With the major Camino de Santiago routes located in Spain and the surrounding countries, pilgrims from the United States travel a long way to take on this physical and spiritual challenge. This is especially the case for folks from Nashville, where no direct flights are available. So, what are your options for getting from Nashville to Camino starting points in 2026?
The growing popularity of the Camino among Americans
The Camino de Santiago walking trails are primarily filled with Europeans, but American travelers are also increasingly interested in taking on these ancient routes. In fact, Americans made up over 38,000 of all walkers last year (one of the top nationalities) and the number keeps on growing. This trend seems to be hugely due to religious and spiritual reasons, although many have their own personal motivations.
Additionally, Camino de Santiago is an excellent way to visit parts of Europe in a more unique way than traditional sightseeing. With expert travel agencies specialising in Camino routes, such as Santiago Ways, Americans don’t have to worry about the logistics of the holiday. The agency will take care of accommodation bookings, luggage transfers, emergency support and other services.
For Nashville-based travelers, the only thing to worry about is getting themselves there. Without further ado, here are the available options:
Flight routes from Nashville
Flying through major European gateway airports
One of the most common ways to get to Spain is by flying to one of the major European hubs first. The Nashville International Airport offers direct routes to London in the UK or Dublin in Ireland. Both of these cities are home to large airports that provide easy and highly affordable connections to the rest of Europe.
Your starting point will, of course, depend on your chosen route. If you’re doing one of the popular trails in Northern Spain, including Camino Frances from Sarria or Camino Ingles from Ferrol, your best bet is to fly directly to Santiago de Compostela (the end point) and reach the starting point via public transport. For those doing Camino Portugues, you will find direct flights to Lisbon, the capital city of Portugal, or Porto, a common starting point.
Connecting through the US airports
The next option is finding a direct flight into Spain from one of the major US airports and taking a domestic flight there. For instance, Washington, D.C. offers direct flights to Madrid, Barcelona and Lisbon. From New York, you can directly reach Porto and Santiago de Compostela as well. From Miami, you can get to Lisbon, Madrid and Barcelona.
So, you have plenty of options to find convenient domestic flights from Nashville, before crossing the Atlantic. If you want to avoid the risks of separate flights, opt for one of the connecting flight options from the same airline. Again, once you land in Spain, you may travel to your starting point easily, using the rail system or catching another domestic flight.
Beginning the journey
Although American pilgrims certainly have to work harder to get the Camino de Santiago experience, including long-haul flights, it does not stop them! And, luckily there are both domestic and European connections making it easier for those traveling from Nashville.
