Camino del Norte Starting September 16, 2015

[EMILE M]

I will be arriving early AM in Paris (CDG) September 15, 2015, then on to Gare Montparnasse to board the train (TGV) to IRUN scheduled to arrive around 6PM same day. I plan to begin my Camino del Norte SOLO trek from IRUN on September 16th. I am posting this info randomly should someone's travel plans coincide with mine. I already walked to Camino Frances in October - November 2011, in 35 consecutive days. My return flight is scheduled from Paris to San Diego California on October 28, which gives me ample time to complete this Camino del Norte trek with a few extra days left to stroll the streets of Santiago and Paris before my return flight.- Cheers!

 

[grayland]

The Norte is a great route....you will enjoy.

 

[EMILE M]

The Norte is a great route....you will enjoy.

Thanks! Looking forward to another

The Norte is a great route....you will enjoy.

 

[EMILE M]

I am looking forward t another great experience!

 

[luckylefty]

What guide book are you using? I'm feeling a little uneasy about finding the trail. Shoot I get lost finding my car in the grocery parking lot.. lol I also am doing the Norte in September. Have not found a decent priced airfare yet tho.

 

[EMILE M]

What guide book are you using? I'm feeling a little uneasy about finding the trail. Shoot I get lost finding my car in the grocery parking lot.. lol I also am doing the Norte in September. Have not found a decent priced airfare yet tho.

Hi there, my guide book is :
The Northern Caminos
The Caminos Norte, Primitivo and Inglés
by Dave Whitson, Laura Perazzoli
Book published by Cicerone Press

I got it from a bookseller called "The Book Depository" in the UK, cost was about $18 USD, including shipping.
FYI, I booked my flight with American Airlines, round trip from San Diego to Paris set me back $1,548 total. I am leaving from San Diego on September 14 . I will take the train from Paris to Irun, spend the first 2 nights in Irun for jet lag recovery then I will hit the trail on September 17th .

 

[Old Koot]

My return flight is scheduled from Paris to San Diego California on October 28, which gives me ample time to complete this Camino del Norte trek with a few extra days left to stroll the streets of Santiago and Paris before my return flight.-

All going well, I'll be a week ahead of you, but returning about the same time as you. Have you figured out how you will get back to Paris from Santiago?

 

[EMILE M]

Depending on how much time I have left before my return flight on 10/28, I will either take the train back from Santiago to Irun then from Irun to Paris. If time is short, I will look into a cheap flight from Santiago to Paris. When I did the Camino Frances 4 years ago, we flew back from Santiago to Madrid via Ryan Air, the cost was about 160 Euros. I anticipate flying from Santiago to Paris shouldn't cost much more than that nowadays. At any rate I will NOT make return trip arrangements until I actually set foot in Santiago!

 

[mspath]

Since return into 'the real world' after walking the camino is always a shock another slower transport solution is to ride the daily RENFE train from Santiago to Irun/Hendaye connecting with a SNCF train to Paris. Booked from SdC a few days before desired departure that long train ride across Spain is truly a sentimental journey as it passes through much of the countryside recently walked on the CF.

 

[Old Koot]

.... slower transport solution is to ride the daily RENFE train from Santiago to Irun/Hendaye connecting with a SNCF train to Paris. ...

What was the trip time duration, and what time did you arrive in Paris ?

I'm trying to figure out whether it's worth it to fly back from Paris (less expensive, but with a one stop between) or to fly from Santiago to London and catch a direct flight back (almost 6 hours less time) before my local flight home.

 

[mspath]

What was the trip time duration, and what time did you arrive in Paris ?
....

The RENFE train left SdC about 10:00 arrived in Irun/Hendaye roughly 12 hours later. Caught the first possible SNCF TGV to Paris arriving roughly 24 hours after leaving SdC. Do check current schedules for your planning. Good luck!

 

[EMILE M]

Since return into 'the real world' after walking the camino is always a shock another slower transport solution is to ride the daily RENFE train from Santiago to Irun/Hendaye connecting with a SNCF train to Paris. Booked from SdC a few days before desired departure that long train ride across Spain is truly a sentimental journey as it passes through much of the countryside recently walked on the CF.

Returning from Santiago to Paris by train will be my first choice. I remember feeling a big void after completing my first Camino in 2011, hopefully a long train ride after finishing my trek will help me ease into to the stark reality of quotidian life upon my return!

 

[luckylefty]

Bought my tickets from Phoenix to Paris with return Madrid to Phoenix 966$ taking train fromParis to Irun after spending 2 days in Paris. Fast train to Hendaye. Leaving Phoenix 9/3/2015 84 days to go.......cant wait.

Thanks EMILE M I bought the Camino Norte book...........

The Northern Caminos
The Caminos Norte, Primitivo and Inglés
by Dave Whitson, Laura Perazzoli
Book published by Cicerone Press

Some of the path finding makes me a little freaked but we will see. For instance...... when it says turn left on a road then fork right. Umm.. A road ..... no name of the road LOL or turn right on a foot path. Hope there's only ONE.

 

[EMILE M]

Wow, that's a reasonably priced airfare, I paid more, however I added some extra legroom here and there, which did add up. Oh well, c'est la vie!!
You'll be 10 days ahead of me, enjoy your Camino!