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I've done it a few times Mack. I've done it from Sydney through Paris three times, and Madrid twice and once through Barcelona. I find the easiest, quickest and cheapest, is through Madrid. It's a less busy airport than Paris, and accommodation and land transport is cheaper in Madrid than Paris. There are even buses direct from Madrid airport to Pamplona, and from there a local bus to SJPDP.
Emirates or Qantas to Madrid via Dubai is my preferred option - good connections and less time in the air.
I'm thinking flying to Paris (CDG), getting the fast train from CDG to Bayonne and then another train to SJPdP
Thanks for your reply. Since Qantas do not go through Dubai anymore I had checked Emirates but their price was more than the others. Qantas to Madrid go Singapore - Heathrow - Madrid.
Your comment on land transport helps me and thank you for that.
Mack, I have just returned from my Camino and I flew Singapore Airlines to Paris. via Singapore. On arrival in Paris I took the Le Bus transfer from the airport which dropped me at Montparnasse train station for my trip to Bayonne. I booked my train ticket with plenty of time between. Took the direct train 3 hours, once in Bayonne I only had 30 minutes to wait for the lovely train to St Jean. I found this was great, no hassle but a long day. Prices were fantastic on Singapore Airlines when I booked.
Looked at all options and this was the best deal at the time. I had two nights in St Jean before I started to walk, I’m glad I did as I loved my time before my Camino commenced.
Singapore Airlines fly directly to Paris, stopping at Singapore on the way. I always go with the least number of connections as well as cost. From Paris, catch the TGV, then smaller train to SJPDP. There is a TGV from the CDG airport, or catch it in Paris and stay close to Montparnasse station.
This is the scenario I was coming to. Thanks for your input again. I had been told you can get the fast train to Bayonne from the airport station at CDG. Do you know if that is so? How far in time is it to the station you went to? I will book train tickets from here.
My plan is to have two nights in SJPdP to get over jet lag.
Mack, for the dates I was travelling the train from CDG did not suit and had a couple of stops and didn’t connect to St Jean. When I researched it was much easier to get to Montparnasse station and get the direct train. I have been to Paris before and just caught the train into the city but decided that after my long flight it would be less hassle just catching the Le Bus directly outside the airport and it dropped me in front of the Montparnasse station. I allowed about four hours from arrival in CDG to the train just in case of delays. Just grabbed some lunch at the station. You would have to check the schedules, you can not book until 3 months before.This is the scenario I was coming to. Thanks for your input again. I had been told you can get the fast train to Bayonne from the airport station at CDG. Do you know if that is so? How far in time is it to the station you went to? I will book train tickets from here.
My plan is to have two nights in SJPdP to get over jet lag.
Mack, for the dates I was travelling the train from CDG did not suit and had a couple of stops and didn’t connect to St Jean. When I researched it was much easier to get to Montparnasse station and get the direct train. I have been to Paris before and just caught the train into the city but decided that after my long flight it would be less hassle just catching the Le Bus directly outside the airport and it dropped me in front of the Montparnasse station. I allowed about four hours from arrival in CDG to the train just in case of delays. Just grabbed some lunch at the station. You would have to check the schedules, you can not book until 3 months before.
Gumba, the Le Bus departs directly outside after immigration and baggage claim and takes you directly to Montparnasse Station with a stop at Gare de Lyon also. You get to see some of Paris on the way. They have different routes so you can also get it into the city or other stations. My reason was that I would have had to catch the RER from the airport then change to the metro to get to the station. Even though I have done this before I decided it would be better for me to have no hassles on arrival. Check out lebus direct website. You did say you were thinking of having a couple of nights in a Paris before your Camino so the train maybe a better option. The train from the airport is great but you may need to change trains and get on a metro to your destination.Kazza can you please tell me more about Le Bus v catching a train in? thanks
So who paid for the guest house Heda - you or Korean Air?I posted this in an earlier thread titled Travelling to sjpdp from Sydney.
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/travelling-to-sjpdp-from-sydney.51169/#post-560743
There may be other relevant posts in the thread.
I have flown to Paris via Hong Kong, train from airport to Bayonne, train/bus to SJPdP.
This year I flew to Madrid via Seoul (can recommend Korean Airlines and an overnight stopever in Seoul), bus from airport to Pamplona, bus to SJPdP.
Both routes work fine. The Madrid option was cheaper and I loved the super long 19 hour layover in Seoul. I spent the night at a great little guesthouse close to airport that did airport transfers.
Buen camino.
I paid but my airfare was a super cheap bargain fare that I bought really early. I believe the normal Korean airfare covers accommodation but at a far posher place than my friendly little Incheon Happy Place Guesthouse.So who paid for the guest house Heda - you or Korean Air?
