Best path from Lourdes to St. Jean Pied de Port

[Reggitano52]

Hello.
I'm planning on returning to walk the Camino Frances in Spring of 2024 but this time would like to start from Lourdes France. Can anyone kindly tell me about the best route to take, hotels and eateries along the way and approximately how many days to reach SJPDP by walking 20K per day.
Thanks very much.
Angelo

 

[Former member 104756]

The camino path from Lourdes to SJPP is the Camino Piemont des Pyrénées (you’ll see various spellings). We walked the path in 2022 from Carcassonne to SJPP.

Here is thé page on Gronze showing distances, elevations, accommodation. So you can use that information to work out possible stages.

Camino del Piamonte | Camino de Santiago | Gronze.com

El Camino del Piamonte es el camino jacobeo que discurre a lo largo del Prepirineo francés, pasando por Narbonne, Carcassonne, Lourdes y Oloron hasta Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, y que comparte trazado con el GR-78. Considerado hasta hace pocos años una variante del Camino de Arles, estamos ante un...

www.gronze.com

It’s very different from the Frances in many ways. Don’t expect to see too many others. We saw 3 other Camino walkers in 3 weeks, though we did start early ‘in the season’ leaving Carcassone on 1 April.There were few services between towns, eg I think I was able to have a second coffee in the mornings just 2 or 3 times in 3 weeks. . And most days we had to be sure to carry food for lunch. There may have been more open later in April. I’m not sure.

If it’s of interest, when you reach Oloron Saint Marie, you have the option of taking the Arles / Aragones route over the Col du Somport into Spain. After about a week of walking the Aragones joins the Frances at Puenta la Reina. The Aragones is a wonderful path. Here’s the Gronze page for the Aragones (aka Camino Frances via Aragon).

Camino Aragonés | Camino de Santiago | Gronze.com

El Camino Francés por Aragón o Camino Aragonés enlaza el puerto de Somport en la frontera hispano-francesa con la localidad navarra de Puente la Reina, donde se une al Camino Francés procedente de Roncesvalles. El Camino Francés por Aragón debe su origen al Camino de Arles (Vía Tolosana), una de...

www.gronze.com

For thé stages from Oloron Saint Marie to the Col du Somport, look up the Arles Way on Gronze.

There is yet another option, from Oloron St Marie, you can walk on a fairly quiet country road up to Navarrenx and join the Camino Le Puy on its last stages to SJPP. That’s also a lovely route and you’ll certainly have more company.

But, if neither of those other options appeal, the Piemont will certainly take you from Lourdes to SJPP.

 

[Vacajoe]

Go to Gronze.com and check out the Piemonte route which connects Lourdes to St Jean. That site has all that information. There are a limited number of places to stay on that route, so you may be forced to walk a bit more than 20km a day sometimes.

Knowledge of French would be extremely helpful on this route as it’s seldom traveled by pilgrims and the infrastructure is geared more towards French hikers rather than foreign pilgrims. Pilgrim-specific accommodations exist, but advance notice may be required to ensure someone will be there with a key to let you in.

 

[naplesdon]

At Canfranc we welcomed a number of pilgrims who walked from Lourdes.

 

[Reggitano52]

The camino path from Lourdes to SJPP is the Camino Piemont des Pyrénées (you’ll see various spellings). We walked the path in 2022 from Carcassonne to SJPP.

Here is thé page on Gronze showing distances, elevations, accommodation. So you can use that information to work out possible stages.

Camino del Piamonte | Camino de Santiago | Gronze.com

El Camino del Piamonte es el camino jacobeo que discurre a lo largo del Prepirineo francés, pasando por Narbonne, Carcassonne, Lourdes y Oloron hasta Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, y que comparte trazado con el GR-78. Considerado hasta hace pocos años una variante del Camino de Arles, estamos ante un...

www.gronze.com

It’s very different from the Frances in many ways. Don’t expect to see too many others. We saw 3 other Camino walkers in 3 weeks, though we did start early ‘in the season’ leaving Carcassone on 1 April.There were few services between towns, eg I think I was able to have a second coffee in the mornings just 2 or 3 times in 3 weeks. . And most days we had to be sure to carry food for lunch. There may have been more open later in April. I’m not sure.

