Best day of week to Start from SJPP

[Alex Smith]

Hi,
I'm looking for any info on the best day of the week to set of from SJPP. I imagine weekends are busy and perhaps a Wednesday or Thursday are quietest?
I'm travelling alone from Scotland and looking to set off Mid May this year.
Any advice would be kindly appreciated.

Alex

 

[kristy one]

Alex, are you afraid of the crowds or being alone on the trail?

 

[Alex Smith]

Hi Kirsty,
I'm hoping to avoid the "crowds" and any convoys of walkers for the first few days at least. I hear it gets pretty busy at peak departure times


Alex

 

[kristy one]

Hi Kirsty,
I'm hoping to avoid the "crowds" and any convoys of walkers for the first few days at least. I hear it gets pretty busy at peak departure times


Alex

I believe, they are usually pretty harmless and won't bother you, but anyway. The best way would be either to start walking early enough, or opposite, rather late. Still there will be a lot of pilgrims in albergues, but one always can get some privacy if needed.
If you are a reasonably fast walker, then starting at 6:30 or earlier from SJPP will allow you to reach Roncesvalles in a relative solitude by 1pm. If you decide to continue further, at least to Burguete or Viscarret, you will most likely walk alone. Next day then you will find yourself in front of the main pilgrim wave. So, walking between the peeks and sleeping in places which do not match the classic stages may help in your case.

 

[Alex Smith]

I believe, they are usually pretty harmless and won't bother you, but anyway. The best way would be either to start walking early enough, or opposite, rather late. Still there will be a lot of pilgrims in albergues, but one always can get some privacy if needed.
If you are a reasonably fast walker, then starting at 6:30 or earlier from SJPP will allow you to reach Roncesvalles in a relative solitude by 1pm. If you decide to continue further, at least to Burguete, you will most likely walk alone. Next day then you will find yourself in front of the main pilgrim wave at least by an hour. So, walking between the peeks and sleeping in places which do not match the classic stages may help in your case.

Thanks Kirsty,
This is exactly the sort of info I was looking for. Yes, I'll take your advice and head off early. I take it mid week would be the quietest rope drop with weekends the busiest.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are the busiest departure days from SJPdP. When there is a long weekend, add Thursday to the list!

 

[Mark Lee]

As far as crowds, SJPdP and Santiago are no different than any other tourist destination. More crowded on a weekend. If you want to avoid that time your departures (and arrival into Santiago) during the week.

 

[Felipe]

Mid-May is already peak season. I frankly think that there will be lots of walkers, no matter what your strategy is. Sorry...If you want an initial quieter experience, you may try secondary, less known Caminos that connect after some days to the Frances, as the Baztanes, the Voie du Nive, or the Camino Vasco.
Good walk!

 

[Bajaracer]

Time it so you end up walking into Pamplona on Thursday afternoon, Thursday night is juevepintxos along Calle Esatfeta, serving €2 pintxos with your choice of wine, beer, or bottled water, order a pintxo and hang out, and then walk onto another pintxo bar till you are satisfied or until curfew.

 

[traveler]

Time it so you end up walking into Pamplona on Thursday afternoon, Thursday night is juevepintxos along Calle Esatfeta, serving €2 pintxos with your choice of wine, beer, or bottled water, order a pintxo and hang out, and then walk onto another pintxo bar till you are satisfied or until curfew.

Thanks for the great tip!

 

[kristy one]

Time it so you end up walking into Pamplona on Thursday afternoon, Thursday night is juevepintxos along Calle Esatfeta, serving €2 pintxos with your choice of wine, beer, or bottled water, order a pintxo and hang out, and then walk onto another pintxo bar till you are satisfied or until curfew.

Great tip indeed! I would also suggest some Ostras con Albarino. May set you back some 5€ though.

 

[marbuck]

Another tip is to avoid the three major city's on a Saturday night. They get booked out very early.

 

[t2andreo]

Consider that it takes three, full days walking to arrive at Pamplona from St. Jean Pied de Port. Add an extra day if you plan to stay at Refuge Orisson on the first night.

Work backwards from when you DO NOT want to be at Pamplona, or any similarly large town or city along the Camino, where waves of new pilgrims will join the Camino. These "new starters" usually start mostly on Saturday and Sunday mornings. So you want to be gone by Friday, or arrive on Sunday to leave on Monday.

Hence, the new pilgrims will likely arrive at their starting place (Pamplona, Logrono, Burgos, etc.) on Friday or Saturday evening. Accordingly, they will stress available reservable bed space on Friday and Saturday nights more than any other night. These cities and large towns have good rail and bus connections to the rest of Spain, and onwards to the rest of Europe.

Logically, you want to get in and out of these starting nodes by Friday, or arrive on Sunday or Monday. This puts the wave in front of you.

Bottom line, and to answer your original question directly, I would start on a Monday, stay at Orisson the first night, and arrive at Pamplona on Thursday afternoon. This puts you down the road from Pamplona on Friday, and one to two days in front of the coming wave.

Finally, use this "model" for your entire Camino if you want to avoid the congestion that the infusion of weekly "pigs in the hose" can produce. If you make advance reservations at private albergues or hostals, a smart phone, or web-capable device that can use the ubiquitous Wi-Fi available at most cafes and overnight accommodations will help.

