Leaving Your Trip in VIGO or in SANTIAGO

This page offers help (concrete or informational) on leaving your trip. Topics include...

1. Where you Leave Your Trip (see immediately below)
2. Our “Access Packages,” designed to help you to do so.
3. Suggestions on how to time your ongoing travel, whether you are having us arrange it, or doing it yourself.
4. Service information regarding train travel from your trip end location.
5. Suggested post-trip visits, especially when these are not geographically obvious, but are rendered economical and convenient by direct rail connections.
6. Hopefully helpful hints for those setting up their own travel from the trip.

If you wish to arrange some or all of your travel through us, please tell us what by means of this response questionnaire, designed to collect all the information we need to be able to book your travel.


1. WHERE and WHEN Do You Leave Your Trip?

Most of our trips following our Galicia itinerary end in Vigo. Arrival in Vigo is timed to allow same-day ongoing travel to Santiago de Compostela, 2 hours away, and this recommended extention is offered as an option to trips disbanding in Vigo. Our “Southern Cross” trip includes the Saturday night in Santiago as part of its price.

If your trip ends in Vigo, your arrival there is also timed to allow ongoing travel to Madrid or Barcelona, via Saturday “Hotel Train.” Madrid arrival is early on Sunday morning, in time to get to the airport for most Sunday flights (see “Service Information” for details).

If it ends in Santiago (or if you opt for the one-day extention that takes you there), the same “Hotel Train” options (and others) are available to you on Sunday night.

If you wish to arrange your own ongoing travel (in other words, you do not want to set up any ongoing travel arrangements through us), a couple of hints regarding ongoing travel are offered at the bottom of this page. Otherwise...


2. Our ACCESS PACKAGES
as of April 25, 2008

Our “Access Package” includes a ticket on the overnight sleeper train to Madrid.
Arrival in Madrid is at 8a, on Sunday if you depart from Vigo on Saturday night, or on Monday at 8a if you depart from Santiago on Sunday night.

Other travel options are available. In particular, we suggest that you go to Santiago de Compostela for Saturday night (this extension is included as part of “Southern Cross”).
Santiago is one of Spain’s prettiest cities, and is less than 2 hours away. And when are you going to get back to this corner of the world? A one-night Saturday night extention to Santiago is proposed as an extra-cost option for trips ending in Vigo, and all of the ongoing travel arrangements available from Vigo on Saturday night are offered from Santiago on Sunday, at the same prices.


Base (Starting) Access Package Price: 73€.
If you are a North American traveller, the $ price (US or Canadian) on your price chart applies until 35 days prior to trip departure. Otherwise euro prices are transcribed to your invoice in its currency, converted at the exchange rate of the day on which the package is requested (rounded to the nearest whole dollar). Current “mid-market” rates can be consulted from the site we use for conversion. We use the mid-market rate on the day of conversion, and add 2% to cover currency broker exchange commissions (our conversion rates are thus as good as, or better than, any you could obtain, including via your credit card, unless you are a professional currency trader).

Availability is normally assured until 35 days prior to trip start (payment received by us). Within 35 days, availability must be confirmed. Costs may be slightly higher if the fare codes we normally use are no longer available. Some extra-cost options also have higher prices if ordered w/in 35 days.

Included:

• The overnight “Hotel Train” to Madrid, from Vigo on Saturday or Santiago on Sunday.
  A berth in a 4-person, single-sex sleeper cabin is included. Upgrades to “Deluxe” cabins (with showers) are available, if sleeping in your bike clothes (or taking a sponge bath in the Vigo station) doesn’t appeal. In fact, this train can be a lot of fun if you throw a bit of money at it. It offers economical private cabins (single or double, with or without shower and WC ensuite), an excellent restaurant (dinner included in the ticket price of the “Deluxe” cabins), a fun bar.... If other people are on board with you, the trip is too short. The Autumn ‘03 return from Santiago was a memorable Blue Marble moment (some of us are still recovering). See upgrade options, below.
• OR: Sunday daylight train to Madrid (see “Service Information,” below). Includes required seat reservation. No additional cost in 2nd class, 24€ 1st class (a relative bargain, as this is a long trip).
  
