How do I transport my bike to the start and return home from the Camino de Santiago?

ByTravesía Pirenaica
Camino de Santiago by bike
Camino de Santiago by bike

We are not going to deceive you, this is the biggest headache that will give us the preparation of our route, how do we get our bicycle to the starting point; unfortunately Spain does not have that European Bicycle culture, and it is almost impossible to take a bicycle on a train (normally it is a means of transport that we will use to get to most of the starting points).

However, we are going to explain schematically how to transport them using the different means of transport:

By plane:

We have to send our bicycle packed (we suggest you go to any bike shop and ask for cardboard boxes of the new bicycles that are arriving); and of course we have to invoice them paying a supplement for the transport of sports equipment, which varies depending on the company but more or less is about 60 EUR.

Bear in mind that we cannot put as much as we want in the box, as we will be charged overweight if we weigh more than 20 kg.

We must play with our hand luggage to avoid overweight.

*This means of transport is usually quite expensive and we also count that there are few airports to get to the origin of the route and we will have to combine it with another means of transport.

By Train:

The long and medium distance trains in Spain only allow bicycles packed in bicycle bags and with a maximum per car, that is if they do not charge a fee for it, taking into account that the bag is not available for less than 80 EUR and that this bag will be an extra space and weight for our whole journey, it is not advisable.

Bicycles are allowed on regional and short-distance trains without any problem.

For more information visit the Renfe website: http://www.renfe.com/viajeros/info/bicicletas.html

By bus:

The transport of bicycles by bus depends on each company, but as a general rule they usually let you take a limited number of bicycles with the front wheel removed and the bicycle covered with a bag. The supplement is between 6 and 10 EUR per bike and some companies do not tell you until the moment of departure whether you can take your bike or not.

Some companies allow you to book your ticket and bicycle from their website so that you can guarantee your transport, such as ALSA. (which has combinations with almost all of Spain).

For more information you can visit Alsa's website: http://ayudaonline.alsa.es/pregunta-frecuente/se-pueden-transportar-bicicletas tablas-de-surf-y-skis/

By car or van:

There are three variants:

- Vehicle for Hire:

Almost all state companies allow us to rent it in our city of origin and drop it off at our destination, paying a small supplement. On our return, we can also take it in the city where the journey ends and drop it off in our destination city.

Depending on the number of pilgrims we can rent from a small car to a van.

- Friend to bring us in his vehicle to the destination point:

Well, it's as simple as having a friend who will give us a lift in his vehicle and we'll pay for his fuel, and if he feels like it, he can act as a broom car for the whole journey.

- Own vehicle:

We can get to the starting point of the route with our vehicle and leave it parked in a safe place such as a car park (which will cost us a little money) or for example in front of a police station (which will always be safer and free of charge).

However, when we return from the end of our route, we will pick up our vehicle and head for home.

Delivery by courier service:

We can send our bicycles by any courier company from our city to the starting point of the route, but we will have to find a place to send our bicycles and have them stored until we arrive.

This kind of shipment always creates a lot of concern: will they arrive safely, will they arrive on time, etc.

We do not recommend this type of delivery until the beginning of the route because no matter how well we pack our bike (as long as we do it ourselves and not the courier company), the couriers do not know what they are carrying and they pass through many hands and do not always arrive in the best conditions; returning it home from Santiago is another thing; there are numerous specialised companies that take good care of our bike and if it arrives damaged we always have time to complain and be able to fix it with peace of mind.

The shipping of the bike is about 60 EUR.

In short, after trying countless combinations, the best option for us is always the rental vehicle that we take care of our bike and we are sure that they arrive perfectly, and it is not particularly expensive.

This is not to say that any of the other options are particularly valid.

We are in Santiago now it's time to send the bikes back home.

The possibilities are practically the same as when sending them at the beginning of the Camino, although it is true that if you return by plane or train (as happens most of the time, as Santiago has train and air connections with most of Spain) the best option is to send it through the different companies that exist in Santiago specialised in sending bicycles, you deliver the bike with panniers and everything and you receive it at home in a couple of days normally in perfect condition because they pack them very well and they do not suffer anything during the trip; In any case, if we receive the bike with any problem we can always complain and at least we will have time to fix it, not like when we start the way that we need our bikes in perfect condition to start.