Travel from UK to SJPP

[GailGwyn]

Hi, can I ask advice from members on the best way to get from UK to SJPP. Not doing El Camino until May 2019 but want to start the research. Thanks

 

[Bradypus]

The UK is quite a big place. You will get different advice if your departure points are Aberdeen or London for example. If you are relatively close to London then a direct flight to Biarritz, a 20 minute local bus ride to Bayonne, then a train to St Jean is very straightforward and can cost less than £50 depending on when you book.

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

Hi, can I ask advice from members on the best way to get from UK to SJPP. Not doing El Camino until May 2019 but want to start the research. Thanks

From where in the UK are you travelling from .??
Wish you well,Peter.

 

[GailGwyn]

From where in the UK are you travelling from .??
Wish you well,Peter.

Hi. Sorry, I should have said .... we'll be flying from either Manchester or Liverpool

 

[Ian Afloat]

I dislike flying...or rather I dislike airports and their proclivity to treat yoi like criminal cattle, so I shall be taking the ttain. Takes about 12 hours door to door from London.

 

[GailGwyn]

Hi. Should have said - we will be flying from either Manchester or Liverpool.

 

[GailGwyn]

I dislike flying...or rather I dislike airports and their proclivity to treat yoi like criminal cattle, so I shall be taking the ttain. Takes about 12 hours door to door from London.

I agree about the airport experience but don't really want to travel to London.

 

[peregrino_tom]

Hey GailGwyn, let's hope they're still letting us in to Europe in 2019.. I have a feeling a lot will happen between now and then, so any current plane schedules might not be so useful at this point!
A couple of ideas: Have you been in touch with Ultreia Mancunia, which is a camino group based up in the North West? You can find them via this discussion or use the search function in the top right corner to find out more about what they are doing and how to contact them. You can also contact them via the CSJ . In the meantime the search function on the forum (top right corner) is pretty handy for reviewing previous discussions about flying options from Liverpool and Madchester.
Cheers, tom

 

[Introibo]

If you have time then travelling by train is a great way to unwind before you start your Camino.
The only drawback as you've said is having to travel through London. I started from the North
of England and decided to make my overnight stay Paris rather than London and enjoyed it.
Massively cheaper as well. The Man in Seat 61 ( www.seat61.com ) has great advice on booking
tickets and places to stay. By the time I reached Irun I was ready for my walk

 

[GailGwyn]

Hey GailGwyn, let's hope they're still letting us in to Europe in 2019.. I have a feeling a lot will happen between now and then, so any current plane schedules might not be so useful at this point!
A couple of ideas: Have you been in touch with Ultreia Mancunia, which is a camino group based up in the North West? You can find them via this discussion or use the search function in the top right corner to find out more about what they are doing and how to contact them. You can also contact them via the CSJ . In the meantime the search function on the forum (top right corner) is pretty handy for reviewing previous discussions about flying options from Liverpool and Madchester.
Cheers, tom

 

[GailGwyn]

Thanks Tom. I'll try Ultrea Mancunia. Never used a forum before so struggling a bit. Apologies if I send things twice.

 

[GailGwyn]

If you have time then travelling by train is a great way to unwind before you start your Camino.
The only drawback as you've said is having to travel through London. I started from the North
of England and decided to make my overnight stay Paris rather than London and enjoyed it.
Massively cheaper as well. The Man in Seat 61 ( www.seat61.com ) has great advice on booking
tickets and places to stay. By the time I reached Irun I was ready for my walk

 

[GailGwyn]

Hi Introibo. The idea of travelling the whole way by train appeals. How long did it take to get to Paris? Also, how long is the train journey from Paris to SJPP? I'll have a look at seat61.com. I've used that site in the past for info, it's very goid. Thank you.

 

[FLEUR]

Fly from Manchester ( possibly LPL as well) to Bordeaux then take bus to train station. Train from there to Bayonne change there for local train to SJPdeP.

