Bilbao to SJPP

[methodist.pilgrim.98]

An Aussie friend wants to get from Bilbao to SJPP in early March 2012.

Getting to Bilbao from the north west of the UK is the easiest option as cheap flights to places such as Bordeux are not resuming until late March 2012.

I had a look at flights to Pamplona from the UK but the cost was astronomical. Even if he flew to Barcelona on a UK cheap ticket, the cost of the flight from there to Pamplona was 171€. Just One Way. (The number of people going through Pamplona in 2010 was 13.1% down over the previous year. I wonder why?)

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Renfe say that there is no direct train line between Bilboa or Barcelona to P. Their website will not even show the connections because there are more than 2 of them.

I was hoping to go with my friend, but at the moment my health is such that my travel insurance would be astronomical. (I did check). I have started part-time work but I am not sure I can save enough for the insurance and the trip by then! :cry:

I look forward to hearing from you as there is so much knowledge out there that it is inconceivable that someone hasn't worked it out by now.

ps. We know about the Camino Norte. He wants to walk SJPP to Logrono to meet up with the place where he previously started his Camino.

 

[sillydoll]

Bilbao to St Jean:
The bus from Bilbao to Bayonne goes twice a day (at 7.30 and at 1300 hours). The company is named PESA http://www.pesa.net.
ALSA buses to Irun leave Bilbao many, many times a day. Then he can travel from IRUN to BAYONNE by bus/train and from BAYONNE to SJPP by train or bus.

 

[methodist.pilgrim.98]

silly.

is is very late in the Uk and I must head for bed, but thank you.

I've done the Bayonne to SJPP by train twice now and I knew that you can get from Irun to Bayonne. I didn't know about that bus link.

problem solved and I guess it will be saying get on the Internet and get the flight booked while they are very cheap!

phili

 

[jl]

Coming from Australia it is by far the easiest to fly into CDG in Paris and head out by TGV from there. Note I have said easiest - i don't know about cheapest. Cheers, Janet

 

[methodist.pilgrim.98]

Whoops, thank you Janet but my friend is in England attending a family birthday and then going from here to Spain.

I've sorted the journey out thanks to Sil and the University of Navarette website which gave me the link for the bus company who run a direct service from Logrono to Bilbao.

Isn't the Internet both weird and wonderful?

 

[bryans]

Have you got these links or web addresses ?
We are looking at flying to Biarritz or Bilbao. Which is easier to get to SJDP?
We hope to walk to Logrono or Sant De M.
Flying to and from Ireland.

 

[sillydoll]

Fly to Biarritz. The trains or buses to St Jean leave from there.

 

[bryans]

Could i get the links for Logrono to Bilbao?

 

[sillydoll]

La Union Alvesa

http://www.autobuseslaunion.com/caste/itinerario.asp

 

[bryans]

Thanks.
We have two options-- 1. To fly from Dublin to Bilbao and make our way to SJDP.
2. To fly from Ireland to London and then on to Biarritz and then to SJDP.
Any advice?

As we intend to walk as far as Logrono ( at least ) the idea would be to bus it to Bilbao and fly back to Dublin rather than go back to Biarritz.
Again any advice ?

 

[sillydoll]

I think I would fly to Bilbao and get an ALSA bus to Irun and then to Bayonne and finally to St Jean. Its not as complicated a it sounds. For me, it would be better to get the bus from Logroño to Bilbao after having walked 8 or 9 days.

The only reservations I would have is starting out too early in March. Spring comes late in the Pyrenees and you could encounter snow, blizzards, closed albergues (eg: Espirt du Chemin opens 1st Apri) and closed paths.

 

[tyrrek]

Hi Bryans

The current Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Bilbao arrives about 4pm so you might struggle to get to SJPP on the same day. I think it's seasonal and runs 3 days a week, so it also depends on when you're going and how flexible you can be.

I'm sure there used to be a Ryanair flight from Dublin to Biarritz, but that seems to have gone for the moment unfortunately.

Flying via Stansted to Biarritz with Ryanair would probably involve a bit of hanging around in the airport and at Bayonne station, but at least you'd get there in one day if that's important to you.

Prices, of course, vary depending on the day of the week and how early you can book.

Keith