tickets booked for april !!

[andywild]

i fly to barritz april 17th and hope to start my camino on 18th.. not sure how im getting to sjdpd but im hoping there is somewhere to stay on the night of the 17th (hmm, or i could stay in biarritz until the morning) if anyone is having similar thoughts give me a shout and we can be perplexed together !!

 

[David]

Exciting!! Enjoy every single moment, the good and the bad. Plenty of room in St Jean in April, just pop into the pilgrim office and say hi.
Buen Camino!

 

[adam lapp]

From Biaritz, it's easy to get to saint jean. Either cab or train to Bayonne (10 min) and from Bayonne the train is about an hour. There are plenty of albergues in SJ, I stayed at Gite Ultreia my first camino and would recommend. However, if you are able to get to SJ around 2-3pm, I'd recommend hiking up to Orisson. I did this on my second camino and made for a much easier hike into roncevalles. It's about 3-4 hours.

 

[andywild]

I land at 5pm.. should be out of airport by 6 so wouldn't be able to get to sjpdp until about 8pm ish. Will I still be ok finding a bed?

 

[adam lapp]

Hmm, yeah getting there at 8pm would require you to probably make a reservation, which you can do online for most places, eg. https://www.ultreia64.fr/en/reservation-novaresa/. But on the other hand, it may make sense just to stay the night in Bayonne and get the first train out which looks like 7:42am. You'll be a little behind the crowd that is starting at SJPDP or Orrison, but in April I would think the Roncevalles albergue won't be 100% full. Plus, it looks like the last train is at 6:12, so it would be a tight window for you. The Biaritz airport is super small, so easy to get out...and cabs are right outside...so you could try to make the 6:12, and it you don't, just stay in Bayonne.

 

[Glenshiro]

Hello, Andywild, and welcome to the Camino.

I take it you are flying with Ryanair from London Stansted with a scheduled arrival time of 16:55? Even if your flight arrives on schedule that will not leave you enough time to clear immigration, collect any checked luggage, and find the bus to Bayonne railway station in time to buy a ticket and catch the last train to SJPP at 18:12. (I speak from experience!)

As adam lapp reports, there is a train leaving Bayonne at 07:42 on 18 April, arriving at SJPP 08:40, giving you plenty of time, assuming you are reasonably fit, to reach Roncesvalles that day. There are a number of cheap hotels and restaurants close to Bayonne railway station. Have a great trip.

 

[andywild]

I guess if I can't find people to share a taxi then I'm having a night in Bayonne then I've booked orisson for the 18th because I guessed there may be issues landing so late on the 17th and would be getting a late start. I'll have a look online and see if I can find a b&b in Bayonne for 17th and have a leisurely start to my Camino thank you for the heads up

 

[Iriebabel]

i fly to barritz april 17th and hope to start my camino on 18th.. not sure how im getting to sjdpd but im hoping there is somewhere to stay on the night of the 17th (hmm, or i could stay in biarritz until the morning) if anyone is having similar thoughts give me a shout and we can be perplexed together !!

. Tickets booked last night also definately starting on 1 Apr. 2 nights in barcelona 1 night in Pamplona (train) 1 night in SJDPP (Hope bus or taxi if someone wantsa to share )

 

[Kate Allenger]

i fly to barritz april 17th and hope to start my camino on 18th.. not sure how im getting to sjdpd but im hoping there is somewhere to stay on the night of the 17th (hmm, or i could stay in biarritz until the morning) if anyone is having similar thoughts give me a shout and we can be perplexed together !!

Hi There! I'm starting my walk in late August this year (can't wait). I'm flying into Biarritz from Stansted and I'm going to stay the night there. Express Bourricot, a taxi company, who also transport bags on the camino are going to pick me up from my hotel the next day and I'm sharing the taxi to SJPDP. I'll stay the night there and then start my walk early the next morning.

 

[Kanga]

@Iriebabel, no need to catch a taxi from Pamplona to SJPDP - there are buses - they depart from Pamplona bus station. Here's a screen shot of the Alsa buses available on 1 April from Pamplona to SJPDP. As you can see, there is a bus at 14:30 and another at 17:30. The trip takes 1 hour and 45 minutes, the cost is 22 euros.

 

[Iriebabel]

Thank you @Kanga I will check out their website. After reading multiple posts on the forum I decided to take the bus. Can’t miss any part of the Camino experience . I will be staying in Pamplona on 30 March. SJDPP 31March . I begin walking on 1April .

Just a FYI I posted some information from an email I received from Orisson (https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/info-on-reservations-in-orisson-1-april.53198/) . They said to call them the day before to determine if they will be open .

 

[Blossom S]

From Biaritz, it's easy to get to saint jean. Either cab or train to Bayonne (10 min) and from Bayonne the train is about an hour. There are plenty of albergues in SJ, I stayed at Gite Ultreia my first camino and would recommend. However, if you are able to get to SJ around 2-3pm, I'd recommend hiking up to Orisson. I did this on my second camino and made for a much easier hike into roncevalles. It's about 3-4 hours.

If you arrived at Orisson afternoon, where did you stay? I was told there is only one aubergue in Orisson.

 

[adam lapp]

There are two run by the same people. Kayola and Orrison. You can reserve a bed I advance at both through their website.

 

[Blossom S]

There are two run by the same people. Kayola and Orrison. You can reserve a bed I advance at both through their website.

I,m thinking Kayola. Do you know how good it is compared to the one in Orrison? Thanks

 

[adam lapp]

It's basic with like 10 beds, fridge, and small kitchen. Nice enough. Orisson is known for the communal meal, which you wouldn't get at Kayola. If staying at Kayola, I recommend grabbing some food in SJPDP to cook with, or Orisson is only 500 meters farther, so you could order a sandwich and soup there for dinner.

 

[Blossom S]

It's basic with like 10 beds, fridge, and small kitchen. Nice enough. Orisson is known for the communal meal, which you wouldn't get at Kayola. If staying at Kayola, I recommend grabbing some food in SJPDP to cook with, or Orisson is only 500 meters farther, so you could order a sandwich and soup there for dinner.

Thank you very much

 

[Lucy Keenan]

i fly to barritz april 17th and hope to start my camino on 18th.. not sure how im getting to sjdpd but im hoping there is somewhere to stay on the night of the 17th (hmm, or i could stay in biarritz until the morning) if anyone is having similar thoughts give me a shout and we can be perplexed together !!

Hiya. I am flying into Biarritz on the 24th April. Taking a bus into Bayonne and staying there that evening as I will probably miss the last train to SJPdP. Will take the train the next day and stay in St Jean that night, then start early the following morning (26th April).

 

[andywild]

I booked a place in Bayonne for a night. It wasn't expensive. Plus then I booked orisson so I don't have to spend a night in sjpdp.. just train in and then short (ish) walk to orisson the same day..

 

[Blossom S]

It’s good idea. Can you get a pilgrim passport in Bayonne?

 

[John Hawke]

I booked a place in Bayonne for a night. It wasn't expensive. Plus then I booked orisson so I don't have to spend a night in sjpdp.. just train in and then short (ish) walk to orisson the same day..

I too will be staying in Orisson the night of the 18th
Buen Camino

 

[andywild]

It’s good idea. Can you get a pilgrim passport in Bayonne?

No idea but I get train from Bayonne to sjpdp at 7am on 18th so could get one there before I head off to orisson.. as it happens I should already have one anyway as I am buying the guide book from Ivar and the is a passport included