Barcelona to St. Jean Pied de Port

[barryg]

Hello fellow pilgrims!

I thought I had posted and received several replies to the following question, but I cannot find it under my threads, so I'd like to ask it again:

I fly into Barcelona on May 31. I will probably stay a day, but my main goal is to get to St. Jean de Pied as quickly and cheaply as possible. Should I take a train, bus Bla Bla car or what? I would walk if I had time (I only have one month to complete the CF) Where are the bus and train stations located? I am also asking if there is any cheap lodging in Barcelona that members PERSONALLY know about. The prices in my Rough Guide to Spain are terrible. I do have a HI hostel card and can search on the HI hostel and Hostel World sites, but I am looking for a personal recommendation. Thanks in advance!

Barry

 

[caminodeanna]

Hello fellow pilgrims!

I thought I had posted and received several replies to the following question, but I cannot find it under my threads, so I'd like to ask it again:

I fly into Barcelona on May 31. I will probably stay a day, but my main goal is to get to St. Jean de Pied as quickly and cheaply as possible. Should I take a train, bus Bla Bla car or what? I would walk if I had time (I only have one month to complete the CF) Where are the bus and train stations located? I am also asking if there is any cheap lodging in Barcelona that members PERSONALLY know about. The prices in my Rough Guide to Spain are terrible. I do have a HI hostel card and can search on the HI hostel and Hostel World sites, but I am looking for a personal recommendation. Thanks in advance!

Barry

Hi!

Take RENFE train to Pamplona (there are several initiaries every day, some of them cheap rate) and from there either bus or a cab and share with other pilgrims. Find a hostel near the train station in Barcelona, in area of "El Sants" or "Les Corts" or just near "Pl. Espanya" is always handy, for walking distance to the train station. I know a few hostels in the area and I can come back with advices

 

[barryg]

Thank you for your help. I am taking a night flight and hope to just hop on a train and get to the trail head in St Jean Pied de Port. That way I avoid having to stay in a hostel in Barcelona. Does that sound like a good plan? I'd love to see a little of Barcelona, but I only have 30 days, so I'd like to start as soon as possible walking.

My flight gets in about 9:00 in the morning. I see that there are several trains to Pamplona during the day. How is public transportation from the airport to Barcelona Sants?

Thanks for any further advice.

Barry

 

[Tincatinker]

Why start in Spain, travel to France, and then walk back in to Spain again? Just get the train to Pamplona and start walking. I also remember you posing this question previously but presumably under a different log-in. That little town in southern France is not the 'trail head', it's just a little town in southern France where pilgrims on foot from all over Europe began the final stage of their journey to Santiago. Note, the final stage. It was a convenient crossing place into Spain, via Valcarlos, avoiding the higher mountain crossing at Somport and the dubious pleasures of the Barbary pirates of the coastal routes, the malarial swamps of the Landes and worse.

If you only have 30 days to walk ( and travel) why spend days messing about with public transport: start walking in Pamplona. Or walk from Barcelona for 30 days and come back another time to finish your pilgrimage.

 

[barryg]

Well, I had actually thought of that, but then how do I get my Pilgrim Passport stamped? I have one that I purchased from the Confraternity, and (please excuse my extreme ignorance) I thought I needed to initiate the passport in St. Jean Pied de Port. Actually, I would love to leave from Barcelona on foot, but would like to connect, eventually with the Camino Frances. Possible? I want to take advantage of the Pilgrim rates at hostels and I thought I needed to have a valid Pilgrim Passport to do that.

Also, it takes about 4 days to walk to the trail, are there intervening hostels that wouldn't break my budget?

Thanks so much for taking the time to explain all of this to me.

Barry

 

[Tincatinker]

You can get your Credencial stamped anywhere and wherever you start walking. Barcelona airport, Pamplona cathedral, Pamplona railway station, any bar or cafe in Pamplona if that's where you start. Albergues are open to pilgrims who arrive on foot or bike or even donkey but everyone has to start somewhere and all that first stamp does is show where you started walking. The Albergues in Pamplona will grant you a bed for the night if you need one because everyone has to start somewhere. Those 100,000 pilgrims who start in Sarria every day don't travel to StJdP to get a first stamp. Nor do those adventurers on the Via de la Plata or the Madrid or the Portugueses.
Get yourself to Pamplona, or Roncesvalles or Burgos or Logrono or where ever you can get yourself to and walk into the nearest Town Hall, Cathedral or Bar and ask for a Sello (stamp) and start walking. And when you get to an Albergue at the end of the day they will let you in and they will find you a bed and they will treat you like the pilgrim that you will be.

Perhaps this a moment to mention that there are no rules on the camino other than those of civility and that if you want to claim a Compostella you must have walked the last 100k into Santiago (or biked 200km or flogged your Donkey with a blanket)

 

[SYates]

Just go for it! Start walking from Barcelona, avoid the masses on the CF, enjoy marvelous places like Montserrat, walk until you have to go home and re-start your pilgrimage where you left it another year. Here some infos (use Google translate or similar if you don't speak Spanish):

https://www.gronze.com/camino-santiago-barcelona
https://www.gronze.com/camino-santiago-catalan

As for your pilgrims passport, it is valid anywhere on any camino, heck, I have even used one where there was no Camino (but that is another story). The way from Barcelona is well marked and has enough accommodation options to make it feasible and stamps for your Credencial you get pretty much everywhere (where you sleep, bars, churches). Remember Robert Frost's famous poem?

I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.


Buen Camino, SY

 

[Bradypus]

@Tincatinker Could you please have a moderatorial word with Ivar and ask if we can be allowed to post multiple likes (up to 10 perhaps) or absolutely huge ones like you get on facebook messenger when we come across posts like yours above?

