Getting from Miami FL to the start of Camino Frances

[Darcy333]

I would like to find the least expensive way to get from Miami, FL to the SJPP of the Camino.

 

[Deleted member 43985]

Hi Darcy333 - not sure about cheapest however on Skyscanner I see round trip prices of $807 from Miami to Madrid. Add on bus tickets from Madrid to Pamplona to SJPDP and a train ticket from SDC to Madrid and you should have all your travel expenses comfortably under $1,000.
Buen Camino!

 

[whariwharangi]

SJPdP is connected to Bayonne by SNCF train. It runs all year.

SJPdP is connected to Pamplona by CONDA bus on a seasonal schedule.

The closest airport to SJPdP is Biarritz BIQ.

The closest airport to SJPdP in Spain is San Sebastian EAS.

There is an airport in Pamplona PNA.

Renfe trains connects Pamplona to Madrid, Barcelona, the border at Irun/Hendaye and the rest of Spain.

SNCF trains connect Bayonne to the border at Irun/Hendaye and to Paris in the North. SNCF connects to all of France.

CP trains operate an overnight service from Lisboa and Oporto to Irun/Hendaye.

There is a complex network of buses that connect all of Spain.

Your mission is to figure out how to get from Miami to Europe. Usual entry points used by pilgrims are Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, London, and Dublin ... just to name a few. From these major ports you select bus train and plane service to either of Bayonne or Pamplona.

A significant factor in your choice is getting home from Santiago. Take a flight from Santiago Airport SCQ. Else consider taking Renfe train to Madrid or the border to Portugal via Vigo.

 

[pudgypilgrim]

Check out Norwegian and Icelandair from Ft Lauderdale. From ORL which is how I usually go, it's generally cheap to fly to Paris on Norwegian and cheap to come back on Icelandair, but it's not cheap to go round-trip on either one.

 

[linkster]

@Darcy333 I am going to fly out of MIA -> MAD in the fall. I originally thought I would fly MIA -> CDG, but the flight to Paris is significantly more expensive. I have not decided whether to fly MAD -> BIQ on Iberia or bus etc. I have been using Google Flights to check and track prices. Rome to Rio is helpful for researching connections, but some of the airfares are deceiving and are on discount airlines or through booking agents that I decided to stay away from.

Use the calendar function to research the best prices if your dates are flexible. 9/5 MIA -> MAD nonstop, 11/5 MAD -> MIA nonstop $445.00 round trip on Iberia.

 

[cherrys]

We're paying $406 NYC to MAD leaving 4/18, returning 6/6. I can't remember if I booked it through Kayak, which I always use to check stuff out, but I think it was directly with American (code share with Iberia). They had the best price. Put in a fare alert on all the sites, Expedia, etc, and you will be bombarded with prices, and can see how the up/down price trend is doing. Tickets seems pretty cheap now, which is why we can go. Good luck, Cherry

 

[naplesdon]

I do this trip quite bit to get back and forth between Biarritz and Naples. Some times I fly to Bilbao and take the bus, sometimes I fly to Bordeaux and take the train. All of these routes involve a stop in either Lisbon or Amsterdam so I look for the shortest connections that gets me to my destination during business hours. I have recently flown to Madrid and that works out well. I have to admit I've never found a fare for much less than $1000USD, but that's because I detest flights that arrive late at night and/or have seemingly day long waits for the next flight.

 

[t2andreo]

I do this trip quite bit to get back and forth between Biarritz and Naples. Some times I fly to Bilbao and take the bus, sometimes I fly to Bordeaux and take the train. All of these routes involve a stop in either Lisbon or Amsterdam so I look for the shortest connections that gets me to my destination during business hours. I have recently flown to Madrid and that works out well. I have to admit I've never found a far for much less than $1000USD, but that's because I detest flights that arrive late at night and/or have seemingly day long waits for the next flight.

Part of Don's dilemma is that the Naples he refers to is Naples, Florida in the US. I believe that first domestic segment is driving the overall price.

The other cost-driving issue is that Biarritz (his destination) is not a hub. It is at the end of a spoke. Hub airports includes London, Paris, Madrid, and Lisbon, for example.

I am currently shopping for a r/t, MIA-MAD-SCQ flight for my planned month-long volunteer stint this July - August. Presently, AA is quoting $972 r/t, for this routing. Your experience may vary.

Airfares are very dynamic, volatile, and increasingly unpredictable. However, and as a general rule, the further in advance you can commit, the cheaper the flight is likely to be.

I hope this helps.

 

[ScooterB]

We hit a great price from Fort Lauderdale direct to Paris on Norwegian Air Shuttle. Haven't booked the return yet, but Norwegian looks to be the cheapest coming home as well. Just watch out for all the fees -- like $60 for a meal! We're going to carry food on. Only one checked bag between the two of us, where we'll stashed the hiking poles. That'll save another $60 or so.