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First: I'm so excited! We've purchased our flights. We will arrive in Paris on March 16th. And we leave from Paris on April 29th. WE'RE GOING!!!!
Second: I should have researched more first. Getting from Santiago to Paris is seeming more and more complicated. I see flights on Vueling for 120 pounds. Will this be the best that we can do? How far in advance should we book with Vueling if we want to fly from Santiago to Paris? Is there a better way to get to Paris?
Help?
S
. I see flights on Vueling for 120 pounds. Will this be the best that we can do? How far in advance should we book with Vueling if we want to fly from Santiago to Paris?
S
I would encourage all pilgrims to compare several fares: Round trip to Paris; Round Trip to Madrid; Open jaw into Paris and out of Madrid. But to get a good sense of real costs, you have to factor in the cost of getting to and from your starting and ending points to the airport. If you really want to evaluate as many options as possible, you should also check out US to Madrid to Pamplona and return being Santiago to Madrid to US. That has been the cheapest for me in the last few years.
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I had a similiar situation BUT caught myself after some research.First: I'm so excited! We've purchased our flights. We will arrive in Paris on March 16th. And we leave from Paris on April 29th. WE'RE GOING!!!!
Second: I should have researched more first. Getting from Santiago to Paris is seeming more and more complicated. I see flights on Vueling for 120 pounds. Will this be the best that we can do? How far in advance should we book with Vueling if we want to fly from Santiago to Paris? Is there a better way to get to Paris?
Help?
S
You might also look at Air France from Paris to Vigo.... then a 1 hour train rain ride up to Santiago.Thanks so much for your suggestions, everyone! This is extremely helpful.
We bought to/from Paris because it was *much* cheaper from our starting point. We've been keeping an eye on flights over the past year, and this is as good a price as we've seen. In fact, round trip to/from Paris was cheaper than one-way to Paris. Who knows why! A flight into Paris and out of Madrid would have cost us more two and a half times what we paid.
I'm OK with flying Vueling, and 120 pounds is still affordable. I just don't want to leave things to the last minute and end up not getting on a flight. I'm all for taking things day by day on the camino - but I need to make sure that I can get home at the end of it. Ha! Anyway, I'm signing up for the Vueling newsletter and will take a look at all of the options.
Thanks again, so much!
I couldn't sleep last night because I was so excited about booking our flight.
Not only do people have to add in all the costs listed they should include time. Stress. A direct flight means only dealing with security once. Only getting your bag once.
This is exactly what we have been doing over the past years. This year we flew SJO-MAD-OVD and SCQ-MAD-SJO and you can't beat the comfort, if not the cost. Strarting another "Camino" we flew to Pamplona, enjoyed a good look at the city (and caught up with jet lag!) and traveled by bus to Roncesvalles. From there it's a hop over the mountain to SJPP which doesn't cost an arm and a leg (but it's tough to start from)[...]If you really want to evaluate as many options as possible, you should also check out US to Madrid to Pamplona and return being Santiago to Madrid to US. That has been the cheapest for me in the last few years. [...]
Man I feel so cheated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a great tip!You have booked now but think Dublin. Ryanair Dublin to Biarritz €30 to 40. Easy to get to Bayonne and sjpdep. Then book aer lingus Santiago to Dublin again less than €50 . Don't book too early , 3 months or less plenty of time. Good connections to a lot of U S international airports. You also drop down to Guinness Brewery and get your 1st stamp and a free pint. Last time I was in pilgrims office in Santiago the young lady saw my Guinness stamp and wanted to know did I walk from Dublin. Hope this helpful to future pilgrims.
I am baffled often when I read people flying into France and then taking trains, buses, train again, bus/taxis to get to SJPDP when flying transatlantic. I remembered flying into Barcelona and comfortably hopping on a bus to Pamplona (3 hours). Then, a bus ride to SJPDP (1 hour), which dropped us about 100 meters from the Spanish Gate ("start" point). The land transportation was about 30 Euros, took me about 6 hours, all daylight comfortable hours, had plenty time to explored SJPDP. Ever since, I have also used Madrid many times; the ALSA buses leaving from Terminal 4 are beyond convenient!
BTW, I walked Bobadilla del Camino to Fromista with an elderly couple from Ireland who flew Dublin to San Sebastian for 30 Euros each!! So NOT fair!!
