A Coruña

el tren a A Coruña

My advice on going to A Coruña, don´t.

I was going to a major Picasso exhibition in A Coruña, only not open on Monday.

Having decided to go, I decided to go anyway.

An expensive mistake, a waste of time, a waste of money.

Not knowing where the station was,  and to save time, I got a taxi.

No timetable, half an hour wait in the cold for a train. I was asked what time was I returning. I had no idea, other than sometime in the afternoon. Ticket office gave me a ticket for the last train.

A pleasant train journey, countryside very similar to heathland in south of England, gorse in flower.

At A Coruña, half an hour wait for a bus to the centre on a very busy, polluted junction. No 5 bus. 1.30 euros.

Hopped off the bus, traffic, ugly, cut through and caught the bus back. Same bus.

Live update at bus stops. Not only how long to wait for bus, but map showing where the bus is.

On the bus next stop shown, and announced.

At station unable to get through the barrier, apparently ticket only valid for the last train. Man manning the barriers shouted at me to change the ticket. Luckily was possible to change, at no cost. But what a bloody stupid system. And luckily I had the time, otherwise I would have missed the train.

Had I not known the time of the train, I would not have known what train to catch, as only shown final destination.  Yet another example of bloody stupid system. And expensive. 10.80 euros for return ticket, 6 euros single.

Interesting feature of trains. Seats recline and between the seats, two power points.

No wifi.

Forty-five minutes return as slow stopping train.

From station, walked to old part of Santiago de Compostela. About 15 minutes walk.

Tags: A Coruña