Cycling from Pamplona to St Jean Pied de Port?

[rachcarter]

Hi

I'm flying into Pamplona on July 4 and was trying to book the bus with my bike to SJPP - but then started thinking that I might try cycling there instead. Please, if you have cycled in this direction could you give me some information about whether it's doable in one day and how many kms are uphill and how many hours it could take going very slowly uphill.

I don't know how to put my bike together so will need to ask a bike shop to do this for me so does anyone know of a bike shop in Pamplona and their contact details? I would hope to get them to put my bike together in the morning (or evening of the 4th) and then start cycling as I have a reservation at SJPP on the evening of the 5th July.

Is it difficult to get transport from the airport to Pamplona. I don't have any accommodation booked as was hoping to stay at the alberge. Has anyone got the name or contact details of a private alberg so I can make a reservation so I don't have to worry about whether I get into the albert that you can't book at?

Kind regards,
Rachael

 

[duncan pm]

I assume you are aware that 7 July sees the first running of the bulls - San Fermin - in Pamplona. In the five years I went for the week it was park or city walls under the stars at night as there was nowhere else available that was habitable. Many people flock early for the chupinazo and it coincides with a weekend so be prepared for extraordinary crowds.
I do not know about bike shops.
Are you shipping your bike in a box? If you are just turning the handlebars and flattening tyres then it is very straightforward.
Let us know how your plans go - it sounds like information others would gain from as well.

 

[rachcarter]

Hi Duncan

You asked me to let you know how my plans went for my cycling camino - and I'm happy to tell you that is was great. I flew into Pamplona and put my bike together at the airport. I'm really happy I did this as it was only a 6km bike ride to town. I had booked a cheap hotel to stay at the first night as I was unsure if the albergue would be full or not and didn't want to risk it when I was arriving at 6pm. It turns out it wasn't full as I walked there later that evening to buy my Camino passport. The next morning I took my bike to the bike shop called Tienda Mundoraintxe on Nueva Street. The man's name there is Eneko Astigarraga. He was great and confirmed for me that I'd put my bike together ok. These are the details of the bike shop if anyone is interested:
mundoraintxe@mundoraintxe.com
http://www.mundoraintxe.com
Nueva 123 - 31001 Pamplona
Teléfono: +34 948 213033

I looked around the city and then took two easy days to bike to St Jean Pied de Port on the road. In St Jean Pied de Port I again visited a bike shop (It's situated in a sports shop called Maya Sport on 18 Av du Jai Alai, ph 0559371598 email maya.loisirs@wanadoo.fr) where Jean adjusted my gears for me.

I then started off on my cycling trip from SJPP to Santiago. I did not want to cycle on the road I'd already been on from Pamplona so cycled on the walkers path to Roncesvalles and I'm so pleased I did. The views were spectacular and it didn't matter that I had to get off and push my bike at times. I only cycled between 30km and 70km a day on the Camino as I liked to relax in the afternoons. I left my bike in Santiago to walk the last 90km to Finisterre and then took the bus back to Santiago.

I had difficulty buying a guide book in English for the Camino del Norte but I was able to buy Michellan maps which were great. I then I biked from Santiago along the coast to France. This route I did completely on road as I couldn't find the camino path going backwards. I stayed in albergues most nights on the Camino del Norte although on a couple of nights they were full so I stayed in cheap pensions/hostals. Incidentally I never had problems finding accommodation in albergues in July on the Camino Frances. After finishing the Camino del Norte I then decided to extend my trip and biked on the French side to SJPP to stay in the albergue in which I'd started off my Camino (L'Esprit du Chemin). I then kept cycling on the Pyreneese to see the scenery on some of the Cols and finally had to bike to Toulouse to fly back to Timor.

I had two punctures during my trip - one on the first day going to Roncesvalles and the next leaving Pamplona a few days later. For the next few weeks I didn't have any mechanical problems which was lucky as I'd never changed a tube before this trip nor had I ever put my bike together.

I really appreciated all the help and support I received from this forum from people who had done the camino before - so thanks for this.

Cheers,
Rachael

 

[LVDWD]

Hi Duncan

You asked me to let you know how my plans went for my cycling camino - and I'm happy to tell you that is was great. I flew into Pamplona and put my bike together at the airport. I'm really happy I did this as it was only a 6km bike ride to town. I had booked a cheap hotel to stay at the first night as I was unsure if the albergue would be full or not and didn't want to risk it when I was arriving at 6pm. It turns out it wasn't full as I walked there later that evening to buy my Camino passport. The next morning I took my bike to the bike shop called Tienda Mundoraintxe on Nueva Street. The man's name there is Eneko Astigarraga. He was great and confirmed for me that I'd put my bike together ok. These are the details of the bike shop if anyone is interested:
mundoraintxe@mundoraintxe.com
http://www.mundoraintxe.com
Nueva 123 - 31001 Pamplona
Teléfono: +34 948 213033

I looked around the city and then took two easy days to bike to St Jean Pied de Port on the road. In St Jean Pied de Port I again visited a bike shop (It's situated in a sports shop called Maya Sport on 18 Av du Jai Alai, ph 0559371598 email maya.loisirs@wanadoo.fr) where Jean adjusted my gears for me.

