First time walker

[Jo briggs]

I am walking from St Jean in April.Is the way clearly marked and is it possible to get lost. I am leaving from Barcelona,Which is the easiest way to get to St Jean ??

 

[Kanga]

Hi @Jo briggs and welcome to the forum.

Here are some links for travel from Barcelona to St Jean. You could also check out the "Getting to and from the Camino" section of the forum (look down the list).

In early April, from St Jean, can you get lost? Only if you are very, very inattentive and ignore the advice from the Pilgrim office in St Jean. It should be your first port of call. At that time of year it is still winter in the high mountains, and you may need to walk the route through Valcarlos, instead of the Route Napoleon.

 

[KinkyOne]

I am walking from St Jean in April.Is the way clearly marked and is it possible to get lost. I am leaving from Barcelona,Which is the easiest way to get to St Jean ??

Along with what @Kanga already wrote I can only add that it is possible (!) to get lost and that the Camino is more than clearly marked

Al in all - you won't get lost!

Ultreia!

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

What Kanga said. I ignored advice re:snow from SJPdP pilgrims office and it wasn't pretty--not died in the snow lost, but there a last turn on Napoleon you don't want to miss unless you like a very steep descent. You still reach Roncesvalles, but ....
Have no fear, if you walk the way they advise you will reach Roncesvalles with no problem. After Roncesvalles, even if you miss a turn, countless locals will grab you and turn you around. Many times I purposely left the Camino, to see a small side chapel or tiny town or giant ball of string. Each time I had to explain to the many who stopped me that I actually meant to go that way. They are on the lookout for backpacks headed in the wrong direction...one gentleman ran out in heavy snow after me one morning.

 

[whariwharangi]

1. Take a flight from Barcelona to San Sebastian EAS.

San Sebastian Airport is located approximately 5 km from EAS airport.

Take a taxi to Gare d'Hendayei. The alternative is Ekialdebus to Irun Colon and Donostealdea Metro from Irun Colon to Hendaia.

Take SNCF train from Gare d'Hendaye to Bayonne and Bayonne to SJPdP.

2. Take Renfe train from Barcelona Sants to Irun Renfe Station. Exit Renfe station, turn right, cross bridge over railway tracks to find Colon Metro station.

3. Take SNCF train from Barcelona Sants to Toulouse then Toulouse to Bayonne.

4. Take Monbus pr Renfe train from Barcelona Sants to Pamplona or ALSA bus from Estacio Nord to Zaragosa and onward to Pamplona. Then take CONDA bus from Pamplona to SJPdP. This is the easiest cheapest option but there is very limited schedule for the CONDA bus service in April.

 

[Felipe]

The only stage that requires being specially careful is the one from SJPP to Roncesvalles, because it has a long stretch in a mountain pass, then by the woods. Just study beforehand the guides and maps, and be attentive to signposts. Anyway, you will not be alone, in April you surely will be seeing other walkers most of the time.
And remember that when the Pilgrim's Bureau in SJPP does not recommend the higher or Napoleon route, it is definitely a no-no. The Valcarlos or lower way is quite pleasant, and is becoming more and more popular.
The following stages are not a walk in the wilderness, basically you will go from one village to another.
Buen camino!

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

I took the train to Pamplona; I met two other perigrinas waiting for the train (backpacks, shells, and that dazed excited look gives us away). We split cab fare to SJPdP. Cabs were lined up outside the station (as in every city in the world).

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

I am walking from St Jean in April.Is the way clearly marked and is it possible to get lost. I am leaving from Barcelona,Which is the easiest way to get to St Jean ??

Hi Jo, it's almost impossible to get lost on the Camino Frances I think.
Wish you a wonderful journey and a Buen Camino, Peter.

 

[BonitaHolland]

We got lost leaving very early in the dark one morning from Villamayor de Monjardin .... lesson learnt though to check the yellow arrows indicating the direction to exit the day before in natural light as they don't show up as well in lamp light.

 

[james walter purdum iv]

never understood those who walked in the dark in the morning...i trekked in september 2015 and sunrise was 8
;22 am...so i 7am start was kinda light and you could get out of town easily...other wrestled with their bags in the wee morning hours just miss the first 2 hours of sights...anyone like walking in the dark??

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

I generally wanted to walk at first light, it's quiet and more birds and bunnies are out and about. The only times I've walked in the dark: twice when repeated nightmares made staying in bed a torture, once leaving Bilbao when I knew I'd be walking through a city I'd already spent 2 rest days seeing, and once in the dark at night into Lugo, when lack of housing meant I had to walk the distance between fonsagrada and lugo in one day. I also think if I can't see the bunnies, the cars can't see me.

