Mikey - camino
Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- march 2023
For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here. (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation) |
---|
Rick offers a lot of great advice in his post. Having gone from Paris to SJPP twice, taking the train out of the Gare Montparnasse is quite easy and straightforward.Others have given good advice here, and there is no "right" answer since it's all about personal preference. I strongly recommend at least one night in Paris to get your clock straight and rehydrate for overseas travelers. What's your hurry?. Besides, it's a great place to walk around. After landing at CDG, you can taxi/bus/train into central Paris, then book somewhere to stay near Gare Montparnasse - this is the main TGV terminal. It IS POSSIBLE to catch a train from CDG itself to Bayonnethe day you arrive, but the choices are fewer, and you risk missing a train if you have a tight connection and your flight is late or you were delayed in Customs. If I was in a hurry, I'd fly to Biarritz that day since you are in the airport already anyways.
There are many choices of hotels near Montparnasse station in many price ranges. I prefer the train into central Paris, as its the cheapest option, and you don't need to wait long. The RER-B commuter train goes from CDG (follow the Paris By Train signs), and take the Isle de France signs, not the TGV Grand Lignes signs once you head down stairs in the airport. The vending machine may not take your credit card, so have some paper euros instead, and buy a ticket for a little over 10 euros from the machine. It's about 40 minutes to Denfert-Rochereau station, depending if your train was an express or not. Once there, you are five blocks from Montparnasse. From here, walk to your hotel.......or Montparnasse if you are in a big hurry.
Book your TGV ticket to Bayonne before you go. You can combine it with a separate ticket to SJPP from there, but you don't have to. There are trains every few hours, but 10 AM is a pretty good choice. The train to Bayonne is about 4 hours, and pretty cool if you have never been on a TGV before. Once in Bayonne, you change trains to a TER train for SJPP. The station is small, and the employees sweep pilgrims onto the right platform all day long - just follow all the other people with back packs. Don't worry if that train turns out to actually be a bus, the tracks between Bayonne and SJPP are frequently out of service, but they always have a bus leaving from the parking lot as a substitute. About an hour to SJPP either way. From the station, walk into town to your accommodation. SJPP is a village, not a big city.
I did this, too, traveling from the USA, spending the night in Biarritz, then train to SJPP. I would do it the same way again, and this is what I recommend to my US Pilgrim friends.It might help get more useful answers if you say where you are travelling from.The closest airport to SJPDP is Biarritz. From there it is a very straightforward low-cost journey by bus to Bayonne railway station then train to SJPDP.
We have good flights from Montreal to Paris so I chose that option. Stayed overnight and took the train to Bayonne and an easy connection to the train straight to st jean P de P . However recently I hear something about the last leg of the Bayonne to St Jean not running ( train) . Check this , look at Rome 2 Rio for best alternativesI would like to walk the el camino in mid March 2023 (i had to delay my first plan to walk it in Sept.). Looking at the schedules it seems i need to take a mixture of trains and buses to get to St. Jean. For those of you that have travelled from Paris to St. Jean how did you arrange the trip?
I do not necessarily need to travel to Paris if there is an easier airport to land in what where would that be??
Thanks for any help
It's my understanding that this isn't sometime that you have to figure out for yourself - if the train isn't running between Bayonne and SJPDP the train company will organize a bus.However recently I hear something about the last leg of the Bayonne to St Jean not running ( train) . Check this , look at Rome 2 Rio for best alternatives
I fly into Madrid or Pamplona every year.I would like to walk the el camino in mid March 2023 (i had to delay my first plan to walk it in Sept.). Looking at the schedules it seems i need to take a mixture of trains and buses to get to St. Jean. For those of you that have travelled from Paris to St. Jean how did you arrange the trip?
I do not necessarily need to travel to Paris if there is an easier airport to land in what where would that be??
Thanks for any help
I actually flew from Paris to Barritz with Ryanair Air as I got a superb deal and so much quicker. I had planned to take a train from Barritz but they were on strike so I took a quick easy bus ride.I would like to walk the el camino in mid March 2023 (i had to delay my first plan to walk it in Sept.). Looking at the schedules it seems i need to take a mixture of trains and buses to get to St. Jean. For those of you that have travelled from Paris to St. Jean how did you arrange the trip?
I do not necessarily need to travel to Paris if there is an easier airport to land in what where would that be??
Thanks for any help
We flew to Paris and stayed two nights. I booked the train from Montparnasse to SJPP. Last Nay it was two trains and one bus. It may be 3 trains now. It was easy.I would like to walk the el camino in mid March 2023 (i had to delay my first plan to walk it in Sept.). Looking at the schedules it seems i need to take a mixture of trains and buses to get to St. Jean. For those of you that have travelled from Paris to St. Jean how did you arrange the trip?
I do not necessarily need to travel to Paris if there is an easier airport to land in what where would that be??
Thanks for any help
I am flying to CDG and have a connecting flight from there to Biarritz, where I am staying the night. From there, I'll travel to SJPPWe flew to Paris and stayed two nights. I booked the train from Montparnasse to SJPP. Last Nay it was two trains and one bus. It may be 3 trains now. It was easy.
Joe, thinking of taking train from Paris to Bayonne and spending the night there before heading to SJPDP the next day. Too much stress to make from the US to SJPDP in one leg.... Which Bayonne hotel did you stay in? See there are several within walking distance of the train station. Thought I could explore Bayonne a bit in the morning before taking the train to SJPDP. Start the Camino the following morning. Also - how long is the train ride from Bayonne to SJPDP? Other option for me is to do as you did. Take train to SJDPD and immediately start towards Orisson. Planning to start late April 2023. Thanks! BarbIf you take the train from Paris to Bayonne the same day you fly in, another option is to overnight in Bayonne. We did this in 2019. Hotel was right by the station, and it was a pleasant place to walk and relax, before taking the train (or, as is often the case, bus) in the morning. We were only walking to Orisson on the first day, though, so it was fine getting into SJPdP in mid-morning.
Hi, Barb! We took the high-speed bullet train from Paris. Rome2Rio shows this as just under four hours.Joe, thinking of taking train from Paris to Bayonne and spending the night there before heading to SJPDP the next day. Too much stress to make from the US to SJPDP in one leg.... Which Bayonne hotel did you stay in? See there are several within walking distance of the train station. Thought I could explore Bayonne a bit in the morning before taking the train to SJPDP. Start the Camino the following morning. Also - how long is the train ride from Bayonne to SJPDP? Other option for me is to do as you did. Take train to SJDPD and immediately start towards Orisson. Planning to start late April 2023. Thanks! Barb
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?