Bilbao - SJPP, is it possible to reach SJPP before 7.30 pm?

[Hali]

Well, the camino has already started to make my decisions for me, or maybe I should hold Brierlys camino guide responsible, it arrived today and I have been reading for hours. The comments I've received about letting the camino take us where it wants to, also had a lot to do with our change of plans.
Instead of driving from Sweden (takes two long days, one way) to SJPP we will now fly to Bilbao.

That gives us some extra walking days, maybe we'll want to take the bus some portion of the way and get to Santiago to see the Botafumeiro (which the vicar in the parish where I work describes very vividly), and then catch a bus back to Bilbao.

We will arrive in Bilbao July 7th, 10.30 am. We have booked beds at l'Esprit du Chemin that day and need to arrive before dinner which is 7.30 pm.
Has anybody taken the Express Burricot to SJPP in the afternoon from Pamplona, how long does it take? Maybe somebody knows how long it will take us also from Bilbao to Pamplona?

 

[Nicki2009]

Hello Hali,
I hope someone with more knowledge than me answers you, but in the meantime you could refer to the info & links I found when I needed to figure out how to get from Bilbao to SJPP. It is in the separate thread called "Bilbao to SJPP". I didn't know of the express option you mentioned, but I posted to links to other train & bus schedules; the shortest routing I found was 6 hours when I looked at.

Good luck!
Nicki

 

[Hali]

You can get the 6pm bus to Roncesvalles and then get a taxi to St Jean - they wait at the bus stop in Roncesvalles.
Or, you can email Caroline Aphessetche at apcaroline@hotmail.com to aqrrange a lift from Pamplona to St Jean. She runs her the Express Burricot (little donkey) taxis to take peregrinos over the mountain every day at about 11am and then 4pm with pilgrims sharing the taxi cost. It could be as low as 9 euro if there are enough of you - or 30 euro if only one or two.

Hello Nicki!
THank you, I will check out your thread right away! I found the above quote from "sillydoll" in another thread, seems like the easiest way to get from Pamplona to St Jean.
I read somewhere before deciding on Bilbao that you should be able to take the airport shuttle and then a bus from Bilbao bus centre to Pamplona which takes approximately 2 hours. Now I just have to find that thread again! :shock:
If I find it I will let you know, maybe it can be of some use to you as well?

Good luck to you too! :arrow:

 

[sillydoll]

You can easily get to St Jean on the same day.
The bus from Bilbao to Biarritz/Bayonne goes twice a day (at 7.30 and at 1300 hours). The company is named PESA http://www.pesa.net.

BILBAO 07:30 BAIONA-BAYONA-BAYONNE 10:30
BILBAO 13:00 BAIONA-BAYONA-BAYONNE 16:00

Then from Bayonne to St jean either by bus or train.

There is a train that goes from Santiago to Bilbao as well.

 

[philippe33]

do not forget, july the 7th it's SAN FIRMIN in Pamplona, the busyest day/week of the year.
bus to Bayonne should be better, the train to SJPP leaves Bayonne at 17h20.
buen camino
philippe

 

[Hali]

do not forget, july the 7th it's SAN FIRMIN in Pamplona, the busyest day/week of the year.
bus to Bayonne should be better, the train to SJPP leaves Bayonne at 17h20.
buen camino
philippe

A huge THANK YOU to Sil and Philippe, now I have the entire trip planned! You're right, Philippe, going via Bayonne to avoid the crowds in Pamplona is probably the easiest way. You don't happen to know how long the train to SJPP takes? I've booked beds including dinner at l'Esprit du chemin and promised to let them know if we won't be there in time.

 

[sillydoll]

I think its about an hour and a half of beautiful countryside! You should make dinner.

 

[Hali]

I think its about an hour and a half of beautiful countryside! You should make dinner.

Fantastic, you guys have made this so easy for us, now I can just relax and enjoy the Brierly guide knowing that our trip is planned perfectly from door-to-door!

 

[philippe33]

hello hali
the train from Bayonne arrives to SJPP at 18H34 cost 8€40, then from the train station to l'esprit du chemin 10/15 minutes.
this week I'll be at the pilgim office in SJPP
BUEN CAMINO
philippe

 

[Hali]

hello hali
the train from Bayonne arrives to SJPP at 18H34 cost 8€40, then from the train station to l'esprit du chemin 10/15 minutes.
this week I'll be at the pilgim office in SJPP
BUEN CAMINO
philippe

Merci beaucoup , Philippe, now I even have the price and exact times! Hope to see you in SJPP when we come to pick up our credentials!

À bientôt!

 

[cumbriahiker]

I think its about an hour and a half of beautiful countryside! You should make dinner.

Fantastic, you guys have made this so easy for us, now I can just relax and enjoy the Brierly guide knowing that our trip is planned perfectly from door-to-door!

We took a bus outside Biarritz, and then a bus to SJPP, and were there a little late but Esprit du chemin waited dinner for that evening, they were wonderful!

 

[methodist.pilgrim.98]

I have made ther annoying discovery that the Bilbao to Bayonne bus does not run on a Sunday. :evil:

A pity because that's the only day I can fly in and it messes up my travel plans.

Am now going to look for a Bilbao to Pamplona bus.

Mind you, I am serously thinking that if I can get to Logrono I might just walk backwards to SJPP.

 

[methodist.pilgrim.98]

OK discovered that La Union run several buses a day from Bilbao to Pamplona even on a Sunday.

If my flight is on time then I ought to be able to catch the 11.45 bus, otherwise it is a long wait until 16.00.

2 hour journey which seems to me to be very acceptable.

Once I get to Pamplona will decide what to do next.