Accommodation in SJPP if you arrive late at night?

[anniethenurse]

Looks like it´s hard to find a bed i SJPP if you arrive at 10,20 pm?

Most places close earlier than that hour. Maybe better to overnight in Bayonne and take an early morning train to SJPP?

Any suggestions? :?

Buen camino

annie

 

[WolverineDG]

Re: Accomondation i SJPP if you arrive late night?

That's what I would do. You're going to be delayed the next day anyway because the Pilgrim's office doesn't open until 9.

Kelly

 

[sillydoll]

Re: Accomondation i SJPP if you arrive late night?

If you can afford a B&B Tim at Errecaldia will probably fetch you from the station at that time. Email him at. tim@errecaldia.com http://www.errecaldia.com/

You don't really need to register at the pilgrim's office if you already have a credential. Tim will stamp it for you.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Accommodation i SJPP if you arrive late at night?

Sure, but what is the rush? True, you could arrange a private hostel booking, but then you would be worried the train would be late, and then walking in the dark in a strange town, and also probably hungry as well ... I agree - take it easy - arrive in daylight - have fun, enjoy!

 

[anniethenurse]

Thank you Kelly, Sil and Br. David for the information!

We'll probably try to make an reservation for the first night in SJPP even if we are arriving so late. We don't have the credentials and have to go the pilgrim's office the first morning to get them.There might be a long line there so our start of the camino would at 10 o'clock, maybe at 10.30. I'm not a fast walker, therefore we'll make another reservation in Orisson for the second night (if possible).

We are not really in a hurry but would feel better to hit the camino and start walking. Just can't wait!

annie

 

[philippe33]

usually the pilgrim's office is open at 7h30, you can have your credential, and first stamp.
and last informations about the camino.
buen camino
philippe

 

[sillydoll]

The pilgrims office is open from 7h30 to 12h30 and then from 13h30 to 22h. Perhaps Tim (or any other B&B owner) could give you a credential? You don't have to register or sign in anywhere unless you are staying at an albergue.

 

[anniethenurse]

Hello all!

We have got everything arranged now- booked a hotel both in SJPP and in Orisson at Jean- Jacques hostel. Will be walking only to Orisson the first day.

How will the weather be in the mountains in mid- May - cold nights? Rain? Rain coat necessary? I will bring my lightweight down sleeping bag or is it an overkill?

Been reading this site a lot lately, I like to get information from people who have been there themselves in different conditions different seasons...

Buen camino

 

[WolverineDG]

Weather? Could be anything. You probably won't know until the day before & even then could be in for a surprise. I went the Valcarlos Route in May 2007 & we got very cold rain & wind. The folks on the other route got rain, hail, sleet, snow, thunder, AND lightning. :shock: :shock: :shock:

Kelly

 

[anniethenurse]

Thank you Kelly!

Exactly what I was predicting, anyhow! We'll be prepared, the weather could be just the same and as cold and rainy/snowy than at home in Scandinavia.

annie

 

[Anonymous]

What you can absolutely guarantee is - there will be weather!

 

[irisbs]

I really can't imagine planning our Camino trek without this forum...Grateful every single time I get on! This may be covered somewhere else...But, here goes...My daughter and I arrive in Paris at 5pm on June 10th...is it realistic to think we can make it to St. Jean that same night? I haven't booked or researched the trains yet (any tips would be appreciated)...Is it more realistic to stay the night in Bayonne for example then travel to SJPP the next day? Thank you Forum friends!

 

[sillydoll]

I don't think so, unless you fly to Biarritz from the same airport.
Air France and EasyJet fly to Biarritz
Air France flies at 20:05 from Orly (ORY) and arrives at Biarritz, Bayonne at 21:20 - costs ± $336
Easyjet flights are from 7am for 33 euro and 17h00 for 100 euro.

