Connection from Paris

[sharondb]

Hi, I'm hoping someone can help me with this question. I have been looking at the timetables for the train from paris. One train from Paris arrives at Bayonne at 3.06pm and a train from Bayonne to St Jean Pied de Port leaves at 3.09pm. Does the second train wait for the first train to arrive or do I need to leave an hour or so between trains.

thanks
Sharon
Melbourne

 

[goonerpilgrim]

Hi, I'm hoping someone can help me with this question. I have been looking at the timetables for the train from paris. One train from Paris arrives at Bayonne at 3.06pm and a train from Bayonne to St Jean Pied de Port leaves at 3.09pm. Does the second train wait for the first train to arrive or do I need to leave an hour or so between trains.

thanks
Sharon
Melbourne

Sharon,

I don't know the answer to your question and you don't mention when you'll be arriving in SJPdP, but I want to make you aware that train services between Bayonne and SJPdP are cancelled until the 30th of June 2010 for track repairs. A bus service will fill the itinerary instead and it will use a similar schedule as the train service itself. Here's the timetable for the bus service (hopefully your French is good 8) )

http://www.americanpilgrims.com/camino/news/documents/SNCF_Bayonne-SJPP.pdf

¡Buen Camino! :arrow:

 

[KiwiNomad06]

I can't be sure about this particular connection, but in my general experience of SNCF train-bus connections in France, the local bus never leaves before the train arrives- it always waits.... Most of the passengers for the bus are likely to be coming off the train.
Margaret

 

[sharondb]

Thanks Margaret, that's what I thought but better to check. I knew someone would know.

Sharon

 

[dancuk]

Hello Sharon,

Have you thought about catching an easy jet flight from Paris to Biarritz quicker and maybe cheaper than a bus, then catching the train from Biarritz?

 

[sharondb]

I had thought about flying from paris but I like the idea of train travel of about 6 hours and free time to get my body and mind ready for my walk. I am also staying at a hotel in paris that is next to the Montparnesse station, where I catch the train so it's very convenient for me to go by train.

 

[mrbillyto]

Hi Sharon,
I was my experience that the train from Bayonne to SJPdP does wait on the one from Paris. I made the same connection last September and our train from Paris was late arriving. We were a bit paniced but the train was there waiting and waited until all of the passengers were off the Paris train. Some of the folks coming from other points weren't that amused but I was grateful!
While the bus ride is probably beautiful too, it would be a shame not to be able to have that train experience going up to SJPdP. It was stunningly beautiful...a perfect beginning of what was to come.
Enjoy whichever mode you end up taking!
Bill

 

[Lemonkid]

I'd appreciate any Paris connection tips as well, as that's how I'll be coming in.

 

[renegadepilgrim]

It looks like I am going to go ahead and take the train to Bayonne as well. Then bus it to SJPdP. If the connection is too tight, then maybe I will spend a night in Bayonne. I'm going mid-April, probably around the 12th-16th. Planning to fly into Paris on the 13th (leaving PDX on the 12th), spending a day or two there, then heading to Bayonne by train and on to SJPdP by bus. Any thoughts?

 

[KiwiNomad06]

If you stay a day or two in Paris there is lots to see of course, but there are a few "St Jacques" places there to start you off if you want. Eg there is the newly restored Tower of St Jacques not far from Notre Dame, then if you follow the streets up past the Sorbonne, you find various St Jacques-related street names. Let me know if you would like a little more info.
Margaret

 

[renegadepilgrim]

Thanks for the information on Paris. I forgot to mention, I've been to Paris before. Oops! I am planning to stay in Paris a couple of days to adjust to the jetlag. I've also got a couchsurfing connection there, so staying for a day or two will be free.

I'm more interested in people's thoughts on staying a night in Bayonne. Should I plan to do that or just cross my fingers that the train is running on time and the bus to SJPdP will wait for us?

 

[treyg]

One of these days I may have to trade in my ecclesiastical Latin for French - in the mean time- I have two questions regarding the SNCF Bayonne-SJPP timetable

1) Does it list fares and I'm just blind or does anyone know?
2)Is that 15.09 bus daily?

Blessings

Trey+

 

[KiwiNomad06]

1) Does it list fares and I'm just blind or does anyone know?
2)Is that 15.09 bus daily?

1) It doesn't list fares: someone has extracted the timetable from the website. I did a search on the sncf site itself, and it came up with a fare of 8E 60 for a 'normal' fare.
2) The 15.09 bus does run daily- it runs 'every day and holidays' = 'Tous les jours et fêtes'
Margaret