return travel to Canada

[elephantears]

I booked a return flight from Vancouver via Paris to Biarritz to walk the Camino Frances this coming Sept/Oct 2015 starting from SJPP. I think I know now how get to SJPP but wondering how to return. Would it be simpler to make my way back to SJPP, stay 1 day then travel back to Biarritz to catch my flight home or just what Margaret suggested , travel to Irun/Hendaya then to Biarritz. Please HELP!.
Thank you,
elephantears

 

[whariwharangi]

Take Renfe train from Santiago (or wherever you finish) to Irun/Hendaye. (Some trains terminate in Hendaye while others terminate in Irun). Then take SNCF train or Transports64 bus from Gare d'Hendaye to Biarritz. The train goes to Gare Biarritz where you catch Chronoplus C bus to the airport. The Transports64 bus makes a stop at Biarritz Airport.

If your Renfe train terminates in Irun, take Euskotren from Colon station to Hendaia station or a taxi for the 3 km cross border transfer.

There is no point in going all the way back to SJPdP. You will pass through important connection hubs where you will have to pass through again on your way to the airport.

If you can cancel the Biarritz section of your trip it will likely be much cheaper to fly return to Paris and then fly on a separate one way flight to Biarritz and then another one way flight from Santiago to Paris (likely via Barcelona or Madrid). Easy Jet and Ryan Air provide low cost one way flights on these routes.

 

[elephantears]

Thank you whariwharangi for the detailed advise, it does make sense to travel back via Irun/Hendaye. If my knees and feet cooperate, I want to walk further on to Muxia (first) then Finisterre and take the bus back to SDC. I am thinking of staying in SDC for 1 day (rest day) before taking the long flight home, is this wise? I think staying in Biarritz would be quite expensive for my budget. Advise please---anyone?
Yes, I wish I could cancel my Paris-Biarritz flight but unfortunately, the penalty is somewhat unreasonable. Perhaps, next time I'll be wiser eh.

 

[GettingThere]

Thank you whariwharangi for the detailed advise, it does make sense to travel back via Irun/Hendaye. If my knees and feet cooperate, I want to walk further on to Muxia (first) then Finisterre and take the bus back to SDC. I am thinking of staying in SDC for 1 day (rest day) before taking the long flight home, is this wise? I think staying in Biarritz would be quite expensive for my budget. Advise please---anyone?
Yes, I wish I could cancel my Paris-Biarritz flight but unfortunately, the penalty is somewhat unreasonable. Perhaps, next time I'll be wiser eh.

I would definitely recommend at least a day in Santiago, if only to rest up before the very long train ride (probably nearly as long as your flight from Paris!). There is a daily train from Santiago to Hendaye, which takes about 11 hours. You get to Hendaye after 9pm and there are then no onward trains until the following morning, so you will either need to stay the night there, or get off the train earlier (eg at San Sebastian), stay there and then continue on to Biarritz the next day (changing at Irun or Hendaye). Either way it's not possible to get from Santiago to Biarritz by train within a single day. It's possible there are late buses which you could take onwards from Hendaye, but you would need to stay somewhere, either there or Biarritz. If you have more time, personally I would break that 11-hour trip somewhere - we stopped overnight at Leon and felt better for it, but then we still had to stop again in Hendaye. Alternatively I think you can take a night train from Santiago that is heading towards Madrid and then change somewhere (in the middle of the night), onto a train heading for Hendaye the next morning. A bit more complicated! The best thing is probably to wait until you are there, or nearly finished your camino, and see what you feel like doing.

Good luck with the planning and buen camino!

 

[whariwharangi]

Thank you whariwharangi for the detailed advise, it does make sense to travel back via Irun/Hendaye. If my knees and feet cooperate, I want to walk further on to Muxia (first) then Finisterre and take the bus back to SDC. I am thinking of staying in SDC for 1 day (rest day) before taking the long flight home, is this wise? I think staying in Biarritz would be quite expensive for my budget. Advise please---anyone?
Yes, I wish I could cancel my Paris-Biarritz flight but unfortunately, the penalty is somewhat unreasonable. Perhaps, next time I'll be wiser eh.