We are going into and out of Paris because, like the OP, it is MUCH cheaper than going via Madrid or Barcelona, or going into Paris and out of Spain. I'm talking at least a third of the price, including the trains to and from, etc.
The other reason is that we're meeting my sister and niece in Paris as they'll have spent the week there and then going down to SJPP together.
It is really bizarre how much difference their is in flight prices for fairly comparable distances.
Lallibeans, I couldn't agree more. I think that for North Americans, flights into Madrid are routinely much cheaper than flights into Paris, and for Australia/NZ it seems like the opposite is usually true. Who knows why that is, but being "forced" to go in and out of Paris is not such a huge punishment anyway.
I am in the process of booking my trip and discovered Ryanair flies out of Santiago to Dublin so it is quite possible they fly to Paris. The cost to Dublin was $130. Which was quite good.First: I'm so excited! We've purchased our flights. We will arrive in Paris on March 16th. And we leave from Paris on April 29th. WE'RE GOING!!!!
Second: I should have researched more first. Getting from Santiago to Paris is seeming more and more complicated. I see flights on Vueling for 120 pounds. Will this be the best that we can do? How far in advance should we book with Vueling if we want to fly from Santiago to Paris? Is there a better way to get to Paris?
Help?
S
It is really bizarre how much difference their is in flight prices for fairly comparable distances.
Its a mystery to me that it is always cheaper to buy round trip ticket when flying NA. The European system of one way tickets is much more flexible.
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Hi PIt depends on where in NA that you start from. Cheapest usually is Vancouver to London followed by Vancouver to Paris. I note the OP is from Canada too.
Its a mystery to me that it is always cheaper to buy round trip ticket when flying NA. The European system of one way tickets is much more flexible.
Flights from Vancouver to Madrid invariably involve a stop at London or Paris. Possibly because the flights start in late evening, (plus travel time from where I live to YVR) I am more than ready to get off the plane by the time I get there and am glad I don't have another three hours to Madrid plus airport time. Sitting in a plane is an ordeal.
Maybe next time I'll go to Miami, stay a night, and catch a direct flight from there to Madrid. I'm finding that quibbling over a couple hundred bucks isn't worth it if I have to decompress with jet lag for days.
I am baffled often when I read people flying into France and then taking trains, buses, train again, bus/taxis to get to SJPDP when flying transatlantic. I remembered flying into Barcelona and comfortably hopping on a bus to Pamplona (3 hours). Then, a bus ride to SJPDP (1 hour), which dropped us about 100 meters from the Spanish Gate ("start" point). The land transportation was about 30 Euros, took me about 6 hours, all daylight comfortable hours, had plenty time to explored SJPDP. Ever since, I have also used Madrid many times; the ALSA buses leaving from Terminal 4 are beyond convenient!
BTW, I walked Bobadilla del Camino to Fromista with an elderly couple from Ireland who flew Dublin to San Sebastian for 30 Euros each!! So NOT fair!!
.... I recently read of an inn in Pamplona where you stay overnight, meals, and they drive you early to SJPDP to start your walk, all inclusive. Sounds very convenient.....
I'm reading some nay-sayers here.First: I'm so excited! We've purchased our flights. We will arrive in Paris on March 16th. And we leave from Paris on April 29th. WE'RE GOING!!!!
Second: I should have researched more first. Getting from Santiago to Paris is seeming more and more complicated. I see flights on Vueling for 120 pounds. Will this be the best that we can do? How far in advance should we book with Vueling if we want to fly from Santiago to Paris? Is there a better way to get to Paris?
Help?
S
Ha! Yep, mysterious indeed.Thanks Kathy! Life being what it is…jumping on that ticket was the *best* thing that I could have done. Had I not already bought and paid for the ticket, I probably would have had to cancel my trip altogether. (Bankrupt employer, 2 months of unpaid backpay - luckily the big expenses of my trip are already paid and non-refundable) The world works in mysterious ways!
Thank you! My father and I are walking together. We'll arrive in Paris on March 16, make our way down to SJPP by train at a leisurely pace, and start walking on March 18, weather permitting. We fly from Santiago to Paris on April 27. So that gives us 40 days - a nice round number. I haven't been able to train much, since I've been working crazy hours to try to make up for the two months of pay that I lost. So we'll either take it nice and slow to Santiago, or else stop for a few days somewhere pretty along the way, or else tack on an extra walk to Finisterre or Muxia at the end. We'll take it as it comes! I'm so excited!Ha! Yep, mysterious indeed.
