Help Needed with Information on Buses and Trains to shorten route

[AMoore63]

Life got in the way of my plans to take 5 weeks for my years-long dream of walking. I think I might still have a chance to go if I am willing to take what I can get with 14-20 days in August before going back to work and brave enough (I am alone) to try trains or buses past some sections. I really want to start in St. Jean and end in Santiago so could really use some specifics on trains or buses and segments. I have seen other postings but really feel like I need a little more to feel confident in making this leap. I am thinking if there is a way to travel from Logrono to Leon that could work, or maybe I should also skip from Leon to Sarria to be on the safe side. Any information on those transportation logistics? Time, cost, schedule, locating?

 

[SabsP]

Hi and welcome here.

This website is a good source of information : https://www.rome2rio.com/

Happy preparations.

 

[Tincatinker]

@AMoore63 welcome to the forum. As you have said that you really do want to start walking in that "obscure town in South West France" and presumably climb over a very large hill on your very first days walk I won't try to dissuade you, much. I'll just say that if I had only 14 - 20 days to walk to Santiago I would start somewhere some 14 to 20 days from Santiago. Leon occurs to me as a viable sort of spot. Easily accessible. A key city on the French Way (thats why the cathedral looks so French) and that decision would save you tiddling about on www.rome2rio.com for hours and finding that you'll be spending as much of your camino hanging out in bus stations and train stations as you will walking. ( Mind you the Mesons are usually good for lunch. )

Happy planning & Buen camino

 

[julia-t]

Walk SJPdP to Logrono, take a bus or train to Astorga (or Ponferrada if time is getting tight)
and walk to Santiago de Compostela.

 

[StFina]

I just got back from the CF and met a couple who had the same time constraints. We walked from St. Jean to Pamplona. They took the train from Pamplona to Astorga, and walked from Astorga into Santiago, all within the space of around 20 days. You get some of the highlights of the trip, and can fill in the "in-between" parts on a later Camino.

 

[Saint Mike II]

I have recently returned from completing the Camino Frances and think you are unfortunate to have to make this decision as starting in St Jean and ending in Santiago is the best! (imho). If you do have to truncate then I am in agreement with @Tincatinker, start in Leon, maybe even take a taxi back to Mansilla de las Mulas to get a feel for the western end of the Meseta. But from Leon you will pass through Astroga; climb the mountains to the Cruz de Ferro and again climb up to O'Cebreiro and the greenness of Galicia. When you arrive at Santiago, if time permits take a one day tour to Finisterre and Muxia.
When you are home start planning how you can eventually walk the whole way from St Jean to the Atlantic in one go. Buen Camino

 

[oursonpolaire]

My trimming recommendation is to walk to Logrono, then skip ahead to Leon. While it is unfortunate that you will miss the meseta, there will be a bit of the flavour of it from Leon to Villafranca de Bierzo, and you will get the extraordinary Renaissance landscape of Navarre and Rioja, and its ancient capitals.

 

[WGroleau]

Rome2Rio is good for getting ideas, but it will never show all the options, and it will have some of them wrong. Better off trying different routes at some of the providers. The only ones I can remember at the moment are
http://renfe.es
http://www.autobusesjimenez.com
http://socibus.es/wp/
http://alsa.es
http://laestellesa.es

Alsa is the biggest bus company of the four, but Jimenez is cheaper on some routes. Some of the routes let you see pilgrims on the camino as you pass them on the highway. Just check the bigger cities, and the routes will show you what villages they hit along the way.

Also, generally there's no bargain to buying early, so better to keep track of your distances so you can get an idea of your own pace before deciding when you need to make a skip. I don't know about most albergues, but in Villamayor de Monjardîn, we had information about all the routes between Logroño and Estella, and a little bit about Pamplona.

Last year, I took a train from Barcelona to Logroño, bus back to Villamayor, bicycle west a few days, bus to León, then bicycle west again.

 

[natefaith]

We've recently discovered the GoEuro app and website and find it accurate for bus and train prices and timetables. You can book your tickets with Alsa, Eurolines, and Renfe (and more) directly through the app and print out your ticket. It is fab.

Website: https://www.goeuro.com/
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/goeuro-train-bus-flight/id885372509?mt=8
iPhone app:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/goeuro-train-bus-flight/id885372509?mt=8

Buen Camino!
Faith