Hi
@Albertagirl
You asked for recent experience of the walk to Somport, and I' sorry I don't have that, having walked it in 2008. But there may be a couple of things you can use.
I flew from Paris to Pau, which is a big city and has regular flights from Paris. I walked from Pau airport to Lescar [about 12 km] and through the tourist bureau got a credential and directions to the albergue. Next day walked 34 km to Oloron [a very big town]. Then 22 km to Sarrance, and the next day [including backtracking] something over 40 km to Somport Pass. I walked on the main road and stayed off the tracks [which were wet and slippery] in order to do better time, and the only place where the road was narrow and dangerous was closer to Somport after the turn-off from the tunnel under the mountain.
Somport Pass is higher than the crossing over the Pyrenees to Roncesvalles but don't be taken in by the romance of the name - the road up to it is long and continuous but rarely if ever very steep. There are not big mountains either side of the pass itself - the photo on the left is of the scene on the morning of April 7th, and the little figure in the centre is a metal statue of a pilgrim looking west toward Santiago.
I bought the Confraternity of St. James guide of Arles to Puenta la Reina [ Part 2 -Toulouse to Puenta la Reina] which I was going to use if I walked from Arles - it covers this route - the edition I have is 2011 and may be updated by now. In any case I am sure lots of other people will have more recent news than mine.
P.S. I loved the albergue at Arres, after you get past Jaca.
Alan
Be brave. Life is joyous.