Easter 09

[suzie morgs]

Hi I'm Sue. My husband and I are planning on walking the full French way Camino starting in St Jean at Easter. We are coming from Australia, via Barcelona and Pamplona, then taxi to St Jean. Hope to meet many new people on the way.
Happy Camino!!
Suzie

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hi Suzie

Welcome to the forum. You'll meet lots of new people here - and on the Way! Not long to go now - I'm sure you will have a wonderful time. Stop by and let us know how you get on.

Buen Camino

 

[walkingwoman]

Hi Sue,
I'm sure I'll meet you, I'm Canadian, also starting in SJPP around Easter. I'm walking alone, I look forward to meeting you.

 

[colinPeter]

Hi Sue,
My wife (Helen) and I fly out of Sydney on Easter Monday. We are setting out for Santiago from SJPP on the 17th April. Have you discovered the Camino Calendar yet? Bottom of the page. You can put your details on it and also see what others might be doing.
Buen Camino
Col

 

[Javier Martin]

Hi I'm Sue. My husband and I are planning on walking the full French way Camino starting in St Jean at Easter. We are coming from Australia, via Barcelona and Pamplona, then taxi to St Jean. Hope to meet many new people on the way.
Happy Camino!!
Suzie

Hi Suzi,

Here in Spain days from 9th to 12th are bank holidays, so there's a lot of pilgrims walking just for this 4 days. So, if there's no problem for you, the Camino will be much less crowded beginning not the 9th but the 10th or the 11th.

Buen Camino, enjoy it.

Javier Martin
Madrid, Spain.

 

[dislp38]

Hi
I'm starting my walk from SJPP on April 15th, So maybe I'll run into ya

 

[suzie morgs]

Thanks everyone. The planning is all coming together well. Thanks to this forum we now have bus booked from Pamplona to SJPP for 80 euros for two people and baggage through Express Bourricot apcaroline@hotmail.com. We thought we'd have to catch a taxi. Our accommodation at SJPP is booked. Our only concern has been getting from Barcelona to Pamplona on Easter Sunday- not sure if Train services are running. Anyway that's all part of the camino experience. Not sure yet whether we'll go up and over the trail from SJPP or roadway route. Hoping to walk through the mountains but we realise that at this time of year we have to be cautious. We'll take advice from the SJPP office on 13th April. The information from everyone is fantastic and we hope to meet may of you one way. I'll give the calendar another go!!
Buen Camino
Suzie

 

[peregrina2000]

Suzie,

I will also be traveling on Easter or the day after, and I've found that transportation seems to be running on regular Sunday schedules. For the train from Barcelona to Pamplona, you have two choices (one other train is sold out). You can leave at 7:40, arrive 11:30; or leave 9:20, arrive 13:05. Buying the tickets online results in a huge savings (21E online, 54 otherwise) but I have always been unable to make online purchases through the RENFE website with a US credit card. I think you need a Spanish-issued credit card, but I'm not sure. You can give it a try at http://www.renfe.es/

The other option is a bus, run by Vibasa (http://www.vibasa.es). It leaves from the Sants station (Barcelona has several). Here's their schedule and availability as of a few minutes ago. (the numbers after the time of departure are the number of seats left).

Ida: 12/04/2009

07:50 Base 19 Estandar

15:30 Refuerzo 44 Estandar

23:40 Refuerzo 12 Estandar

23:40 Refuerzo 21 Estandar

Buen camino to you, Laurie

 

[Deirdre]

Buen Camino, Suzie. Keep us posted when you get the opportunity - we'd love to hear how it is going!

Laurie, I too have found it impossible to book renfe tickets online in or out of Spain. I know others have done it, and they say it is simple, but it always asks me for a PIN number which do not have. I have tried it in both English and Spanish - with no luck. I didn't think I was that much of a technophobe. :roll: Maybe someone here can shed some light on this. Since I always end up going to Atocha or Chamartin (because I'm usually booking out of Madrid) and waiting in long lines!
Buen Camino,

 

[suzie morgs]

Thanks Diedre and Laurie, Haven't had any luck booking train from Barcelona to Pamplona online. As the evening train is full we'll go directly to the train station when we arrive this Saturday morning to get it sorted. Alternatively we'll bus it or if desperate measures are called for we'll hire a car, find somewhere in the city of impossible parking to leave the car overnight, and drive up. It will all work out.
4 sleeps to go!!
Suzie