Long distance routes in Spain

[mmmmartin]

The Camino to Santiago is a great route to start cycle touring in Spain, lots of people taking English, very many places to stay and eat. In Santiago you can send the bike and kit home from the post office next to the Compostela office and fly home with only hand baggage while the bike arrives at your front door five days later.
Gib to Madrid thence to France has some fabulous routes.
But the via de la plata is a bit tough for a first tour i think.
Agree with all those above who say Spanish roads are empty, excellent tarmac and have polite drivers. I try to spend several weeks a year travelling in Spain. Love the people, the place, the food, the views, etc etc.
To get there you can take the excellent boat to Santander, far nicer than airports, crowded flights, rebuilding a bike at the airport etc etc.

 

[GlamorganGuy]

The Camino to Santiago is a great route to start cycle touring in Spain, lots of people taking English, very many places to stay and eat. In Santiago you can send the bike and kit home from the post office next to the Compostela office and fly home with only hand baggage while the bike arrives at your front door five days later.
Gib to Madrid thence to France has some fabulous routes.
But the via de la plata is a bit tough for a first tour i think.
Agree with all those above who say Spanish roads are empty, excellent tarmac and have polite drivers. I try to spend several weeks a year travelling in Spain. Love the people, the place, the food, the views, etc etc.
To get there you can take the excellent boat to Santander, far nicer than airports, crowded flights, rebuilding a bike at the airport etc etc.

Sounds perfect. Is it a straightforward business to get your bike onto the ferry to Santander?

 

[Chislenko]

Sounds perfect. Is it a straightforward business to get your bike onto the ferry to Santander?

It usually is but best check at the moment. Due to covid they had restricted cycle and foot passengers. That was a couple of months back, may have changed now.

 

[Dave Davenport]

We're booked (from Portsmouth) for next May, not as many sailings as pre-covid and it gets busy so worth booking well in advance if you can, it's pretty pricey by the way, two people with bikes plus cabin nearly 800 quid.

 

[GlamorganGuy]

I was planning to do without a cabin and kip on a seat somewhere, but I might not be in the best state to ride by the time I've got there...

 

[Chislenko]

I was planning to do without a cabin and kip on a seat somewhere, but I might not be in the best state to ride by the time I've got there...

Having seen the following day state of some people who have done that I would strongly advise getting a cabin.

 

[mudsticks]

I was planning to do without a cabin and kip on a seat somewhere, but I might not be in the best state to ride by the time I've got there...

I initially booked myself without a cabin.

But it's a long old crossing and I'm glad I changed my mind.
I slept well , and that makes a big difference when you're starting a trip.

The cheaper cabins are on the interior of the ship where at the fulcrum there is less movement, if it's rough.

I was lucky and had calmish crossings in October, but the Bay of Biscay can get rough.

I did a route something like the Camino Nort, from Santander to visit a friend in Western Galicia.

I didn't have a preplanned route, just a beginning and end point.

I had initially thought to go further inland but enjoyed the coast very much.


Hilly but very beautiful.

I must get round to writing the trip up some time.


There is also the little North coast slow train to consider as a transport option.
You can hop on and off with your bike.

I came back that way from à Coruna over two days with a stop over in Oviedo.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

I'd agree with @mudsticks about a cabin. Ferry companies are really good at making the ship uncomfortable for sleeping.

I think Flixbus have some routes that they can take bikes (normally on a stand at the front) and www.fietsvakantiewinkel normally have long distance buses including Spain especially for bike tourists.
Of course, you still have to get to NL.

 

[jay clock]

Ruta De la plata

that route is a lot on the N630. That is a big old national highway which is now paralleled by motorway so a huge road with shoulders and zero traffic. Lovely. See here https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=2sf&doc_id=11271&v=QR#304556