 

[Tincatinker]

I also think if I can't see the bunnies, the cars can't see me.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I am leaving from Barcelona,Which is the easiest way to get to St Jean ??

Peg and I traveled from Barcelona to St. Jean in 2015. It may not be the easiest way but we went by train (Renfe) to Pamplona. Stayed a night in a hotel and then took a bus (Alsa) to St. Jean. We made reservations online. You may find that Renfe will not take a credit card if you live in the US (and maybe elsewhere.) They did accept Paypal. As I remember Alsa did take a credit card.

A word of warning up front. The calendars on the websites are probably using the Spanish calendar where the first day of the week is Monday. So if you are not careful you could pick the wrong day. You may think you are ordering tickets for Sunday but getting them for Monday. (I goofed like this and rather than trying to change the tickets I added on a day in Barcelona.)

Someone recently asked about getting from Barcelona airport to St. Jean (but gave a tight schedule for connections.) You may find that page useful on how to get from the airport to the train station and from the train station in Pamplona to the bus station. See https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/advice-on-getting-to-sjpp.42758/

You may not find it necessary to reserve your train tickets online. If you spend some time in Barcelona you could get them after you get there. Now for the details. Renfe's website is http://www.renfe.com but before going there look at these webpages that will give you help:
https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Travel-g187514-c80518/Madrid:Spain:Buying.Renfe.Tickets.Online.
http://www.seat61.com/Spain-trains.htm
(particularly the section at http://www.seat61.com/Spain-trains.htm#How_to_use_www.renfe.com )

From the train station in Pamplona to the bus station you can take the street bus (line #9). There is a stop in front of the train station but the bus stops a short walk either before or after the bus station not at the closest point. Once again see https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/advice-on-getting-to-sjpp.42758/

Before I send you to Alsa for your bus ticket to St. Jean I want you to know that the Artieda bus line will take you from the Pamplona bus station to Roncevalles (but I do not think it will go to St. Jean.) From Pamplona you can also take a taxi to St. Jean (maybe you can find other pilgrims on the train and share the trip.) Another alternative that many pilgrims' love is
staying at Pension Corazon Puro (in Viskarret about halfway between Pamplona and Roncevalles) because they offer a service where they pick you up in Pamplona, put you up for the night and then deliver you to St. Jean (or, I suppose, Roncevalles).
http://www.autocaresartieda.com/?scc=roncesvalles
http://www.corazonpuro.es/
http://www.corazonpuro.es/Enghome.html

To get Alsa bus tickets online go to https:/www.alsa.es/en/ and click in the "Point of departure" type-in box. A pop-up allows you to pick a "Departure country" of "Spain." Then in the "Point of departure" box start typing "Pamplona" (without the quotes). As you type the name the pop-up starts showing fewer and fewer names until you can either finish typing or click on one of the names shown in the pop-up. Next do something similar in the "Destination" type-in box and pick "France" in the pop-up. Go back to the "Destination" type-in box and (this is the secret) type in the name "Saint Jean de Pied de Port" (without the quotes). If you abbreviate "Saint" as "St" or "St." then Alsa won't find the town.

I hope you have some time to spend in Barcelona; we love it there. On the camino I fell in love with Romanesque art. The Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya in Barcelona has a large collection of it. I did not know about it before the camino (when I could have learned something beforehand) and afterwards we ran out of time (we got back to Barcelona late Sunday and left early Tuesday and museums are closed on Monday.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museu_Nacional_d'Art_de_Catalunya

 

[KinkyOne]

never understood those who walked in the dark in the morning...i trekked in september 2015 and sunrise was 8

I have never understood them even in the high summer when sunrise is earlier

I generally wanted to walk at first light, it's quiet and more birds and bunnies are out and about.

Well, there were bunnies (Camino de Levante), and a lot of them, even in midday (and at 43C) so no need to wake up that early

 

[Kanga]

Well done photographer! All my wildlife photos show is blurry blobs in the distance.

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

I have never understood them even in the high summer when sunrise is earlier



Well, there were bunnies (Camino de Levante), and a lot of them, even in midday (and at 43C) so no need to wake up that early

View attachment 29128

Yes but when it's mid-day and half-dozen pilgrims are singing, and walkers and bicyclists are shouting at each other about bells, the bunnies hop away :0 when it's just you and quiet they walk with you

Edited bc my emoji is didn't take

 

[james walter purdum iv]

watch out for the camino foxes.....lol

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

And the 'dogs'

 

[james walter purdum iv]

only had one dog encounter with two crazy aggressive dogs who were guarding an industrial building....just kept screaming calm down boys and they stopped barking and slobbering....and just walked away....whew!