High-speed day-time train south to Bayonne or Biarritz takes 5 hours and price starts at about 55 euro. Even if youmnaged to get a 6pm or 7pm train you wouldn't get to Biarritz until mid-might and would still have a 2 hour trip to St Jean.
Night time trains take longer but cost about 15 euro. http://www.sncf.com

 

[WolverineDG]

I sent you a PM, but for others in a similar predicament, I offer this suggestion: Check out the hotels that are AT the CDG airport. I stayed at the Ibis CDG Terminal & left on the 7 am Easy Jet flight, getting to Biarritz mid-morning, well-rested, & ready for my camino. The bus from the airport to the train station was quite fast, not making too many stops. :shrug: We had time to do a bit of sight-seeing around Bayonne, as it was a beautiful day, as well as get a bit of lunch. Other hotels AT the airport (as opposed to nearby) that I am aware of are the Sheraton (very expensive) & the Hilton. There might be a couple more, but I only looked at those 3.

Kelly

 

[FatmaG]

Saint Jean to Orisson the first day is a really good start!

I did so last May.
We left Saint Jean only about 10h30 or 11h am to arrive not later than 13 or 13.30 pm in Orisson.
It was perfect!
The first part is really very steep, so it was (for us) the right decision to stop there.

Nice moments shared there with the other pilgrims and Jean-Jacques and his 'equipe'.

The next day, Orisson to Roncesvalles, was very hard, foggy, snow on the top of the mountain, cold wind, kind of rain... But, when the conditions are good, I heard, this is the most beautiful part of the way....

Buen camino!

PS I was really happy to have a lightweight down sleeping bag - in anything else I would have frozen to death! (29 april till 2nd june!)

 

[mawani]

Hi everybody,

I’m new here. I’m planning to start my camino from SJPP in early June. Since my schedule is such that I’ll be in SJPP 10:25pm. I tried to search the forum and found some similar questions but not some exact answers, most likely I just missed them so could you please help me with the following questions.

1. Are there any hostels/refugios open at (around) 11pm that one can still check in SJPP? If so, is booking required in advance?

2. Spending a night over in Bayonne and getting to SJPP in the next morning would delay the start of the walk till (around) 10am? Is that too late considering that the first day’s goal would be in Roncesvalles?

3. Would arriving in Roncesvalles at 6:00pm be ”too” late?

4.Where can I find bus schedules, connections from Bayonne to SJPP?

5.What would a taxi cost from Bayonne to SJPP?

ps. If my questions are just repetitions and that are already been answered, please forgive me.

 

[sillydoll]

If you can afford a B&B there are some that might be prepared to fetch you from the train station at that time in which case you would have to book ahead. Try "Errecaldia" B&B - if you asked very nicely, Tim might fetch you from the train station!
tim@errecaldia.com http://www.errecaldia.com/

Arriving in Roncesvalles at 6pm is not too late. People leaving from Pamplona only have the 6pm bus which gets them there well after 7pm.

Last year a taxi cost 100 € - 110 € if it is after 8pm.

Good luck!

http://www.taxis-biarritz.fr/

 

[skilsaw]

You can arrive in Roncesvalles anytime. 6:00pm would be good because it would still be light and you would be in time for dinner and the pilgrim's mass.

Staying the night in Bayonne can be quite convenient. I stayed at Hotel Paris-Madrid in Place de Gare. The plaza in front of the train station. When I stayed in Bayonne, there were about 5 trains per day to SJPP. The first being quite early.

Good luck pulling all the details together.
Have a wonderful Camino.
David, Victoria, Canada.

 

[anniethenurse]

Welcome to the Forum Mawani!

We took the last train from Bayonne like you are planning to do. Staying in Bayonne is a good option but for us it was more important to reach the starting point and wake up in SJPP after a good night´s sleep. We stayed at the Hotel Ramuntcho http://fr.federal-hotel.com/hotel_hotel ... _16707.htm in SJPP (May 15 2009) about € 32 each with buffet breakfast, had called them a month before and made a booking. The Ramuntcho is right on the camino in the old city and close to the Pilgrim´s Office. At the Office you are told if the Route Napoleon is recommended weatherwise or not.

