Transportation to St. Jean Pied de Port in January!

[sullygal]

I am planning on flying into either Barcelona or Madrid. The flight to Barcelona is significantly cheaper than Madrid, but I have read that transportation to Saint Jean Pied de Port is a bit easier than from Barcelona. Does anyone have any advice on getting there from either of these cities?


Any help is greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance!

 

[mspath]

I am planning on flying into either Barcelona or Madrid. The flight to Barcelona is significantly cheaper than Madrid, but I have read that transportation to Saint Jean Pied de Port is a bit easier than from Barcelona. Does anyone have any advice on getting there from either of these cities?


Any help is greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance!

Welcome to the forum!
You can check out and compare various costs/schedules etc of transport in English using
https://www.rome2rio.com


Since you are traveling in January do check the posts in this earlier thread re walking in winter for many helpful links and tips. https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/camino-winter-advice.51183/

Happy planning, stay safe/warm and Buen Camino!

 

[sullygal]

Thank you for your response! I appreciate you adding the link. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find any buses running from Pamplona to Saint Jean Pied de Port in January... I saw some people mention hiring a taxi for an approximate 120 euro... The search continues!

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

The ALSA/Conda bus from Pamplona to SJPDP does not run in the winter. The bus line PLM Autocares ( http://plmautocares.com/ ) does have Tuesday and Friday morning service to Valcarlos and Arneguy and they are just a few hours walk from St. Jean by doing the camino in reverse.

That means you have to walk that way again the next day so you may want to consider walking from either place to Roncesvalles but you would be starting at noon on a short daylight day.

Maybe start from Roncesvalles by using the bus line Artieda Autocares. http://www.autocaresartieda.com/?scc=roncesvalles

PLM uses the local name for Arneguy, Pekotxeta

 

[KinkyOne]

I am planning on flying into either Barcelona or Madrid. The flight to Barcelona is significantly cheaper than Madrid, but I have read that transportation to Saint Jean Pied de Port is a bit easier than from Barcelona. Does anyone have any advice on getting there from either of these cities?


Any help is greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance!

If flights to BCN are much cheaper than think of another (direct) flight from there to EAS (San Sebastian/Irun). It might be less time and money consuming option if your dates and times match up because you can get it for as cheap as 23€.

Getting from EAS to SJPdP is quite easy. It's just a short walk from the airport to Irun train station but you have public transport options also, check Rome2Rio page). Then train/bus to Bayonne train station and TER train to SJPdP.

Buen Camino!

 

[skeyes0715]

My suggestion would be to fly instead to Paris, train to Bayonne and then train to SJPdP.

 

[Trude]

Yes fly to Paris, catch overnight bus or train to Bayonne I caught Eurolines bus, First train/bus to SJPD. Spend the night in SJPD then walk the next day.
Buen Camino

 

[mspath]

Unfortunately there is no more an overnight train with couchettes/sleepers from Paris/Austerlitz to Bayonne. I always thought of these night trains as my camino version of the Orient Express. The romance is gone and now only daytime TGVs go from Paris/Montparnasse to Bayonne.

For schedules and prices see www.Oui.SNCF.

 

[sullygal]

Thank you all for your responses - it seems far easier to travel from Paris, as you all have suggested. Thanks again for your help, everyone!