I need some suggestions please..

Jia79 · Jul 31, 2015

Hello all,
I hope you are all well.
I am hoping you can help me.
I decided to walk the Camino Frances starting on the 1st of september. I booked flights to arrive from Rome to SJPDP and i intended to walk the entire way over 35 days.
Unfortunately due to some personal circumstances i cannot walk the entire route and have to suffice with only a couple of weeks. I thought of doing the Portuguese way but the airline refuses to change my expensive flight tickets from Rome to SJPDP.
Do you have any recommendations as to which part of the route I should do now? Is it possible to get to Ponferrada from SJPDP and walk to Santiago from there?
I would really appreciate any suggestions/replies please.
Many thanks

BethC · Jul 31, 2015

It's convoluted, but you could take the Bourricot Express SJPP to Roncesvalles, then I understand that there's an Artieda bus at 0930 from Roncesvalles to Pamplona every day EXCEPT Sunday. Guess you'd have to overnight somewhere in Roncesvalles? ALSA (Spain's main bus system) has a bus at an awkward time (2200 - 0500) on Fridays and Sundays between Pamplona and Ponferrada, but there are other ways to get there, such as using the Estellesa between Pamplona and Logrono, then LaRioja autobuses Logrono to Santo Domingo de la Calzada, then autobuses Jiminez from Santo Domingo de la Calzada to Burgos and from there use ALSA between Burgos and Ponferrada. That might take up alot of your time, though:0((.

ALSA also runs buses from Pamplona to Madrid and Madrid to Ponferrada, which might make alot more sense.

AZgirl · Jul 31, 2015

If you think you could come again at another time, you could start from sjpp, and walk as far as time allows. Then finish on a separate trip.

Mark Lee · Jul 31, 2015

Walk to Pamplona (when on the Camino you gotta see Pamplona ). From Pamplona take a bus to Ponferrada and walk on in to Santiago.
cheers

whariwharangi · Jul 31, 2015

Jia79 said:
Hello all,
I hope you are all well.
I am hoping you can help me.
I decided to walk the Camino Frances starting on the 1st of september. I booked flights to arrive from Rome to SJPDP and i intended to walk the entire way over 35 days.
Unfortunately due to some personal circumstances i cannot walk the entire route and have to suffice with only a couple of weeks. I thought of doing the Portuguese way but the airline refuses to change my expensive flight tickets from Rome to SJPDP.
Do you have any recommendations as to which part of the route I should do now? Is it possible to get to Ponferrada from SJPDP and walk to Santiago from there?
I would really appreciate any suggestions/replies please.
Many thanks

Si yo fuera tu ... I would start walking in SJPdP and go home when my time was up.

SJPdP does not have an airport.

Where exactly do you arrive?

The closest airport to SJPdP is Biarritz Airport
- take PESA or Conda (ALSA) bus from airport to San Sebastian/Donostia, then take Renfe train from San Sebastian Renfe station to Ponferrada. Train station is across the river from outdoor Bus station.
OR - take Chronoplus bus C to Gare Biarritz then take SNCF train to Irun Renfe station or Gare d'Hendaye, or, take Transports64 #816 bus from Airport to Gare d'Hendaye, then take Euskotren from Hendaye to Irun Colon station, then cross street and take Renfe train from Irun Renfe station to Ponferrada.

Biarritz airport
http://en.biarritz.aeroport.fr/

PESA
http://www.pesa.net/pesa/es/inicio

ALSA
https://www.alsa.es/en/

Chronoplus
http://www.chronoplus.eu/

SNCF
http://www.sncf.com/

Transports64
http://www.transports64.fr/transports-64?lang=fr

Euskotren
http://www.euskotren.eus/es

Renfe
http://www.renfe.com/

Gare d'Hendaye
http://www.gares-sncf.com/fr/gare/fraef/hendaye

Irun Renfe Station
http://www.adif.es/es_ES/infraestructuras/estaciones/11600/informacion_000032.shtml

Jia79 · Jul 31, 2015

Thanks for your prompt replies. I shall look into some of the suggestions.

I am landing at Biarritz and taking a taxi to SJPDP.

If you had two weeks to walk to Santiago, would you walk part of Camino Frances or Camino Portuguese? I know it might sound like a very random question but i thought i would ask anyway.

Thanks again for writing to me xx

NualaOC · Jul 31, 2015

Hi @Jia79.

Given that (a) you are flying to Biarritz and (b) you want to walk to Santiago, IMO the Camino Frances is a better option for you. You could spend a leisurely day getting from Biarritz to Ponferrada using @whariwharangi 's information. It's a 9 or 10 day walk from Ponferrada to Santiago, so you will have plenty of time.

However, as others have suggested, it might be a whole lot easier to just start walking at St Jean and see where you end up.

Best of luck with whatever you decide! Buen Camino.

Deleted member 3000 · Jul 31, 2015

Jia79 said:
If you had two weeks to walk to Santiago

I would walk Leon to Santiago.

Buen camino.

whariwharangi · Jul 31, 2015

Jia79 said:
Thanks for your prompt replies. I shall look into some of the suggestions.

I am landing at Biarritz and taking a taxi to SJPDP.

If you had two weeks to walk to Santiago, would you walk part of Camino Frances or Camino Portuguese? I know it might sound like a very random question but i thought i would ask anyway.

Thanks again for writing to me xx

I have some ability with Spanish and none with Portuguese. So I would walk the Frances.

peregrina2000 · Jul 31, 2015

Hi Jia, Welcome to the forum.

Another option to throw into the mix. Walk to Pamplona. Bus or train to Oviedo. Walk the Camino Primitivo (which is fast becoming a forum favorite and can be walked in 11 or 12 days, or more of course). If that still leaves you with time, you could also consider starting in Leon instead of Oviedo, walking the 3-5 day Salvador to Oviedo and then continuing on the Primitivo. These caminos may require a higher fitness level than the FRances but they are well marked and beautiful. Buen camino, Laurie

waveprof · Jul 31, 2015

Mark Lee said:
Walk to Pamplona (when on the Camino you gotta see Pamplona ). From Pamplona take a bus to Ponferrada and walk on in to Santiago.
cheers

I think this is spot on.

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