• Get your Camino Frances Guidebook here.
  • For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here.
    (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation)
  • ⚠️ Emergency contact in Spain - Dial 112 and AlertCops app. More on this here.

Search 69,459 Camino Questions

First Camino: Getting to SJPDP from US East Coast?

Time of past OR future Camino
May 2013, Oct 2017, May 2022
Hi! I am new to the forum... This is my first Camino (planning on Mid May) and am ready to book my tix to get started but not sure the best way to get to SJPDP... any recommendations? Can get to any East Coast Airport ... thanks in advance!

Donna
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
I recently booked my tickets for september and the cheapest and easiest way for me (north east North Carolina) was to fly from Norfolk VA to JFK then to Madrid and then to Pamplona, planning to bus it to Roncevilla or St. Jean or a Taxi depending on timing and meeting people and bus scheduling and destination. The return trip fly from Santiago to Madrid then JFK and Norfolk. The cost to end up in Biarritz which is where I wanted to be was just way to expensive for me, you may be able to find cheaper flights but I could not. All of the flights ended up just over $1000 so it was not too bad.
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
Thank you Wayfarer and "NCfishboy"... very helpful!! (Can't figure out how to reply individually)... I am coming from Norfolk so will look at these... much appreciate...
 
We are going Boston to London (airplane), London to Paris (train), Paris to Bayonne (overnight train), Bayonne to SJPP (train). This was the cheapest way for us to get to SJPP at the time of our booking. I'm traveling with my two kids.
 
Donna:

All of the suggestions above are good. I guess it depends a lot on any plans you might have before or after your Camino.

I have taken Trish's route. It is scenic but a very long travel day. Upon arrival in London you need to travel to St. Pancras station. Then you take the Eurostar from London to Paris (2hr 30m). Walk to the Paris metro for a 10 minute ride to the Montparnesse station. Then a 5 hour ride on the TGV to Bayonne and a local train (60-90m) Bayonne to SJPdP. A long day and not an easy return from Santiago to London. I flew from Santiago to Stansted and then took a car to London.

I have also flown to London (Heathrow) took a car to (Stansted) flown to Biarritz, then a bus or cab to Bayonne followed by the local train to SJPdP. Definitely faster. Return Santiago to Stansted car or train to London.

U.S. to Dublin and Dublin to Biarritz, bus or cab to Bayonne, local train to SJPdP. Quicker yet there. Not sure about return. Do not know if there is a flight from Santiago to Dublin.

I would suggest you fly into Madrid or Barcelona and train or bus to Pamplona. Then bus or cab to Roncesvalles and cab to SJPdP. Easy to get a flight from Santiago to Madrid or Barcelona then home.

None of these take into account (down time) the need to co-ordinate schedules from one transport to the next.

Ultreya,
Joe
 
Join our full-service guided tour and let us convert you into a Pampered Pilgrim!
Have you thought about taxi from Biarritz to SJPdP? There is a taxi service out of SJPdP that will help you put together a group to reduce the price. It will get you to SJPdP with much less hassle and a lot earlier in the evening.
 
jpflavin1 said:
U.S. to Dublin and Dublin to Biarritz, bus or cab to Bayonne, local train to SJPdP. Quicker yet there. Not sure about return. Do not know if there is a flight from Santiago to Dublin.
Ultreya,
Joe
Both Aer Lingus and Ryanair fly to Dublin out of Santiago.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Leaving Fredericksburg to Richmond to Madrid April 28...

Looking for a dry spring in Northern Spain.
 
Our train from Paris to Bayonne is sleeper-class -- we'll arrive in Bayonne after sleeping for ten hours in the train cots. That's something that might appeal to you if you want to try to get rid of jetlag before you begin your Camino.
 
I flew into Barcelona and took a bus to Pamplona (24 Euros). Then made reservations with Express Bouricott for a van ride (9 Euros/each if full van) from Pamplona Bus Station to SJPDP. It was really simple from BCN. I realized Express Bouricott has supended their services to Pamplona temporarily, but I saw a listing the other day on transport services from Pamplona-SJPDP.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
dmlooney said:
Hi! I am new to the forum... This is my first Camino (planning on Mid May) ...

Donna-- I am also flying in from Northeast USA; I start on May 18th from Logroño. I have already walked-SJPDP-Logroño. Flight tickets prices are insanely expensive this year :shock:

Buen Camino!!
 
Lise T said:
I realise that this may not work coming from the states...but it may help to look at other "Out of the box" options as well. :D

Trust me, if there was an iteration that could had possibly yield a cheaper fare (including using intra-Europe airlines) I tried it! I use a software that's powered by Google that tries every permutation (airports) within 300 miles of the Origin to 300 miles of the destination. It also shifts the days of the week and access multiple airlines. Eventually I found the flights, but prices are nowhere near what they used to be.

My favorite route was JFK to Madrid via Moscow!!
 
