Hi, I'm arriving at Biarritz Airport on 27th February 2017

[Toncho]

At long last (after retiring aged 60 last June) I have given myself the opportunity of starting out on my first Camino. I will be arriving at Biarritz Airport on 27th February 2017 and taking a local bus to Bayonne where I have accommodation booked for the evening. I intend to catch a train the next morning to St Jean Pied de Port and staying there that evening. I will finally start walking my first day of the Camino to Roncesvalles on 1st March.

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

At long last (after retiring aged 60 last June) I have given myself the opportunity of starting out on my first Camino. I will be arriving at Biarritz Airport on 27th February 2017 and taking a local bus to Bayonne where I have accommodation booked for the evening. I intend to catch a train the next morning to St Jean Pied de Port and staying there that evening. I will finally start walking my first day of the Camino to Roncesvalles on 1st March.

Hello,I wish you a great time and a Buen Camino, Peter.

 

[MichaelB10398]

At long last (after retiring aged 60 last June) I have given myself the opportunity of starting out on my first Camino. I will be arriving at Biarritz Airport on 27th February 2017 and taking a local bus to Bayonne where I have accommodation booked for the evening. I intend to catch a train the next morning to St Jean Pied de Port and staying there that evening. I will finally start walking my first day of the Camino to Roncesvalles on 1st March.

Toncho, you certainly do not have much time to wait beginning the Way. Your initial schedule sounds good - take it easy the first day or two to get over the jet lag (I always find it harder when I fly east than I do when I fly west). I am sure you are prepared for a wide range of weather for this time of year. Enjoy the peace of every step.
Bon Chemin,

 

[Mark Lee]

Nice. Good idea resting up in SJPdP for a night before you start the Camino. Rest and replenish.
ultreia

 

[MichelleElynHogan]

Be gentle with yourself. Relish every step and listen to your body. Respect what it tells you.

Buen Camino

 

[cathal Ferris]

At long last (after retiring aged 60 last June) I have given myself the opportunity of starting out on my first Camino. I will be arriving at Biarritz Airport on 27th February 2017 and taking a local bus to Bayonne where I have accommodation booked for the evening. I intend to catch a train the next morning to St Jean Pied de Port and staying there that evening. I will finally start walking my first day of the Camino to Roncesvalles on 1st March.

Enjoy your retirement and enjoy every moment of your Camino

 

[Toncho]

Nice. Good idea resting up in SJPdP for a night before you start the Camino. Rest and replenish.
ultreia

Hi Mark
Many thanks for your encouragement. I have read a few of the comments and suggestions you have posted recently and have found them to be informative, inspiring and amusing - in equal measures!
Tony

 

[Toncho]

Be gentle with yourself. Relish every step and listen to your body. Respect what it tells you.

Buen Camino

Thanks Michelle
Those are wise words which I will keep in mind. May you enjoy your future travels and stay healthy & safe.
Tony

 

[PIER-GIORGIO BASSI]

Is the Napoleon pass open? If so, how are the snow conditions? Last year it did not open until April. Either you must take care and listen to the directions from the Camino office.

 

[Toncho]

Is the Napoleon pass open? If so, how are the snow conditions? Last year it did not open until April. Either you must take care and listen to the directions from the Camino office.

Hi Pier
I will be going the Valcarlos route as the Napoleon pass is officially closed until April.
Regards
Tony

 

[Deleted member 12253]

At long last (after retiring aged 60 last June) I have given myself the opportunity of starting out on my first Camino. I will be arriving at Biarritz Airport on 27th February 2017 and taking a local bus to Bayonne where I have accommodation booked for the evening. I intend to catch a train the next morning to St Jean Pied de Port and staying there that evening. I will finally start walking my first day of the Camino to Roncesvalles on 1st March.

Enjoy. Check Napoleon route open on 1st March. Likely to be lots of snow on mountain. Buen Camino

 

[mspath]

Enjoy. Check Napoleon route open on 1st March. Likely to be lots of snow on mountain. Buen Camino

The Napoleon route over the mountain is closed until April 1;
the Valcarlos route through the mountain pass is open.

 

[Jo Rose]

At long last (after retiring aged 60 last June) I have given myself the opportunity of starting out on my first Camino. I will be arriving at Biarritz Airport on 27th February 2017 and taking a local bus to Bayonne where I have accommodation booked for the evening. I intend to catch a train the next morning to St Jean Pied de Port and staying there that evening. I will finally start walking my first day of the Camino to Roncesvalles on 1st March.

