USA Boston to SJP

[Jim Thompson]

I am traveling from USA (Boston) ,which is the best airport to fly into to start my Camino in SJP?

 

[jburr3708]

The easiest would be Flight Boston to Paris, train Paris to Bayonne and then train to SJPDP

 

[Dennis D]

Welcome to the Forum.

I like the Madrid airport. There is a bus station right at the airport. I take the bus to Pamplona. (Five hours with one easy bus transfer). You have many options to get to SJPdP from there.

Others prefer to fly to Paris and take trains from there. I assume others will soon be telling you what they do to get started.

Taking good care of your feet will help you to enjoy this amazing Camino experience,

Buen Camino

 

[TaijiPilgrim]

You have lots of options. If budget is the main concern, both Icelandair, WOW airlines, and Aer Lingus fly from Logan airport. Icelandair and WOW fly to Paris via Rekyjavik and AerLingus via Dublin to Paris. In Paris, you can take trains to St. Jean or fly to Biarritz or Bordeaux and then train or bus or Bourricot Express shuttle. If flying AerLingus, you also have the ability to take RyanAir to Biarritz. If getting to St. Jean with the least amount of hassle is the main concern, consider flying Iberia airlines from Logan. Some pilgrims fly direct to Madrid and then take a train or bus to Pamplona and then a bus to St. Jean. I flew to Pamplona via Madrid, which probably cost less than taking train or bus. Instead of taking the bus to St. Jean, I arranged with the albergue Corazon Puro to pick me up at the Pamplona bus station. They took me to the albergue in Biskarret (on the way to St. Jean) where I stayed in a private room with supper and breakfast. After breakfast they drove me to St. Jean, and I was beginning my camino by 9am, well rested. In 2015 this arrangement with Corazon Puro cost 43euro, a bargain in my mind. By the way if you have definite travel dates, consider booking a multi-city or open jaw ticket that allows you to fly into one city but home through another. Currently the 3 budget airlines are advertising great prices to Paris in the fall. Buen camino from Massachusetts!

 

[TaijiPilgrim]

More information. Yes, you can also take the train to Bayonne from Paris and then Bourricot or train to St. Jean. Regarding open jaw flights, I do not think you can do this with Icelandair and WOW because they fly in and out of Paris, not Spain. You might be able to with Aer Lingus, which has had a seasonal route from Santiago de Compostela to Dublin in the past. However, I do not know if and when that route is flying this fall. I think Ryan Air also flies from Santiago to Dublin for connecting back to Boston. With Iberia you can book a multi-city ticket. In 2011 I flew into Pamplona from Boston and out of Santiago to Boston. Of course, the flights did go via Madrid. To see your possibilities, try using the Rome2Rio website.

 

[Castilian]

To get to SJPP, the easiest would to fly to Paris or Madrid and take overland transport from those hubs. Your travel date might make a bit of a difference because buses from Pamplona to SJPP are just seasonal but there are ways to get overland year-round from Madrid to SJPP without going through Pamplona.

On the way back, to fly out of Madrid is easier than out of Paris.

If Iberia prices' aren't sky-rocket, you might consider an open-jaw ticket outbound Boston-Pamplona (or Biarritz if Iberia is still flying to Biarritz on your travel date); inbound Santiago de Compostela-Boston. Both routes would involve a change of planes in Madrid.

If you don't bother the hassle of making separate bookings and changing airlines and airports along the route. You may look for the cheapest return flight available to London. Making a separate booking for a one-way flight from London to Biarritz with Ryanair (read carefully beforehand their terms and conditions to know how much will really cost the flight for you and to avoid surprises once on the ground). On the way back, look for a one-way flight from A Coruña airport (code: LCG) to London with Vueling.

Be aware that any option involving two (or more) separate bookings means that if you miss your second flight due to a late arrival of your first flight (or due to whatever other reason), you'll have to look for alternative transport on the spot at your own expenses and it won't be cheap.

Regarding open jaw flights, I do not think you can do this with Icelandair and WOW because they fly in and out of Paris, not Spain.

WOW flies to Spain year-round but it isn't practical because it doesn't fly to any airport close to Santiago de Compostela. And they don't sell open-jaw tickets anyway although you could get two separate one-way tickets. Icelandair flies seasonally to Spain and if they were (still) flying to Madrid on Jim Thompson's travel dates, it might be an option to consider.

 

[whariwharangi]

Factors:

a. Closest Airport to SJPdP is Biarritz.

b. The closest airport to SJPdP in Spain is San Sebastian, which is 3 km from Irun/Hendaye border crossing and rail service provided by SNCF and Renfe.

c. SJPdP has SNCF train/bus service to Bayonne.

d. SJPdP has seasonal CONDA (ALSA) bus service to Pamplona.

e. There is Transports64 Regional bus service from SJPdP to Pau. Pau has a regional airport.

f. Consider how you will get home from Santiago.

