French Way, stage 1 advice please.

[Frankiepankie]

Hi All,

I'm planning on walking the camino alone april/may 2018. I can only do it in stages due to work, and was thinking of walking from st jean up to Estella.

From experience does anyone have any recommendations on if a different town is good to stop my first stage? and any recommendations on getting from there, back home which is London?

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Estella has decent bus service, however Logrono has more! It will depend where you want to go after Estella.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

How many days are you planning on taking for this?

Any of Estalla, Los Arcos, Najera, Belorado, will have buses to take you to Logrono, Pamplona or Burgos where you can catch trains and buses to whichever airport you are flying into.

It really is a mater of how many days you have and how many km you think you want to cover each day. Lots of options, nothing to worry about.

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

You also can check the following website,

www.Rome2rio.com

Wish you well and a Buen Camino,Peter.

 

[Frankiepankie]

Thanks for everyones responses! already such a nice welcome without even starting pilgrimage yet!

Originally I was thinking 6 days walking. But now I've looked a bit more into Logrono (thanks for the recommendation) I think I will extend it to the 8 days and finish walking there. Spend day 9 in Logrono and travel back to London that night.

I am very excited!

 

[julia-t]

Like you, I've walked in stages, travelling from the UK.

I've found that until after you pass Burgos, Bilbao is a very easy access point to reach all the towns on the first half of the Camino. It's a quick and easy flight from Heathrow T3 (you can book with BA for less than £40, flight around 8.30am), then it's a simple airport shuttle to the bus station and you should be easily able to get a bus at 1pm to Pamplona (and then on to SJPdeP on the 5.30 bus).

Or when you return, it's a 2 hour bus or train from Logrono back to Bilbao.

I've found that even if I have an evening flight back to the UK, what with having to get buses and/or trains, there really isn't a lot of time to walk on that final day.

Of course, living in London, it might be easier for you to get your outward flight to Biarritz from Stansted or Gatwick (both airports I tend to avoid due to the lengthy drive to/from), but to return to Bilbao.

Hope this helps.

 

[naplesdon]

My introduction to the Camino in 2012 was 7 days from SJPdP to Longrono. It is a perfect distance for a first time pilgrim. Logrono has good access to larger cities and if you enjoy wine many tours to the vineyards in la Rioja.

 

[Stivandrer]

If your stay can be further prolonged to 12 days, getting to Burgos will make a good, memorable and worthy spot to stop your first leg....

 

[Frankiepankie]

Like you, I've walked in stages, travelling from the UK.

I've found that until after you pass Burgos, Bilbao is a very easy access point to reach all the towns on the first half of the Camino. It's a quick and easy flight from Heathrow T3 (you can book with BA for less than £40, flight around 8.30am), then it's a simple airport shuttle to the bus station and you should be easily able to get a bus at 1pm to Pamplona (and then on to SJPdeP on the 5.30 bus).

Or when you return, it's a 2 hour bus or train from Logrono back to Bilbao.

I've found that even if I have an evening flight back to the UK, what with having to get buses and/or trains, there really isn't a lot of time to walk on that final day.

Of course, living in London, it might be easier for you to get your outward flight to Biarritz from Stansted or Gatwick (both airports I tend to avoid due to the lengthy drive to/from), but to return to Bilbao.

Hope this helps.

really helpful thank you!

After the suggestions I think I'm doing-
stanstead to bearittz
bilbao to heathrow.

and putting an extra day on the end for spending time in the last place I wake up in (no walking) and traveling back to uk in the evening.

 

[Paddy Lonergan]

really helpful thank you!

After the suggestions I think I'm doing-
stanstead to bearittz
bilbao to heathrow.

and putting an extra day on the end for spending time in the last place I wake up in (no walking) and traveling back to uk in the evening.[/QUOTE ..... there is a local courier service from Biarritz to SJdeP, ring or text Caroline at 0033661960476, very reliable service, about a one hour journey, depending on what time you get in it might allow you on the same day get as far as Orrison, if you are staying there Buen Camino! You have loads to look forward to