I went Vancouver to London Heathrow. Bus to London Stansted. Stayed a night in Stansted.

Stansted to Biarritz. See discount airlines Easy Jet and Ryan Air for cheap (by NA standards) flights.

Biarritz to Gare Bayonne by local bus. The train runs from Gare Bayonne to SJPdP 4 times per day.

I booked accomodations in SJPdP. If I were to do it over again I would stay in Bayonne for a night. I didn't get to SJPdP till late evening and was lucky to find a restaurant open.

Jet lag was really a problem so plan for adjustment time. (Biarritz is something like 10 hours difference from Pacific time)
 
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
Thanks so much to everyone for the info and recommendations! I think I am going to go via Dublin and Ryan Air to Biarritz and onward to SJPDP via train. I am familiar with the nuances of Ryan Air (!) having flown them before and the chance to have a pint in Dublin (even if it is early and in the airport) was tempting indeed. Making the reservations tomorrow and then I will officially have "skin in the game!"
Thanks again!

Donna
 
Donna-- with the Blessing and Grace of God I plan to start from Logroño on Saturday, 18 May 2013. I'll love to share stories if you happened to be in the neighborhhod. Either way, Buen Camino!!!
 
Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

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,-
I booked Air France to Paris (Charles De Gaulle (CDG) airport) out of Tampa, Florida. I need to run some errands in Paris before leaving, so I will catch my train at the Paris Montparnasse train station, a 40-minute trip from the airport – giving me 4 hours to exchange money and visit a phone store for a data chip to use cheap internet service from my unlocked world iphone 5. You can take trains from CDG2 at the airport, but the connection times with the trains didn't work out for me. I am taking the train to Barritz, then from there to SJPP, arriving about 7:30 pm.
Here is the link to make train reservations:
http://www.raileurope.com/rail-tickets-passes/
and if you want to get your pilgrim's passport in advance in case your train arrives late, you can click on this:
http://www.americanpilgrims.com/camino/credential_req.html
to fill out the form. They will mail it to you. They ask that you wait to request your credencial until within three months of your journey.
I hope this helps.
Buen Camino,
Jan
 
Olivares said:
Donna-- with the Blessing and Grace of God I plan to start from Logroño on Saturday, 18 May 2013. I'll love to share stories if you happened to be in the neighborhhod. Either way, Buen Camino!!!

Olivares - thank you! You will be ahead of me on on the Camino but I catch up with you, will love to share stories! Buen Camino!
 
JansCamino said:
. You can take trains from CDG2 at the airport, but the connection times with the trains didn't work out for me. I am taking the train to Barritz, then from there to SJPP, arriving about 7:30 pm. I hope this helps.
Buen Camino,
Jan

Jan - thanks much for the websites! Great help! I will get my Credential before I go... didn't know from where so much appreciate. Will take the train from Barritz and then to SJPDP... so the train website is great. Thanks. I am now trying to figure out if my phone (Samsung Galaxy) can take a chip to use there... all the details! Buen Camino!
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
Transport luggage-passengers.
From airports to SJPP
Luggage from SJPP to Roncevalles
"Jan - thanks much for the websites! Great help! I will get my Credential before I go... didn't know from where so much appreciate. Will take the train from Barritz and then to SJPDP... so the train website is great. Thanks. I am now trying to figure out if my phone (Samsung Galaxy) can take a chip to use there... all the details! Buen Camino"

Donna, you could always get your passport from the Irish Society of St James. All the details can be found here.
http://www.stjamesirl.com/
Its a lovely passport sized passport, easy to fit in a pocket etc.
 

Most read last week in this forum

My name is Henrik and I will be coming down to SJPdP from Sweden on March 26 and start walking on March 27. I don't really have any experience and I'm not the best at planning and I'm a little...
When I hiked the Frances Route this happened. I was hiking in the afternoon just east of Arzua. I was reserved a bed at an albergue in Arzua, so I had already hiked all the way from San Xulien...
I'd like some recommendations about where to find the most current and up to date information about albergues that are actually open. I'm currently walking the camino Frances, and I can't even...
I am finalizing my packing list for Frances, and do not want to over pack. (I am 71) I will be starting at SJPdP on April 25th to Roncesvalles and forward. I was hoping on some advise as to...
Today is March 21, 1024 If you’re starting El Francés around this time, be warned that quite a few stretches between Rabanal del Camino and Molinaseca are in pretty bad shape. Lots of mud, and...
First marker starting from Albergue Monasterio de la Magdalena in Sarria (113.460 km) Start: 2023.9.29 07:22 Arrival: 2023.9.30 13:18 walking time : 26 hours 47 minutes rest time : 3 hours 8...

❓How to ask a question

How to post a new question on the Camino Forum.

Forum Rules

Forum Rules

Camino Updates on YouTube

Camino Conversations

Most downloaded Resources

This site is run by Ivar at

in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon
Official Camino Passport (Credential) | 2024 Camino Guides
Back
Top