Flying in and out via Bordeaux on Camino Francés

[Monya]

I booked my flights this afternoon, and it was terrifying.

The long and the short of it is that it can be difficult and time-consuming to get back to Bordeaux from Santiago. The plane fare can almost double from one day to the next, to check in one bag (I was not comfortable that my backpack would meet the 20cm depth requirement without some strong encouragement) is an additional EUR28, and there is a EUR5.29 fee if you pay via credit card on PayPal (I booked through Veilung, as the Iberia site wasn't working, and the fee I found there was for EUR 243). There is also a 4 hour stop over in Barcelona, which means that while you leave Santiago at 09:15, you will only arrive in Bordeaux after 16:00. Unfortunately, "open jaw" options were not economically viable, and I didn't want to get to Santiago, just to have to leave the next morning to navigate an unfamiliar rail system between two countries, and undo 5 weeks of hard graft in a day. By comparison, walking from St Jean to Santiago seems logistically simple...

I guess I haven't quite learnt to let go as yet, huh. And so, all of this is self-inflicted...

It was also in booking these flights that I realised how scary it is for me to be travelling to and from El Camino alone, and I now have a new appreciation for my travel buddy, but someone has to stay home and look after the kids

I am clearly lacking in some confidence - possibly faith - and I hope the Camino will teach me this, and that next time I will approach this part of the process from a different heart-space.

 

[colinPeter]

I am clearly lacking in some confidence - possibly faith - and I hope the Camino will teach me this, and that next time I will approach this part of the process from a different heart-space.

Hola Monya,
I Don't think your lacking faith, as you've stepped out and booked your tickets, sounds like faith to me.
Regarding confidence, it is a new thing you are doing, but a few days into the walk, you'll feel like an expert.
Buen Camino
Colin

 

[whariwharangi]

Figuring out the best way to get there and back is definately the logistical challenge of the trip. There are so many options ... Quite a few of the questions on this forum are posted by people trying to figure it all out.

Time seems to have been the critical factor in your plan so figuring out a route that takes only 8 hours Santiago to Bordeaux is pretty good.

 

[NicoZ]

I booked my flights this afternoon, and it was terrifying.
.

Sounds like this was your first time doing one of these bookings. Don't worry the first time EVERYBODY gets confused,dazed and bewildered by the booking process. The second time it'll seem much easier. The third time you'll be clicking things with your eyes closed.