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Search 69,459 Camino Questions

Do I need a day in SJPP?

Anna Young

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
I will be walking the Camino Frances for the first time this July!
Hi All,

So just planning out my trip and wondering about my start day...

I live in Kathmandu in Nepal so will be flying from here on the 30th June - arriving in Paris on morning of the 1st. My plan is to then fly straight down to Biarritz in the afternoon - then bus/taxi to the train station in Bayonne then arriving in SJPP at around 7:30pm.

My original plan was to start walking the following day on the 2nd July. Does this sound too much - do you think I would benefit from a day in SJPP and start on the 3rd.

After writing my journey down I am thinking that might be wise as I will be tired from the journey and jet-lagged. Think my only reservation is I only have 33 days of walking and worried about losing a day a the start.

Any thoughts anyone?

Thanks in advance!

Anna
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
It sounds to me as though you have the answer in hand already. After crossing so many time zones, the day out of SJPP can be a real challenge. Unless you were planning to spend the next night in Orisson, my recommendation would be to take a day to collect yourself in SJPP.
 
Yeah spending a day in SJPdP with 33 days kinda tight, but it all depends on how far you plan on walking everyday. If you are up to it, go to bed early that night, start walking around 7:00 am and go all the way to Roncesvalles.
That walk up to Orisson is only about 10K, so that would be a day lost just the same as spending the whole day in SJPdP and walking all the way to Roncesvalles the following day.
ultreia
 
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The Camino is all about flexibility. The morning you get up, see how you feel. Maybe you'll be excited to walk, maybe not. Orisson is nice compromise (Mark is right, it will cost you the same day, but it will make the walk over the hump much easier). Let the spirit of the Camino guide you.

Buen Camino,
Jo Jo (note: we walked on almost that exact same schedule in 2014).
 
Hi All,

So just planning out my trip and wondering about my start day...

I live in Kathmandu in Nepal so will be flying from here on the 30th June - arriving in Paris on morning of the 1st. My plan is to then fly straight down to Biarritz in the afternoon - then bus/taxi to the train station in Bayonne then arriving in SJPP at around 7:30pm.

My original plan was to start walking the following day on the 2nd July. Does this sound too much - do you think I would benefit from a day in SJPP and start on the 3rd.

After writing my journey down I am thinking that might be wise as I will be tired from the journey and jet-lagged. Think my only reservation is I only have 33 days of walking and worried about losing a day a the start.

Any thoughts anyone?

Thanks in advance!

Anna

Take the bus from Biarritz Airport to Irun and spend the night there. Start walking the Camino Pais Vasco. It joins Camino Frances at Santo Domingo de Calzeda. It cuts a few days off the journey ... so you don't have to feel bad about taking a needed no-day.
 
Its a 13 hour flight from Nepal to Paris and then on to Biarritz, I would take a day there to get situated and then move on to SJPP next day after resting and enjoy your day there, and then off to Roncesvalle the next day.
 
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Hi All,

So just planning out my trip and wondering about my start day...

I live in Kathmandu in Nepal so will be flying from here on the 30th June - arriving in Paris on morning of the 1st. My plan is to then fly straight down to Biarritz in the afternoon - then bus/taxi to the train station in Bayonne then arriving in SJPP at around 7:30pm.

My original plan was to start walking the following day on the 2nd July. Does this sound too much - do you think I would benefit from a day in SJPP and start on the 3rd.

After writing my journey down I am thinking that might be wise as I will be tired from the journey and jet-lagged. Think my only reservation is I only have 33 days of walking and worried about losing a day a the start.

Any thoughts anyone?

Thanks in advance!

Anna
We arrived in SJPP in the late morning, had a picnic lunch and then hiked up to Orrison. We walked the next day to Roncevalles. So, we had two really light walking days. (We usually walked 25-30km/day.) But we were jet lagged and glad to have a couple of easy days and still feel that we were starting out. -- I will add that I was very glad to reach Orrison; the jet-lagged hike up there was a hard haul for me.
 
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Hi All,

So just planning out my trip and wondering about my start day...

I live in Kathmandu in Nepal so will be flying from here on the 30th June - arriving in Paris on morning of the 1st. My plan is to then fly straight down to Biarritz in the afternoon - then bus/taxi to the train station in Bayonne then arriving in SJPP at around 7:30pm.

My original plan was to start walking the following day on the 2nd July. Does this sound too much - do you think I would benefit from a day in SJPP and start on the 3rd.

After writing my journey down I am thinking that might be wise as I will be tired from the journey and jet-lagged. Think my only reservation is I only have 33 days of walking and worried about losing a day a the start.

Any thoughts anyone?

Thanks in advance!

Anna
No advice, but I wish I had your cardio from living in Nepal...lol Living in Florida we are geared to walk on sea bottoms...lol
 
Personally, I would spend the day in Paris get a little adjusted then move on. Your body will tell you what's best for you at the time. As noted above, your cardio must be great living at those heights, so if you feel good, walk on! It's your time
Buen Camino-Micah
 
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I would not have been able to spend a day in SJPdP. The town is picturesque and small and my feet were anxious to start walking!

Buen camino!
 
I would not have been able to spend a day in SJPdP. The town is picturesque and small and my feet were anxious to start walking!

