Bike Transport on the Camino de Santiago: Complete Guide

Cycling pilgrims: how to transport your bike on the Camino

Every year more pilgrims tackle the Way of St. James by bicycle. But the logistics of bike transport come with their own challenges. This guide covers everything you need to know.

The Camino by bike: minimum distance

To earn the Compostela certificate by bicycle you need to cover at least 200 km. The most popular starting point for walkers is Sarria (100 km), but cyclists usually begin further back: from Ponferrada (200 km), O Cebreiro (150 km) or even Leon (300 km).

If you want to ride the final stages of the Camino Frances by bike, the stages from Sarria to Santiago are perfectly cyclable and very popular.

How to get your bike to the starting point

From the airport

If you fly into Santiago Airport with your own bicycle:

• Airlines allow bikes as special luggage (usually requiring a cardboard bike box)
• On arrival at the airport you need transport to your starting point
• A taxi or transfer from the airport with a suitable vehicle is the safest way to move your bike from the airport to Sarria, Palas de Rei or another point

With your own car

If you drive, you can leave your car parked at your starting point and when you finish the Camino, a taxi can take you back to collect it.

Bike transport between stages

Sometimes you need to move your bicycle from one point of the Camino to another without pedalling:

• Mechanical breakdown: if your bike breaks down and cannot be repaired on the spot
• Injury: if you are hurt and cannot ride
• Very tough stages: sections with extreme gradients or poor surfaces
• Heavy rain: stormy days when cycling is dangerous
• Bike + walking combo: some pilgrims walk certain stages and ride others

How the service works

• Contact us telling us where you are and where you need the bike taken

• We collect your bicycle (and you, if you wish) at your location

• We transport it in a suitable vehicle to the destination

• You can travel in the same vehicle or walk while the bike waits for you at the other end

Types of bicycle we transport

• Mountain bikes (MTB): the most common on the Camino
• Road bikes: with frame and wheel protection
• Electric bikes (e-bikes): heavier but no problem, we have the space
• Folding bikes: the easiest to transport
• Gravel bikes: increasingly popular on the Camino
• Tandems: check availability due to size

Logistics for cycling pilgrims

Plan your stages

Cycling stages are longer than walking stages. An average cyclist covers 50-80 km per day. The Camino Frances stages from Sarria:

• Sarria to Portomarin: 22 km (easy by bike, 1-2 hours)
• Portomarin to Palas de Rei: 25 km (some climbing, 1.5-2 hours)
• [Palas de Rei to Arzua](/en/blog/palas-de-rei-to-arzua-stage-guide): 29 km (the longest, 2-3 hours)
• Arzua to Santiago: 39 km (varied terrain, 2.5-3 hours)

Many cyclists complete the 115 km in 2-3 days.

Accommodation with bicycles

Not all hostels have space to store bikes. Look for accommodation offering:

• A locked garage or storeroom
• A covered bike area
• Locks or anchor points available

Workshops and repairs

In case of a breakdown, the larger towns on the Camino (Sarria, Melide, Arzua) have basic repair shops. For more complex repairs, the best-equipped workshops are in Santiago.

If a breakdown leaves you stranded in the middle of the Camino, call us and we will transport your bicycle to the nearest workshop or directly to your destination.

At the end of the Camino

When you arrive in Santiago, you need a plan for your bike:

• Return flight: you need a bike box, available from some shops in Santiago
• Courier shipping: companies like Correos or Seur ship boxed bicycles
• Taxi transport: we take you and your bike to the airport, to your car, or anywhere else

Practical tips

• Carry basic tools: spare inner tubes, pump, multi-tool, puncture patches

• Check your bike before setting off: brakes, gears, tyres, chain

• Label your bike with your name and phone number in case you need to ship it

• Bring a lock -- some stretches of the Camino invite you to stop at bars or churches

• Early morning is the best time to ride: less heat and fewer pilgrims on foot