Getting to SJPDP and other questions

[Willdtrout]

I’ll be flying from the west coast USA and plan on flying into Paris then taking the train to SJPDP. I haven’t spent time in Europe so have some basic questions. I’ll be traveling solo

I have a flexible schedule with extra time and have never been to Paris. I’m guess a few days in Paris would be a good thing. Any recommendations on which areas to stay in and sites to see? From Paris I’ll travel to SJPDP by train

I understand no Visa required for France and assume it’s the same when crossing from France into Spain.

I’ll need a SIM card, should I get one in France or wait for Spain. Will a French one work in Spain?

This will be a winter trip. I’ll be prepared for trekking in winter but if I need supplies (more clothes) are they readily available on the trail?

I’ll be traveling other places after the walk… is it easy to send items home to America such as boots and sleeping bag

And a hundred other questions! But help with these is appreciated

 

[C clearly]

For discussion about getting to SJPP, look at the threads tagged with "travel to bayonne/biarritz/sjpp" (click on that link).

On the matter of visas, no visa is required for Americans to travel to France, Spain, or most of Europe, and there are no border checks, but there is a limit of time you can spend in the "Schengen" zone. If you are planning to spend 90 days or more in Europe, you should familiarize yourself with the details.

If you need more clothes or other supplies, they are available in the major towns and cities all along the Camino Frances. At the start of your trip, both SJPP and Pamplona have a good selection.

I'll leave the other questions to others to answer!

 

[mspath]

Be sure to check out these earlier Forum threads for more about pilgrim sites in Paris, the camino in Paris and
Paris to SJPdP.

When on the parvis or place facing the Notre Dame cathedral below you underground lie Roman ruins and visible to your right across the Seine begins the medieval rue Saint Jacques which pilgrims followed to leave the city; walk it a bit and ponder history.

Take a deep breath, relax and just enjoy it! As an American who has lived 40+ years in France both in Paris and Champagne for me as Thomas Jefferson wrote “a walk about Paris will provide lessons in history, beauty, and in the point of life.”

Bon Chemin and Buen Camino!

 

[Willdtrout]

Be sure to check out these earlier Forum threads for more about pilgrim sites in Paris, the camino in Paris and
Paris to SJPdP.

When on the parvis or place facing the Notre Dame cathedral below you underground lie Roman ruins and visible to your right across the Seine begins the medieval rue Saint Jacques which pilgrims followed to leave the city; walk it a bit and ponder history.

Take a deep breath, relax and just enjoy it! As an American who has lived 40+ years in France both in Paris and Champagne for me as Thomas Jefferson wrote “a walk about Paris will provide lessons in history, beauty, and in the point of life.”

Bon Chemin and Buen Camino!

Thank you for this share! Think two days is enough or should I plan more?

 

[trecile]

Thank you for this share! Think two days is enough or should I plan more?

I spent 3 nights - so 2 full days, and it was a good "taster" for Paris.

 

[mspath]

Thank you for this share! Think two days is enough or should I plan more?

You may be tired from your flight . Also check out this earlier post.

 

[dougfitz]

Here are some other answers:

I’ll need a SIM card, should I get one in France or wait for Spain. Will a French one work in Spain?

The EU rules require carriers in each country to support SIM cards from other EU countries. There should be little difference in the quality of service. At this stage, UK SIM cards are still being supported under the previous arrangements from when they were in the EU, but I don't know whether this is a long term arrangement.

My preference is to buy one or more 30 day SIM cards with a reasonable amount of date before I travel, and arrange for the commencement dates for each to overlap slightly.

It is also possible to purchase a SIM card on arrival. I recommend doing that in a carrier shopfront, and ensure that they enable the EU roaming - you will need a passport or similar quality identification for that. I did this once at a retail outlet that didn't fully enable the SIM, and it stopped working shortly after I crossed the border out of the country. That was unexpected and annoying, as this was in a remote location where it was difficult to arrange for the SIM to be enabled properly.

And make sure your handset is 'unlocked' and not tied to a specific (US) carrier.

I’ll be traveling other places after the walk… is it easy to send items home to America such as boots and sleeping bag

You might want to check on the customs arrangements for items sent by post back to the US from Europe. Whereas items you carry with you as luggage are treated as personal effects for customs purposes, this is not the case for postal delivery. Items that you think are personal effects might be treated as imports for customs purposes, which will be annoying and inconvenient.

An option is to see if you can post them to your departure point from the EU. This could be to a post office as post restante if you are going to be there within the holding time for such items, or to the hotel you are staying at if they are prepared to hold items for you.