If it’s of interest, when you reach Oloron Saint Marie, you have the option of taking the Arles / Aragones route over the Col du Somport into Spain. After about a week of walking the Aragones joins the Frances at Puenta la Reina. The Aragones is a wonderful path. Here’s the Gronze page for the Aragones (aka Camino Frances via Aragon).

Camino Aragonés | Camino de Santiago | Gronze.com

El Camino Francés por Aragón o Camino Aragonés enlaza el puerto de Somport en la frontera hispano-francesa con la localidad navarra de Puente la Reina, donde se une al Camino Francés procedente de Roncesvalles. El Camino Francés por Aragón debe su origen al Camino de Arles (Vía Tolosana), una de...

www.gronze.com

For thé stages from Oloron Saint Marie to the Col du Somport, look up the Arles Way on Gronze.

There is yet another option, from Oloron St Marie, you can walk on a fairly quiet country road up to Navarrenx and join the Camino Le Puy on its last stages to SJPP. That’s also a lovely route and you’ll certainly have more company.

But, if neither of those other options appeal, the Piemont will certainly take you from Lourdes to SJPP.

Thank you so much for your suggestions. The last one you mention to SJPDP is what I was looking for.

 

[Former member 104756]

Yes, sorry I offered more information than you asked. The last I mentioned was also the first I mentioned. The first three paragraphs of my reply and the first Gronze link deal with the Piemont, the direct route from Lourdes to SJPP that you asked about. Apologies if I caused confusion by mentioning the other possibilities to connect with the Frances.

 

[Reggitano52]

Yes, sorry I offered more information than you asked. The last I mentioned was also the first I mentioned. The first three paragraphs of my reply and the first Gronze link deal with the Piemont, the direct route from Lourdes to SJPP that you asked about. Apologies if I caused confusion by mentioning the other possibilities to connect with the Frances.

No worries. Better more info than not enough. You’re very kind and thanks again!

 

[Hans-Georg Goebel]

Hello.
I'm planning on returning to walk the Camino Frances in Spring of 2024 but this time would like to start from Lourdes France. Can anyone kindly tell me about the best route to take, hotels and eateries along the way and approximately how many days to reach SJPDP by walking 20K per day.
Thanks very much.
Angelo

I made Lourdes - Oleron - Somport - Camino Aragonese down to Punta la Reina. a very nice way, my favorite after 15 years camino- hicking

 

[Reggitano52]

Thank you everyone for your very helpful suggestions. Buen Camino.

 

[Amy Mello]

I made Lourdes - Oleron - Somport - Camino Aragonese down to Punta la Reina. a very nice way, my favorite after 15 years camino- hicking

Agree- I did the same path from Lourdes and I found it a very special. Especially the Somport Pass and days following. I even walked backward from Punta La Reina to Pamplona (I was leaving from there to head back to states) - and it was shocking to see how much the traffic increased on the main trail!

 

[jbrehove]

Hello.
I'm planning on returning to walk the Camino Frances in Spring of 2024 but this time would like to start from Lourdes France. Can anyone kindly tell me about the best route to take, hotels and eateries along the way and approximately how many days to reach SJPDP by walking 20K per day.
Thanks very much.
Angelo

I will be walking from Lourdes to SJPdP in September 2023. We will take the piemont route through Oloron Saint Marie , L’Hopital Saint Blaise, etc. I will post our experiences when I return.

 

[JabbaPapa]

Honestly, nowadays after Oloron-Sainte-Marie I'd go > Moumour > Orin > Aren > Préchacq-Josbaig > Préchacq-Navarrenx > DIY/Lay-Lamidou >Navarrenx then more or less from there on the end of Le Puy Way & Chemin de Navarre to SJPP. (There is also a cycling route alternative you could follow on the left bank of the Gave.)

It's li'l tarmac road walking on that variant to Navarrenx, but it's frankly beautiful, and it's a lot less annoying than the "official" Piémont GR between Préchacq-Josbaig and SJPP. Plus Navarrenx and several villages and towns on that Way are just lovely, including Saint-Palais if you made that "detour" (actually the most likely historic route, just following the Gave downstream from Lourdes to Saint-Palais)).

If hotels and eateries are what you seek, Saint-Palais is frankly a must !! Navarrenx is also excellent for both, and if it's on a day when the Alchemist is accepting pilgrims in his lovely Albergue, that's tip-top as well ...

Food and sleeping would be far better on this alternate route after Oloron than any others, and as to Lourdes > Oloron it's fantastic so no worries.

