Where to from Bayonne or Biarritz ?

[annie.perso]

J'ai besoin d'info. Je vais quitter Genève à la toute fin septembre pour marcher le Francés, mais deux choses : je ne veux pas commencer à SJPDP mais plutôt faire deux ou trois jours de marche avant, et j'aimerais passer par Ostabat, qui est l'étape juste avant SJPDP sur la Voie de Tours. Donc, si j'atterris à Biarritz, disons, y a-t-il une façon pour moi de marcher une ou deux étapes avant Ostabat ? Genre prendre le bus de Biarritz à Ustarizt, puis à partir de là marcher jusqu'à Ostabat en passant par Combo-les-Bains ? Hélette ?. Est-ce du bitume partout ? Y a-t-il des sentiers, pistes cyclables, notamment le long de la Nive ? J'essaie de googler tout ça, mais pas évident. Si vous pouvez m'aider à me figurer un petit itinéraire, l'idée pour moi serait de marcher 1 ou 2 jours jusqu'à Ostabat, puis SJPDP et le Francés. Merci !

 

[VNwalking]

Welcome, Annie!
Excusez-moi, SVP. Je comprends seulment un peu.
It's not clear: are you walking from Geneva or are you starting in Biarritz?
It sounds like the latter.
There is the Voie de NIve. Which goes from Bayonne to SJPP
Also the Camino Baztanes if you want to go direct from Bayonne to Pamplona without going anywhere near SJPP - but it does not go to Ostabat.
But you could combine a few routes to tailor-make your own path.

You can search here in the Forum for both ways, and here are links that may be helpful:
http://www.aucoeurduchemin.org/les-voies-jacquaires-dans-les-pyrenees-atlantiques/
http://www.xacobeo.fr/ZE1.11.Aqu.Nive.htm
http://vppyr.free.fr/pages_transversales/voie_nive/vnive.php?etp=accueil

 

[annie.perso]

Welcome, Annie!
Excusez-moi, SVP. Je comprends seulment un peu.
It's not clear: are you walking from Geneva or are you starting in Biarritz?
It sounds like the latter.
There is the Voie de NIve. Which goes from Bayonne to SJPP
Also the Camino Baztanes if you want to go direct from Bayonne to Pamplona without going anywhere near SJPP - but it does not go to Ostabat.
But you could combine a few routes to tailor-make your own path.

You can search here in the Forum for both ways, and here are links that may be helpful:
http://www.aucoeurduchemin.org/les-voies-jacquaires-dans-les-pyrenees-atlantiques/
http://www.xacobeo.fr/ZE1.11.Aqu.Nive.htm
http://vppyr.free.fr/pages_transversales/voie_nive/vnive.php?etp=accueil

Oh thanks ! Yes the latter, from Biarritz. But i don't seem to find much info about la voie de Nive. I should have written my post in English too. But merci for the link, I'll go see it !

 

[NorthernLight]

Si tu prend le autobus de Bayonne gare à Saint Palais (€1), tu peut commencer de marcher, avec les fleches jaune, à Ostabat le même jour.

The bus from Bayonne gare to St Palais is not daily, but the morning bus gets you there in the morning. If the weather cooperates, the walk to Ostabat is one of the most glorious on the entire route. It's well marked. From the church in St P., head towards the hills and you should find an arrow. I like to stop at Ostabat for the night and get to SJPDP the next day.

 

[annie.perso]

Si tu prend le autobus de Bayonne gare à Saint Palais (€1), tu peut commencer de marcher, avec les fleches jaune, à Ostabat le même jour.

The bus from Bayonne gare to St Palais is not daily, but the morning bus gets you there in the morning. If the weather cooperates, the walk to Ostabat is one of the most glorious on the entire route. It's well marked. From the church in St P., head towards the hills and you should find an arrow. I like to stop at Ostabat for the night and get to SJPDP the next day.

Yééé, merci !

 

[VNwalking]

De rien!

 

[NorthernLight]

Actually, now that I think about it, the yellow arrows don't start until closer to Spain. You'll follow red and white marks.

 

[Glenshiro]

Dear Annie. I have walked this route, it is very beautiful.

Bus 811 leaves Bayonne Gare every morning at 08.10. Timetable here. The fare is €2 regardless of distance! Get off at Etcharry La Croix at 09.27 (just beyond Etcharry village - tell the driver when you get on at Bayonne.)

From Etcharry La Croix you join the GR65 and it is a good day's walk to Ostabat (23.6k)

Bon Camino!

 

[annie.perso]

Dear Annie. I have walked this route, it is very beautiful.

Bus 811 leaves Bayonne Gare every morning at 08.10. Timetable here. The fare is €2 regardless of distance! Get off at Etcharry La Croix at 09.27 (just beyond Etcharry village - tell the driver when you get on at Bayonne.)

From Etcharry La Croix you join the GR65 and it is a good day's walk to Ostabat (23.6k)

Bon Camino!

Thank you so much for this precious info !!! Really. I live in Quebec, Canada, actually, but soon I do a house exchange with some nice people in Sion, Switzerland. So from August 15th to the very end of September, I'll just be in Sion and work there as I do at home (I'm a translator) and continue my training in the Alps. And then at the end of September, I'll fly south and start walking the Camino. Doing two étapes before SJPDP sounds perfect (one being Ostabat, and I'll try to figure out another one before, shorter, maybe Saint-Palais ?, but then maybe the bus doesn't go there), particularly in view of the fact that I would like to have a couple of days left once in Santiego (or Finisterre, I'll see) to spend them in Porto, to just stand still, before going back to Genève and from there to Quebec and my everyday life. Merci again !

 

[JP]

If you need a Credential you can get it here, they also have other Info for Quebec Pilgrims: http://www.duquebecacompostelle.org/

 

[Glenshiro]

The 811 bus calls at Saint-Palais before it gets to Etcharry. From Saint-Palais the GR654 Ouest will also take you, by a shorter route, (or the D302, which is even shorter) to Ostabat via Hiriburua, where it joins the GR65 at la stèle de Gibraltar

From Ostabat to SJPdP is an easy day's walk (22.3k) but there are places to stay in between.

 

[annie.perso]

If you need a Credential you can it here, they also have other Info for Quebec Pilgrims: http://www.duquebecacompostelle.org/

Merci, j'en ai déjà un ! De cet organisme, justement.

 

[annie.perso]

The 811 bus calls at Saint-Palais before it gets to Etcharry. From Saint-Palais the GR654 Ouest will also take you, by a shorter route, (or the D302, which is even shorter) to Ostabat via Hiriburua, where it joins the GR65 at la stèle de Gibraltar

From Ostabat to SJPdP is an easy day's walk (22.3k) but there are places to stay in between.

Wow. You are all so kind ! Merci beaucoup !

 

[Glenshiro]

Update - the 811 no longer commences at Bayonne Gare, but from Place des Basques across the river. It does not seem to call at Bayonne Gare. (Which is where the cheap hotels are!)

 

[annie.perso]

Update - the 811 no longer commences at Bayonne Gare, but from Place des Basques across the river. It does not seem to call at Bayonne Gare. (Which is where the cheap hotels are!)

Merci so much for the precision !