or the AP-1 (all are valid), you can link with the province of Burgos.
Once in Burgos, take the A-66, heading to León, to continue on the AP-71 towards Astorga and then on the A-6 towards A Coruña. When you reach the province of Lugo, take exit 479 to continue on the CP16-11 and LU-546 roads to Sarria.
We hope that this article will be useful to choose the best way to get to Sarria, either from Santiago de Compostela, from Madrid or from Barcelona. If you still do not know the stages on the Camino de Santiago that separate Sarria from Compostela, we recommend that you consult the post we dedicate in our blog to the last kilometres of the Camino Frances.
To say goodbye, just to remind you that if you want to have the support of an agency specialized in the Camino de Santiago, like us, you only have to contact our team. In addition to booking the best accommodation for your stay on the Camino Frances, we can take care of the transfers, among other services, included in our specialized agency on the Camino de Santiago.
Buen Camino!