 

[nathanael]

Hello.
I'm planning on returning to walk the Camino Frances in Spring of 2024 but this time would like to start from Lourdes France. Can anyone kindly tell me about the best route to take, hotels and eateries along the way and approximately how many days to reach SJPDP by walking 20K per day.
Thanks very much.
Angelo

I walked it twice from Lourdes to Santiago. Great walk but rarely do you find anyone but many places to stay at. One thing though in France most places eater are closed Mondays, at least that is when I did about four years ago. IN lOURCES THE pOLISH NUNS OFFER A NICE PLACE WITH MEALS.

 

[Former member 104756]

It's li'l tarmac road walking on that variant to Navarrenx, but it's frankly beautiful, and it's a lot less annoying than the "official" Piémont GR between Préchacq-Josbaig and SJPP.

I've also walked both the Le Puy and Piemont routes. I agree that the path between Navarrenx and SJPP is beautiful (I mentioned as an option at post #2) and l'Alchimiste is a wonderful welcoming gite. But I can't say I found anything 'annoying' about the Piemont between Oloron Saint Marie and SJPP - for those who choose to continue on that path. To each his / her own.

 

[Venado]

Hello.
I'm planning on returning to walk the Camino Frances in Spring of 2024 but this time would like to start from Lourdes France. Can anyone kindly tell me about the best route to take, hotels and eateries along the way and approximately how many days to reach SJPDP by walking 20K per day.
Thanks very much.
Angelo

Hi Angelo,

I walked from Lourdes to SJPdP last year in August. Others have mentioned the Gronze site, which I used. I also called into the Association des Amis du Chemin in Lourdes, and they gave me a route (in French), an accommodation list, and a credential, of course. I walked it in 8 stages. This is the way I went and the places I stayed at.

1. Lourdes to Betharram 18km. Accueil Notre Dame. Very good. Bed, dinner and breakfast.

(Lourdes to Asson is the first stage on gronze. (23.9 km). Don't think there's anywhere to stay there now. I arrived on a Monday and everything was closed- no shops open, nothing.

2. Betharram – Bruges. 14km Restaurant du commerce - The lady (Francoise), gave me a good dinner, then drove me a short distance to a gite. She was expecting 3 others, but they never showed. (15 euros for the gite- just me, the chickens and a horse. Great. This place was on the Lourdes information sheet. Don't think it was on Gronze and it isn't on it now. You could try phoning 055710146 if you wanted to check if Francoise is still operating.)

3. Bruges to Arudy 14km. Halte St Jaques. Donativo. Highly recommended. Very special.

4.Arudy to Orloran St Marie 23km. Accueil Relais du Bastet. Very clean, well-run albergue. Plenty of places to eat in town and/or shops to buy food. Can cook in a well-equipped kitchen.

5. Oloron to Hopital St Blaise 23.8km At Oloran, they will ask you if you want to book a pilgrim dinner at a restaurant in Hopital. You definitely should. The food is very good, and the refuge municipal has only a vending machine with cans of drink and snacks. There is another restaurant in town but no shops.

6. Hopital to Mauleon-Licharre 17.1km (Gronze) 14km (Amis de Chemin). A very nice little hostel. Behind the church, in the centre of town. Pick up keys at the town hall. I arrived quite late and the others were already there. Volunteers arrive at 7 pm. I paid 12 euros last year. A big town with plenty of shops, restaurants and places to stay

7. Mauleon to St Just-Ibarrre- 22 km. I stayed at Maison Aotzania. A fantastic place run by Sandra. She shares it with her husband, mother, children, dog, cats, pigs and bees.

8. St Just Ibarre to St JPdP. 23.6 km (gronze)

It’s not like the Frances. Not many people walking. Not many places to stop for a bite to eat or a drink. It was very hot last August and I ran out of water more than once. Had to knock on people’s doors for water. Often there was no one in. As it goes on, it gets more difficult with some difficult ascents and more difficult descents.

I loved it though and I'm sure you will. The people I met were mostly walking the Camino del Piedmont. Sabine and Joelle, two young women from Reunion who didn’t know each other and met by chance on the Camino. Sofi, a young Belgian woman, Lawrence, a French lady, a French couple who had a tent whose names I can't remember and later, Jan, a man from Poland, who shared his water with me as I’d run out again.

