Freaking out a little ;)

[jasonnellis]

I leave for the Camino next week, and I'm freaking out a little over some outstanding questions. Would love some assistance from you fine folks if you have a moment.

1. Getting from Biarritz to SJPP: do I need a cab? A train? It sounds as if the trains running from Bayonne are not going at the moment (also, if I'm mistaken and they are, the best way to get from Biarritz to Bayonne would be immensely helpful)

2. SJPP and Roncesvalles: I'm guessing, given the time of year, I should book a hostel/hotel for each city in advance? Any recommendations on which?

3. Last year, I walked from O Cebreiro to Santiago de Compostela. This year I'm doing the entire Camino Frances. Any major differences in how things are in Basque country versus Galicia?

 

[whariwharangi]

1. Chronoplus bus #14 from Biarritz airport to Gare Bayonne. Then SNCF train from Gare Bayonne to SJPdP.

If train is not running due to strikes ... apparently an SNCF bus is laid on in the AM and PM to provide some service. Also Transports64 offers bus service from Bayonne to St Palais #811 and St Palais to SJPdP #810.

Alternatively ALSA and PESA offer bus service from Biarritz Airport to San Sebastian. ALSA provides bus service from San Sebastian to SJPdP via Pamplona.

You could try private hire taxi with Express Bourricot.

 

[PEI_Heather]

There is a bus at the airport in Biarritz to Bayonne; once in Bayonne, you can go by train or bus to SJPP. (Unless the trains aren't running, then you've got the choice of bus, bus or bus. Or walking! Start your French portion of the Camino sooner than you thought!)

SJPP and Roncesvalles are small places. If you want, you can reserve a B&B or hotel or bunk in a private hostel/gite/alberque in SJPP, or you can wait until you get there, go to the Pilgrims' Office to check in and ask the lovely person helping you out to recommend or call an alberque for you. I think there are one or two hotels in Roncesvalles and one great big alberque. You can call to reserve the hotels but you can't make a reservation at the alberque...from my understanding. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

Differences? Oh yes, m'dear. A whole country of differences! You just wait. You'll walk with a big smile on your face as you see how beautiful the Basque region is, how lovely the Meseta is, and will be reminded how wonderful Galicia is!
OK, here are a couple for you... completely insignificant:
Difference: in Basque, if you ask for a Cola Coa, you will get a big hunk of bread to dip in your hot chocolate. (Nom nom nom!) In Galicia, if you ask for a Cola Coa, you will get the Cola Coa. (Still nom nom nom!)
Difference: The Basque region is green and brown and sometimes wet (raining), sometimes dry (not raining), sometimes horizontal (windy), sometimes flat (not windy). Galicia is GREEN and brown (the soil) and sometimes wet (often, rainy), sometimes dry (maybe), sometimes... Well, you get the idea!

Don't be freaked out, Jason; be so excited that you jump up and down like a little kid! You are going to back to walk the Camino again! Lucky you!!!! Buen Camino!

 

[DowtyCamino]

The transport question seems to be answered so I'll stick to the differences.
Food: I found the Galician food to be more focused on seafood and in the Basque region it was more common to have brook trout and pasta offered.
Alphabet: In Galicia X replaces J (which are both pronounced as H). In Navarre you have the whole wonderful Basque thing going on.
Accent: I found Spanish in the Basque region more sing-songy Holaaaaaaaaa and Spanish in Galicia it was more sharp an gutteral...H'la.
People: I found the Spanish to be wonderful in all regions, but in Navarre they just a bit more friendly (likely due to the smaller number of Pilgrims).
Pilgrims: Almost by definition the pilgrims in Galicia are, on average, more seasoned (at least until you hit Sarria). In Navarre you find a lot of folks still "figuring it out" - "In the morning, should I pack my pack by my bed and shine my light in the other guys face to make sure I haven't woken him up.....or not?"
Architecture: Wow...totally different. If you picked me up and placed me in Galicia and told me to guess where I was I would never had said Spain. I would have sworn I was in Wales or something. In Galicia I never saw any Moziarabic architecture (although I'm sure it is around), but you'll see some Moorish influence in LaRioja and Castille.
Landscape: Maseta is it's own animal and nothing like Galicia.
Trees: Beech and Oak in Navarre, Eucalyptus (non-native) in Galicia.

The list goes on.