How much of the Camino are you planning to walk (I assume you're going on the Camino Frances)? How much time do you have? It sounds like "spirits" beyond your control are lining up the stars for you and putting everything in place. It's going to be sooooooo good - I'm happy and excited for you.
Thank you! My father and I are walking together. We'll arrive in Paris on March 16, make our way down to SJPP by train at a leisurely pace, and start walking on March 18, weather permitting. We fly from Santiago to Paris on April 27. So that gives us 40 days - a nice round number. I haven't been able to train much, since I've been working crazy hours to try to make up for the two months of pay that I lost. So we'll either take it nice and slow to Santiago, or else stop for a few days somewhere pretty along the way, or else tack on an extra walk to Finisterre or Muxia at the end. We'll take it as it comes! I'm so excited!
Thanks for all of the great advice!FYI, here's my experience in a nutshell:
I took 40 days from SJPdP to Santiago de Campostella (SdC) and I didn't have any time constraints. I did some training but still found the first day across the Pyrenees very difficult. The weather was very bad during that first week, so I know that slowed me down. I hope you have good weather but do not second guess the locals in SJPdP - whatever advice they give you, take it. You don't want your first days on the Camino to be your last (sadly, that actually happens!!!)
I spent an extra day in three towns. If you run short of time, you might want to just keep going. It depends on what you want to get out of your Camino.
I walked every day but you'll find LOTS of discussion on this forum about whether taking public transportation for part of the Camino is "cheating." It would be for me, but I think the general consensus here is that it's up to you - it's your Camino !! You're the only one keeping score.
I walked between 18 - 25 kilometers a day, never less than 18, occasionally more than 25.
I did not participate in "the bed race" (veterans on the forum know what I'm talking about).
I slept late (wow, 0700!) and stayed up late. I didn't mind the snoring (too much) and had no encounters with bed bugs or things being stolen (I was alert). I had beer with lunch and wine with dinner every day and lost 12 pounds.
I met wonderful people who are my friends still and I long to get back on the Camino.
I'm envious of you and your Father.
Buen Camino
Thanks for the advice! I'm planning on buying a pair of nail scissors. I don't think I want to drop one of my warm layers - I really feel the cold - but I'm definitely leaning towards the lighter bag.Saw your packing list. Looks good. I agree with many suggetions from "Kanga."
You might be able to drop one of your warm layers.
I'd go with the lighter pack.
Use hiking poles.
I'd take one or two more pairs of socks in case you run into wet wether and the pair you rinse out in the evening doesn't dry out by the next morning.
I used a baby fingernail scissors much more than I used my pocket knife (the scissors was a suggestion from someone on this forum).
You know your feet better than anyone. Vaseline would have been disasterous for my feet - my feet tend to sweat. I had to keep them as dry as possible (especially with all the rain I encountered), not keep them moisturized.
US credit cards do not necessarily work in Europe - I don't know about Canadian ones. Be aware of exorbitant cash advance charges if your debit cards don't work (there are work-arounds).
Keep everything in waterproof bags.
Take one flashlight.
DEFINITELY use hiking poles. Buy them in Spain if you worry about getting them on and off the plane.
Thanks. Calling the bank is on my "to-do" list.Better to bring an ATM card for cash. I think all the Canadian banks are chip and pin now. The ATM card will provide most of the features in ATMs . Cash obviously but often things like automatic language change. Likely won't work in POS machines. One possible issue is most of the banks charge for ATM use abroad. Best to check with your bank.
I found out that my card works in Spain on its last four digits. Didn't have to change the PIN code.Spanish ATMs will accept only four-digit PINs. If you have a six-digit PIN, change it before you go...
I found out that my card works in Spain on its last four digits. Didn't have to change the PIN code.Spanish ATMs will accept only four-digit PINs. If you have a six-digit PIN, change it before you go...
Yeah, I feel the cold easily also. I used long underwear for pajamas, even in the end of June!Thanks for the advice! I'm planning on buying a pair of nail scissors. I don't think I want to drop one of my warm layers - I really feel the cold - but I'm definitely leaning towards the lighter bag.
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