I then started off on my cycling trip from SJPP to Santiago. I did not want to cycle on the road I'd already been on from Pamplona so cycled on the walkers path to Roncesvalles and I'm so pleased I did. The views were spectacular and it didn't matter that I had to get off and push my bike at times. I only cycled between 30km and 70km a day on the Camino as I liked to relax in the afternoons. I left my bike in Santiago to walk the last 90km to Finisterre and then took the bus back to Santiago.

I had difficulty buying a guide book in English for the Camino del Norte but I was able to buy Michellan maps which were great. I then I biked from Santiago along the coast to France. This route I did completely on road as I couldn't find the camino path going backwards. I stayed in albergues most nights on the Camino del Norte although on a couple of nights they were full so I stayed in cheap pensions/hostals. Incidentally I never had problems finding accommodation in albergues in July on the Camino Frances. After finishing the Camino del Norte I then decided to extend my trip and biked on the French side to SJPP to stay in the albergue in which I'd started off my Camino (L'Esprit du Chemin). I then kept cycling on the Pyreneese to see the scenery on some of the Cols and finally had to bike to Toulouse to fly back to Timor.

I had two punctures during my trip - one on the first day going to Roncesvalles and the next leaving Pamplona a few days later. For the next few weeks I didn't have any mechanical problems which was lucky as I'd never changed a tube before this trip nor had I ever put my bike together.

I really appreciated all the help and support I received from this forum from people who had done the camino before - so thanks for this.

Cheers,
Rachael

Did you ever end up biking from Bayonne to SJPP

 

[john sommo]

Hi Duncan

You asked me to let you know how my plans went for my cycling camino - and I'm happy to tell you that is was great. I flew into Pamplona and put my bike together at the airport. I'm really happy I did this as it was only a 6km bike ride to town. I had booked a cheap hotel to stay at the first night as I was unsure if the albergue would be full or not and didn't want to risk it when I was arriving at 6pm. It turns out it wasn't full as I walked there later that evening to buy my Camino passport. The next morning I took my bike to the bike shop called Tienda Mundoraintxe on Nueva Street. The man's name there is Eneko Astigarraga. He was great and confirmed for me that I'd put my bike together ok. These are the details of the bike shop if anyone is interested:
mundoraintxe@mundoraintxe.com
http://www.mundoraintxe.com
Nueva 123 - 31001 Pamplona
Teléfono: +34 948 213033

I looked around the city and then took two easy days to bike to St Jean Pied de Port on the road. In St Jean Pied de Port I again visited a bike shop (It's situated in a sports shop called Maya Sport on 18 Av du Jai Alai, ph 0559371598 email maya.loisirs@wanadoo.fr) where Jean adjusted my gears for me.

I then started off on my cycling trip from SJPP to Santiago. I did not want to cycle on the road I'd already been on from Pamplona so cycled on the walkers path to Roncesvalles and I'm so pleased I did. The views were spectacular and it didn't matter that I had to get off and push my bike at times. I only cycled between 30km and 70km a day on the Camino as I liked to relax in the afternoons. I left my bike in Santiago to walk the last 90km to Finisterre and then took the bus back to Santiago.

I had difficulty buying a guide book in English for the Camino del Norte but I was able to buy Michellan maps which were great. I then I biked from Santiago along the coast to France. This route I did completely on road as I couldn't find the camino path going backwards. I stayed in albergues most nights on the Camino del Norte although on a couple of nights they were full so I stayed in cheap pensions/hostals. Incidentally I never had problems finding accommodation in albergues in July on the Camino Frances. After finishing the Camino del Norte I then decided to extend my trip and biked on the French side to SJPP to stay in the albergue in which I'd started off my Camino (L'Esprit du Chemin). I then kept cycling on the Pyreneese to see the scenery on some of the Cols and finally had to bike to Toulouse to fly back to Timor.

I had two punctures during my trip - one on the first day going to Roncesvalles and the next leaving Pamplona a few days later. For the next few weeks I didn't have any mechanical problems which was lucky as I'd never changed a tube before this trip nor had I ever put my bike together.

I really appreciated all the help and support I received from this forum from people who had done the camino before - so thanks for this.

Cheers,
Rachael

Wow thanks for your great advice. I see this is from awhile ago. Did you need to have a booklet stamped on the Camino Norte in order to stay at the albergues in the reverse direction. This is just what I would like to do but was not sure if the albergues would allow me if i was not headed to Santiago.