Paul

 

[Reggitano52]

Hi Angelo,

I walked from Lourdes to SJPdP last year in August. Others have mentioned the Gronze site, which I used. I also called into the Association des Amis du Chemin in Lourdes, and they gave me a route (in French), an accommodation list, and a credential, of course. I walked it in 8 stages. This is the way I went and the places I stayed at.

1. Lourdes to Betharram 18km. Accueil Notre Dame. Very good. Bed, dinner and breakfast.

(Lourdes to Asson is the first stage on gronze. (23.9 km). Don't think there's anywhere to stay there now. I arrived on a Monday and everything was closed- no shops open, nothing.

2. Betharram – Bruges. 14km Restaurant du commerce - The lady (Francoise), gave me a good dinner, then drove me a short distance to a gite. She was expecting 3 others, but they never showed. (15 euros for the gite- just me, the chickens and a horse. Great. This place was on the Lourdes information sheet. Don't think it was on Gronze and it isn't on it now. You could try phoning 055710146 if you wanted to check if Francoise is still operating.)

3. Bruges to Arudy 14km. Halte St Jaques. Donativo. Highly recommended. Very special.

4.Arudy to Orloran St Marie 23km. Accueil Relais du Bastet. Very clean, well-run albergue. Plenty of places to eat in town and/or shops to buy food. Can cook in a well-equipped kitchen.

5. Oloron to Hopital St Blaise 23.8km At Oloran, they will ask you if you want to book a pilgrim dinner at a restaurant in Hopital. You definitely should. The food is very good, and the refuge municipal has only a vending machine with cans of drink and snacks. There is another restaurant in town but no shops.

6. Hopital to Mauleon-Licharre 17.1km (Gronze) 14km (Amis de Chemin). A very nice little hostel. Behind the church, in the centre of town. Pick up keys at the town hall. I arrived quite late and the others were already there. Volunteers arrive at 7 pm. I paid 12 euros last year. A big town with plenty of shops, restaurants and places to stay

7. Mauleon to St Just-Ibarrre- 22 km. I stayed at Maison Aotzania. A fantastic place run by Sandra. She shares it with her husband, mother, children, dog, cats, pigs and bees.

8. St Just Ibarre to St JPdP. 23.6 km (gronze)

It’s not like the Frances. Not many people walking. Not many places to stop for a bite to eat or a drink. It was very hot last August and I ran out of water more than once. Had to knock on people’s doors for water. Often there was no one in. As it goes on, it gets more difficult with some difficult ascents and more difficult descents.

I loved it though and I'm sure you will. The people I met were mostly walking the Camino del Piedmont. Sabine and Joelle, two young women from Reunion who didn’t know each other and met by chance on the Camino. Sofi, a young Belgian woman, Lawrence, a French lady, a French couple who had a tent whose names I can't remember and later, Jan, a man from Poland, who shared his water with me as I’d run out again.

Paul

Hey Paul. Thanks very much for all your advice. Much appreciated! One question - are the paths marked at all or would I just be relying on maps?

 

[Former member 104756]

@Reggitano52 We didn’t use map apps. We found the waymarking pretty good (April 2022). We had a copy of the Topo Guide for thé Chemin du Piémont (you can buy a kindle version from Amazon from memory) I wasn’t a fan of the layout of the book but we didn’t need to refer to it often for navigation.

 

[Venado]

Hello again,
I agree somewhat with Pelerina that the waymarking is “pretty good“ but I still managed to go the wrong way quite frequently. I had copied and pasted the gronze directions and little stage maps and printed them off onto A4 paper. I had a page for each day- that’s all I had. I preferred that to looking at gronze on my phone.

But I still found the directions quite difficult to follow. I sometimes missed a turning or took the wrong one and didn’t realise for a while then finally did and turned back. Quite frustrating having to walk back, especially uphill.

If I was in a town I would ask for help if I needed it. Once some kind person got out of his car and told me I was heading in the wrong direction. Sofi and Lawrence asked me if I wanted to walk with them, but they were early risers and I’m not and I preferred to walk alone. On the second last day I met Jan and we walked together that day He had no guide or map or phone but a good sense of direction. On the last day I realised I was heading west, relaxed and followed the sun.

Anyway I got there in the end and It was a great little adventure. If you’re good with maps or apps or gps Angelo, maybe you should use those ?