 

[KinkyOne]

Well done photographer! All my wildlife photos show is blurry blobs in the distance.

Yeah, that's the price of carrying additional 2 kilos of equipment...

Yes but when it's mid-day and half-dozen pilgrims are singing, and walkers and bicyclists are shouting at each other about bells, the bunnies hop away :0 when it's just you and quiet they walk with you

Well, that wasn't taken on Frances. On Levante I have met 5 people from Valencia to Zamora (one of them being forum member walking and another one living in Toledo @roberbolo ).

 

[Jo briggs]

Peg and I traveled from Barcelona to St. Jean in 2015. It may not be the easiest way but we went by train (Renfe) to Pamplona. Stayed a night in a hotel and then took a bus (Alsa) to St. Jean. We made reservations online. You may find that Renfe will not take a credit card if you live in the US (and maybe elsewhere.) They did accept Paypal. As I remember Alsa did take a credit card.

A word of warning up front. The calendars on the websites are probably using the Spanish calendar where the first day of the week is Monday. So if you are not careful you could pick the wrong day. You may think you are ordering tickets for Sunday but getting them for Monday. (I goofed like this and rather than trying to change the tickets I added on a day in Barcelona.)

Someone recently asked about getting from Barcelona airport to St. Jean (but gave a tight schedule for connections.) You may find that page useful on how to get from the airport to the train station and from the train station in Pamplona to the bus station. See https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/advice-on-getting-to-sjpp.42758/

You may not find it necessary to reserve your train tickets online. If you spend some time in Barcelona you could get them after you get there. Now for the details. Renfe's website is http://www.renfe.com but before going there look at these webpages that will give you help:
https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Travel-g187514-c80518/Madrid:Spain:Buying.Renfe.Tickets.Online.
http://www.seat61.com/Spain-trains.htm
(particularly the section at http://www.seat61.com/Spain-trains.htm#How_to_use_www.renfe.com )

From the train station in Pamplona to the bus station you can take the street bus (line #9). There is a stop in front of the train station but the bus stops a short walk either before or after the bus station not at the closest point. Once again see https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/advice-on-getting-to-sjpp.42758/

Before I send you to Alsa for your bus ticket to St. Jean I want you to know that the Artieda bus line will take you from the Pamplona bus station to Roncevalles (but I do not think it will go to St. Jean.) From Pamplona you can also take a taxi to St. Jean (maybe you can find other pilgrims on the train and share the trip.) Another alternative that many pilgrims' love is
staying at Pension Corazon Puro (in Viskarret about halfway between Pamplona and Roncevalles) because they offer a service where they pick you up in Pamplona, put you up for the night and then deliver you to St. Jean (or, I suppose, Roncevalles).
http://www.autocaresartieda.com/?scc=roncesvalles
http://www.corazonpuro.es/
http://www.corazonpuro.es/Enghome.html

To get Alsa bus tickets online go to https:/www.alsa.es/en/ and click in the "Point of departure" type-in box. A pop-up allows you to pick a "Departure country" of "Spain." Then in the "Point of departure" box start typing "Pamplona" (without the quotes). As you type the name the pop-up starts showing fewer and fewer names until you can either finish typing or click on one of the names shown in the pop-up. Next do something similar in the "Destination" type-in box and pick "France" in the pop-up. Go back to the "Destination" type-in box and (this is the secret) type in the name "Saint Jean de Pied de Port" (without the quotes). If you abbreviate "Saint" as "St" or "St." then Alsa won't find the town.

I hope you have some time to spend in Barcelona; we love it there. On the camino I fell in love with Romanesque art. The Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya in Barcelona has a large collection of it. I did not know about it before the camino (when I could have learned something beforehand) and afterwards we ran out of time (we got back to Barcelona late Sunday and left early Tuesday and museums are closed on Monday.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museu_Nacional_d'Art_de_Catalunya

Thanks so much. Extremely helpful. Cheers Jo

 

[marbuck]

It is very easy to get lost on the Frances if you are talking too much to other pilgrims and do not watch for the yellow arrows. We got lost twice but were always guided back to the track by very helpful Spanish people.

 

[Jo briggs]

Thank you for your advice. It is very reasuring.