3 weeks to spend and thinking mostly of galicia. what is the most time economical way to get there. originally thought of renting a car and flying into barcelona and making our way west but now with all there is to see on that trip i think we would be short of time. better to fly from barcelona to ? and rent a car or fly into madrid and drive? have been scouring this forum for this answer and haven't quite got it answered, but picking up some great ideas for green spain thanks to all.

Hi,
The drive from Madrid to Galicia is long, and some of it (in León and Galicia) mountainous. It might be better to fly a low-cost airline such as Vueling (vueling.com) from Madrid or Barcelona to Santiago de Compostela. Check for flying into Vigo and A Coruña also. All three cities have airports, and are easy to get in and out of.

Don't neglect to eat pulpo (octopus) and empanada (a filled savory pastry) when in Galicia. Buena suerte.

epicureanways

epicureanways.com/blog

My last trip (pilgrimage) to Santiago, I flew into Madrid and caught another flight to Santiago. My EWR-MAD flight arrived 2-hours late; I almost missed my connection on Iberia to Santiago but after I checked in at Terminal-2&3 Check-in they held the flight until I got back to Terminal-2.

Wife's cousin routinely drives Madrid-Santiago. It takes him about 6-hrs pedal-to-the-metal (as Spaniards drive) all the way.
I don't advise that because of the price of fuel and some pretty high tolls (especially in Galicia).

'Green Spain' includes Cantabria (la Montaña) and the Principality of Asturias as well as Galicia.

I live in Galicia and can assure you that the trip from BCN is over 1000km. Most of the trip will not be done in so called Green Spain.
If you want to get here quick from BCN then you have to fly. There are trains and buses but they will take a good part of a day. Flights can be economical especially if you book early.
Madrid is only about 600 km away (all distances are given as approx) it should take a lot less time as the road is better and more direct. Again there are flights to and from Madrid to all Galician airports.
Airports in Galicia are Vigo, Santiago and A Coruña. Here is the website for Spanish airports it gives flight destination and company details.
http://www.aena.es/csee/Satellite?pagename=Home
Where you fly in and out of Spain is down to your requirements. And alternative is to fly to Oporto and hire a car there. Galicia is only about 200 km away. Or fly to Asturias and drive around green Spain.
Sorry to add to your confusion!

You can also fly into Porto, Portugal and head north into Galicia. There are direct flights from the US to Porto.

thank you for the detailed information. driving from madrid or barcelona does not seem like a good option for our time span.
we are now more likely to fly into bilbao and fly out of santiago, renting a car in bilbao and then taking our time to santiago.
we have 20 days on the ground, arriving late in bilbao. maybe 2 days in bilbao, then pick up the car and head out for our adventures. we would like to drop off the car in santiago and then stay 2 or 3 days.
so wondering if 2 days in bilbao and 3 days in santiago are adequate with meandering between the two for the remainder.
wow, sounds wonderful! thanks for any input.

I would do three nights in Bilbao, the first to relax and adjust, the next to days to explore and enjoy.

Depending on when you are planning on going, you should make your hotel reservations well in advance so that you can map out your trip to get the most out of it. We spent two weeks in Cantabria (last November) and another two in Asturias (last July) and barely scratched the surface.

I also highly recommend renting a good mid sized car, an Audi A4 or Opal Vectra diesel. It will make the drive a lot easier and the cars get excellent fuel economy. The last A4 we had got better than 43 miles to the gallon, not much different than driving a compact, but with a lot more comfort. You can check the rates at Auto Europe.

cindyjo writes: "... we are now more likely to fly into bilbao and fly out of santiago, renting a car in bilbao and then taking our time to santiago.
we have 20 days on the ground, arriving late in bilbao. maybe 2 days in bilbao, then pick up the car and head out for our adventures. we would like to drop off the car in santiago and then stay 2 or 3 days. so wondering if 2 days in bilbao and 3 days in santiago are adequate with meandering between the two for the remainder. ..."

You say you're arriving in Bilbao late in the day: I would recommend 2 full days for that City. I stayed at the Hotel Conde Duque (on the river at the pedestrian bridge) and would recommend that location

In Bilbao, don't miss the Mercado Central, a 3-story structure on the rio Nervion across from Casco Viejo

also the Guggenheim if only to see & admire Frank Gehry's Masterwork; and la Begonia Cathedral, that many Euskadis consider their own Parish Church.

There's a Bus Vision in Bilbao that will take you on a tour of the City.

Going west from Bilbao there's a 4-lane divided highway (no toll) to Limpias (S. of Laredo), Santander, Santillana del mar and very close to los Picos de Europa. Then you cross into Asturias, where I prefer the Coastal route.
There's much to see in Cantabria and Asturias, for that matter

Three days in SdC is far too much, unless you take the train to somewhere like A Coruña. If you only want to see the old part of SdC one and a half days would be sufficient. It is quite small.
Other places in Galicia are Lugo for the walled city, The Rias Altas for the coast, O Coural and Ribeira Sacra inland Ribadavia for the old Jewish city. The list could go on and on.

Don't forget to visit San Sebastian. We flew from Barcelona to San Sebastian, spent 5 nights there, including a day trip by convenient bus to Bilbao, and then, wonderfully fed, set out to see the rest of green spain.

You can also fly Ryan from London into Santiago or Santander.