nfisher658
New Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Camino Frances, June/July 2014
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That connection is easy.it arrives in Bayonne at 2:39pm, from which there is a connecting train to SJPDP at 2:55pm.... 16 minutes to change trains?
Hi all,
I have been doing a bunch of research regarding getting a train to SJPDP from Paris CDG, and I was hoping someone here could shed some insight. I fly into Paris CDG on June 4th at 7:20am, and I am really hoping to get to SJPDP on the same day. The timetable on raileurope.com.au shows a TGV train from CDG to Bayonne at both 8:19am (arriving 2:39pm), and 10:16am (arriving 5:32pm). From there trains connect to SJPDP from Bayonne at 2:55pm (arriving 4:14pm), and 6:06pm (arriving 7:31pm).
Tickets are available now to buy online for all of these trains, so here's what I was thinking...
Since I land at 7:20am, if there happens to be any delay in the flight or getting through customs the 8:19am train may be a bit tight... Has anyone had this experience? I have been thinking it might be better to buy the 10:16am ticket and be pretty much guaranteed not to miss it, but it does mean a lot more sitting around.
The attractive thing about the 8:19am train at this point, is that it arrives in Bayonne at 2:39pm, from which there is a connecting train to SJPDP at 2:55pm.... 16 minutes to change trains? Is that even possible? Perhaps someone familiar with the Bayonne train station can shed some light.
If that is too tight, there is always the 6:06pm connecting train to SJPDP, but if I end up going for that option, I may as well SAFELY take the 10:16am train from CDG to Bayonne, as this arrives in Bayonne at 5:32pm, and still leaves 38 minutes to change trains.... Again, is this possible?
The 6:06pm train to SJPDP arrives at 7:31pm, I am assuming it will still be daylight at that time? It was last time I was in Spain anyway, haha!
And I suppose in the end the biggest question is, is it even worth pre-booking these train tickets? Some people have told me it is slightly more expensive, but at the moment my thought process tends to lean towards planning and convenience, rather than saving a few dollars. Plus if I already have the tickets rather than buying them at the stations, it should help save a few minutes on those tight train changes.
I hope all this makes sense, I know these might sound like the ramblings of a mad man, but any help given is greatly appreciated!
Cheers, Neil.[/quote
Neil: I arrive CDG at about 0700 on 25 April. I will take the, every-30-minute "Les Cars Air France" coach / bus to Gare Montparnasse (Line 4). The ride from the airport to the train station is about an hour and 15-minutes.
Having done this transfer several times, I reasonable believe that I will be at the baggage belt waiting for my rucksack about 0800-0830. Catching the next coach, puts me at Gare Montparnasse about 0900 - 1000.
My TGV train departs Paris at 1235 and is scheduled to arrive at Bayonne at 1732. The two hours or more at the huge Parisian station gives me time to buy lunch for the train as well as an extra sandwich for "dinner" as it is typically too late for me to eat by the time I arrive at St. Jean Pied de Port. There are also pharmacies and other shops in the station or immediate area outside the station for last minute needs.
The last train for St. JeanPied de Port departs Bayonne at 1806. You should know that they commonly hold the small train from Bayonne for the arrival of the TGV from Paris as they KNOW there are a tranche of people on it destined for St. Jean.
I have researched many alternative ways to get from Paris - CDG to St. Jean by land, rail and air, including via Biaaritz and Bilbao. However, I have discovered the more direct way I describe to be the least stressful over the years.
I hope this helps.
II arrive CDG at about 0700 on 25 April. I will take the every-30-minute "Les Cars Air France" coach / bus to Gare Montparnasse (Line 4). The ride from the airport to the train station is about an hour and 15-minutes.
Thankyou all for your kind advice, it has certainly given me more to think about.
This is interesting, I've checked prices for a train ticket from gare Montparnasse to SJPDP (at the moment there is a last minute deal), and even when combined with the Les Cars Air France coach ticket, it is almost half the cost of a ticket from CDG to SJPDP, and in the end I would be on the arriving at my destination on the same train anyway. I'm not really bothered by the cost of the ticket, but I guess the upside of this method is that it would be handy to be able to buy food and supplies before getting on the train... Do you happen to recall where the coach picks up from? The information I found is as follows:
Les Cars Air France stops:
Gare Montparnasse: Rue du commandant Mouchotte, "Gare Montparnasse" metro station
Paris-Charles de Gaulle:
Terminals served:Terminal 2A-2C: Exit C2
Terminal 2B-2D: Exit B1
Terminal 2E-2F: Exit E8 or F9
Terminal 2G: this terminal is linked to Terminal 2F (Entrance 2.10) by the free N2 shuttle bus.
Terminal 3: get off at Terminal 1 and take the free CDGVAL shuttle train to the Terminal 3 stop.
Service frequency: 30 minutes
I'm guessing by reading this that the coach picks up at the terminal exits listed here? Are the pickups right at the door? Sorry for all the questions, I know I can ask at airport info on the day easily enough, I'm just trying to get my head around my travel arrangements to be as prepared as possible.
Thanks again!
Thanks everyone for the advice, as always, it is greatly appreciated. So in the end I decided to take a shuttle from CDG to Montparnasse, then get the train from there to SJPDP. It pretty much halved the cost of my train ticket, so there's a win, and spending a couple of hours in Paris rather than an airport terminal is a bonus as well! Also I have booked my first nights accommodation at l'esprit du chemin, where I should arrive JUST in in time for dinner. My departure is in almost 7 weeks, its getting real now, I'm starting to get those excited but nervous feelings... And I have another question for you all
How much forward planning , if any, do most people do on the Camino? My whole plan at the moment is to fly to Paris, get a shuttle to Montparnasse, get the train to SJPDP and arrive at my first nights accommodation. Apart from that, the only "plan" I have is to be in London by the 15th of July for my flight home to Australia. I know getting up each day, walking as far as my feet will take me, and trying to find a bed for the night once I get there (all the while having a great time of course, haha) is kind of the whole point of the trip, but I was wondering if there are any stages of the Camino where anyone has benefitted from thinking even a couple of days ahead, or looks back and thinks perhaps some planning would have come in handy?
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