Getting Here
There are lots of ways to get here. Here are a few examples.
Pushed for time?
Fly direct to La Coruña.
Got a couple of days?
Travel via Santiago or at least fly back from there and spend some time visiting the cathedral and having lunch or dinner before heading to the airport.
More time than that?
Fly via Madrid
Spend some time exploring Madrid and get the short flight up to Galicia. Getting the train is another option.
Or spend a couple of days driving up. It's a great experience and there are so many interesting places to stop en route like Segovia, Avila, Leon, Salamanca or Ourense.
Fly via Bilbao, Santander or Asturias Airport
And spend a few days exploring the northern coast of Spain. Wonderful scenery, great food and Asturian cider. What's not to like?
If this sounds appealing, I would recommend spending the night before getting here in the lovely city of Gijon. The next day visit the beautiful fishing village of Cudillero for a coffee or lunch. And then it is just a 2.5 hour drive to La Coruña so you arrive here feeling nice and refreshed and ready to party!
Fly via Portugal
Lisbon is about 6 or 7 hours driving. But Oporto is only 3 hours away and lunch by the banks of the River Duero is highly recommended.
Those Brexit benefits we've all been waiting for!
Spain is part of the Schengen area and you can only travel to countries in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180 day period without a visa. Visits to Schengen countries within the previous 180 days before you travel count towards your 90 days.
If you are travelling to Spain with a UK passport, it must:
- be valid for at least 3 months after your leaving date.
- have been issued less than 10 years before your date of entry (prior to October 2018 passports were sometimes issued with additional months).
I think everyone knows about the 3 months but the 10-year rule is not so well known and has caught out a few unlucky visitors to Spain.
You must get your passport stamped on entry to Spain. Otherwise you could have problems when you leave (I have seen this happen at Madrid airport).
As well as a valid return ticket, you may also be asked to:
- show you have enough money for your stay.
- show proof of accommodation for your stay.
To access public healthcare you now need a UK Global Health Insurance Card commonly referred to as the UK GHIC.
Connecting Flights
If you are going to transfer through Madrid, you need to allow a lot more time than previously.
Firstly, flights from the UK now land at a different terminal and it takes at least 30 minutes to transfer.
Secondly, you now have to join the rest of the world in the queue for passport control. If you are unlucky enough to land just after a couple of 747s from South America you could be there for quite a while.
The Details
Airports in Galicia
There are 2 airports in Galicia that have connections with the UK and Ireland, La Coruña and Santiago de la Compostella.
La Coruña (LCG)
The airport is only 15-20 mins away from the city centre. A taxi costs about 25 euros. There is also a regular bus service that stops right in the middle of town. It costs a couple of euros.
Santiago de la Compostella (SCQ)
Getting to La Coruña is fairly easy during the day but if your flight is arriving late or leaving early, I would recommend spending a night in Santiago.
The airport is about 45 minutes from La Coruña by autoroute. Taxis to La Coruña are very expensive (at least 120 euros) but the train is cheap (6 - 8 euros), reliable and only 30-40 minutes. There are regular buses from the airport to the train station which take about 30 minutes and you can also get a taxi to the train station for about 25 euros.
You can buy tickets at the station but in Spain you have to book a seat so there is always a chance that the train that you are planning to catch is full and you have to get the next one.
You can buy online at https://www.renfe.com/es/en/viajar/informacion-util/horarios but, in case your flight is delayed, it may be better to do this once you have landed.
There is also a bus from the airport to La Coruña bus station. It only runs a couple of times a day, but it is very cheap and only takes an hour. More details here: https://www.monbus.es/en.
Direct Flights to La Coruña
Vueling flies direct from London Gatwick on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sunday. The times (and prices) vary quite a bit depending on the day.
Pre-pandemic, Vueling had a daily flight from London Heathrow. It is possible that they might resume this.
Direct Flights to Santiago de la Compostella
Ryanair flies direct from London Stansted. In July there is a flight every day (and sometimes 2).
Ryanair also has flights from Edinburgh and Dublin.
Vueling has daily fights from London Gatwick. Unfortunately, most of the flights arrive very late.
Easyjet flies from London Gatwick on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Via Madrid
Personally I find travelling to La Coruña via Madrid is nowhere near as bad as it sounds.
The overall price is often very similar, and you get a lot more flights to choose from meaning that the departure times can be a lot more civilised. And there are plenty of flights from Madrid to La Coruña which, as noted above, will save you a bit of time and hassle compared to Santiago.
I know a lot of people disagree, but I would rather leave at midday and arrive here at 7 in the evening feeling nice and relaxed, than getting up at 4:00 am, arriving at 11:00 but feeling absolutely shattered.
Other Non-Direct Flights
Apart from Madrid, there are lots of airports in Spain and Portugal that you can get to Galicia from although most of them will go to Santiago.
You could even spend the week before on a beach in Alicante or Malaga and arrive here with a lovely tan!