Planes, trains and automobiles...

[amocatnerak]

...or "Is this trip going to happen?"

I thought (silly me!) that my plans were all good since I was effectively going to be arriving in France before the train strikes.

However, France seems to have some other ideas for me. Now Air France is striking tomorrow (3/30) and my flight is canceled!

That means I won't make my train trip from Paris to SJPdP and have to lose my stop-over in Bayonne.

The nice lady at Air France customer care has booked me on the next overnight flight (3/31) and I have secured passage (another AF flight!) from Paris to Biarritz (who needs a train ride anyway??) but now I have to find transport from Biarritz to SJPdP. Hopefully I can make it to Gite Makila on Sunday night or I will lose that reservation too. Yikes.

Thankfully I purchased travel insurance, so I can get these things reimbursed but .....geez, what a hassle.

Anyone else going to be affected by the Air France strike?

Nerak

 

[KinkyOne]

What time are you coming to Biarritz, Karen?

 

[amocatnerak]

My flight arrives at 545pm.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

We fly in to CDG on May 31. The trains are "supposed" to be running both to Le Puy and going back to the airport when we end in Moissac as our travel dates are not officially "blackout" dates for the train strike, but I am still wondering if everything will go as planned...keeping my fingers crossed, so to speak.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

My flight arrives at 545pm.

Contact Express Bouricott. They will pick you and other scheduled passengers up at the airport for the drive down to SJPdP. You will be there in plenty of time for check-in.

https://www.expressbourricot.com/contact-and-booking/

 

[amocatnerak]

I contacted Express Bourricot, all full.

I contacted Biarritz Airport Transfers, all full.

 

[VNwalking]

@amocatnerak , if you are truly stuck and there's no way to get up to SJPP, all is not lost. You can walk directly to Pamplona from Bayonne on the Baztanes. It's a little longer than from SJPP, 5 days rather than 3 or 4. But it's stellar walking. You get the first stamp at the cathedral n Bayonne. And if you need a place to stay in Bayonne, the Hotel de la Gare is nice and good value - and right across the street from the station.

 

[KinkyOne]

My flight arrives at 545pm.

If you really want/have to be in SJPdP today (Apr 30th) and your landing time is 05:45pm then I suggest you find some pilgrims and share the taxi.

 

[amocatnerak]

Haha! Not flying today... Air France strike canceled my flight. I am flying tomorrow, overnight, and get to CDG on 4/1 and my flight to BIQ is 4/1 and lands at 1745. I have a reservation in SJPdP 4/1 and my plan was to start walking 4/2. I really wish I could get the extra day back... but oh well.

Looks like taxi share or private car hire will be my best bet. Luckily for me this trip was booked on points so I do have some extra funds I can use in case of emergencies!!

 

[KinkyOne]

Haha! Not flying today... Air France strike canceled my flight. I am flying tomorrow, overnight, and get to CDG on 4/1 and my flight to BIQ is 4/1 and lands at 1745. I have a reservation in SJPdP 4/1 and my plan was to start walking 4/2. I really wish I could get the extra day back... but oh well.

Looks like taxi share or private car hire will be my best bet. Luckily for me this trip was booked on points so I do have some extra funds I can use in case of emergencies!!

You can post taxi share in this thread:
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...-share-thread-biarritz-bayonne-to-sjpp.52040/

Buen Camino!

 

[Glenshiro]

There is a replacement bus service to SPPdP, as the railway line is temporarily (?) closed due to subsidence. You will be in plenty of time for the last bus - timetable here.

 

[amocatnerak]

After all of these flight changes/reservation cancellations/re-bookings from yesterday, now Air France is telling me that they canceled my reservation CDG-BIQ and put me on a flight from Orly to BIQ which gets in even later, not to mention forcing me to change airports! Plus, now I have to cancel or amend my car hire or get a hotel in Biarritz for the night, which means cancelling my reservation in SJPdP.

I get the feeling that maybe this (Camino) was not meant to happen.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

After all of these flight changes/reservation cancellations/re-bookings from yesterday, now Air France is telling me that they canceled my reservation CDG-BIQ and put me on a flight from Orly to BIQ which gets in even later, not to mention forcing me to change airports! Plus, now I have to cancel or amend my car hire or get a hotel in Biarritz for the night, which means cancelling my reservation in SJPdP.

I get the feeling that maybe this (Camino) was not meant to happen.

Are you certain that you have to cancel your reservation in SJPdP? This may not be the case for you, but a lot of times an email notification that you are arriving later than planned, even late at night, will be understood by the proprietor or manager and allow you to keep your booking. I've had to do this and it worked out fine in my instance.

 

[GettingThere]

After all of these flight changes/reservation cancellations/re-bookings from yesterday, now Air France is telling me that they canceled my reservation CDG-BIQ and put me on a flight from Orly to BIQ which gets in even later, not to mention forcing me to change airports! Plus, now I have to cancel or amend my car hire or get a hotel in Biarritz for the night, which means cancelling my reservation in SJPdP.

I get the feeling that maybe this (Camino) was not meant to happen.

Nooooo @amocatnerak don't let this beat you! The last bus from Bayonne to St Jean (replacing the train) departs at 9.10pm on Sunday, so you may be able to catch that, or adjust your car hire time. Accommodation providers in St Jean are used to pilgrims arriving on the last train, so I'm sure if you contact them with a later arrival time that will be fine. Good luck - your Camino has of course already begun!