Hola HedaI paid but my airfare was a super cheap bargain fare that I bought really early. I believe the normal Korean airfare covers accommodation but at a far posher place than my friendly little Incheon Happy Place Guesthouse.
sSx-B:safari-N:XX-S:bo-U:XX-H:s;sid=273c3cf4652a532ef472d5b689c32cba;dist=0&sb_price_type=total&type=total&
Did speak to a couple of aussies in the immigration queue who told me they always travel via Seoul because of the easy stopover and their hotel was included.
As for me I prefer the simple more authentic experience in a guesthouse but each to his own.
Mind you I love Hong Kong too and also Singapore. And all three airlines, Korean, Cathay and Singapore are very good airlines as are their airports. Though Incheon in Seoul has been voted best airport in the world for 12 years in a row. It is fairly amazing...free showers, chaise lounges for transit passengers and free city tours!
Edit: On reflection I need to add that it’s quite a long flight from Seoul to Madrid. Do your homework.
Any chance of posting a link @Alan Pearce ? When I looked this morning on the Korean Air website it came up with a price of over $5,000 which seemed a bit steep!
I was responding to HedaP and comparing prices plus making the point that ticket prices vary based on the time of year. I was also highlighting the fact that October is the month for sales. Last, I referenced the Qatar flight as this airline was mentioned up-post.I'm not interested in the Qatar option. I'm interested in the Korean one.
Good Morning Kanga!Any chance of posting a link @Alan Pearce ? When I looked this morning on the Korean Air website it came up with a price of over $5,000 which seemed a bit steep!
Hi HedaJust in case anyone is interested, I added a one night stopover in Seoul on the way home as well as the 19 hour layover on the way to Madrid. It was more like a self imposed long layover rather than a stopover and it only added about $100 to the airfare. I’m way too old to do 24 hour flights these days.
Plus, based on what @Alan Pearce has said, I’ve been wondering if I WAS entitled to a free 5 star hotel stay on the way to Madrid and webjet didn’t let me know? Hmmmm I shall keep this in mind for next time.
Hello Mack. We flew Emirates to Paris in March last year via Singapore and Dubai prior to commencing our Camino in StJPdP. We stayed four days in Paris as we'd never been to Paris previously. We then took the TGV fast train to Bayonne but unfortunately our connecting train from Bayonne to StJPdP was cancelled due to a train strike. We only found that out when we arrived in Bayonne as the strike did not affect the TGV trains. We then took a bus to StJPdP arriving at app the same time the train should have. The problem was trying to find where the bus left from. The porters (or whatever they're called) at the Bayonne train station gave us incorrect bus advice which would have had us taking a bus leaving four hours later than we eventually did.
At the time we chose Emirates as we'd used them before and we were very happy with how we were looked after..... and there was very little difference between airline prices from Australia (we flew out of Brisbane) at that time.
My brother is flying to Rome early next year with Qatar Airlines. He does a fair bit of research before he travels and found Qatar Airlines have a very good reputation and their prices were considerably lower than Emirates/Qantas or Etihad. In the end, shopping around you should be able to get some good deals.
Buen Camino.
I leave in 2 weeks. Fly Singapore Airlines Brisbane to Paris CDG. Get in on a Sunday morning 7am. Couldn't get trains to work without a long wait. So getting the bus across to Orly, and flying to Biarritz at noon with Air France. Will taxi over to Bayonne hotel. Should be there by 3pm Sunday afternoon. Train to SJPP next morning.
Hi , I did my first Camino in May 2017 . We flew Emirates out of sydney to Barcelona, and stayed for 2 nights in a lovely hostel to rest up after the flight . Then a train to Pamploma , and a bus to St Jean . I can't remember the exact times , but we left Barcelona early am and were in to SJPDP by early afternoon. Have thrown out the tickets but I think I paid maybe under $100 Aus for the train and bus . A very pleasant journey .I'd welcome any advice from those who have travelled travelled from Sydney to St Jean Pied de Port as to the best (including quickest) way to travel there.
I'm thinking flying to Paris (CDG), getting the fast train from CDG to Bayonne and then another train to SJPdP. Or is going to Madrid and then train better?
Or any other suggestion?
Whilst at it any particular airline recommended? The Paris route I can do with Cathay Pacific but if Qantas or BA it will take me through Heathrow to Paris. Same applies if going to Madrid.
Cost is also a factor. I'm planning to leave Sydney 10 April to arrive in St Jean late on the 11th and leave there to start my Camino on the morning of 13th.
I'd welcome any advice from those who have travelled travelled from Sydney to St Jean Pied de Port as to the best (including quickest) way to travel there.
I'm thinking flying to Paris (CDG), getting the fast train from CDG to Bayonne and then another train to SJPdP. Or is going to Madrid and then train better?
Or any other suggestion?
Whilst at it any particular airline recommended? The Paris route I can do with Cathay Pacific but if Qantas or BA it will take me through Heathrow to Paris. Same applies if going to Madrid.
Cost is also a factor. I'm planning to leave Sydney 10 April to arrive in St Jean late on the 11th and leave there to start my Camino on the morning of 13th.
