Santiago Airport (SCQ): getting to the city centre

Santiago de Compostela's airport is named after Rosalía de Castro, the 19th-century Galician poet, and sits on a plot in Lavacolla, a village that centuries ago was the last stop for pilgrims before entering the city: it's where they washed before presenting themselves to the Apostle. Today it's still the entry point for most visitors, though the airport itself is small and can be crossed end to end in a few minutes.

Airlines and destinations

Around ten airlines operate at SCQ, serving close to 29 destinations. On domestic routes, Iberia connects to Madrid and Vueling to Barcelona, alongside seasonal routes to the Canary Islands, Alicante, Málaga or Palma. Internationally, London is the most frequent destination (Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted), joined by Amsterdam with KLM, Frankfurt with Lufthansa, Dublin and Cork with Aer Lingus, and flights to Zurich, Brussels or Paris-Orly.

The route map shifted considerably in late 2025: Ryanair closed its Santiago base in October of that year, citing what the airline called excessively high airport fees, and withdrew a large share of its connections to Madrid, Málaga, Alicante and Barcelona. It kept five routes at reduced frequency. In response, 2026 has brought in longer-haul operators: KLM has reinforced Amsterdam with a daily service through the summer season, which in the airline calendar ends on 24 October 2026, and Lufthansa keeps Frankfurt running. In late May 2026 United Airlines launched the first ever direct flight between Galicia and the United States, to New York (Newark), three times a week and seasonal only: the 2026 season ended in September, and the airline has confirmed the route returns in summer 2027. Vueling, for its part, has expanded its base at the airport from three aircraft to four.

Two newcomers are announced for the winter, with tickets already on sale but not flying yet. Wizz Air starts with Bilbao and Valencia on 2 November 2026 and Madrid on the 3rd, then opens a base in Santiago on 17 December, adding Warsaw, Rome, Málaga, Zaragoza, Tenerife North, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura over that month. Fly2Galicia, a new airline based in Santiago, plans its first flight for 1 December 2026, with eight destinations: Alicante, Zaragoza, Granada, Brussels, Prague, Munich, Venice and Milan, twice a week each (three times to Alicante). These are announced routes: if you're planning around them, check on the airline's website that they're still going ahead before booking anything else.

If you're coming from outside Spain and looking for a direct flight, it's also worth checking nearby airports like A Coruña, Vigo or even Porto as an alternative, though for most international visitors SCQ remains the most convenient option. A Coruña (Alvedro) has one concrete advantage if you land with the rucksack already packed: Ferrol, where the Camino Inglés starts, is about 49 km away, a little over half an hour by car, so you can fly in the morning and sleep that night at the start line.

Getting from the airport to the centre

There are three sensible ways to get from the terminal to the old town, and the choice mostly comes down to how much luggage you're carrying and what time you land.

City bus (route 6A)

By far the cheapest option: 1 €, paid in cash directly to the driver as you board. Since 28 May 2026 the 6A runs a single daily timetable — the same every day, with no reduced weekend version — and two kinds of service that are worth telling apart: the direct shuttle, which stops only at the airport and at Rúa do Hórreo (Intermodal Station) and takes about 25-35 minutes, and the stopping service, which runs through the centre and takes about 30-45. Both start and end at Hórreo, at the Intermodal Station, not at Praza de Galicia.

And there is an asymmetry worth knowing, because it is the one that leaves people waiting: coming from the airport, the stopping service drops you at Praza de Galicia (and before that at San Marcos, Santa Clara, San Roque, Virxe da Cerca and Fonte de San Antonio) before finishing at the Intermodal. But you cannot board at Praza de Galicia to go to the airport: the boarding stops are Hórreo, Ensinanza, Virxe da Cerca, San Roque, Basquiños, Pastoriza, Anxo Casal and San Marcos. The first bus leaves Hórreo at 6:00 and reaches the airport around 6:30; the last leaves the airport at 0:30 and reaches the Intermodal close to 1:00. Times from the official TUSSA timetable, indicative. Note that there's been talk of introducing a separate fare for this route, around 6 € one-way or 10 € return, though still with no confirmed date; it's worth checking tussa.gal before you travel.

Taxi

The taxi ride takes 15 to 20 minutes and typically costs between 20 and 25 €. There's an official taxi rank right outside the terminal, so there's no need to book ahead unless you're arriving on an overnight flight. To call one, Radio Taxi Compostela answers 24 hours a day on 981 56 92 92.

Ride-hail (Uber, Cabify)

As an alternative to a taxi, ride-hail services operate in the area with prices ranging from 15 to 25 € depending on demand at the time. It's a reasonable option if you already have the app installed and prefer to lock in the price before getting in the car.

Pre-booked private transfer

It is the same taxi ride, paid in advance and with the driver waiting for you in arrivals. It makes sense in two cases: if you land in the small hours and don’t want to depend on cars being at the rank, or if there are four or five of you with suitcases. Civitatis sells it with pick-up at the airport and drop-off in Santiago, Lugo or Sarria, the last one handy if you are heading straight to the start of the Camino. It needs at least 24 hours’ notice, and the time you give is your flight’s scheduled arrival. The price depends on the number of people and shows once you pick a date: compare it with the 20-25 € taxi before booking, because for one or two people the rank is usually enough.

Car hire at the airport

You don’t need one for the old town: it is a restricted-access zoneand you walk it. A car does pay off if you plan to do the coast, Finisterre or the Ribeira Sacra on your own. Around twenty companies operate at SCQ: some have a desk in the terminal and others, such as Centauro, pick you up by shuttle outside the building. Desks usually open from 08:00 to 23:30, so if you land later, check your company’s hours before you pay (figures from the DiscoverCars comparison site, checked on 26 October 2026).

And if you are not heading into town but off to start the Camino in Sarria, there is no need to go down to Santiago. The only direct bus of the day, the Xunta's line XG802, calls at the terminal at 11:15 and reaches Sarria at 13:18 for €11.05; every other combination changes in Lugo. The timetable, and how late a landing still works, are in getting to the starting point.

Distance and orientation

SCQ sits 12 kilometres from the old town, a distance that by car or taxi takes roughly 15-20 minutes under normal traffic. There's no train connecting the airport directly to the city — Santiago's station is in the centre, not in Lavacolla — so for anyone who'd rather not rely on the city bus, a taxi remains the most direct way in.