Now that the discounts promoted by the central government and the Xunta (regional government of Galicia) have made it cheaper to travel around the region, let us fill you in on what options are available, where to buy tickets and the discounts available, whether by train, bus or boat.
07 dic 2022 . Actualizado a las 05:00 h.Because of rising petrol and diesel prices and the discounts now available on public transport, more and more Galicians are choosing to park their cars. Although Galicia is notorious for being rather poorly communicated, there are plenty of options for those who want to get around within the cities or between cities. If you’re planning to visit Galicia before the end of the year, be sure to check out this guide for tourists. In it we explain how to get around by public transport, where to buy tickets and what discounts you can find, whether by bus, coach, train or boat.
Rail: between cities and along the north coast
Rail is one of the fastest means of transport for moving around Galicia. However, due to a lack of infrastructure and relatively infrequent train times, most routes run between Vigo and A Coruña (the main cities on the Atlantic axis), Santiago de Compostela and Ourense.
Thus, you can travel from A Coruña to Vigo in less than an hour and a half on Renfe’s medium-distance services, which stops in Santiago, Vilagarcía and Pontevedra along the way. If you opt for a regional train, the journey takes just over two hours, but includes more stops, such as Ordes, Padrón, Catoira or Redondela.
Ourense is another city with decent communications, at least with the north of Galicia, as it is the entry point for the Alvia train arriving from Madrid. Both the Alvia and the Avant trains take just over an hour to reach A Coruña, stopping in Santiago on the way. However, when arriving in Vigo, you will need to change trains in the Galician capital or wait for an Alvia or Regional Express train, which have the disadvantage of running less frequently and having longer journey times of between one and a half and two hours.
There is also a metre-gauge suburban line that runs along the entire northern coast of Spain. In Galicia, it connects Ferrol with Ribadeo and runs four times a day from Monday to Friday, passing through Ortigueira, where twice as many trains arrive, for a total of eight a day. The main downside is the time it takes to travel the Galician section of the track, at just over three hours, and the fact that it suffers frequent breakdowns or delays that force Renfe to have to provide alternatives such as buses or taxis.
Fares and discounts
How to buy tickets? As with any Renfe route, tickets can be purchased on the company’s website or at its ticket offices. However, it is important to remember that the smaller localities, which have a halt rather than an actual station, do not offer face-to-face sales. If you happen to board the train at any of these locations, you will need to pay the conductor onboard.
As for discounts, the new Renfe season tickets, which allow for free travel, are not intended for tourists. That said, you can still purchase the more economical 10-trip tickets, or earn discounts for large families and children. There are also special cards available for the over-60s, pensioners, people with disabilities and young people aged under 25. In addition, the latest measures promoted by the central government and the regional government of Galicia to alleviate the impact of the crisis include a 50% reduction in suburban (cercanías) fares within the metropolitan area of Ferrol.
Bus and coach: urban and interurban lines
Buses and coaches are the most widespread form of public transport in Galicia. While the number of lines and frequencies has been reduced in recent years, they do connect almost all the municipalities within the region. However, to reach certain rural destinations, the switching can become a real headache. It is therefore best to make sure of the timetables and stops for each route before setting off. As there are several companies running this service, the Xunta de Galicia has set up a search engine, which you can access through this link.
How to buy tickets? Sadly, very few companies allow tickets to be purchased online, so you will need to pay at the station ticket offices or in the bus or coach itself, in the latter case provided you pay in cash. You can also obtain a public transport card for Galicia (Tarxeta do Transporte Público de Galicia, or TPG for short). It works much like a credit card, allowing you to pay for your journeys when you get on the bus or coach. It also allows for free transfers as long as a certain time limit is not exceeded, which varies depending on whether the line is urban or interurban. The card can be purchased at any Abanca branch for 2 euros and can be topped up at the bank’s ATMs, either in cash or by debiting it to a bank account.
The main advantage of this card is that, unlike the bonos (personal and non-transferable), you can use it to pay for as many people as you like who travelling with you and you can also use it as often as you like each day —as long as you have sufficient credit, of course! Therefore, all you need is one card for you and your fellow travellers to get around Galicia.
What discounts are available? The Tarxeta do Transporte Público de Galicia applies a discount directly each and every time it is used, on any journey. This discount is normally 10%, but will rise to 50% from 1 September to 31 December, following the measures rolled out by the central and regional governments to alleviate the crisis.
Urban transport
Where can I find urban transport? Urban buses operate in the seven cities of Galicia, namely A Coruña, Santiago, Vigo, Lugo, Ourense, Pontevedra and Ferrol, and their metropolitan areas. All you need to do is pay the fare when you board, either in cash or by using the mobility cards provided by each local council. The latter option, as well as being cheaper, allows for free transfers.
All of the cities just mentioned, with the exception of Vigo, allow payment on their urban bus lines with the Tarxeta do Transporte Público de Galicia (Galician Public Transport Card). In Vigo, you will need to use the PassVigo. However, it is a personal card bearing your name, meaning that the documentation required, the application process and the timeframes involved make it a poor option for tourists. Other cities, such as A Coruña, also have specific cards intended for their local inhabitants, although public transport can also be paid for using the TPG.
As for the discounts, each municipality sets different prices, though all of them offer the 50% discount if you pay with the TPG.
Boat: another way of crossing the estuaries
Due to the unique features of Galicia’s geography, with a coastline dotted with estuaries, there are various public maritime transport services available. Most of them operate only in the high season months, as they are intended mainly for tourist use. However, the Vigo estuary has regular crossings all year round, which are also subject to the 50% discount that came into force on 1 September. There are two routes, one linking the city with Cangas and the other with Moaña.