Stay at San Sebastian or perhaps Irun for a night then go on to Biarritz in the AM. As pointed out ... its a long train ride from Santiago to Irun.

PESA and ALSA operate buses from San Sebastian/Donostia Plaza Pio XII to Biarritz Airport.

Euskotren operates trains from San Sebastian Station Amara to Hendaia.

It might work out cheaper and more time efficient if you fly from Santiago to Madrid and onward to San Sebastian. San Sebastian Airport is located 3 km from Irun Renfe Station.

See Aena San Sebastian EAS for airport info.

 

[elephantears]

I would definitely recommend at least a day in Santiago, if only to rest up before the very long train ride (probably nearly as long as your flight from Paris!). There is a daily train from Santiago to Hendaye, which takes about 11 hours. You get to Hendaye after 9pm and there are then no onward trains until the following morning, so you will either need to stay the night there, or get off the train earlier (eg at San Sebastian), stay there and then continue on to Biarritz the next day (changing at Irun or Hendaye). Either way it's not possible to get from Santiago to Biarritz by train within a single day. It's possible there are late buses which you could take onwards from Hendaye, but you would need to stay somewhere, either there or Biarritz. If you have more time, personally I would break that 11-hour trip somewhere - we stopped overnight at Leon and felt better for it, but then we still had to stop again in Hendaye. Alternatively I think you can take a night train from Santiago that is heading towards Madrid and then change somewhere (in the middle of the night), onto a train heading for Hendaye the next morning. A bit more complicated! The best thing is probably to wait until you are there, or nearly finished your camino, and see what you feel like doing.

Good luck with the planning and buen camino!

Thank you Getting There for all the info, it appears quite complicated. I'm not sure of how to handle this situation yet but will definitely stay in SDC before heading back home.

 

[elephantears]

Stay at San Sebastian or perhaps Irun for a night then go on to Biarritz in the AM. As pointed out ... its a long train ride from Santiago to Irun.

PESA and ALSA operate buses from San Sebastian/Donostia Plaza Pio XII to Biarritz Airport.

Euskotren operates trains from San Sebastian Station Amara to Hendaia.

It might work out cheaper and more time efficient if you fly from Santiago to Madrid and onward to San Sebastian. San Sebastian Airport is located 3 km from Irun Renfe Station.

See Aena San Sebastian EAS for airport info.

Again, my thanks for your input. This might be a silly question but please bear with me. Why not fly to Bilbao instead of Madrid? Wouldn't it be closer if one has to take the bus/train? There are cheap flights from SDC to Madrid but Madrid to San Sebastian is quite expensive , am I missing something?

 

[whariwharangi]

Again, my thanks for your input. This might be a silly question but please bear with me. Why not fly to Bilbao instead of Madrid? Wouldn't it be closer if one has to take the bus/train? There are cheap flights from SDC to Madrid but Madrid to San Sebastian is quite expensive , am I missing something?

Sure Bilbao (Loiu) works. The factor to consider is whether its time efficient vs the 11 hour train to Hendaye.

PESA bus from Bilbao/Loiu airport to San Sebastian/Donostia where you transfer to services described previously.

Bilbao airport
http://www.aena.es/csee/Satellite/Aeropuerto-Bilbao/en/

 

[Castilian]

Alternatively I think you can take a night train from Santiago that is heading towards Madrid and then change somewhere (in the middle of the night), onto a train heading for Hendaye the next morning.

The changing point of that option is Medina del Campo. If there aren't delays, the overnight train from Santiago de Compostela (departure at 22:33) arrives to Medina del Campo at 04:50 a.m. and the onward train from Medina del Campo to Hendaye departs at 06:00 a.m. arriving to Hendaye before midday. Overall, this option takes roughly 1 hour 45 minutes than the direct train and saves you a night on accommodation.

Note: the train from Medina del Campo to Hendaye makes a 20 minutes long stop in Medina del Campo because that's the town where the two branches of that train are splitted. In other words, you could get into the train 20 minutes earlier than the scheduled departure.