If anyone can help me...

[DLPappalardo]

I am seriously considering this journey on the Camino Frances in the Spring of 2010. I am from the United States and was wondering where I should fly into? I will be going to the bookstore to get books on the subject and my cousin did this about 4 years ago. I will be having dinner with her on Sunday evening and hope to gain some knowledge about it. She was living in Brussels when she did it so her starting point will be different from mine. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[WolverineDG]

Where you fly into depends on where you are starting. Most fly to Madrid & then travel by air, bus, or train to their starting points in Spain.

If you plan to start in St. Jean, then you can fly into Madrid, London, or Paris, then make your way to Biarritz, then Bayonne, for the train to SJP.

Kelly

 

[Caminamos]

We are flying from Australia into Paris and then taking the train down to St Jean Pied de Port; it saved a lot of strange backtracking through Spain and also gives us a good excuse to fill up on guilt-free pain au chocolate, knowing we'll be walking it off again! Good luck with your plans.
(The last time we walked the camino, by the way, we flew London to Biarritz on cheap airline Ryanair, and then took the train from there to St Jean. Also a good option, but it doesn't make much sense for you unless you need to go to London!)

 

[DLPappalardo]

I wonder the degree of difficulty if first going to Italy? I'm ALWAYS up for a trip that allows me to eat my way through that wonderful country! Has anyone out there ever done the Camino from Italy? What would the route be from, say, Milano? I originally thought I'd fly into Paris. Is the transport to Bayonne fairly easy from there?

 

[anniethenurse]

I wonder the degree of difficulty if first going to Italy? I'm ALWAYS up for a trip that allows me to eat my way through that wonderful country! Has anyone out there ever done the Camino from Italy? What would the route be from, say, Milano? I originally thought I'd fly into Paris. Is the transport to Bayonne fairly easy from there?

You want to take a train from Milano to Bayonne?
Not difficult, really. Takes longer time than from Paris (from Paris to Bayonne 6- 8 hours, from Milano with a change in Nice to Bayonne about 16- 18 hours). There is a night train available.

http://www.tgv.com
annie
buen camino

 

[brooke]

If you are starting in Spain you can follow my path:

I am flying into Bilbao. If you have never been to Bilbao, you owe it to yourself to stay there a few days. Beautiful town, great architecture, Guggenhiem, bridges just for walking, Metro to the sea, great bookstores and restaurants and a wonderful old town area. Then I am bussing to Pamplona and Roncesvalles to start my walk on the downhill side - help the knees last for the full month.

Details:
- Luthansa, $750 RT, from San Francisco.
- Staying at the Albergue Bilbao Aterpetxeo.
... Its an International Youth Hostel, clean and wonderful.
... 21 euros a night for a double - I believe that I will have it to myself.
... Located just up the hill from the Guggenhiem.
- Alsa bus to Pamplona. It leaves many times a day
- Autocares Artiedabus to Roncesvalles.
Pick up your passport in Bilbao, Pamplona or Roncesvalles.

Brooke