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To experience some of France: Biarritz or St Jean?

Janet S.

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
June (2013)
Hello! I am very excited to be doing my first Camino beginning with a May 15 arrival in Biarritz. This is actually my first time ever in Europe too, and I wanted to add a day of sightseeing/rest before starting my Camino. The question: Should I stay in Biarritz for a day, or Saint Jean? What would you recommend for a girl from Indiana to experience a taste of France? Thank you for your advice. I can't even believe I get to do this.
Janet
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
I would think that Biarritz will give you a better feel of a "normal" small French town.
St. Jean is great...but really is really a Camino/tourist town. There is nothing wrong with that, but you will see plenty of that throughout the rest of your Camino.
Just my opinion and others will, no doubt, differ.
 
Why not both? Spend some time in Biarritz, then go to SJPP by train in the morning the day before you intend to walk. Enjoy the afternoon and evening in SJPP (which is enough time for this small town), then walk out the next day. If you are going to walk from SJPP to Roncesvalles in one day, get an early start. If you will take two days, you have time for a leisurely breakfast in SJPP and then take your time up the hill to Orisson.
Nancy
 
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I'm with Nancy - it's a great opportunity to spend a bit of time in both places.

I think Biarritz is anything but a typical French town but that's probably because I visited it after I had done two pilgrimages. I found it too commercial and plastic so didn't stay long.

For that reason, I would advise you to spend a little time there before you set off on your pilgrimage. Might as well take advantage of being there to have a look around.

I adore SJPdP and spent five days there after walking from Le Puy. Yes, five days! I wouldn't have believed it were possible but I just didn't want to leave. It changes so much throughout the day and I enjoyed its different moods. Early morning sees the pilgrim exodus, then the locals begin their daily routine, after that the tourist influx then siesta and the next lot of pilgrims. Can't beat it if you're into people watching.
 
If you only have one day to spare I would spend the day in St Jean.
Once you start walking you leave France behind so you actually won't experience any French culture again!
Take the little tourist train on a scenic tour of the town. Then visit the museum, eat at a typically French sidewalk restaurant, visit some of the craft shops in the Rue de la Citadele and then walk through the Port St Jacques and up the road to where pilgrims from the north enter the town. There are beautiful views from there.
 

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Biarritz is the sea resort of Bayonne and very touristic. Bayonne is a typical France city with a great city centre and a half hour bus ride from Biarritz. Buon camino.
 
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I'm with sillydoll on this one, St Jean may be a tourist town but it is very beautiful. We arrived in the evening and we spent the whole next day exploring, visiting the pilgrim office, having a meal out, meeting other pilgrims and checking the gear shops for last minute purchases. Then after a good nights sleep we headed off the next morning refreshed and excited.
Buen Camino.
 
I loved the Basque restaurants down on the river in Bayonne. There is a great cathedral in Bayonne, and one of the only Protestant churches you will find in France.

Eglise Réformée de Bayonne
20 Rue Albert 1er
64100 Bayonne, France
05 59 52 91 90

I found SJPdP very touristy for a small town, so a quick walk around, a bite to eat, then up the hill to Hontto for me.
 
Since both are in the Basque region, you will find them to be almost identical in terms of architecture, food, and culture to much of the Spanish Basque region----the only thing really "french" about the French Basque region is that the people who aren't speaking Basque speak french. So if you want a taste of France you might consider staying somewhere outside of the Basque region.

That said, if these are your choices, they are both good ones. Biaritz might seem a bit more "french" because it is a tourist/beach destination, meaning it is a bit less in-your-face Basque. But that tourist destination also brings tourist culture, lots of Brits, etc etc, more than a quaint village or town. But it does have a nice beach.

SJPdP should prove to be a more quaint, rural, authentic, medieval basque town. But it is smaller, less to do, and full of pilgrims (who you will be around once you begin).

A third option might be Saint Jean de Luz. It is near Biaritz and offers many of its same features, but a bit less touristed, a bit more authentic, and a really neat basque city center.