  

Options Offered at an Extra Cost (subject to availability)
Prices are in addition to the “Base” Access Package Price. For a general discussion of train upgrades, see here. Topics include the relative comfort of first versus second class, and different types of accommodation available on overnight trains.

• One-day trip extension to Santiago. Ongoing travel from Santiago may be by Sunday daylight train, by Sunday overnight “Hotel Train,” or later, after an extended Santiago stay.
  Price (included in the price of “Southern Cross”): 75€ shared occupancy in Santiago (guaranteed to singles willing to share until 35 days before trip start), 99€ single. Includes/
  - Evening train to Santiago.
  - Dinner.
  - Saturday night lodging in Santiago.
  - Breakfast on Sunday morning, if you get up / have time for it.
• Single room in Santiago, +29€.
• Tickets to Barcelona instead of Madrid: +39€. Includes 2nd class couchette instead of berth in 4-person sleeper; upgrades available to “deluxe” double or single sleeper cabins. See below for prices.
• Sunday tickets to Paris. +89€ for the local service (includes a 2nd class couchette on overnight portion), +139€ for the express (includes a berth in a single-sex, 4-person sleeping car cabin). For schedules, see “Service Information,” below. 1st cl. upgrade on the daylight portion of the express route (5 hours): 18€. For night train upgrades, see below.
• Sunday tickets to Lisbon. From Vigo, no additional charge in 2nd class, +39€ 1st cl. Add 10€ for tickets from Santiago (trip from Santiago back to Vigo, where you catch the Porto train, is in 2nd class, as train does not offer 1st class seats).
  
• Night train upgrades (from 4-person cabin on night train to Madrid or “express” service to Paris, from 2nd class couchette on night train to Barcelona or “local” service to Paris). Please read the following two notes, if the text in bold concerns you.
  1. “Deluxe” cabins on the Madrid and Paris trains include dinner and breakfast in the train’s excellent restaurant, with wine (that, in fact, is the problem).
  2. Solo passengers wishing to book in a double cabin to Madrid or Barcelona: Spanish trains require that both berths of a double cabin be booked by passengers travelling together. If you are alone, and prefer to spend less than the cost of a single, you may request a berth in a double through us. If someone else from your trip (and of your gender) requests the same, we will pair you. If we cannot, we will default to your second choice (the other type of double, a single cabin, or no upgrade, depending on what you tell us). If you prefer to travel with an opposite-gender passenger from your trip rather than same-gender strangers in a multi-person cabin, tell us that. It will expand the number of possible cabin-mates.
  Upgrade prices are...
  - “Comfort Couchette” (available on local service to Paris only): 29€.
  - Regular double cabin: 35€ per person to Madrid, 75€ to Paris, not available to Barcelona.
  - “Deluxe” double cabin: 69€ / person to Madrid or Barcelona, 119€ to Paris
  Meal service included on Madrid and Paris trains, available at additional cost on Barcelona train.
  - Regular single cabin: 75€ to Madrid, 119€ to Paris, not available to Barcelona.
  - “Deluxe” single cabin: 99€ to Barcelona, 119€ to Madrid, 169€ to Paris (meal service included on Madrid and Paris trains, available at additional cost on Barcelona train).
• Tickets on the Paris airport train, to Charles de Gaulle or Orly from anywhere in the city. Follow this link for details.
• Tickets to London. Travel to London is via Paris. Add 49€ if you are also purchasing tickets from London at the start of your trip, 89€ if not, or if you prefer a changeable ticket (in 1st cl., add 85€ or 135€; 1st class tickets include meal service).
  
  

Alternate Arrangements, in lieu of (or in addition to) our usual packages. Subject to availability.
Prices are complete (in other words, they are not in addition to the “Base” Access Package Price, unless you also subscribe to that).

• One-day trip extension to Santiago (included in the price of “Southern Cross”). 75€ shared occupancy (guaranteed to singles willing to share), 99€ single. Includes
  - Evening train to Santiago
  - Dinner.
  - Saturday night lodging in Santiago
  - Breakfast on Sunday morning, if you get up / have time for it.
• Saturday evening or Sunday tickets to Porto. From Vigo: 30€ 2nd class, 45€ 1st class. Add 10€ for tickets from Santiago (trip from Santiago back to Vigo, where you catch the Porto train, is in 2nd class, as train does not offer 1st class accommodation).
• Hotel rooms in Vigo – we have a nice place a couple of blocks from the station....

