Best Airport to SJPDP

[barryg]

Hello!

I am flying from Boston, USA. Is Biarritz still the best airport to fly into to get to SJPDP? And Madrid to fly home? How much more difficult would it be to fly into Madrid and wend my way to SJPDP. I can get a good RT fare to Madrid, but how complicated and time consuming is land transport to SJPDP from Madrid.

So, my question is, would it be better to fly into Biarritz, then bus to SJPDP, hike the Camino to Santiago, then take the train to Madrid to fly home, or just to fly into Madrid and fly home from Madrid?

Thanks for any help.

Warmly,

Barry

 

[Kanga]

Hi Barry, it's easy to get to SJPDP from Madrid. A bus or train from Madrid to Pamplona, then a bus to SJPDP. Full details in this thread. There is a whole section of the forum devoted to "Travelling to/from the Camino".

 

[Deleted member 73526]

The roundtrip flight to Madrid looks like a good idea to me. It's worth looking at arrival times of the flights that you're considering -

IB6166 (non-stop from BOS to MAD) arrives at 6:20 AM on the date that I checked. That would give you a wide choice of planes, trains, and buses to reach Pamplona same day. Flights back to BOS from Madrid are also conveniently timed around midday.

Some flights from BOS to CDG also arrive in the early morning. Some don't, which may give you fewer options and a a later arrival in SJPP.

 

[Juspassinthru]

BarryG,

When I did the CF 2 years ago, I flew in to Bordeaux. Easy bus to the train station and 1 quick change in Bayonne to get to SJPP. The train from Bayonne to SJPP was full of my soon to be Camino Family. An option anyway.

Buen Camino.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Boston - Barcelona - Boston on Level airlines July 10 - August 14 is about $625. Nice train ride to Pamplona and then bus.

 

[andycohn]

Biarritz is definitely best airport for getting to SJPDP, if you want to do your whole Boston — SJPDP journey without staying overnight somewhere in Spain before getting to SJPDP. From the Biarritz airport, you can pick up the Express Bourricot shuttle, which meets every incomiing plane — https://www.expressbourricot.com/
— and you’ll be in St. Jean in an hour. Or, you can take a local bus into Bayonne, and then pick up a local train to SJPDP.

Don’t downplay the hassle involved in getting to SJPDP from Madrid. You can get a bus directly from the Madrid Airport — schedules at Alsa bus website at https://www.alsa.com/en/web/bus/home - but it’s a 5 hour ride, and then you have to pick up a second bus to SJPDP, which is almost another 2 hours. Again, see the Alsa website for the schedule. Plus, there’s waiting time for those 2 buses.

Train ride from Madrid to Pamplona, follwed by bus from Pamplona is also possible. See http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/index.html for schedule. Then, you pick up the Alsa bus to SJPDP. However, while the train ride from Madrid to Pamplona is only 3 hours (vs. 5 hours on the bus), you then have to get from the Madrid Airport to central Madrid, and when you get to Pamplona you have to get from the train station to the bus station.

If you choose the Madrid option, it might be wiser to stay overnight in Madrid before attempting the further voyages to SJPDP.

If you do elect to go to Madrid, also, I would suggest flying Norwegian, which flies non-stop from Boston to Madrid for $170 each way.

 

[c0484]

Hello!

I am flying from Boston, USA. Is Biarritz still the best airport to fly into to get to SJPDP? And Madrid to fly home? How much more difficult would it be to fly into Madrid and wend my way to SJPDP. I can get a good RT fare to Madrid, but how complicated and time consuming is land transport to SJPDP from Madrid.

So, my question is, would it be better to fly into Biarritz, then bus to SJPDP, hike the Camino to Santiago, then take the train to Madrid to fly home, or just to fly into Madrid and fly home from Madrid?

Thanks for any help.

Warmly,

Barry

I always fly into Charles de Gaul in Paris and catch the train from the airport to Bayonne and the connector to SJPDP.

 

[TSchulen]

I am flying from Boston, USA. Is Biarritz still the best airport to fly into to get to SJPDP? And Madrid to fly home? How much more difficult would it be to fly into Madrid and wend my way to SJPDP. I can get a good RT fare to Madrid, but how complicated and time consuming is land transport to SJPDP from Madrid.

I left Boston in September last year and flew Lufthansa to Munich and Pamplona. The layover wasn't bad and it ended up being cheaper than trying to get there from Barcelona or Madrid. The Trip to SJPdP doesn't take long by bus or taxi. Flights from Santiago to Barcelona were almost as cheap as the train and take a lot less time. I expect the same would be true for Madrid.

 

[trecile]

I've flown into Madrid three times, but chose to fly to Paris this year. I've always spent a night or two in Madrid before heading to SJPdP, and I did the sane in Paris this year. I found it to be an easier trip from Paris to SJPdP than from Madrid. You only need to do a quick change of trains at Bayonne. If you take the train from Madrid to Pamplona you have to either go to the bus station to get the bus to SJPdP, or take a taxi to St Jean.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

If you take the train from Madrid to Pamplona you have to either go to the bus station to get the bus to SJPdP, or take a taxi to St Jean.

True but bus line A leaves the train station once an hour for a direct connection to the bus station and line 9 street bus makes a few stops before making one close to the bus station. Line 9 also leaves from the train station and there is one every 10-15 minutes

I'm not saying which way is better, Madrid, Barcelona or Paris, but the Pamplona connection is not so bad. Also, if the timing is right you can see Pamplona between connections and then walk through it later.

 

[billmclaughlin]

I’ve done this a few different ways and would recommend a night in Bayonne/Biarritz en route to SJPP if you can spare the time. Take a few deep breaths and get a good night’s sleep. Then a great first day by train and on foot to Orisson.

Bill (also Boston)

 

[Pilger99]

You have so many airports in the wider area (Biarritz, Pau, Lourdes, Toulouse, Bordeaux | San Sebastian, Bilbao, Pamplona, Vitoria, Logrono, Madrid, Barcelona) that you have countless options. Be aware, that some small airports have only 2-3 flights a day.
From far abroad direct flights usually end up in Madrid, Barcelona, Paris and maybe Brussels, where you can take another flight close to your destination. Especially in Spain accomodation and land transportation is inexpensive, that's why flying into Madrid is usually a good choice for all the spanish caminos.
If you can't fly from Santiago, you might find something from Vigo, La Coruna or Porto. Madrid and Lisbon is 7 to 10hours by public transport, Barcelona even further.

Pamplona to SJPdP by Taxi is something most people don't want to pay. I don't think you can find such ride for less than 100€.

 

[mikebet]

I flew into San Sebastian, which is about the best place in the world to start a visit to Spain. After a couple of days stuffing my face with pintxos I took the morning train to SJPdP (which also makes a stop in Irun/Biarritz). If you do this it will be more convenient to stay overnight in Orisson because you will most likely start out after lunch in SJPdP.