Budget Flights to Santiago Available Year-Round

This agreement underpins the restoration of the winter route Milan-Bergamo – Santiago de Compostela, which had been discontinued in 2012 due to low and insufficient profits.

Flights will depart from 1 April, with three weekly frequencies on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays in the evening.

Good news, therefore, for those who need to reach Santiago even in the low season, or for those returning home from the Compostelan capital.

Ryanair, with its often very low fares well below the general average, has been in recent years the most widely used means of transport to reach the Iberian Peninsula from Italy. Pilgrims have used it to get to the starting points of their Camino, whether the French route, the Portuguese route, the Coastal route, or any other.

Northern Italy has a major Ryanair base at Orio al Serio airport, known as Milan-Bergamo. Central and southern Italy are at a significant disadvantage in this regard, and the presence of EasyJet does not help travellers reach Spanish destinations.

Given the difficulty some people face in finding affordable flights to their chosen destinations, I felt it was necessary to bring some order and clarity to the situation, focusing on the routes most walked by pilgrims in recent years.

Airports for low-cost flights to Santiago

As you all know, the French Camino traditionally starts at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, a small village reachable by car or by train.

• The nearest airport is Lourdes, reachable via the Milan-Bergamo – Lourdes (FR) flight, available two days a week, Monday and Friday, and also on Tuesdays in August.

For the Camino del Norte there are several alternatives.

• A new route active from 1 April is Milan-Bergamo – Santander, bookable on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
• From central Italy there is also the Rome Ciampino – Santander route.
• From Bologna you can fly to Bordeaux via the Bologna – Bordeaux route, and from there take a train to Irun.

The Via de la Plata starts from Seville, a city reachable on low-cost flights from all over Italy, including Rome, Milan-Bergamo and many others. The Milan Malpensa – Seville route, for example, has just launched.

The Portuguese Camino has Porto and Lisbon as its main starting cities, both easily reachable on low-cost flights from many Italian airports.

• Orio al Serio, Milan-Bergamo airport, connects to both cities with frequent flights, as does Rome.
• From central Italy there are routes such as Pisa – Lisbon, Bologna – Porto, and Bologna – Vigo.

At this point, if you are planning to walk a Camino and want to save on your flight, start shopping around. Prices fluctuate constantly, so if you find a good deal, do not hesitate to book. Your Camino starts right here.