 

[J Willhaus]

If you buy a Sim card in France you will have a French phone number. If you buy one in Spain a Spanish number. People may be less hesitant to return a call depending on which you have. You will also need to put in a country code when making a call in Spain with a French number. You should wait to get to Spain to purchase a Spanish Sim card. You will have to show your passport per their law.

You may want to become familiar with WhatsApp as it is commonly used in Spain for communication rather than traditional text or calls over the phone system.

 

[Grousedoctor]

I spent 3 nights - so 2 full days, and it was a good "taster" for Paris.

As your time is flexible and if this is your first time to Paris, I, too, would recommend giving yourself two full days/three nights in the city. If you are flying home out of Madrid, I’d make the same recommendation for that city at the end of your Camino.

In terms of where to stay in Paris, I have always preferred finding a hotel in the 5th and 6th arrondissements. When we were last in Paris in 2019 before taking the train to SJPP we stayed at the small boutique Hotel Esmeralda. From our balcony window, we looked directly at Notre Dame Cathedral. A great neighborhood for eating, sitting in classic sidewalk cafes, and visiting many of the cities great monuments and gardens. You are also a short distance by taxi or Uber to the Gare Montparnasse the morning you travel south.

Train travel from Paris is quite easy, quick, and comfortable on the TGV. Connect in Bayonne and you can be in SJPP by early afternoon. The sooner you buy your train ticket, the better the price. Buen Camino.

 

[Bradypus]

At this stage, UK SIM cards are still being supported under the previous arrangements from when they were in the EU, but I don't know whether this is a long term arrangement.

I'm a Brit using a UK SIM in Spain just now. Like many things post-Brexit the long term situation is unclear but it seems very unlikely that UK SIMS will no longer function in the EU. That is a virtually universal feature these days. What does vary enormously now is how much UK mobile account holders are charged for EU roaming. Some networks include a limited EU allowance in their bundles. Others now charge a daily premium for access. Far too many permutations to even begin to list them.

 

[Molly Cassidy]

In terms of SIM cards, it might be worth checking exactly the deal is with roaming. I am using a Spanish SIM card and am currently at home in Greece for the holidays. I have found that, even though my pre-pay SIM includes roaming in the EU (and incidentally the UK), I don't get the full allowance for roaming. So, I would suggest, if you intend to spend most of your time in Spain, it might be a better option to wait and buy one in Pamplona.

 

[JabbaPapa]

I keep on saying this, and most people ignore me, but the best way up to SJPP after flying in to Paris is walk up from Bordeaux/Biarritz/Bayonne/Saint-Palais.

As to SIM cards, silly EU roaming protocols mean that a French SIM card is better in Spain for phone calls and vice-versa, whereas for data limits local is better.

 

[Former member 102963]

I'm a Brit using a UK SIM in Spain just now. Like many things post-Brexit the long term situation is unclear but it seems very unlikely that UK SIMS will no longer function in the EU. That is a virtually universal feature these days. What does vary enormously now is how much UK mobile account holders are charged for EU roaming. Some networks include a limited EU allowance in their bundles. Others now charge a daily premium for access. Far too many permutations to even begin to list them.

Yes correct. I am also a UK account holder and I recently changed provider as my contract was up. Many now charge for EU roaming but my new contract does not and actually gives me 27 non European countries on top of that ‘free’ including Australia, USA and New Zealand. It’s quite a minefield, and it depends on the type of contract you have, when the contract started etc! All other countries I am charged £6 a day irrespective of usage (whether 1 text or 100!).

 

[Former member 102963]

Yes correct. I am also a UK account holder and I recently changed provider as my contract was up. Many now charge for EU roaming but my new contract does not and actually gives me 27 non European countries on top of that ‘free’ including Australia, USA and New Zealand. It’s quite a minefield, and it depends on the type of contract you have, when the contract started etc! All other countries I am charged £6 a day irrespective of usage (whether 1 text or 100!).

A number of UK carriers seemed to switch to charging for EU roaming, last year, January 2022, which I gather was the first time they could. Not sure if it was part of withdrawal agreement or some other agreement. Anyway all UK folks, checkout your options when your contract ends! There is money to be saved alongside ATM fees!!

 

[Willdtrout]

I keep on saying this, and most people ignore me, but the best way up to SJPP after flying in to Paris is walk up from Bordeaux/Biarritz/Bayonne/Saint-Palais.

As to SIM cards, silly EU roaming protocols mean that a French SIM card is better in Spain for phone calls and vice-versa, whereas for data limits local is better.

I have just started Camino. Made it to Pamplona. From Paris I went to Bayonne and spent a day there. In hindsight, it would have been good to start there. Is there an established pilgrim route Bayonne-St Jean?