3. TIMING Your Trip

We are obviously trying to encourage you to spend at least Saturday night in Santiago. A truly special place, especially on a Saturday night. And the more of Sunday you can give to it, the better. The exceptional comfort of the ongoing overnight trains allows you to spend most of Sunday here, if you are willing: ongoing trains depart at 2p for Paris (express), 6p for Barcelona, 10p for Madrid.... If you have a flight from Madrid on Monday, take a shower cabin so that you can feel human on the plane. .


4. Service Information
Schedules are approximate – exact timetables can be consulted at http://www.raileurope.com/us/rail/fares_schedules/index.htm.
Best trains are mentioned. Others are slower or have multiple connections.

• To Madrid. Daylight train: departs Santiago or Vigo at 2p; arrives 9:30p. Overnight train: departs either city at 10:30p, arrives Madrid at 7:45a. Allow 1 hour to reach the airport by metro.
• To Barcelona. Daylight (operates on Mondays only): departs Vigo or Santiago at 6:45a, arrives Barcelona at 11:20p (from Santiago, a local train takes you to the long-distance train, which you board at 10a: restaurant on board). Overnight: depart at 6p (4:30p from Santiago), ar 11a. Or, depart 10:30p, arrive 2:30p the next day, via a morning connection in Madrid (this is a more expensive route: add 23€ to quoted ticket price).
• To Paris. Two daily services, both reaching Paris the morning after departure.
  - “Local,” departs Santiago at 9a; arrives Paris 7:15a the next morning.
  Change of train required in early evening. The first (daylight) train carries café / restaurant car. This trip may be broken with a night stop in San Sebastian or Biarritz. Continue by daylight or overnight train the next day (stopover cost = 19€). Hotel in stopover city is additional, but can be arranged thru us if desired.
  - “Express,” departs Santiago at 2p, arrives Paris 8:30a the next day.
  Change of train required in early evening. Full meal service available on both trains.
• To Lisbon. Daylight service only. Dp 6a (weekdays only, 2 changes) or 11a (daily, 3 connections); trip time 9 hrs.
• To London. Trip time is 2.5 hours from Paris, a station change in Paris is necessary (Austerlitz to Nord).
• To Porto. Trip time is about 3 hours. Trains run Sa evening and Su morning.

5. Suggested POST-TRIP VISITS

Santiago, Santiago, Santiago. Once you have visited Santiago, Porto.


6. Hints on TRAVELLING INDEPENDENTLY After the Trip
Guests subscribing to an “Access Package” need not read this section.

See also “Timing Your Trip” and “Service Information,” above, as either of these may additionally help.

We gladly provide travel consulting (schedule or routing information) concerning post-trip individual travel. In particular, we have invested a great deal to become railway experts. Our service fees are reasonable: a 20€ charge for all but the most complex projects – or the most simple (for instance, only a 10€ charge applies if the service is limited to the preparation of a routine rail ticket). You will generally find them well-justified by the time they will save you in research, standing on line, overpaying for your tickets, or all three.

But, for some, this type of research is fun. So, here are some hints, intended to start off hardened “do-it-yourselfers.”

Trains. Schedules for all routes can be consulted on this web site:
http://www.raileurope.com/us/rail/fares_schedules/index.htm

Sparce service: all that exist are proposed here.

Planes. 3 small regional airports: Vigo, Santiago, and La Coruña (a.k.a. “A Coruña,” in Gallego). Vigo and A Coruña have essentially domestic Iberian service. Santiago offers limited intra-Europe service, including (at this writing) two daily flights to London, one on British Air, and another on Ryanair. Frequent trains operate the line between Vigo, Santiago and A Coruña. Count circa 90 minutes to Santiago, another 90 on to A Coruña.


If you wish to arrange some or all of your travel through us, please tell us what by means of this response questionnaire, designed to collect all the information we need to be able to book your travel.