Bus service Pamplona to SJPdP

[James van Hemert]

I received a prompt and friendly response from Alsa to my inquiry about when bus service would resume between Pomplona and St. Jean Pied de Port. The Google English translation I paste below. My read on this is that they may or may not resume service. They will let the world know if they do. Anyone have a more nuanced read on this? Is this how they would respond every year?

Dear Mr. Vanhemert

In response to your query reference 29472072 .
We are not currently running the Pamplona- Saint Jean Pie Port route, nor do we have information on when, if done, the service will resume. If it is finally done, which is usually the case, we will inform through the official media, web, etc ...
Before saying goodbye, we would like to thank you for taking a minute to assess the attention received by filling in the following survey

Without further, receive a best regards,

Jonathan Sobrín.​

Customer Service

 

[Excursionista]

Thanks -- good idea to share this! I didn't think to email them for confirmation, but this was why I decided to just start from Pamplona a few weeks ago rather than waste any of my precious few walking days trying to get to France.

 

[SabsP]

Thanks -- good idea to share this! I didn't think to email them for confirmation, but this was why I decided to just start from Pamplona a few weeks ago rather than waste any of my precious few walking days trying to get to France.

Very sensible idea! Saint Jean Pied de Port is " just " another starting point. Lots of other challenging climbs to tackle on the Camino Frances.

 

[isawtman]

How are you supposed to get from Pamplona to St Jean if this bus
is not going?

 

[trecile]

How are you supposed to get from Pamplona to St Jean if this bus
is not going?

Taxi

 

[Anniesantiago]

I bet they'll resume in the Spring.
In the meantime, you can share a taxi with other pilgrims.
Caminofacil is who I use for this.

 

[BROWNCOUNTYBOB]

For our four caminos, the first three we took the bus from Pamplona to St Jean. In 2015, we took an afternoon bus and arrived late afternoon. Not ideal since this limits time in St Jean for the day when we start hiking the following day. In 2017 and 2019, we took the bus from Pamplona bus station departing at 10:00 am and arriving in St Jean around 11:30. This was ideal. For our 2021 camino, I checked departure times frequently but only the 2 pm departure was available. So I bit the bullet and we took a taxi from the service Annie mentioned. It was great! The taxi picked us up right in front of our Pamplona hotel and dropped us off at Hotel Central in St Jean. It was a rainy, miserable day, but the driver was superb. With tip we paid around 105 euros. Well worth the expense.

With Cindi's stress fracture, I think her caminos will not continue. As I look ahead to 2023, I will likely hike solo and start from Pamplona.

Bob

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

How are you supposed to get from Pamplona to St Jean if this bus is not going?

Here is something I wrote a couple of years ago:

PLM Autocares has a Pamplona-Valcarlos-Arnéguy bus that runs all year with service on Tuesdays and Fridays (but not if a holiday.) The bus leaves Pamplona at 11:00 and is scheduled to arrive in Valcarlos at 12:30 and Arnéguy at 12:45.

Two things to note here:

1) Strictly speaking the service was to
Pekotxeta, a neighborhood of Valcarlos, Spain but the bus stop is just meters away from Arnéguy, France. From there have a pleasant walk in reverse on the camino or road to SJPdP.

2) PLM has since been bought by Jimenez Movilidad and the service does not appear on the Jimenez website. I suspect that this is an oversight. I've emailed them in the past about the service but never got a response. You may have better luck.

Autobús de Pamplona y Logroño a Madrid - Jiménez Movilidad

Viaja en autobús entre Pamplona - Logroño y Madrid por Burgos.

jimenezmovilidad.es

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I wrote this post in 2017 regarding our pre-booked taxi service on-line from Pamplona to SJPdP.
"My family arranged a taxi online ahead of time from Pamplona to SJpdp in April 2017 as there were no afternoon buses running yet in early spring. No one was there to pick us up, so through a series of charades and inquiries a taxi driver in a very small car offered to take us. He was very young and drove like a race car driver through the mountains like a maniac and I literally feared for my life. I even screamed out a couple of times. I was so very relieved to finally get out of that car."

 

[Kathar1na]

My read on this is that they may or may not resume service. They will let the world know if they do. Anyone have a more nuanced read on this? Is this how they would respond every year?

I read it the same way. It sounds a little odd but that may be due to the translation/using a foreign language. They publish their bus timetables for next year at some point in time, it may or may not be the same as this year's timetables and they simply don't want to commit to anything.

The Pamplona City Administration has a webpage for the bus line Pamplona-Roncesvalles-Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (see link below). Assuming that it is up to date and comprehensive, it means that there is no bus service from Pamplona to SJPdP between 1 November and 15 March.

I think this year there were fewer daily and/or weekly connections than in previous years, perhaps due to the pandemic but, in addition, the concessions for bus companies to offer their services in the region had been newly awarded this year or last year (can't remember) and nothing may be like it was in previous years.

If pilgrims want to use public transport from Pamplona to SJPdP, they may have to go via Biarritz. San Juan Pie de Puerto is the Spanish name for SJPdP.