There are many online reservations choices. I have always had good luck on the Camino Frances with www.booking.com. They also show a lot of private albergues. They do not feature public albergues as they are not reservable. To find these, try the many online app guides, or go to www.gronze.es.

I hope this helps.

 

[Joodle]

Consider that it takes three, full days walking to arrive at Pamplona from St. Jean Pied de Port. Add an extra day if you plan to stay at Refuge Orisson on the first night.

Work backwards from when you DO NOT want to be at Pamplona, or any similarly large town or city along the Camino, where waves of new pilgrims will join the Camino. These "new starters" usually start mostly on Saturday and Sunday mornings. So you want to be gone by Friday, or arrive on Sunday to leave on Monday.

Hence, the new pilgrims will likely arrive at their starting place (Pamplona, Logrono, Burgos, etc.) on Friday or Saturday evening. Accordingly, they will stress available reservable bed space on Friday and Saturday nights more than any other night. These cities and large towns have good rail and bus connections to the rest of Spain, and onwards to the rest of Europe.

Logically, you want to get in and out of these starting nodes by Friday or arrive on Sunday or Monday. This puts the wave in front of you.

Bottom line, and to answer your original question directly, I would start on a Monday,stay at Orisson the first night and arrive at Pamplona on Thursday afternoon. This puts you down the road from Pamplona on Friday, and one to two days in front of the coming wave.

Finally, use this "model" for your entire Camino if you want to avoid the congestion that the infusion of weekly "pigs in the hose" can produce. If you make advance reservations at private albergues or hostals, a smart phone, or web capable device that can use the ubiquitous Wi-Fi available at most cafes and overnight accommodations will help.

There are many online reservations choices. I have always had good luck on the Camino Frances with www.booking.com. They also show a lot of private albergues. They do not feature public albergues asa they are not reservable. To find these, try the many online app guides, or go to www.gronze.es.

I hope this helps.

I'm headed down the trail on Thursday with a stay at Orisson that night. Do you recommend booking a room for Sunday night in Pamplona? I'm just not sure.

 

[LouiseEdin]

From one Scot to another, Tuesday is usually the cheapest day to fly

 

[Anniesantiago]

If you are into museums, another consideration is planning so you do NOT arrive in the museum towns on Monday, when museums are closed in Spain.
This would include Pamplona, Burgos, Leon, Astorga, and Santiago for me, where the best museums are.

 

[LouiseEdin]

I'm headed down the trail on Thursday with a stay at Orisson that night. Do you recommend booking a room for Sunday night in Pamplona? I'm just not sure.

No need, I went to the German confederate place, outside the wall by the river, was like being in the country

 

[Alex Smith]

I'm hugely appreciative of all the comments re my initial question yesterday night. Loads to now mull over before planning an effective strategy. I'd much prefer to simply just get up and walk each day with no definite destination or target distance.
However with all your advice, I now have a much better understanding of the advantages of being positioned in the right place at the right time .
Many thanks again everyone.

 

[t2andreo]

I'm headed down the trail on Thursday with a stay at Orisson that night. Do you recommend booking a room for Sunday night in Pamplona? I'm just not sure.

Yes. I can highly recommend the Hotel Eslava. It is bookable on booking.com.

Hotel Eslava is located on the West side of the camino route, just before it exits the old town at the Church of Saint Lorenzo and crosses the "green belt" that encircles much of the old city. Beyond this is the new city. You have to walk / ride this way the next morning anyway and the hotel is perhaps 100 meters north of the marked Camino route through the city..

I hope this helps.

 

[kristy one]

Buen Camino Alex! You will find that despite of all concerns of yours, the Way will take care. The Camino provides indeed!

 

[Joodle]

Yes. I can highly recommend the Hotel Eslava. It is bookable on booking.com.

Hotel Eslava is located on the West side of the camino route, just before it exits the old town at the Church of Saint Lorenzo and crosses the "green belt" that encircles much of the old city. Beyond this is the new city. You have to walk / ride this way the next morning anyway and the hotel is perhaps 100 meters north of the marked Camino route through the city..

I hope this helps.

Thank you so much. I figured i'd be there on Sunday if I stay overnight at Orisson on Thursday, Right?

 

[kristy one]

Thank you so much. I figured i'd be there on Sunday if I stay overnight at Orisson on Thursday, Right?

There always is a choice, either plan the exact stops or just walk and let the things happen. For me the second option appears an indispensable charm of Camino de Santiago in Spain.

 

[t2andreo]

Thank you so much. I figured i'd be there on Sunday if I stay overnight at Orisson on Thursday, Right?

Pamplona is only TWO days walking beyond Roncesvalles, generally. If you walk more or less, faster or slower, your arrival could vary.

But if you stay at Orisson on a Thursday night and depart Friday morning, you should arrive at Pamplona on Saturday evening. That is smack in the middle of the "no go" zone for avoiding "the wave." But yes, if you wanted to be at Pamplona for something that occurs on Sunday, you should be there ahead of time, presuming you have arranged a place to lodge.

