Rail Europe Help

[BeWillDeR]

I have finally gotten most of my planning done for my impending journey to Europe.

I will be leaving on august 1st from Vancouver Int. And arriving in Paris the next day August 2nd.

I'm spending the night in paris and I really want to take the train from
CDG to SJPDP.
I am running into trouble booking tickets to SJPDP for some reason. I am assuming that maybe the tickets are sold out. But the site really doesnt say.
If it is sold out I have a back up plan to take a plane from cdg to biq, but still trains are not allowing be too book a train ride from BIQ to SJPDP. So I either have to take a bus, taxi, find another way.

Any advice?

 

[mspath]

I have finally gotten most of my planning done for my impending journey to Europe.

I will be leaving on august 1st from Vancouver Int. And arriving in Paris the next day August 2nd.

I'm spending the night in paris and I really want to take the train from
CDG to SJPDP.
I am running into trouble booking tickets to SJPDP for some reason. I am assuming that maybe the tickets are sold out. But the site really doesnt say.
If it is sold out I have a back up plan to take a plane from cdg to biq, but still trains are not allowing be too book a train ride from BIQ to SJPDP. So I either have to take a bus, taxi, find another way.

Any advice?

Why leave from CDG by train since you are spending the night before your train journey in Paris ? You could leave directly from Paris Gare/Montparnasse to Bayonne on a SNCF TGV train.

From Bayonne to SJPdP the route usually is by local TER train which due to a landslide is now being replaced by a bus ie autocar which leaves from the Bayonne railroad station. Same price; same time as the TER trains. Check schedules at Voyages-SNCF.com

Bon Voyage and Buen Camino,

Margaret Meredith

 

[efdoucette]

If leaving from CDG you must search 2 links, one from CDG to Bayonne and the 2nd from Bayonne to St Jean Pied de Port. For some reason the website won't find CDG to St Jean PdP, too many connections maybe.
And you don't need much time to make connections in Bayonne.

 

[BeWillDeR]

I just tried to find a ticket on the second train from bayonne to St Jean, but it still would not go through any ideas??

 

[Tio Timo]

The app "voyages-sncf" seems to work better than the website.

 

[mspath]

It may be because

1.at the moment there is a train strike in France and all is quite hectic

and

2.due to a recent landslide buses (autocars) are substituted for all trains between Bayonne and SJPdP. Same price and time as the trains. This bus service departs from the Bayonne railroad station will probably continue until October. Why not wait to buy this ticket when you arrive in Bayonne?

MM

 

[BeWillDeR]

Ok. That explains the problem booking trains to SJPDP. The bus now seems like a good option. Are there any sites I can look into to so that I can book ahead, I like to have my stuff handled before I go. Less stress. Another question I looked up plane and train rides to bayonne difference is. Plane flight is $130 and train ticket would be 146. The time frames getting in bayonne are better with train rides where if I arrive in bayonne by 7 or 7:30pm.
My question is is it better to get into St Jean early or if I arrive later will I still be able to find accommodation?

 

[mspath]

Ok. That explains the problem booking trains to SJPDP. The bus now seems like a good option. Are there any sites I can look into to so that I can book ahead, I like to have my stuff handled before I go. Less stress. Another question I looked up plane and train rides to bayonne difference is. Plane flight is $130 and train ticket would be 146. The time frames getting in bayonne are better with train rides where if I arrive in bayonne by 7 or 7:30pm.
My question is is it better to get into St Jean early or if I arrive later will I still be able to find accommodation?

The substitute bus is run via the train station; you buy your ticket at the train station for the substitute bus. There is no special web site for the substitute bus.

The earlier you get to SJPdP the easier it will be to find accommodation. In Saint-Jean go to the Pilgrim Office of the Amis du Chemin de Saint Jacques at 39 rue de la Citadelle . Their telephone is 05 59 37 05 09. They can provide you with a Credential and on site lodging assistance; they keep up to the minute lists of available space throughout the SJPdP area.

MM

 

[whariwharangi]

SNCF provides train service in France. Don't let the site direct you to another site such as rail europe. If it asks where you are answer 'France'. The site gives problems for booking from Paris to SJPdP. Purchase and reserve a ticket from Paris to Bayonne then purchase another ticket for the leg from Bayonne to SJPdP. Same issue if you try to take the train from Gare Biarritz to Gare Bayonne (though you are better off taking #14 bus from BIQ to Gare Bayonne).