 

[Tincatinker]

Ach, @Bradypus now you've made me blush....

 

[SYates]

@Tincatinker Could you please have a moderatorial word with Ivar and ask if we can be allowed to post multiple likes (up to 10 perhaps) or absolutely huge ones like you get on facebook messenger when we come across posts like yours above?

MEGA LIKE FOR BOTH OF YOU!!! SY

 

[barryg]

MEGA LIKE FOR BOTH OF YOU!!! SY

Dear SYates,

To be clear, are you saying that there is Camino that goes through Barcelona?

The links you gave me seem to imply this. Looks like I have an alternate plan. I was going all the way to SJDP, now I can leave from Barcelona! What a great bit of information! Thanks so much.

 

[SYates]

Yes, @barryg There is a way that goes via Barcelona. There is even here on the forum a section dedicated to it https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/forums/cami-catalan-cami-st-jaume.105/

And here some more sites (you will need Google Translate for them, sorry):

http://www.camisantjaume.com/
http://amicsdelspelegrins.org/
http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/los-caminos-de-santiago/catalan-por-san-juan-de-la-pena/ Description starting in Montserrat

Happy planning and Buen Camino, SY

 

[SabsP]

@Tincatinker Could you please have a moderatorial word with Ivar and ask if we can be allowed to post multiple likes (up to 10 perhaps) or absolutely huge ones like you get on facebook messenger when we come across posts like yours above?

I want hearts ...please please please can we have some HEARTS too.... But indeed yes also from me multiple likes.

 

[barryg]

Why start in Spain, travel to France, and then walk back in to Spain again? Just get the train to Pamplona and start walking. I also remember you posing this question previously but presumably under a different log-in. That little town in southern France is not the 'trail head', it's just a little town in southern France where pilgrims on foot from all over Europe began the final stage of their journey to Santiago. Note, the final stage. It was a convenient crossing place into Spain, via Valcarlos, avoiding the higher mountain crossing at Somport and the dubious pleasures of the Barbary pirates of the coastal routes, the malarial swamps of the Landes and worse.

If you only have 30 days to walk ( and travel) why spend days messing about with public transport: start walking in Pamplona. Or walk from Barcelona for 30 days and come back another time to finish your pilgrimage.

This was very good advice, thank you! I think I will walk from Pamplona. Others have counseled to walk from Barcelona, but I think as a first time pilgrim, I would like to walk the Camino Frances. I would also like to extend that to Finistere (if I am spelling that correctly). Thanks again for your advice. I had it welded into my consciousness that I HAD TO start from St Jean Pied de Port.

 

[barryg]

Yes, @barryg There is a way that goes via Barcelona. There is even here on the forum a section dedicated to it https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/forums/cami-catalan-cami-st-jaume.105/

And here some more sites (you will need Google Translate for them, sorry):

http://www.camisantjaume.com/
http://amicsdelspelegrins.org/
http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/los-caminos-de-santiago/catalan-por-san-juan-de-la-pena/ Description starting in Montserrat

Happy planning and Buen Camino, SY

Thanks so much for your information. I think I will

Yes, @barryg There is a way that goes via Barcelona. There is even here on the forum a section dedicated to it https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/forums/cami-catalan-cami-st-jaume.105/

And here some more sites (you will need Google Translate for them, sorry):

http://www.camisantjaume.com/
http://amicsdelspelegrins.org/
http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/los-caminos-de-santiago/catalan-por-san-juan-de-la-pena/ Description starting in Montserrat
Happy planning and Buen Camino, SY

As I was saying: I am delighted that walking in Europe is an acknowledged option for getting about. I am excited to start my journey and may very well decide, by the time I get to the airport, to walk directly from Barcelona. At least now I have the option, thanks to your post. Thanks so much!

Barry

 

[Gregory Stegman]

Why start in Spain, travel to France, and then walk back in to Spain again? Just get the train to Pamplona and start walking. I also remember you posing this question previously but presumably under a different log-in. That little town in southern France is not the 'trail head', it's just a little town in southern France where pilgrims on foot from all over Europe began the final stage of their journey to Santiago. Note, the final stage. It was a convenient crossing place into Spain, via Valcarlos, avoiding the higher mountain crossing at Somport and the dubious pleasures of the Barbary pirates of the coastal routes, the malarial swamps of the Landes and worse.

If you only have 30 days to walk ( and travel) why spend days messing about with public transport: start walking in Pamplona. Or walk from Barcelona for 30 days and come back another time to finish your pilgrimage.

Sometimes an old post is still relevant and helpful for an old Pilgrim. I’m returning to the Camino after an absence of 8 years and with only three weeks availability I’m planning on walking my favourite sections. Yes why do I need to miss an entire day travelling and starting in SJDP. Australia to Madrid then train to Pamploma. Oh researching for my journeys is always time consuming but it’s part of the fun.
Thanks Pilgrims.

 

[GoldenMistCSTX]

Thank you for your help. I am taking a night flight and hope to just hop on a train and get to the trail head in St Jean Pied de Port. That way I avoid having to stay in a hostel in Barcelona. Does that sound like a good plan? I'd love to see a little of Barcelona, but I only have 30 days, so I'd like to start as soon as possible walking.

My flight gets in about 9:00 in the morning. I see that there are several trains to Pamplona during the day. How is public transportation from the airport to Barcelona Sants?

Thanks for any further advice.

Barry

Hello, We are two seniors and one college student. Your plans are similar ours. Texas to Barcelona, end of May, 2023. What transportation did you take to St Jean Pied de Port? Did you stay over in Barcelona? Any advice is welcome.