This past weekend, I traveled to Santander and Bilbao for a meeting with other American English teachers. I took the bus from A Coruna to Santander, then later in the week from Bilbao back to A Coruna. These bus rides were long (8 and 10 hours), but very affordable! We spent under 100 euros round trip for transportation over 500 miles.
I've traveled to Madrid and Sevilla since moving to Spain. To visit those places in the South, it's quickest and easiest to take the train. I have a special train card for young people that offers reduced train prices, making the trips to and from Madrid very affordable. Driving to Madrid from A Coruna would take about 6 hours, but with the train it takes closer to 3 hours.
At first, it was strange to not be driving myself around or to be in a car often. The only time I ride in a car is once a week coming home from frisbee practice with one of my teammates. He gives me a ride because the walk to the bus station from the beach where we practice is far.
I was also nervous to learn how to navigate the bus and train system. Now that I've established a rhythm and learned which apps to use to travel, it seems very simple.
I think the communal nature of public transport in Galicia is reflected in a more communal culture than other places. You are around so many more people when you share your commute in a public space, and this leads to making friends with people that use your same route.
