Do you dream of starting your Camino de Santiago while feeling the Atlantic breeze and the maritime buzz of a city that lives by the sea? In Vigo, fishing tradition, a lively old town and modern infrastructure come together to make it easy for you to take your first pilgrim step — a city that welcomes you with open arms for your adventure on the Camino route. And for us, it will be a pleasure to walk alongside you!
Vigo proudly sits in the province of Pontevedra, embraced by the Ría de Vigo and watched over by the Cíes Islands, true jewels of the Atlantic. It’s one of the most important cities in Galicia, offering all the services you could need, with an airport, intermodal train and bus station, international port, and great road connections. For pilgrims, Vigo is a key starting point of the Portuguese Coastal Way, as the 100 km from the olive city to Santiago are enough to earn the Compostela.
Panoramic view of Vigo and the Rías Baixas
How to Get to Vigo from Madrid
Whether you depart from Atocha, Chamartín or T4, in just a few hours you can be enjoying oysters by the port. Your most convenient options from Madrid are:
- By train: daily departures via Ourense, taking around 4 hours.
- By plane: various airlines get you to Vigo in 1 hour, and from the airport (line A, Vitrasa company) or taxi, you’re in the city centre in 15 minutes.
- By bus: Avanza or Alsa take 7 to 8 hours to the Intermodal Station.
- By car: 600 km via A-6 and A-52, a drive of about 6 hours.
Historic centre of Vigo, in the last 100 km of the Portuguese Coastal Way
Getting to Vigo from Barcelona
From the Mediterranean to the Atlantic is quite a leap, but some direct air connections make it easy. From Barcelona, you can get to Vigo:
- By train: the trip takes about 12 hours, possibly less if connecting via Madrid.
- By plane: airlines offer flights all year round, taking just under 2 hours.
- By bus: you’ll arrive in 12 to 13 hours, though it’s a long journey.
- By car: 1,100 km via AP-7, A-2 and A-52, about 11 hours total.
Urban centre of Vigo
Travelling to Vigo from Seville
From the Guadalquivir to the Galician Atlantic may seem far, but trains and flights make it manageable. To get to Vigo:
- By train: via Madrid, it takes about 7 to 8 hours.
- By plane: usually with a layover (about 4 hours total), though sometimes there are direct flights taking just 1.5 hours.
- By bus: around 10 hours, an economical but long option.
- By car: 700 km via A-66 and A-52, about 7 hours, with an optional stretch through Portugal.
Monument to José Elduayen
Getting to Vigo from Valencia
Valencia and Vigo are well connected with several options:
- By plane: in 1.5 hours you’ll be at Peinador airport.
- By train: via Madrid, you can reach Vigo in around 6 hours.
- By bus: with a stopover in Madrid, you’ll arrive in 10 to 11 hours.
- By car: 950 km via A-3, A-6 and A-52, about 9 hours.
View of the Ría de Vigo from the Redondela Bench
Tips for Getting to Vigo from Santiago or Porto
If you land elsewhere in Galicia or in northern Portugal, there are several quick and easy ways to get to Vigo before starting your pilgrimage. Here’s how to move from Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña and Porto Airport.
From Santiago de Compostela to Vigo
Travelling between the Jacobean capital and Galicia’s largest city is a breeze. A regional train departs every hour, connecting the intermodal stations of Santiago and Vigo-Urzáiz in about 55 minutes. If you prefer the bus, Monbus also operates frequent services — they take just over an hour and drop you off at the same station in Vigo.
From A Coruña to Santiago (and then to Vigo)
If you land at Alvedro or start in the Herculean city, getting to Santiago is easy: the A Coruña–Santiago train covers the 70 km in just 28–35 minutes, with departures almost every half hour. By bus it takes around an hour, and by car or taxi, the AP-9 gets you there in 45 minutes. Once in Santiago, just follow the train or bus option above.
From Porto Airport (Portugal) to Vigo
Peinador isn’t your only flight option — many international flights arrive at Porto’s Sá Carneiro Airport, just 160 km away. Direct buses leave from the terminal, with a journey time of about two hours and one or two brief technical stops. Prefer trains? Take the light rail to Porto-Campanhã station, board a regional comboio to Valença do Minho (a scenic ride along the Miño), and connect with the Galician train that, in another 60–70 minutes, crosses the border and arrives at Vigo-Guixar. A slightly slower but very picturesque alternative.
Vigo
What If I’m Driving?
As a large city, Vigo has paid parking zones downtown where you can leave your car, but for several days, it can be expensive and not very secure. No worries: there are monitored car parks in the city centre, all with 24-hour access and CCTV. If you’d rather save money, just head slightly outside the historic centre to nearby neighbourhoods, and in 15–20 minutes by bus or taxi you’re back in the heart of the city.
But if you’d rather forget about your car until the end of the Camino, we’ve got you covered. We offer a vehicle transfer service: hand us your keys in Vigo, and we’ll drive your car to Santiago, where it’ll be waiting for you the same day you reach Praza do Obradoiro.
To top it off, we can arrange private transfers tailored to your needs. Whether you want us to pick you up from Peinador airport and take you to your hotel, or you need a transfer from Santiago to Vigo (or the other way around) to better connect with your flight or train, just let us know the date, time, and number of people.
Now you know everything you need to get to Vigo — and why it deserves to be the kilometre 0 of your next Camino de Santiago. Book the transport that best suits you, let us take care of the rest — accommodation, luggage transfer, tailored packs — and enjoy every step from sea to cathedral.
Buen Camino — and see you soon among mussel farms and seagulls!
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