How did you do? Were you able to go the entire Camino? What was good about it? What was bad? Would you do it again? How was the weather? We are flying into Bayonne and will take the train to St Jean Pied de Port on the 18th of August. What time did the train from Bayonne to St Jean Pied de Port leave?

 

[Toncho]

Hi Jo
Nice to hear from you. Its been well over a year since my Camino, so I shall answer your questions as best I can...
I did indeed complete my Camino. I actually started walking from St Jean Pied de Port on 1st March 2017. It took me 33 days to reach Santiago and a further 3 days to reach my goal of Finisterre. I wanted to avoid the crowds and the hot weather, which was why I commenced the journey early in the year. It was a wonderful experience and I enjoyed every day that I was out on the trail. The weather was mostly good - cold in the early mornings where I would wear my jacket, woolen hat and gloves, but by midday the temperatures would be comfortable enough to take those items off. I probably experienced a total of five days were it rained heavily and a couple of days where I walked through snow storms (approaching and leaving Rabanal). For the most part, the people I met enroute were lovely, helpful folk and I found that I actually became a lot more tolerant and patient as a person - which surprised myself given the sometimes uncomfortable beds and inevitable snorers that deprived me of many hours of sleep!

One common mistake that I saw so many people make was arriving at the start of their Camino having done very little in the way of preparation. They often had not done any serious 'practice' walks in advance, had not bought the appropriate footwear, had packed far too much weight in their backpacks etc. Planning ahead is really important - so its worth doing your homework before embarking on your trip. Apart from this very helpful Forum, there are a number of books that you may consider purchasing in advance of your trip. I would recommend John Brierley's 'Pilgrim Guide To The Camino De Santiago (available on Amazon - I actually reviewed the 13th edition on 14th May 2017 under my profile name of Siltone). In addition, there is also a very useful publication entitled 'Pilgrim Tips & Packing List - Camino de Santiago by S.Yates - this is also available on Amazon and I reviewed it on 27th May 2017. Be sure to click the 'Helpful' button if you like either of these book recommendations!

As regards me doing the Camino again, that's a tough question. I had a great time doing it but I generally don't try to 'redo' things. Physically and mentally I'm up for undertaking another Camino but would have to pick a totally different route - maybe via Portugal.

Train times can obviously change throughout the year, so you would be best to check the latest French timetables. One thing I do recall was that I bought my ticket from a machine at Bayonne train station the night BEFORE leaving Bayonne. The machine was in French but I still managed to work out how to purchase a ticket from it using my credit card. My train left around 7.30am the next morning and the station was very busy with commuters - so it was less stressful to have a pre-purchased ticket. I got to St Jean Pied de Port mid-morning and stayed at a local hostel. This meant I had an almost full day to explore the picturesque town itself and walk up and around the citadel. Staying the night in St Jean Pied de Port meant I was refreshed and could get an early start the next day when I walked directly to Roncesvalles.

I hope this information helps you Jo. Walking the Camino is a terrific thing to do and I wish you all the very best. If I can be of any further assistance, don't hesitate to contact me via the Forum.

Happy travelling

Toncho

 

[Jo Rose]

Thank you so much for all this great information! I've purchased the two books you mentioned, plus many others -- I sort of go overboard trying to get a lot of information together before I do something. Joyce Rupp's "Walk In A Relaxed Manner" convinced me that I needed to do this walk before I either got too old or had other issues that would take priority. I'm 71, but I've worked out pretty heavily for the past 30 years, so I feel that I'm in pretty good shape for the journey. I just plan on taking my time -- 33 days is amazing! I'm pretty sure that it will take me several more days (like maybe a week more) than that. I also want to spend some time in a few places so I'll plan on taking an extra day a week to look around and recover!

The train information is great! There is a strike going on in France with train transportation workers and several of the local and international routes have been affected. We were going to take a train from Paris to Bayonne, but were worried about the strike so we are going to fly to Biarritz and take a bus into Bayonne. Hopefully the strike will either be over or the train to St Jean Pied de Port won't be involved.

Thanks for the offer of more info if I need. I'll keep that in mind during the next two months before we leave.

Jo