My earlier advice was to arrive at Pamplona either on Thursday or Sunday. Getting a room on Friday or Saturday night might be a problem. You need to try to make advance reservations if you do not want to have to rely on whatever space is available in any albergue when you arrive without reservations.

Your avatar is deceiving. Are you riding a bicycle or walking? THAT changes the entire paradigm.

All of my assistance, recommendations and advice is predicating on your walking. If riding, double the distance covered in any day, and halve the time needed to get to Pamplona. In this case, if you left Orisson on Friday morning and rode the road route down the mountains, you would likely hit Pamplona on Friday evening. But, for this exercise, avoiding the surge, that does not help you.

Arriving at any main transportation node, like Pamplona, will see you encountering increased numbers of pilgrims on Friday and Saturday evening. As a general rule, the numbers are much lower on Thursday and Sunday nights. If there is a holiday on the Monday, then Saturday rules apply to Sunday, and Sunday rules apply to the holiday Monday.

I hope this helps.

 

[Joodle]

Pamplona is only TWO days walking beyond Roncesvalles, generally. If you walk more or less, faster or slower, your arrival could vary.

But if you stay at Orisson on a Thursday night and depart Friday morning, you should arrive at Pamplona on Saturday evening. That is smack in the middle of the "no go" zone for avoiding "the wave." But yes, if you wanted to be at Pamplona for something that occurs on Sunday, you should be there ahead of time, presuming you have arranged a place to lodge.

My earlier advice was to arrive at Pamplona either on Thursday or Sunday. Getting a room on Friday or Saturday night might be a problem. You need to try to make advance reservations if you do not want to have to rely on whatever space is available in any albergue when you arrive without reservations.

Your avatar is deceiving. Are you riding a bicycle or walking? THAT changes the entire paradigm.

All of my assistance, recommendations and advice is predicating on your walking. If riding, double the distance covered in any day, and halve the time needed to get to Pamplona. In this case, if you left Orisson on Friday morning and rode the road route down the mountains, you would likely hit Pamplona on Friday evening. But, for this exercise, avoiding the surge, that does not help you.

Arriving at any main transportation node, like Pamplona, will see you encountering increased numbers of pilgrims on Friday and Saturday evening. As a general rule, the numbers are much lower on Thursday and Sunday nights. If there is a holiday on the Monday, then Saturday rules apply to Sunday, and Sunday rules apply to the holiday Monday.

I hope this helps.

The information helps alot. I will be a walking pilgrim. That picture is from when I did a sprint triathlon a couple years ago. I had better book a room for Saturday night in Pamplona, I guess. I don't want to dawdle just to be there in Sunday. I'm a fast walker when I'm out for exercise, but I plan to find my natural pace and really enjoy the journey. Thank You

 

[Older Guy]

I'm hugely appreciative of all the comments re my initial question yesterday night. Loads to now mull over before planning an effective strategy. I'd much prefer to simply just get up and walk each day with no definite destination or target distance.
However with all your advice, I now have a much better understanding of the advantages of being positioned in the right place at the right time .
Many thanks again everyone.

You might also want to examine your planning strategy from another perspective as well. I will be doing the Camino by bike so I can easily do two to three days walking in a single day or take my time. One of the things that I have looked at a little bit is "market days." Having visited a number of European cities on market days, you have the opportunity to buy all kinds of prepared and raw foods. If the weather is half-way decent, I like the idea of a mid-day picnic with things I have purchased at a market day or local store.

While, I want to know when the market days are, I am not going to let them dictate what sights I stop to enjoy, or if I feel I want a rest day.

 

[Katie A]

Alex, I went out for dinner with a friend who did Camino Frances a year ago & the best advice I received was stay 1-2 villages before or after the main route stops. That way she found it was never too busy, there was always a bed, and she walked alone as she wanted, often by starting early each day.
I, on the other hand, am hopeless in the mornings, no doubt will be kicked out at 8am, and was concerned re bed availability at the other end.
So I'll be following her advice.
Begun Camino !

 

[Alex Smith]

Katie, Good to hear I'm not the only sleepy head in the mornings. I'll heed your good advice and hopefully manage to source bed each day when I stumble in late in the afternoons.

 

[trevorcc]

Hi,
I'm looking for any info on the best day of the week to set of from SJPP. I imagine weekends are busy and perhaps a Wednesday or Thursday are quietest?
I'm travelling alone from Scotland and looking to set off Mid May this year.
Any advice would be kindly appreciated.

Alex

Any day, as you only have time.

 

[Montana Jayne]

I'm headed down the trail on Thursday with a stay at Orisson that night. Do you recommend booking a room for Sunday night in Pamplona? I'm just not sure.

 

[Montana Jayne]

I would make the comment that tight planning about where you are spending each night can be a problem when things happen. Be ready to be flexible otherwise you are putting a lot of pressure on yourself and that detracts from the camino experience IMHO. However, to Joodle regarding Pamplona, Casa Paderborn by the little stream is really a terrific albergue. Bien camino!

I'm headed down the trail on Thursday with a stay at Orisson that night. Do you recommend booking a room for Sunday night in Pamplona? I'm just not sure.