Camino de Santiago de Compostela

[Michael5SP]

# I've walked from Le Puy to Santiago, want to continue exploring the pilgrim roads in France, have decided to try the Arles route in September 08. What eperience have people had?
# It looks like the section from Arles to Montpellier would be hot, dry, lots of road walking, parallel to the Autoroute so I'm thinking of starting at Montpellier, walking to Castres through the hills, forests of Languedoc. A good idea or would I miss a lot not seeing Arles, St Gilles?
# Any hints on Montpellier to Castres - places to stay, avoid?
Many thanks, Michael

[mpprh]

Hi

I live locally.

There are a steady stream of pilgrims along this section.

I think it is worth doing. The route follows Via Domitia (ex Heracles Way) for part of the way which provides historical interest.





The weather in September is not too bad :



That section tends to have cooling breezes (it crosses the plain between the coast and Cevennes hills). Rainfall tends to arrive as rare, but heavy, overnight storms.

Links to more information : http://www.the-languedoc-page.com/tourism/pilgrimage-compostella.htm

Peter

[KiwiNomad06]

A friend just told me that the Anglican Dean of Christchurch, here in New Zealand, is about to start walking the Arles route.
"From 30 March to 5 June 2008 the Very Rev Peter Beck, Dean of Christchurch, with his wife Gay and friends Chris and Jean Richards are walking the ancient pilgrimage of the Camino de Santiago de Compestella - some 1500 kilometres from Arles in Southern France to Santiago de Compostela in north west Spain."
http://www.christchurchcathedral.co.nz/events/deanswalk.html

[sillydoll]

I have the CSJ guide book and up-date pages for Arles to Puente la Reina - the CSJ comments are:

A solitary route - very few pilgrims and much of the way is in forest - pilgrims need to be able to cope with loneliness. An expensive route - 80% of the way is in France (more expensive than Spain); there is virtually no free accommodation; and long distances between accommodation may require extended stays for sightseeing which prolongs the journey. Accommodation is difficult and barely sufficient - and may be full in season or closed outside. Hilly, tough terrain as the route crosses the grain of the land - especially hard for cyclists.

I am planning for next year to walk half of the Chemin du Piemont (which starts at Narbonne) to Oloron St Marie and then turning left to Somport to join the Aragones to Puente la Reina.

If you would like any info about the Guide please mail me off the Forum.

[StephenAtkinson]

Hi 'sillydoll',

Just got my flight ticket and should be in Arle at the end of Sept. Know nothing about the route but got a few weeks to get some info, phone if you can give some help.
Thanks Stephen
0835567743

[sillydoll]

Hi Stephen,
The CSJ UK sell a guide to the Via Tolosana - in two booklets:
Arles to Toulouse and Toulouse to Puente la Reina.
They only cost £5 each and would be invaluable for anyone walking the route.

You can read an overview of the route on their website:
http://www.csj.org.uk/route-arles.htm

They have this to say about theDistinctive features of the route.

A solitary route - very few pilgrims and much of the way is in forest - pilgrims need to be able to cope with loneliness. An expensive route - 80% of the way is in France (more expensive than Spain); there is virtually no free accommodation; and long distances between accommodation may require extended stays for sightseeing which prolongs the journey. Accommodation is difficult and barely sufficient - and may be full in season or closed outside. Hilly, tough terrain as the route crosses the grain of the land - especially hard for cyclists.

This website will give you links to other sites with info on the Arles route:
http://chemindarles.free.fr/liens_EN.php

[freespirit]

Hi Guys out there i am about to do the walk in 2010,(starting at Lourdes) late June,and onto Oloron -Ste-Marie,then down to the somport pass to Jaca,then turn right,and meet up with all the crowds at Pamplona,( holy year) then onto Santiago,then to the end of the world,does any one have any info on this path,camping sites,total miles to walk etc,i am allowing
Ten Weeks,am looking forward to the big adventure,to get away from the rat race,and be a freespirit, like humans were born to be.

[omar504]

There is aso a French guide book,web site http://www.chemin-compostelle.fr

Arles - Toulouse - Col du Somport - Puente la Reina
La nouvelle édition a été rédigée en partenariat Les Amis des Chemins de St Jacques en Occitanie (anciennement Q R L), ce qui en fait Le guide Officiel de la via Tolosana !!

Un itinéraire précis, détaillée jusqu'à la moindre route, le moindre carrefour...
Les commerces, les gîtes pèlerins, les restaurants.
Une recherche historique du patrimoine Jacquaire.
Edition: 2008 - 250 pages, 240 grammes, format A5.

Description Prix
Ouvrage 20.00€
Port* 2.97€
Total 22.97€
Information sur les modes de paiement disponibles

* Prix pour la France, pour les autres pays des frais de port supplémentaires s'ajoutent, ils vous seront indiqués sur le bon de commande, après avoir saisi vos coordonnées.


LEPERE Editions
13, Le Bourg, 27270 GRAND-CAMP, France

Tel: +33 (0)2 32 46 34 99 - Port: +33 (0)6 60 97 92 16
(Délai: environ 5 jours à réception de la commande complète)

[falcon269]

http://chemindarles.free.fr/carte_EN.php

[sillydoll]

The route from Narbonne is called Le Chemin du Piémonth Pyrénéen - de la Méditerranee á Roncevaux.
I bought the guide book (in French) from Stanfords last year. Where the Arles route turns south at Oloron Ste Marie this route continues to St Jean Pied de Port and the over to Roncesvalles.