This year I’m continuing on the Norte. I’ve walked from Irún to San Vicente de la Barcera and walked the Lebaniego detour. In August I’m walking from San Vicente to Oviedo- about 8 or 9 days walking. I’m expecting it to be a lot easier than Lourdes to SJPP-I would say that was the most challenging 8 or 9 days I’ve ever walked. But do it. It’s amazing and Lourdes is a great starting point especially if you’re in anyway christian, catholic, lapsed catholic…the grotto late a night by the gurgling river gave, very very peaceful.

buen Camino

 

[Reggitano52]

Hello again,
I agree somewhat with Pelerina that the waymarking is “pretty good“ but I still managed to go the wrong way quite frequently. I had copied and pasted the gronze directions and little stage maps and printed them off onto A4 paper. I had a page for each day- that’s all I had. I preferred that to looking at gronze on my phone.

But I still found the directions quite difficult to follow. I sometimes missed a turning or took the wrong one and didn’t realise for a while then finally did and turned back. Quite frustrating having to walk back, especially uphill.

If I was in a town I would ask for help if I needed it. Once some kind person got out of his car and told me I was heading in the wrong direction. Sofi and Lawrence asked me if I wanted to walk with them, but they were early risers and I’m not and I preferred to walk alone. On the second last day I met Jan and we walked together that day He had no guide or map or phone but a good sense of direction. On the last day I realised I was heading west, relaxed and followed the sun.

Anyway I got there in the end and It was a great little adventure. If you’re good with maps or apps or gps Angelo, maybe you should use those ?

This year I’m continuing on the Norte. I’ve walked from Irún to San Vicente de la Barcera and walked the Lebaniego detour. In August I’m walking from San Vicente to Oviedo- about 8 or 9 days walking. I’m expecting it to be a lot easier than Lourdes to SJPP-I would say that was the most challenging 8 or 9 days I’ve ever walked. But do it. It’s amazing and Lourdes is a great starting point especially if you’re in anyway christian, catholic, lapsed catholic…the grotto late a night by the gurgling river gave, very very peaceful.

buen Camino

Thanks for your suggestions. It sounds like you’re quite the traveller. Unfortunately my sense of direction is not great but I’ll figure something out.
Buen Camino and all the best.

 

[JabbaPapa]

As it goes on, it gets more difficult with some difficult ascents and more difficult descents.

See ... this, and the overall progressive move away from the rural setting and into more wilderness hiker trail and IMO pointless detours over passes and up into steep valley sides is what I find annoying, whereas the principle of a pilgrimage route in Western Europe (with some exceptions on the Le Puy Way) is to go from Parish to Parish to Parish.

The GR after about L'Hôpital-Saint-Blaise becomes a weird detour away from the natural route, and whilst I can most certainly understand a lovely detour via Mauléon-Licharre, after there I'd personally head north rather than into those mountains !!

 

[SongKhonGair]

My wife and I will walk from Toulouse to Lourdes to Oloron-Sainte-Marie on our first Camino next April. Sometime between now and reaching Oloron we shall decide whether to cross into Spain via the Somport Pass or via SJPdP and the Napolean Pass. (The Somport Pass idea was planted in my head in this forum, and it just won't leave me alone!! )

A third option mentioned recently on this / a forum was to cut across from Oloron-Sainte-Marie to Navarrenx and the Chemin du Puy by following a quiet country road from Oloron to Navarrenx. And then to follow the final stages of Le Puy into SJPdP. This is roughly the same distance as completing the Chemin du Piédmont.

One of the difficulties of the Chemin du Piédmont, as I understand it, is that you are walking across valleys rather than along the valleys. And this seems more pronounced in the final few stages, at least in those stages after Lourdes. This diversion to the Chemin du Puy seems to avoid the worst of that, with the bonus of joining a more populous route, with accompanying facilities.

 

[JabbaPapa]

One example was our last stage - from Saint-Just-Ibarre to SJPP. You can walk much of that stage on the D120 if you want to avoid the climb (it's shown on Gronze)

Yes, and that's pretty much the route I followed myself, but compared to the "natural" route it's still a bunch of artificial up and down.

Sure, arriving in Saint-Jean-le-Vieux after it is wonderful, but I cannot help but feel from last year that a longer less wilderness route via Navarrenx and Saint-Palais were more agreeable.

 

[Lucy3095]

Hello everyone I would like to walk Lourdes to St Jean Pied de Port next year, so asking those who have walked this route is the path mainly road, or tracks.
Thank you Angela