Two Aussies doing our first Camino

[carmie o]

Hola to all
We are two wise women from Darwin Australia who are planning to start our Camino from St JPPP to Santiago on Aug 25. We are allowing 5 weeks. Anticipating the experience is exciting as we pound the walking paths, find the lightest equipment and continue our Spanish classes.
There is a wealth of information on this site which has been sooo helpful. Thanks to you all

But there are a couple of questions to help with our planning... We fly into Paris at 9.45am. Having cleared immigration and customs, will there be enough time to get to Gare Montparnasse to catch the 12.15pm TGV to Bayonne and then onto St JPPP. OR should we take it slow, given jetlag etc and settle for the 15.15 TGV, overnight in Bayonne and travel to St JPPP the next day?
What is the best (as in time wise, value for money) transport to travel to Gare Montparnasse from CGD?

Gracias
Carmie

 

[KiwiNomad06]

Carmie.... I would opt for the slow version.... less stress when you are already jetlagged. Maybe I have been unlucky, but I have twice experienced really slow progress through immigration etc at CDG. They only seemed to have two desks open for passport control, and everyone, including EU citizens, had to wait in the long queues. Then when some people had visas that were being queried, the queue waited even longer. It took at least two hours to get through the terminal. Then on one of those occasions there were delays with the RER for getting into the city as well. All was well in the end, but it wasn't exactly a quick passage through CDG..... it isn't the most efficient airport in the world!

Personally I would take the RER then metro to get to Montparnasse though I know others prefer bus. You take RER B then at Gare du Nord you can change to Line 4 in the direction of Porte d'Orleans. (There might be quicker changes but the small metro map I have is small for my eyes these days :shock: )
Margaret

 

[sillydoll]

If you need to stay over in Bayonne, walk out of the station and look left across the parking lot. There you will see the Hotel Paris Madrid which is run by Patrick and Sylvie Sorbois. Nothing fancy but clean and friendly, they speak English and it is very close to the train station - less than 50 meters.
Next day, take a bus or train to St Jean - Bus timetable to St Jean here:
http://www2.ter-sncf.com/Images/Bayonne ... -21351.pdf

 

[jl]

I am a bit contrary to others on this forum, (and a nervous traveller to boot!) but I always like to get to where I am going then stay for 2 nights to allow me to get over jet lag, and then I start walking. Coming from Adelaide into Paris I get there earlier than you, but the first time I went I was heading for Toulouse. I caught the train to Bordeaux from the TGV station at Charles de Gaulles and then onto where I was going - why don't you explore that option? There were TGV's leaving Roissy about every 1 1/2hrs or so, and it might be quite easy for you to change to Bayonne and then to St Jean and from there you could have a relaxing day, a sleep in and then be ready to start after a couple of good night's sleep. I would also consider just going to Hunto or to Orrison that first night, partly because of the jet lag. Although you will be used to the heat and the humidty (parts of France in late July can be both!) it could still be quite a tough walk that first day.

Enjoy your preparations. Cheers, Janet

 

[colinPeter]

Hi Carmie,
Another option is get the "shuttle" from CDG to Orly, fly air france to Biarritz (BIQ), short bus ride to hotel, and your in Bayonne for your evening meal, good night sleep and SJPP the next day.
Helen & I will be doing that in a couple of weeks. However, we'll stay an extra day in SJPP to sort out any jetlag. I think it's less travel time this way, but I must admit I do love a train trip.
Buen Camino
Col

 

[carmie o]

Thanks Margaret... mmmm so it is the same for arrivals...I had a similar experience when departing from CDG two years ago.
Sil I have already booked a bed with Sylvie and thanks for the t/table to St JPP
Janet we will be taking it slowly even tho we live in the tropics and will check out other routes to Bayonne
Col we are doing our bit for the environment travelling by train and what a way to see the country. Have a great Camino
Cheers
Carmie

 

[KiwiNomad06]

I am a bit contrary to others on this forum, (and a nervous traveller to boot!) but I always like to get to where I am going then stay for 2 nights to allow me to get over jet lag, and then I start walking. Cheers, Janet

No Janet, you are not the only contrary one! I know that for some people time is an issue. But I prefer to take at least four days to get over jetlag from our part of the world, with 10-12 timezones to cross depending on where daylight saving is at!!! Even then, I know I am still feeling awfully groggy, so I have learned to have some ideas ready at hand for when my brain still feels upside-down. Last year I spent four days in Paris while I adjusted. One of those days I went exploring some of the places in Paris where the pilgrims passed on their route through the city - I got ideas for this from Peter Robins on one of his postings. Another day I had a real treat that had nothing to do with the Camino, and took the train to Auvers-sur-Oise, which is where Vincent van Gogh lived in his months with his brother.
I think if I started crossing the Pyrenees in the jetlagged state I usually arrive in Europe in, I would be wanting a nap, and be fodder for the vultures over the Pyrenees as someone else described in a recent posting!!
Margaret

 

[Anonymous]

Utterly agree with that - though have never suffered from jetlag myself (I don't fly) I have friends who have - verrrr strange.
Four days? Interesting choice as most city folk only allow themselves one - or two max. I read somewhere that if you take a malaria sufferer to the far side of the world they then have their fevers in the mornings and it takes them four days to start having their fevers in the evening again so I think that you are spot-on - at least four days ...what a connected person you are but - crikey! - life is so fast now isn't it.

But if you have that time ... to get out of the north and wander southern France - what fun, what wine, what food, what people, what Cathars, .. though utterly freezing cold in July/Aug - only about 30-38 degrees in a good summer - which is the Antartic for someone from Darwin I think .... :wink:

 

[carmie o]

We are wiser women because of this forum and appreciate your advice friends.
Yes crossing so many time zones when we live 'down under' does take its toll and it doesn't matter what local time your watch says
We plan to have 2 days in St JP and have already booked a night at Orisson after the steep climb, It is something we are unaccustomed to in Darwin, unless you take the 8 flights of stairs at the hospital.
Darwin is bathed in sunshine for most of the year but it is the high humidity for a few months before the rains come, that is the killer. So the weather dictates our slow pace at this time. We know about SLOW

Chao
Carmie

 

[Rose Louise]

Carmie

unless you take the 8 flights of stairs at the hospital.

I suggest you take those eight flights of stairs as often as possible during your training regime. Coming from a very flat part of rural NSW it was the climbs that slowed our progress and we were only on the Camino Portugues for six days.

Buen Camino to you and your friends. Rose Louise