My first post and starting Camino Frances in September

[gaulsdog]

Hello everyone and greetings to all my fellow pilgrims.

This is my first post.

I am hoping to start from St Jean Pied de Port sometime in the first week in September .

Is their one or 2 refuge between St Jean Pied de Port and Roncesvalles I can only see a reference to the refuge de Hunnto but I thought I seen another one mentioned one time.

I was hoping to arrive in Bayonne on the overnight train from Paris and start walking when I arrive in St Jean and stop part of the way to Roncesvalles.

I was also wondering if their is a connecting bus service between every main stop.

I must say how wonderfull this web site is I have been following it for about the last 18 months and with the knowledge I have picked up I think I could probaly start walking in the morning with out any thing else.

Thanks for everything

Nickie

 

[WolverineDG]

If you are taking the Route Napoleon out of St Jean, then the only 2 albergues are at Hunto & Orisson. You need to have reservations well in advance as both fill up quickly. If you can't get a reservation, you can try to get to Roncesvalles in one day. Many people do this. If you can't do it in one day, then the alternative is to take the Valcarlos Route. You can stay in Valcarlos. There are 3 hotels & a municipal albergue (which may or may not be open). I stayed at Casa Marcelino & had dinner there as well. The people were nice & my room was clean & comfortable.

If you take the Valcarlos Route, stay on the road. This is remarkably safer to do on the weekends than during the week.

There is bus service between most of the towns that you'll pass through, at least the major ones.

If you want to see the Valcarlos Route, I have my pictures posted on my blog.

:arrow: Buen Camino! :arrow:
Kelly

 

[Eagle]

Camino Francis - Sept

WolverineDG - I will probably see you on the trail. I leave from Roncesvalles on Sept 7th. I will be the tall guy looking really tired.... Buen Camino

 

[jl]

Hi Eagle - I will be leaving Roncevalles around the same time as you too. I have a rough plan that I will be leaving there on 6th Sept, but as I will be coming from Le Puy there needs to be a certain degree of flexibility in this date. We will be the 2 middle aged Australian woman - one with a yellow pack the other with a black and red one!! Buen Camino Janet

(and no doubt looking very tired at that stage!!!!)

 

[WolverineDG]

Eagle & Janet, if all goes according to plan, I will be picking up the trail where I left off in May. Since I won't be starting until mid-September at the earliest, we'll probably see each other along the way. I'll be starting at Logrono & walking to Leon, Astorga if I pick up the pace while in the meseta.

Kelly

 

[Minkey]

DG, it's worth a trip to Astorga if you can. Lovely place with a lovely private refugio near the cathedral.

 

[Eagle]

Ready To Go

Janet et al -

I will be spending the last night before the trail in a real hotel in Pamplona getting over jet lag. The next day (6 Sept) I will go to the monestary in Roncesvalles to get credentials and spend the night before starting off on the 7th - at least that's the plan which means nothing usually. I hope to finish on the 10th Oct but it really isn't important - I have time. I spent 4 months on the Appalachian Trail in '03. This will be different but in some ways very much the same. See you on the trail.

Buen Camino, Bill (tall blond middle aged quiet guy with no distinguishable markings...)

 

[WolverineDG]

Hey Minkey! I'm aiming for Astorga, but if I can't get there this go-round, I'll catch it the next time. If I end in Leon, I'll start in Leon in May to finish off my Compostela.

Eagle, depending upon how fast you go & when I get to Logrono from home, we might be on the trail together. I plan to go about 25km/day. As time gets closer, I'll post my schedule on my blog. And we all know how successful that was in May.

Kelly--doing the Camino on the installment plan

 

[Minkey]

How long have ya got?

 

[Minkey]

I reckon it's about 13 days from Logrono to Astorga

 

[WolverineDG]

That's about what I have, plus an additional 3-4 days for travel to/from Spain. I only want to go 25k/day, but I'll probably do more on the meseta.

Kelly

 

[Nellas]

I am starting from St Jean Pied de Port September 6th and hope to walk to Roncesvalles that day, perhaps I will meet some of you on the way?

 

[Minkey]

DG, I think the 13 day thing is about as standard as you'll get!

Be wary of the 37km day from El Burgo Ranero to Leon...