As others have mentioned, Bayonne is also a good option. It might seem a tad more french because of its size, but I've always found it to still be very, very Basque.

Its just kind of a tough question to answer because the French Basque region has more in common with the Spanish Basque region than it does the rest of France (other than language).

Hope this helps!
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
SJPP is little more than a street. I don't get all the enthusiasm for it. It's dominated by the pilgrim hikers and tourists. I took a look and moved on happily.

Bayonne is far more typical of France and I'd highly recommend it to someone who has never been to Europe. It's small enough to get a handle on but large enough to be a real city. Cross to the area near the technical university and the church of Saint Andre around lunch time, southeast from where the rivers meet. Now you're in France!
 
Coming from Indiana and this being your first trip to Europe I would probably say Biarritz. But it is by no means your "typical French town". Yes, it is a tourist town but it does have a lovely coast and beach. And in May it will not be so busy. It was quite the place to see and to be seen in the late 1800's - the European royalty spent vacations there. These days the town thrives on surfing.

It all depends on how much time you have to spare. If you can do both great! When I arrived in Biarritz I had just enough time to get myself over to SJPdP. Luckily the Pilgrim Office was open after dinner so I could pick up my credencial.

And if you're looking for a place to stay in SJPdP I can enthusiatically suggest L'Esprit du Chemin: http://www.espritduchemin.org/en. I can't think of a beter place to start a Camino.
 
Thank you all for the ideas! I am liking the thought of trying out a few places. Perhaps arrive in Biarritz, zip over to St-Jean-de-Luz, stay there a night, then to StJPDP for the next night, then Camino the following morning. Is it easy to catch buses or trains? In other words, do I have to make reservations (like now) for such things as the train, or can I get tickets without any problem the day I wish to travel? I'd love to be able to do things spontaneously rather than have to lock in my tickets now. What do you think? Thanks so much for your help! It's so nice to have your input. P.s. I was already planning to stay at Le Esprit du Chemin. It looks adorable. How do you pronounce that? I only know Spanish. I am going to sound like a big old Yankee redneck in France. :D
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Transport luggage-passengers.
From airports to SJPP
Luggage from SJPP to Roncevalles
The train to is no-reservation, standing room acceptable. Buses rarely need a reservation, and there is not bus service between Bayonne and SJPdP unless the train is broken.
 
Janet S. said:
Thank you all for the ideas! I am liking the thought of trying out a few places. Perhaps arrive in Biarritz, zip over to St-Jean-de-Luz, stay there a night, then to StJPDP for the next night, then Camino the following morning. Is it easy to catch buses or trains? In other words, do I have to make reservations (like now) for such things as the train, or can I get tickets without any problem the day I wish to travel? I'd love to be able to do things spontaneously rather than have to lock in my tickets now. What do you think? Thanks so much for your help! It's so nice to have your input. P.s. I was already planning to stay at Le Esprit du Chemin. It looks adorable. How do you pronounce that? I only know Spanish. I am going to sound like a big old Yankee redneck in France. :D


Most trains do not need reservations. Only if it is a major train coming through (i.e. Hendaya to Paris), but even then you can usually do standing room only for 1-2 stops (which is all you'd need).

Besides looking at French Buses and trains, also make sure you check out the Basque euskatren. I think it stops at Hendaya and doesn't go any further north (and hence won't be helpful to you), but there is a chance that it may go further along the coast, in which case it would connect Biaritz with St Jean du Luz with regular (hourly) train for super cheap.

More likely you'll have to take the french trains or buses. But even so, Biaritz and SJdL are close and travel between the two should be pretty convenient/easy/cheap/fast.

Many train schedules for the summer months (May onward) are not yet online. Keep checking.

Getting from Biaritz (or SJdL) to SJPdP is something others have already spoken about at length on this forum, most of whom know more about getting to/away from SJPdP than I.

What I like best about your plan is that it gives you an extra day to settle in and see places before starting your pilgrimage. I think you'll be happy with that idea.
 

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