A. If I were traveling from Biarritz to SJPdP I would:

a. Take Chronoplus bus 14 from Biarritz airport to Gare Bayonne.

b. Take SNCF TER 62 train/autocar service from Bayonne to SJPdP.

B. If I were traveling to SJPdP by way of Paris (or Bordeaux) I would:

a. Determine if it was cost effective and time effective to fly from Paris to Biarritz. Time effective means arriving in time to catch a train from Bayonne to SJPdP on the same day. (Allow 4 - 5 hours to transfer from CDG flight arrival to Orly flight departure)

b. If arriving at CDG and taking the train is the better option ... take the train from CDG 2 to Bayonne if the schedule is viable.

c. If CDG 2 schedule doesn't work ... Take RER B train to St Michel and transfer to the Metro. Take the line 4 Metro to Montparnasse. Then board the TGV train originating from Montparnasse to Bayonne. There is more frequent service from Montparnasse.

d. If arriving at Orly ... take the Orly Val train to station Antony and RER train to Massy. Take TGV from Massy to Bayonne.

C. If I were traveling to SJPdP by way of Madrid I would:

a. Take the Metro (from either T1T2T3 or from t4) or Renfe Cercanias (from T4) to Puerta Atocha and take a Renfe train to Pamplona.

b. Or ALSA provides bus service from Madrid T4 airport to Pamplona via Soria or Zaragosa. Bus service is slower than the train however it runs frequently, is cheaper, and requires no knowledge of Madrid transportation systems.

c. CONDA provides (seasonal) bus service to SJPdP - See ALSA schedule - from the Pamplona bus station.

d. I would consider a flight from Madrid to either Pamplona or San Sebastian.

D. If I were traveling to SJPdP by way of London (Dublin would work too) I would:

a. Tranfer from arrival airport (Probably Heathrow or Gatwick) by National Express bus to either Stansted (Ryan air has flights to Biarritz all year) or Gatwick (Easy Jet has summer flights to Biarritz).

b. Fly from Stansted or Gatwick (or Dublin) to Biarritz France.

c. Take SNCF train and bus service to SJPdP.

E. If I were traveling to SJPdP by way of Barcelona I would:

a. Take Barcelona Cercanias to Barcelona Sants station.

b. Take either Renfe train or ViBasa (Monbus) bus from Barcelona Sants to Pamplona.

c. Take CONDA bus from Pamplona to SJPdP.

d. I would consider a flight from Barcelona to San Sebastian.

F. If I were traveling to SJPdP by way of Bilbao I would:

a. Take PESA bus from Bilbao (Loiu) airport to San Sebastian.

b. Take PESA or ALSA bus from San Sebastian to Bayonne. ALSA buses go to Gare Bayonne (TGV Bayonne)

c. Take SNCF train and bus service from Bayonne to SJPdP.

G. If I were traveling to SJPdP by way of Lisboa (or Porto) I would:

a. Take CP overnight train from Lisboa to Hendaye France.

b. Take SNCF train from Hendaye to Bayonne.

c. Take SNCF TER 62 service to SJPdP.

These are but a few of the options.

Regardless of whichever city you choose to arrive in ... it will take a full day of travel to get to SJPdP.

 

[Jim Thompson]

The easiest would be Flight Boston to Paris, train Paris to Bayonne and then train to SJPDP

Thanks I'll check this out!

 

[Jim Thompson]

More information. Yes, you can also take the train to Bayonne from Paris and then Bourricot or train to St. Jean. Regarding open jaw flights, I do not think you can do this with Icelandair and WOW because they fly in and out of Paris, not Spain. You might be able to with Aer Lingus, which has had a seasonal route from Santiago de Compostela to Dublin in the past. However, I do not know if and when that route is flying this fall. I think Ryan Air also flies from Santiago to Dublin for connecting back to Boston. With Iberia you can book a multi-city ticket. In 2011 I flew into Pamplona from Boston and out of Santiago to Boston. Of course, the flights did go via Madrid. To see your possibilities, try using the Rome2Rio website.

Thank you for the great info ,I'll start digging in!

 

[Jim Thompson]

Welcome to the Forum.

I like the Madrid airport. There is a bus station right at the airport. I take the bus to Pamplona. (Five hours with one easy bus transfer). You have many options to get to SJPdP from there.

Others prefer to fly to Paris and take trains from there. I assume others will soon be telling you what they do to get started.

Taking good care of your feet will help you to enjoy this anazing Camino experience,

Buen Camino

Thanks Dennis! I'm leaning toward Madrid, works for my budget

 

[Debora]

I traveled from Pittsburgh PA to Dublin Ireland. Dublin has a straight flight to Biarritz on RyanAir (carried on backpack). We ordered a Taxi from Express Bourricot which drove us straight into SJPDP (about 30 min).
Here is the website:
http://www.expressbourricot.com/en.html
We stayed at Beilari hostel in SJPDP which provided a very nice start to the Camino because we met and made connections with 20 pilgrims that night...some of which lasted the entire Camino (and to this day).