Piemont Pyreneen.JPG (29.92 KB) Viewed 2575 times

[omar504]

I like the idea of the GR 653A,from Italy-could be a possibility for next year but once I get to the CF, head home to avoid the hordes and bedbugs,anyone else thinking along similar lines about may next year?

[Theo]

Hi,

On this web site (click HERE) some very accurate maps to walk on the Arles route ?

Théo

[falcon269]

Aerial route (four segments total; links to the other three are after the hebergements):
http://www.gr-infos.com/gr653a.htm

From Maubourget (click the yellow rectangle for route details):
http://www.aucoeurduchemin.org/spip/spi ... te&lang=fr

[omar504]

falcon 269..the first link doesn;t seem to work

[omar504]

There is a new Topo guide from the Italian/French border to Arles:
Path to St Jacques de Compostela, the path of Arles: Montgenèvre - Arles GR553D 459kms
Anyone else thinking of this route next year continuing on to Puente La Reina?

[elloyy]

Hi, I'm going to take this route, on bike, in september (2010) and I am going to start in Toulouse. From Somport into Spain I have quite a lot of information, but I am interested in some lodging advice in the France side. My planned stops are:
Toulouse-L'isle Arné 59km
L'isle Arné-Marciac 78km
Marciac-Morlaas 57km
Morlaas-Bedous 82km
Bedous-Somport 30 km
Could someone please recommend me some cheaper hostals/pensions in or around these 5 french cities/villages? I am also opened to suggestions for other places along the way, as long as there are no more than 5 days from Toulouse to Somport.
A lot of thanks in advance!
Adrian

[sillydoll]

This website offers an alternate route:

http://chemindarles.free.fr/carte_EN.php

[elloyy]

thanks, but no, it doesn't
Actually I took my stages from that site, only I will make more than two at a time. For example stages 19 and 20 in the first day and then 21,22 and 23 in the second day.
I am not so worried about the orientation, but about where I will sleep (cheaper).
Thanks a lot nevertheless.

[sillydoll]

oops - sorry!

We got a train from Toulouse to Lourdes (about 175km) and then walked from there.
Lourdes to Asson, Arudy, Oloron, Sarrance, Borce, Somport. I could tell you about those olaces but not the others.

[elloyy]

Hi sillydoll,
again thanks for the fast answer, I really apreciate it. The way we've planned, we'll sleep in Lescar, (I've read that there is an albergue there, but I don't have the details yet) , some 30 km before Oloron. So I am interested in the villages after Oloron, Sarrance & Borce. Can you please tell me the distances, Oloron-Sarrance, Sarrance Borce and Borce-Somport?
Anwyay, any information about albergues in Sarrance and Borce would be great!
all the best,
Adrian

[sillydoll]

Oloron Ste.Marie has a pilgrim gite http://www.relaisdubastet.com/oloron-ste-marie/

Sarrance has a monastery, you have to phone in advance! You'll get the number from the tourist offices in any of the towns before that.
Or, you can stay a couple of kms before Sarrance at a converted St Jacques monastery and study centre at pilgrim's rates:
http://fontaines.selfip.com/pyrenees-ba ... -rooms.php

22km to Borce which has a small St Jacques shelter for about 8 people. There is also the gite communal which has dormitory accommodation for about 8 euro.
http://www.tourisme64.com/hebergement_G ... +Borce_738

Borce to Somport is about 18km (there is an albergue there) with another 7.5km to Canfranc Estacion
The albergue is Pepito Grillo http://www.pepitogrillo.com/

If you need info on the Spanish Aragones you can check my blog at
http://2009pilgrims.blogspot.com/2009/0 ... asson.html

[oursonpolaire]

The albergue in Lescar is just around the corner from the Cathedral-- the tourisme folks can direct you. IIRC from 2005, it bunks about 12 persons.

[Canuck]

...lodging advice in the France side. My planned stops are:
Toulouse-L'isle Arné 59km
L'isle Arné-Marciac 78km
Marciac-Morlaas 57km
Morlaas-Bedous 82km
Bedous-Somport 30 km

Hi Adrian,

Here is the info I have from walking Arles-Somport some 4 or 5 years ago.

L'isle Arné - Gite Lamotte. 1 Km before the village - 8 beds - realy nice and cheap. Good kitchen, bring your own food.

Marciac - Camping du Lac. Tent or chalet
- Two hotels.

Morlas - Camping municipal - Free shelter for pilgrims.
- Four hotels

Bedous - Two gites. Le Mandragot et le Choucas. The first one is cheaper.

Lescar - Refuge for pilgrims - Five beds, kitchen, showers. Very cheap. See OT for the key.
- Camping Le Terrier
- All kinds of hotels around. Recommend ETAP hotel. Clean and cheap.

Have a good one,
Jean-Marc

[elloyy]

wow, thanks everybody, I wasn't expecting so many replies .
Very useful information, truth is I was expecting much higher prices for lodging in France, araund 20 eur per person.
For the moment, we've replaced Morlaas with Lescar, because I've read that it's the former capital of the region and very beautifull, so the route is
Toulouse-L'isle Arné 59
L'isle Arné-Marciac 78
Marciac-Lescar 77
Lescar-Bedous 62
Bedous-Somport 30

But it's good to have b-plans, so the gites from Escout or Borce may be an option, we'll see how is the climb going.

I'll mention again that we'll be leaving on Monday 6th of September from Toulouse, on bikes, if anyone else has similar plans please let me know.

[herman]

In Accous (just 4 k behind Bedous) there is possibility to sleep at the paroisse. Ask for Jacques at the church, he'll guide you.