The service from Gare Bayonne to SJPdP is SNCF TER and no reservation is possible. TER tickets are good for 90 days. Most days the last train (or bus) leaves Bayonne at 1806.

Your best choice of train station in Paris area is TGV Massey because trains from Paris Gare Montparnasse and CDG pass through Massey so there is more frequent service. The TGV Massey station is located next to the RER B Massey station.

SNCF
http://www.sncf.com/

SNCF TER Aquitaine
http://www.ter-sncf.com/Regions/Aquitaine/Fr/Default.aspx

Paris Transit Network
http://www.ratp.fr/plan-interactif/carteidf.php?lang=uk

Paris RER/Metro route planner - SNCF Transilien
http://www.transilien.com/itineraire/rechercheitineraire/init

 

[DurhamParish]

I did this journey back on April 29th and May 1st. Flew into CDG and took an afternoon train from there to Bayonne (transferring at Bordeaux). I had purchased that ticket on the SNCF site (printed on my home computer/printer). The next morning I took the bus from the GARE Bayonne parking lot to SJPDP. You will purchase that ticket inside the GARE at a machine. Don't wait until the last minute to get that ticket unless you speak (or at least read) French, since the machine doesn't support other languages. Fortunately for me ( and also for the other people in the GARE who would have been subject to all of the foul language ) there was a delightful young lady pilgrim from Canada who helped me with purchasing my ticket.

 

[indyinmaine]

Ok. That explains the problem booking trains to SJPDP. The bus now seems like a good option. Are there any sites I can look into to so that I can book ahead, I like to have my stuff handled before I go. Less stress. Another question I looked up plane and train rides to bayonne difference is. Plane flight is $130 and train ticket would be 146. The time frames getting in bayonne are better with train rides where if I arrive in bayonne by 7 or 7:30pm.
My question is is it better to get into St Jean early or if I arrive later will I still be able to find accommodation?

Don't forget Caroline at expressbourricot! If the train is on strike you many times have to wait longer for the bus. Caroline's schedule is always on time!

 

[BeWillDeR]

Unfortunately expressbourricot doesnt run sundays I arrive by train in bayonne sunday at 4:30pm. I will look into taking a bus to sjpdp. Snfc still wont show train fare for bayonne to sjpdp I did everything to check. Thank you all for the advice it has been great help

 

[petitewalker]

Unfortunately expressbourricot doesnt run sundays I arrive by train in bayonne sunday at 4:30pm. I will look into taking a bus to sjpdp. Snfc still wont show train fare for bayonne to sjpdp I did everything to check. Thank you all for the advice it has been great help

Last week when I checked ot the site, I was able to get fares from Bayonne to SJPP, however I was only looking and this week the site is not working. So my best guess is it is because of the strike. Keep trying..that's what I'm gonna do. I believe it was something like 12E.

 

[whariwharangi]

Unfortunately expressbourricot doesnt run sundays I arrive by train in bayonne sunday at 4:30pm. I will look into taking a bus to sjpdp. Snfc still wont show train fare for bayonne to sjpdp I did everything to check. Thank you all for the advice it has been great help

Wait till the strike is over. If SNCF isn't running you'll have to wait till Monday.

Transport64 buses leave from Gare Bayonne to St Palais (#811) and St Palais to SJPdP.(#810). This service does not run Sunday.
http://www.transports64.fr/transports-64?lang=fr

 

[BeWillDeR]

Wow not on Sunday?!
I really hope that the strike is over before my august camino....

 

[mspath]

There are always taxis at the Bayonne Gare SNCF. In all probability there will be other pilgrims also arriving on your train; spot them by their backpack. If all else fails group together and hire a taxi to SJPdP. Be sure to ask the price before you board the taxi.

MM

 

[DurhamParish]

For me, on May 1st, the fare from Bayonne to St. Jean Pied de Port was 9.80 Euro.

 

[BeWillDeR]

9.80 euro using taxi to get to sjpdp? ?

 

[Kanga]

For anyone who gets stuck in Pau, don't forget you can walk from there along the Arles route - and it is spectacularly beautiful.

 

[mspath]

9.80 euro using taxi to get to sjpdp? ?

No. 9.80 euros using local train or substitute bus.

 

[BeWillDeR]

Ohhhh hopefully the trains will be operational by then because im arriving in bayonne on a sunday and the buses dont run on sunday from what I have read.