Hi Mack I haven't done this flight before but I'm flying out on 5th April from Sydney flying with Qantas to Singapore then Air France to Paris (this worked out the cheapest and fitted our timing better at the time we booked a few months ago). Was planning on taking the train from CDG to SJP but have looked at busing into Montparnesse and getting the train from there. Looking at the other replies I think this will be the way we go. We arrive in CDG at 6.05am which should give us enough time to get the bus into Paris and get on the train. Makes for a long day but we are spending an extra day in SJP before we start the camino.I'd welcome any advice from those who have travelled travelled from Sydney to St Jean Pied de Port as to the best (including quickest) way to travel there.
I'm thinking flying to Paris (CDG), getting the fast train from CDG to Bayonne and then another train to SJPdP. Or is going to Madrid and then train better?
Or any other suggestion?
Whilst at it any particular airline recommended? The Paris route I can do with Cathay Pacific but if Qantas or BA it will take me through Heathrow to Paris. Same applies if going to Madrid.
Cost is also a factor. I'm planning to leave Sydney 10 April to arrive in St Jean late on the 11th and leave there to start my Camino on the morning of 13th.
Thanks for the info Kazza57 I've been a bit undecided about which way to go, direct from CDG or bus in Montparnesse and train from there. Your info has helped.Gumba, the Le Bus departs directly outside after immigration and baggage claim and takes you directly to Montparnasse Station with a stop at Gare de Lyon also. You get to see some of Paris on the way. They have different routes so you can also get it into the city or other stations. My reason was that I would have had to catch the RER from the airport then change to the metro to get to the station. Even though I have done this before I decided it would be better for me to have no hassles on arrival. Check out lebus direct website. You did say you were thinking of having a couple of nights in a Paris before your Camino so the train maybe a better option. The train from the airport is great but you may need to change trains and get on a metro to your destination.
Has anyone travelling via Qatar had a stopover and if so where did you stay and was it OK for a single woman who drinks beer?
@HedaP I'm wondering about a stopover in Qatar requiring a stamp in my passport - will it cause problems later if transiting through one of the other gulf states? In particular transiting through Dubai or Abu Dhabi? See this extract from the UK government website giving advice on local laws and customs:
"The UAE authorities announced on 7 June 2017 that showing sympathy for Qatar on social media or by any other means of communication is an offence. Offenders could be imprisoned and subject to a substantial fine."
This specific law is obviously not referring to travelling to Qatar, it is under some sanctions, as I understand it.
I'd welcome any advice from those who have travelled travelled from Sydney to St Jean Pied de Port as to the best (including quickest) way to travel there.
I'm thinking flying to Paris (CDG), getting the fast train from CDG to Bayonne and then another train to SJPdP. Or is going to Madrid and then train better?
Or any other suggestion?
Whilst at it any particular airline recommended? The Paris route I can do with Cathay Pacific but if Qantas or BA it will take me through Heathrow to Paris. Same applies if going to Madrid.
Cost is also a factor. I'm planning to leave Sydney 10 April to arrive in St Jean late on the 11th and leave there to start my Camino on the morning of 13th.
I did last year what you are thinking of: Flew on SQ SYD to CDG via SIN, fast train to Bayonne and then slow train to SJdeP. It worked fine for me, admittedly I also wanted first to visit my daughter in Paris. However, you do get into SJdeP rather late, not ideal if you are leaving next day with an early start and want to get all the way to Roncesvalles. I stayed a day in SJdeP for that reason, and then found there wasn't really enough to do there to fill a whole day! If you are stopping at Orisson (with a booking essential) then you don't need the early start.
I recently purchased tickets for our mid-March camino - Melb-Paris through Qatar Airways, stopping at Dosa. Have not flown with them before but have had great reviews and the tickets were far cheaper than Qantas and Emirates. We are departing from Madrid so I know they service this airport. We are spending a few days in Paris before getting the train down to SJPDP. Happy planning!
Hi Mack, have you thought about staying at Orisson on the way up the Pyrenees? I stayed there in September and had a fabulous time. For me it was one of the highlights of the Camino. Met lots of people who became very important to me on this journey. It broke the trip to Roncesvalles and was a wonderful walk the following day. You would have to prebook Orisson as it is very popular. No early start from St Jean if you take this option.
Mack, you will still be a pilgrim no matter what - everyone does their own Camino. I stayed in a couple of Albergues with people with CPAP machines and they didn’t cause any problems. In fact I quite liked the gentle sound they made.Yes I thought about this but I'm signing up with CaminoWays who organise my accommodation and luggage etc.. The downside of this is a set timetable and I understand Orisson does not take their bookings, otherwise I would do this. For me the advantage of how I'm doing it is that accommodation is taken care of (in standard accommodation with ensuite in most places). At my age I value my privacy and as I require a CPAP lugging a backpack of all my needs would be too onerous.
But I will still think I'm a pilgrim just not roughing it as much as most!
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