 

[GailGwyn]

Fly from Manchester ( possibly LPL as well) to Bordeaux then take bus to train station. Train from there to Bayonne change there for local train to SJPdeP.

 

[GailGwyn]

Hi Fleur, I'll look into this option. Thank you.

 

[FLEUR]

Airport bus from Bordeaux airport will take you to Bordeaux St. Jean railway station. Service I believe is roughly every 30 minutes.

 

[Ian Afloat]

Hi Introibo. The idea of travelling the whole way by train appeals. How long did it take to get to Paris? Also, how long is the train journey from Paris to SJPP? I'll have a look at seat61.com. I've used that site in the past for info, it's very goid. Thank you.

I'm going next Monday. My train departs Paris Montparnasse at 1252, arrives Bayonne at 1646. Train to SJ leaves Bayonne at 1810, arriving 1916, so about 6.5 hours including a 90ish minute wait at Bayonne.

 

[nedspencer]

Hi, can I ask advice from members on the best way to get from UK to SJPP. Not doing El Camino until May 2019 but want to start the research. Thanks

hi

i run the Ultreia mancunia group. if you em-ail me ill' send you details
nedspencer@point-systems.co.uk

 

[GailGwyn]

I'm going next Monday. My train departs Paris Montparnasse at 1252, arrives Bayonne at 1646. Train to SJ leaves Bayonne at 1810, arriving 1916, so about 6.5 hours including a 90ish minute wait at Bayonne.

 

[GailGwyn]

That sounds reasonable then Ian Afloat. Maybe we could fly to Paris and either carry straight on or stay overnight in Paris then catch the train the next day. Are you staying overnight in Paris?

 

[GailGwyn]

hi

i run the Ultreia mancunia group. if you em-ail me ill' send you details
nedspencer@point-systems.co.uk

 

[GailGwyn]

Hi Ned

I've emailed you.

 

[Ian Afloat]

That sounds reasonable then Ian Afloat. Maybe we could fly to Paris and either carry straight on or stay overnight in Paris then catch the train the next day. Are you staying overnight in Paris?

No, getting Eurostar 0700 Monday and then across Paris to make connection.

 

[pjacobi]

Note that the EuroStar experience is a bit different than ordinary trains. It is more like the airport experience with restricted access to platform, baggage X-ray, security screening and passport control.

-Paul

 

[FLEUR]

Last year at Santiago railway station our bags were screened and we were only allowed on to the platform after that. At Irun a similar experience, we waited in a holding area though I don't remember our luggage being screened. Names were checked against a list before we boarded and again on various trains.

 

[hampshire!tim]

As others have done, I want to put in a vote for taking the Eurostar train from London to Paris, change stations via Metro and take TGV to Bayonne. Then normal train to SJPdP.

I have done this on my first camino, and compared to the experience on my 3rd camino of flying to Madrid, then train to Santiago for the Finisterre route, it was much better mental preparation for the journey. Time to relish the journey ahead and enjoy being in foreign climes before the camino. My 2nd camino was Eusotar to PAris, then TGV to Barcelona and then overnight train to Santiago for train to Ferrol for the Ingles.

I am not a train freak, but the contrast with flying and airports is huge, and entirely appropriate for the journey that is the Camino.

Planning my 4th camino to re-do the Frances in October 17 and it will be train again, if at all possible.

Leaving London in morning and arriving in SJPdP in evening is not that much slower than plane, but hugely more enjoyable and enriching culturally and spiritually.

Standard forum disclaimer : each to his own.

 

[whariwharangi]

Ryan Air from Stansted and Easy Jet from Gatwick to Biarritz.

Chronoplus #14 local bus from Biarritz Anglet Airport to Gare Bayonne.

SNCF TER Aquitaine train #62 from Bayonne to SJPdP.

If you arrive too late to catch the last train stay at Bayonne and catch the 0745 train.