Buen camino!

I'm with you Mike. If having a rest day after long flights, do it before you get to St Jean.

There is no way I could stay in St Jean watching everyone else head up the hill :(

And apart from that, you will likely meet some great people over dinner or wherever you are staying and want to walk with them the next morning ........ still jet lagged.....

I would take a night in Paris (I did that flying from Australia) and enjoy some great food, then head down to St Jean the next day a bit more refreshed.
 
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Hi All,
I live in Kathmandu in Nepal so will be flying from here on the 30th June - arriving in Paris on morning of the 1st. My plan is to then fly straight down to Biarritz in the afternoon - then bus/taxi to the train station in Bayonne then arriving in SJPP at around 7:30pm.

My original plan was to start walking the following day on the 2nd July. Does this sound too much - do you think I would benefit from a day in SJPP and start on the 3rd.


After writing my journey down I am thinking that might be wise as I will be tired from the journey and jet-lagged. Think my only reservation is I only have 33 days of walking and worried about losing a day a the start.Any thoughts anyone?Thanks in advance!Anna

Hola Anna and welcom to the Forum - you have all but answered your own question - you are crossing about 4 or 5 time zones. You arrive in St Jean @ 7.30 pm. You will be lucky to be in bed before 9.00 pm and if you start the next day - its a 25-28 km walk (up hill if you take the Nepolian track).
Yes you will be jet-lagged so my recommendation - book a hotel for two nights; spend the 2nd July exploring St Jean and let your body adjust.
On second thoughts: The extra day in Paris might be a better alternative - it does have a lot to offer.Buen Camino!
 
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.
Thanks everyone for your advice.

I think I am worried about only having 33 days so feel like I need to get going straight away but know that might not be necessarily best for my body...

So I have booked myself into Orisson for the night of the 2nd - I will be able to take it easier for the first 2 days and also not have to rush out of SJPP. Hopefully 2 shorter days will help get over the jet lag...

Worst case I can change plans the morning of the 2nd and stay in SJPP if I am feeling really rough.

I hope living at this high altitude helps!

Excited and nervous.
 
One good cure for jet lag is to get some exercise in the sun. That will be pretty easy on the Camino! You will find, probably, that you are full of adrenaline and energy, and the stretch from SJPdP to Roncesvalles is not terribly difficult if you are in good shape (or even if you are not). However, there can be payback the next few days as the continuous exercise begins to wear you down. Honestly, a rest at Orisson will not help much with that! Stopping there has become a mantra in the Forum, but only a few dozen of the hundreds of pilgrims will be doing that. The rest will be in Roncesvalles. If it were that tough, then fewer would do it!

Orisson does not refund no-shows on reservations, so if you change your mind in SJPdP, you may not get a refund. If you are arriving a day later, they may be more accommodating. They are gracious hosts, but a bit mercenary on the money angle. ;)

SJPdP is a village. Time may weigh heavily on you as you watch everyone else head out. Ditto Orisson. It is only about two hours from SJPdP, so you will arrive early and have nothing to do (if eating, drinking, and socializing is nothing). Most of the people you meet there during the day will be passing through, never to be seen again. At supper, you may make camino-long friends. That can actually be a problem if you try to stay with them and they move along faster than you want. I think we have all seen the pilgrim who destroyed himself/herself trying to keep up with a group that has formed. Instead, accept that your group will come and go, and never fail to treat blisters, sore muscles, and joint aches in order to "keep up." Regularly given advice is to show up without expectations. It may be just as important not to form expectations as you walk. It really works best to take it a day at a time, living each day to its fullest. :):)
 
Saint Jean Pied de Port is a marvelous town and deserves at least one full day exploring, at least IMHO. They have been equipping, provisioning and sending pilgrims off towards Santiago de Compostela for more than 1000 years.

I always spend two nights there, with one FULL "down day" in between to stroll around and rid myself of jet lag. There is lots to see.

I hope this helps.
 
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Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-
Thanks everyone for your advice.

I think I am worried about only having 33 days so feel like I need to get going straight away but know that might not be necessarily best for my body...

So I have booked myself into Orisson for the night of the 2nd - I will be able to take it easier for the first 2 days and also not have to rush out of SJPP. Hopefully 2 shorter days will help get over the jet lag...

Worst case I can change plans the morning of the 2nd and stay in SJPP if I am feeling really rough.

I hope living at this high altitude helps!

Excited and nervous.

I think you will be fine :)
 
The first edition came out in 2003 and has become the go-to-guide for many pilgrims over the years. It is shipping with a Pilgrim Passport (Credential) from the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.
Personally, I would spend the day in Paris get a little adjusted then move on. Your body will tell you what's best for you at the time. As noted above, your cardio must be great living at those heights, so if you feel good, walk on! It's your time
Buen Camino-Micah

Paris is a good idea. I forgot that you are flying into Paris. We took the night train (the flight times didn't work for us.) I found out later that it is possible to take part of a one night pilgrimage at SacreCouer, MontMartre-- more info if you are interested: http://www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com/english/night-adoration/article/one-night-adoration-at-the
 
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Current day Paris is NOT the same Paris I loved to visit as recently as ten years ago. I will not say more, except to suggest that you do advance research.
 
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