 

[Dutchwalk53]

Aside from Astorga to Ponferada I personally preferred the stretch between Pamplona and Burgos....I think lol.....It's all good

 

[VNwalking]

Lots of differences. So go and see for yourself, Jason, and have a grand time doing it!
Your transport questions are already answered, but I would add--contact Caroline at Express Bouricot about taxi to SJPP from Bayonne/Biarritz. It's a shared taxi service in a van, so if there are a lot of pilgrims, the cost is quite reasonable--and direct.
And booking a night or 2 at SJPP might be worth doing if you're coming from a long way away adn anticipate being jet-lagged. Otherwise, go with the flow. The Pilgrim's office can help with accommodation, and there's lots of it in SJPP.
And think of avoiding the crowds: the valcarlos route is an older, quieter, and much more solitary way. @Kanga was in the albergue at Valcarlos a little while ago and there were only a few people there.

Don't be freaked out, Jason; be so excited that you jump up and down like a little kid! You are going to back to walk the Camino again! Lucky you!!!! Buen Camino!

Yes...Buen Camino, Jason!!

Pilgrims: Almost by definition the pilgrims in Galicia are, on average, more seasoned (at least until you hit Sarria). In Navarre you find a lot of folks still "figuring it out" - "In the morning, should I pack my pack by my bed and shine my light in the other guys face to make sure I haven't woken him up.....or not?"

 

[NeeT]

1. Chronoplus bus #14 from Biarritz airport to Gare Bayonne. Then SNCF train from Gare Bayonne to SJPdP.

If train is not running due to strikes ... apparently an SNCF bus is laid on in the AM and PM to provide some service. Also Transports64 offers bus service from Bayonne to St Palais #811 and St Palais to SJPdP #810.

Alternatively ALSA and PESA offer bus service from Biarritz Airport to San Sebastian. ALSA provides bus service from San Sebastian to SJPdP via Pamplona.

You could try private hire taxi with Express Bourricot.

I'm travelling at the end of June from Lourdes to SJPdP and was wondering whether it is necessary for me to pre-book train tickets and if the cost would be that different?

 

[whariwharangi]

I'm travelling at the end of June from Lourdes to SJPdP and was wondering whether it is necessary for me to pre-book train tickets and if the cost would be that different?

Train from Lourdes to Bayonne go variously via Dax and Pau using mainly TER trains but also Intercites and TGV for some or all of the route. Trains from Bayonne to SJPdP is TER train.

You cannot reserve seats on TER trains and the price is for a ticket that is good for 90 days.

You do require a reservation for Intercites and TGV trains. The cost might be a little more if you wait till you are at the station to get a seat but if the cost difference is an issue ... wait for a TER train.

 

[whariwharangi]

There is a bus at the airport in Biarritz to Bayonne; once in Bayonne, you can go by train or bus to SJPP. (Unless the trains aren't running, then you've got the choice of bus, bus or bus. Or walking! Start your French portion of the Camino sooner than you thought!)

There is of course the problem of there not being any direct bus service from Bayonne to SJPdP.

 

[t2andreo]

As written above, #14 bus from Biarritz to Gare Bayonne. THEN the TER #62 light-rail train from Bayonne to St. Jean Pied de Port. The #62 train is arranged to depart about 10-15 minutes after the arrival of the latest TGV mainline train from points north, like Paris or Bordeaux.

If the TGV is known to be delayed for some reason, they will delay departure of the #62 train to accommodate pilgrims. There are perhaps 4 round trips from Bayonne to St. Jean Pied de Port daily. I recall that the last train is at about 18:00 to accommodate the last scheduled TGV arrival about 17:45.

It is a 75 - 90 minute ride through beautiful forests and farm land. The train accept bicycles on board. The train HAS a lavatory (in the middle of the articulated car). Most folks sit with their rucksacks on their laps.

The TER #62 train cars are not conventional railway cars. They are more like what you experience in a city transit system. There is plenty of standing space with grab bars, but as I recall, no overhead baggage racks. If I am recalling this incorrectly, someone please correct me.

Once at St Jean Pied de Port, the train reverses direction and returns to Bayonne. The track is single at that point, if I recall correctly. St. Jean PdP is the literal end of the line.

I hope this helps.

 

[kmrice]

I think there are one or two hotels in Roncesvalles and one great big alberque. You can call to reserve the hotels but you can't make a reservation at the alberque...from my understanding. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

The alberque at Roncevalles takes reservations on its website: http://www.alberguederoncesvalles.com/.

 

[jasonnellis]

You have all helped tremendously - I spent the weekend reviewing options and ended up with a few options I was comfortable with. Many, many thanks.