Conexiones: Pamplona - Roncesvalles - San Juan Pie de Puerto; Pamplona - Jaca - Somport

www.pamplona.es

 

[Freetogo]

I received a prompt and friendly response from Alsa to my inquiry about when bus service would resume between Pomplona and St. Jean Pied de Port. The Google English translation I paste below. My read on this is that they may or may not resume service. They will let the world know if they do. Anyone have a more nuanced read on this? Is this how they would respond every year?

Dear Mr. Vanhemert

In response to your query reference 29472072 .
We are not currently running the Pamplona- Saint Jean Pie Port route, nor do we have information on when, if done, the service will resume. If it is finally done, which is usually the case, we will inform through the official media, web, etc ...
Before saying goodbye, we would like to thank you for taking a minute to assess the attention received by filling in the following survey

Without further, receive a best regards,

Jonathan Sobrín.​

Customer Service

If the bus is not an option, a taxi shared between 4-6 people might be a good option. In ‘14, it was less expensive and more convenient!

 

[C clearly]

How are you supposed to get from Pamplona to St Jean if this bus
is not going?

Who says you are supposed to start in SJPP? Start walking where you can, which might be Pamplona.

 

[KCP]

For our four caminos, the first three we took the bus from Pamplona to St Jean. In 2015, we took an afternoon bus and arrived late afternoon. Not ideal since this limits time in St Jean for the day when we start hiking the following day. In 2017 and 2019, we took the bus from Pamplona bus station departing at 10:00 am and arriving in St Jean around 11:30. This was ideal. For our 2021 camino, I checked departure times frequently but only the 2 pm departure was available. So I bit the bullet and we took a taxi from the service Annie mentioned. It was great! The taxi picked us up right in front of our Pamplona hotel and dropped us off at Hotel Central in St Jean. It was a rainy, miserable day, but the driver was superb. With tip we paid around 105 euros. Well worth the expense.

With Cindi's stress fracture, I think her caminos will not continue. As I look ahead to 2023, I will likely hike solo and start from Pamplona.

Bob

can you provide contact information for Caminofacil? seems like a good idea to plan to use this service, especially as there will be 4 of us.

 

[trecile]

can you provide contact information for Caminofacil? seems like a good idea to plan to use this service, especially as there will be 4 of us.

Google provides!

Easy Way – Luggage transport on the Camino de Santiago

caminofacil.net

 

[trecile]

can you provide contact information for Caminofacil? seems like a good idea to plan to use this service, especially as there will be 4 of us.

There are a number of other companies that provide this service, including Correos, the Spanish Post Office.

Rucksack transfer on the Camino de Santiago

Correos transfers your rucksack, suitcase or luggage along the Camino de Santiago stage by stage

www.elcaminoconcorreos.com

Jacotrans

Home - Jacotrans

JACOTRANS backpacks and luggage transfer on the Camino de Santiago. At JACOTRANS baggage transfer we offer the transport of pilgrim’s suitcase, backpack or any piece of luggage over the Camino de Santiago along the French Way From San Jean Pied de Port or Roncesvalles to Santiago de Compostela...

www.jacotrans.es

Pilbeo

Your luggage in the best hands

Rucksack transport and luggage transfer for pilgrims walking along Camino de Santiago: French way, Portuguese Way and Finisterre Way. Luggage transport from 6 euros per stage. 100% online. Download our apps.

www.pilbeo.com

I think that these are the main ones - there are smaller companies that provide the service regionally.

 

[crhutch]

Does anyone know if there is bus service from Pamplona to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in March (mid March specifically). Thanks!

 

[crhutch]

Apparently bus service from Pamplona to SJPP will not begin until April. I emailed ALSA about when service would begin and this is their response:

En contestación a su consulta de referencia 32361978, le indicamos que esos servicios empezaran a estar operativos a partir de abril.

In response to your reference query 32361978, we indicate that these services will begin to be operational as of April.

Doesn't help me but will others!

 

[Sara Torres]

Good afternoon members

I am planning on landing in Pamplona on 30 May and I'm hoping someone is able to advise approximate month that Alsa Bus Company releases the timetable for this coming season.

It would be great to have an idea as this part my planning is still to be booked.

Thanks

Sara

 

[LakeMcD]

On my first Camino in 2015, I stayed in a private albergue in Bizkarrete. It was run by a Hungarian couple that picked their guest's up at the Pamplona train station and the next morning they would load everyone up in their van and transport us all to SJPDP. It was a very stress free way to start a camino.

I seem to recall that they had to return to their home country for family reasons and had to give up the albergue. I don't know if they were ever able to reopen the business.

 

[trecile]

On my first Camino in 2015, I stayed in a private albergue in Bizkarrete. It was run by a Hungarian couple that picked their guest's up at the Pamplona train station and the next morning they would load everyone up in their van and transport us all to SJPDP. It was a very stress free way to start a camino.

I stayed with Istvan and Barbara at Corazón Puro in 2016. It was the perfect introduction to my first Camino.

 

[Timwalks]

I wrote ALSA asking when bus service between Pamplona and St. Jean Pied de Port might begin and if they knew what the schedule would be. I received this reply today:
"In response to your query, you can check later as the route starts from 04/01."