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Connecting Le Puy and Arles routes

Karl G

Member
Time of past OR future Camino
August and September 2019 - Arles
Does anyone have experience or knowledge of a trail that connects the Le Puy with the Arles route? It looks like there should be a way to do this near Pau or Oloron-Sainte-Marie.

I would like to walk the Le Puy - hopefully next Fall - but I really like the last bit of the Arles and I’m wondering if I can get the best of both worlds.

Thanks in advance!
 
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Navarrenx to Oloron is probably the shortest connection. The D2 southeast from Navarrenx, then the D27 to Prechacq-Josbaig where you pick up the GR78 to Oloron. It's just over 20k.
 
Glenshiro said:
Navarrenx to Oloron is probably the shortest connection. The D2 southeast from Navarrenx, then the D27 to Prechacq-Josbaig where you pick up the GR78 to Oloron. It's just over 20k.
Click to expand...
Thanks - I’m hoping to avoid the roads - is there a walking trail connecting the routes?
 
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There isn't an off-road one - even the GR78 uses backroads. But you'll find that the Puy route also uses a lot of D roads, which are usually very quiet and almost traffic-free. (Watch out for La Poste van, though!)

This website is the official French Institut national de l’information géographique et forestière map, essential for planning.
 
Thanks but unfortunately the link requires the app or a registration.

However, after researching the advice from @Glenshiro I came across this handy site (see below) and, after zooming in near Proschacq Jobaig, saw that a slight refinement would be useful. The D27 and D29 intersect nearby and taking the D29 at that point leads across the river to the very close by GR 78.

Thanks all!

 
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The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Karl G said:
Thanks but unfortunately the link requires the app or a registration.
Click to expand...
It was just to show you the map, which doesn’t require an app or registration. Anyway, glad you have a solution.
 
I've walked the Le Puy and quite a bit of the Arles - and I think you just have to do both! I can't quite see how you could cross from one to the other without leaving out bits.
 
Kanga said:
I've walked the Le Puy and quite a bit of the Arles - and I think you just have to do both! I can't quite see how you could cross from one to the other without leaving out bits.
Click to expand...
I did the first part of the Arles - Arles to Toulouse - and the last few segments - Oloron-Sainte-Marie to Somport - so I’ve covered most of it. Maybe someday I’ll do the rest but for now I’m leaning to doing most of the Le Puy and then repeating my favorite part of the Arles.

Time and body willing I’ll fill in the rest of both but revisiting the Valle d’Aspe before doing that is kind of like eating dessert first.
 
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Karl G said:
Time and body willing I’ll fill in the rest of both but revisiting the Valle d’Aspe before doing that is kind of like eating dessert first.
Click to expand...

It is the bit we missed, we ran out of time once we got to OSM - so looking forward to this one day!
 
About 20km after Conques, on the Le Puy route there is a (poorly) marked path veering south which I was told (when I accidentally walked 3km along it) eventually links to the Via Tolosana.
All I really know is that it resulted in a long, sun exposed detour along a paved road, to refind the GR65/Puy route.
 
Hello. I connected by taking a bus to close to Pau. Then went on via the Somport route to Jaca and on
 
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There are three "reasonable" options, plus a host of DIY ones.

The already discussed Navarrenx to Oloron is a good one.

There is a waymarked route towards Toulouse starting from the Le Puy route, commencing just before it reaches Laubarède, after Noaillac.

Otherwise, apart from DIY, the only "sensible" third option would be Le Puy > Langogne > Villefort > Alès > Nîmes > Saint-Gilles > Arles Way. But this would basically mean no Le Puy route at all.

There's a semi DIY southwards from the environs of Decazeville, or better IMO Figeac, > Villefranche de Rouergue > Gaillac > Toulouse that seems to be somewhat attractive.
 
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Here is the map, in which you can see where the two come close to each other.
 

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I’d say that your best bet is out of Navarrenx where you can connect with the GR78 at Préchacq-Josbaig [7.0km to the east of Navarrenx] but beyond Oloron-Sainte-Marie ... OR out of Arthez-de-Béarn to Pau [not sure that there is a GR or a GRP walking path] by commuter bus or taxi and pick up the GR78 / GR653 / GRE3 from there ...
 
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Thanks - I've also since found a route from Lectoure to Auch along the Tour de Gascogne. It would be a long day - 35km - but would be a good option if seeing more of the Arles is the decision. It is nice hiking from Auch to Oloron Ste Marie.
 
If your path from Lectoure takes you past Gite la Croisée de St. Cricq (just before Auch on the Arles Way) - it was a wonderful stop for us in 2016, warmly welcomed by Christine and Marco.

Likewise, some lovely towns and villages after Auch, including Marciac (we lived for a time nearby).

On thé Le Puy And Arles Ways, no bad choices!
 
Karl G said:
Thanks - I've also since found a route from Lectoure to Auch along the Tour de Gascogne. It would be a long day - 35km - but would be a good option if seeing more of the Arles is the decision. It is nice hiking from Auch to Oloron Ste Marie.
Click to expand...
 
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That’s great to know - and what an experience it must have been to live in small town France!
 
Karl G said:
Thanks - I've also since found a route from Lectoure to Auch along the Tour de Gascogne. It would be a long day - 35km - but would be a good option if seeing more of the Arles is the decision. It is nice hiking from Auch to Oloron Ste Marie.
Click to expand...
....or GR46 to toulouse..... crossing GR65 near Varaire ( or at Rocamadour...or Saint Cirq Lapopie )
 
Rocamadour would be a detour in the "wrong" direction.

But there are a couple of possibilities from Moissac -- the canal cycling route, which would be waymarked, or some parallel DIY, or some combination of the two between that waymarked path and options geared more towards lodging and pilgrimage.

Or at Decazeville, you can choose between a number of local routes eventually making it to the Sentier leading from there to Villefranche de Rouergue, and from there a GR36 via Gaillac to Toulouse.
 
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The Chemin de Saint-Guilhem is a French GR hiking trail that starts in Aumont-Aubrac, follows the Le Puy route for about two days (till Aubrac village or Saint Chely) and then takes a southern direction along the Gorges du Tarn and over the Cevennes mountains, ending at the beautiful city of Saint-Guilhem, on the Chemin d'Arles. It is a very beautiful trail. https://www.chemin-st-guilhem.fr/accueil/
 
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Hello @Karl G
this summer past I walked a trail between Auch on the Voie d'Arles and Condom.
Hello @Karl G
It is possible to walk between Condom and Auch on the Voie d'Arles.
1 Condom to Abbaye de Flaran near Valence-sur-Baise: follow the river path

LE SENTIER DE LA BAÏSE DE CONDOM À VALENCE-SUR-BAÏSE Itinéraires touristiques à Condom - Tourisme Gers

Itinéraires touristiques
www.tourisme-gers.com

2 Valence-sur-Baise to Auch, one follows the GRP de Pays Coeur de Gascogne. The tourist office in Condom has a brochure for the GRP. A Google search may find a pdf map.

In Auch there is a gite de pelerins very close to the cathedral where one can ask for details at the pilgrim help desk.

I followed this route in reverse this summer past.

Cheers, Lovingkindness.
 
Ps here is the link to the GRP de Pays Coeur de Gascogne: https://www.auch-tourisme.com/sortir/activites/circuits-et-randonnees/gr-de-pays-coeur-de-gascogne/
 
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