Hi all - Maz here from New Zealand. I'm walking the
Camino Frances next September so I'm happily doing all my research now. I believe from what I've heard so far that it is best to fly into Paris and out of Madrid afterwards. I only have a month off work so want to make the most of everything. I was originally planning to fly into Madrid as I heard it's the cheapest option out of NZ but someone talked about a bus trip with hairpin bends between Madrid and St Jean Peid de Port. I'm not keen on buses at the best of times, let alone one that will teeter over the edge of a precipice to get me to the start of the camino. Advice anyone please?
Hairpin turns...? Yes... Lots of those. This past August, my wife joined me at Santiago. After my month-long volunteer stint, we toured northern Spain in a rental car. I wanted her to see what I see.
From Pamplona, we drove the reverse pilgrim route to Saint Jean Pied de Port. YIKES! It was fine until we turned right just past Roncesvalles to follow the Valcarlos (mostly road) route.
I have been driving for almost 50 years, and have owned several high performance sports cars. My experience includes motocross events. I have driven many a mountain twist and turn. Mountain driving does not scare me... But this road caused me to pay attention, every second.
The stretch from Roncesvalles to SJPdP and back, via the road is positively the most twisted road I have ever driven on...PERIOD! True too, most of the bends have no guard rails and the drop off past the edge is, well, dramatic in the extreme.
If sitting in a bus watching this sort of view distresses you, do not take a bus from Pamplona or Roncesvalles over the Pyrenees. That said, these drivers are skilled and know where the next hairpin turn is...there are dozens of them. You can use Google Maps, satellite view to confirm what I am saying here.
Hope this helps.