Other accomodation in SJPP:
http://www.chemindecompostelle.com/Sele ... Puy25.html

If you need some equipments, books or maps:
http://www.directioncompostelle.com/equipements.html

We had booked Orisson http://www.refuge-orisson.com/index.html too so our first day was only 10 kilometres. Orisson is closed for the winter right now.

SJPP is a nice little town in France and well worth some sight-seeing before you leave it - and you will meet many other pilgrims here. Some of them will maybe follow you all the way Santiago if you walk in the same pace.

There are two kinds of pilgrims in SJPP: those who will start from SJPP, many of them first-timers or in the beginning of their camino. The first- timers do not really know what to expect, are worried about the weather, their walking skills, blisters, boots, rucksacks etc. And the pilgrims who already walked from Vezelay, Geneva or Tours and have reached the flow of walking in solitude.

Time table from Bayonne to SJPP May 4 - 6 2011 http://www.sncf.com/

Aller entre le 04/05/2011 à 18h11 et le 06/05/2011 à 08h18 - prix total pour 1 passager

Départ á 18h11 08h18 11h55 15h05 18h11 08h18
A partir de 8.80 € 8.80 € 8.80 € 8.80 € 8.80 € 8.80 €
Durée 01h26 01h18 01h18 01h18 01h26 01h18

It is really up to you how you would like to plan the first days of your camino. If you want to stay in Bayonne there are many hotels and hostels there, too. And arriving at SJPP by the first train in the morning and walking from SJPP to Roncesvalles - well it is possible and doable if you would like to plan so.

Happy planning!

 

[mawani]

Thank you all for your replies I really appreciate them.
Like you Annie, I'd also like to reach the starting point and start my camino quite early in the morning. Well, see how it goes.

Once again thank you and keep up the good work.

 

[camino-david]

Have just received an email from the Pilgrim's Office in St Jean-Pied-de-Port that they are open all year and every day from 0730 to 1200 and 1330 to 2100, except Fridays and Sundays when it closes at 2230 after the arrival of the last train.
David

 

[Tim.proctor]

Hi,
A couple of points firstly, yes I'm quite happy to receive guests up to 23.00 at night. Secondly I don't make habit of collecting guests from the station I only do that by prior arrangement and charge €5 for the service. The Pilgrim Welcome Centre on Rue de La Citadelle is open from 07.30 not 09.00 as stated below and I do not stamp passports at Errecaldia.
For the train timetable if you go to my website page http://errecaldia.com/index.php?option= ... 75&lang=en
you will find a link to the up to date timetable at the beginning of the third paragraph on that page. The problem with listing a link direct to TER Aquaitaine (the train company) is that they change the link every time they change the timetable.
Other than that I post new information from time to time on Errecaldia.com
Tim

 

[mawani]

Thanks Tim,

Let me see if I got this right. The timetable for trains departing from Bayonne to STJPP; the first one sets off 07.48 and the last one 21.09, this is regular from Monday to Sunday, every day of the week?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Monday only - dep. 0748
Tuesday through Sunday - dep. 0818
Monday through Saturday - dep. 1155
Every day and holidays - dep. 1505
Monday through Saturday - dep. 1811
Friday, Sunday, and holidays - dep. 2109

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Possible temporary replacement of trains with buses:

http://www.espritduchemin.org/English/t ... -57990.pdf

 

[Arn]

Just some thoughts:

1. Getting off to a fast start from SJPDP, especially after a late arrival can cause problems later.
Consider: enjoying this beautiful French village, it's many sites, the Open Air Market, etc plan to remain overnight. Then you can casually check in to the Pilgrim office, get a credential if you need one, or just get it stamped. You can also get your Scallop shell if you don't already have one.
2. The Pilgrim office is in contact with Jacques at Orisson all day. He provides weather updates (which can be critical to a safe journey)and can also advise if he has any beds available, though most often you must book in advance.
Consider: as mentioned, the first few km out of SJPDP are steep...quite steep and they never seem to end. Orisson is half way to Roncesvalles and the view fantastic! Also, the evening pilgrim meal was the best I had on the entire Camino.

Buen Camino

Arn