Walkers in July--Travel Buddies

[Helen Jane Bass]

Hello all!

I'll be starting my first Camino this July (2016) and am looking for a travel buddy to get to the trail head from Paris.

I'll arrive in Paris on the night of July 14th and plan to leave for a town near SJDP (possibly Bordeaux) on the night of July 15th or the morning of July 16th, and from there will head to SJDP to stay for the night of July 16th. I will start walking on the Camino on the morning of July 17th.

Anyone else leaving Paris for SJDP during this time? I'm also open to suggestions for traveling (cheaply!) from veteran walkers.

Un saludo,
Helen Jane

 

[Falcon]

Good time to be in Paris Jane
I'm starting Astorga July 7th

 

[Mark Lee]

In 2013 I flew in to Paris CDG and arrived in the early evening and ended up spending the night at a hostel near the airport. The next morning I took the train from CDG airport station down to Bayonne and then the train from there to SJPdP. It was an all day trip and I got to SJPdP very late.
I think Air France flies from CDG to Biarritz/Bayonne, and from there you can take the train or bus to SJPdP. Also I think there is an airline that flies from CDG to Bourdeaux and from there you can train down to Bayonne and then get to SJPdP.
You can also fly cheaply from CDG to Madrid on Vueling Airlines and then take the bus from Madrid airport to Pamplona and then from there to SJPdP.
cheers and ultreia

 

[mspath]

Hi Mark Lee,

In your helpful post above you mention a " hostel near the airport ". Might you cite the name, town and price, please; such info could be very useful for future pilgrims planning on staying near CDG.

Margaret Meredith

 

[Helen Jane Bass]

In 2013 I flew in to Paris CDG and arrived in the early evening and ended up spending the night at a hostel near the airport. The next morning I took the train from CDG airport station down to Bayonne and then the train from there to SJPdP. It was an all day trip and I got to SJPdP very late.
I think Air France flies from CDG to Biarritz/Bayonne, and from there you can take the train or bus to SJPdP. Also I think there is an airline that flies from CDG to Bourdeaux and from there you can train down to Bayonne and then get to SJPdP.
You can also fly cheaply from CDG to Madrid on Vueling Airlines and then take the bus from Madrid airport to Pamplona and then from there to SJPdP.
cheers and ultreia

Hi Mark,

Do you happen to remember the names of the bus/train companies you traveled with? Would you take this route again?

Will check out the flights, thanks for the advice!

 

[Helen Jane Bass]

Good time to be in Paris Jane
I'm starting Astorga July 7th

Sounds like we may be on the route at the same time, just at different points!

 

[Mark Lee]

Hi Mark,

Do you happen to remember the names of the bus/train companies you traveled with? Would you take this route again?

Will check out the flights, thanks for the advice!

I do not remember the train line I rode from CDG airport down to Bayonne. I got my ticket that morning at the station in the airport, and I do remember it was a bit expensive.
The bus line I have taken from Madrid airport was ALSA (https://www.alsa.es/en/). I made my reservations through them beforehand online. I thought it was fairly inexpensive and you board them right outside the terminal at the airport in Madrid. It was pretty easy.
Personally if I were to fly in to Paris CDG again to walk the Camino I would not get to SJPdP again by train. I would fly to Madrid on Vueling and take the ALSA buses to SJPdP. Also I would fly back to Paris CDG from Santiago on Vueling. That's what I did on my first Camino.
No matter what route you take from Paris, it's going to take up a whole day to get to SJPdP. I just like the flying because it's the simplest, and sometimes the least expensive. Definitely the quickest.
cheers and ultreia

 

[Mark Lee]

Hi Mark Lee,

In your helpful post above you mention a " hostel near the airport ". Might you cite the name, town and price, please; such info could be very useful for future pilgrims planning on staying near CDG.

Margaret Meredith

The name of the hostel/hotel is Hotel F1 Roissy Pn2, Roissy. I made reservations with them online prior. There are several travel sites such as booking.com and tripadvisor that list it. Easy to locate on the net.
Pretty basic accommodations, clean, wi-fi, breakfast available, etc. I think I paid about $40.00 US for the night. There was a free shuttle from CDG to the hostel/hotel and in the morning I took the free shuttle back to CDG. All in all exactly what I was looking for, and I stayed there again on my way back when I flew from Santiago to Paris CDG as my flight to Dubai wasn't until the next morning.

 

[mspath]

Thanks for your update!

 

[Debliss]

I'll be walking in July as well.

I plan on starting on 18/19 July from León.

Buen Camino!!

 

[Falcon]

I'll be walking in July as well.

I plan on starting on 18/19 July from León.

Buen Camino!!

you'll no doubt catch me up, I'm taking it easy

 

[Helen Jane Bass]

I do not remember the train line I rode from CDG airport down to Bayonne. I got my ticket that morning at the station in the airport, and I do remember it was a bit expensive.
The bus line I have taken from Madrid airport was ALSA (https://www.alsa.es/en/). I made my reservations through them beforehand online. I thought it was fairly inexpensive and you board them right outside the terminal at the airport in Madrid. It was pretty easy.
Personally if I were to fly in to Paris CDG again to walk the Camino I would not get to SJPdP again by train. I would fly to Madrid on Vueling and take the ALSA buses to SJPdP. Also I would fly back to Paris CDG from Santiago on Vueling. That's what I did on my first Camino.
No matter what route you take from Paris, it's going to take up a whole day to get to SJPdP. I just like the flying because it's the simplest, and sometimes the least expensive. Definitely the quickest.
cheers and ultreia

Mark, thanks for the advice. It looks like some of the Vueling flights get down to $50 if nabbed at the right time!

 

[Helen Jane Bass]

I'll be walking in July as well.

I plan on starting on 18/19 July from León.

Buen Camino!!

Same to you!

 

[whariwharangi]

1. SNCF train from Paris ... either of CDG 2 or Paris Montparnasse to Bayonne via Bordeaux and Dax.

Then SNCF TER Aquitaine train from Bayonne to SJPdP.

2. Easy Jet or Air France HOP from CDG to Biarritz. If you stay at Paris for a night it might work out better to take Air France HOP from ORLY to Biarritz. You'll want a flight that gets to Biarritz in time to catch the last train from Bayonne to SJPdP.

Then Chronoplus bus #14 to Gare Bayonne and SNCF train to SJPdP.

Paris Airports CDG and ORLY
http://www.parisaeroport.fr/en

Paris Interactive transit map including RER and Metro
http://www.ratp.fr/plan-interactif/

Le Bus Direct airport bus
http://en.lebusdirect.com/

SNCF train
http://www.sncf.com/en/passengers

Biarritz BIQ Airport
http://biarritz.aeroport.fr/en/

Chronoplus Bayonne/Anglet/Biarritz urban bus
http://www.chronoplus.eu/

SNCF TER (you can use SNCF site too)
http://www.ter.sncf.com/aquitaine/depliant/recherche

 

[Helen Jane Bass]

1. SNCF train from Paris ... either of CDG 2 or Paris Montparnasse to Bayonne via Bordeaux and Dax.

Then SNCF TER Aquitaine train from Bayonne to SJPdP.

2. Easy Jet or Air France HOP from CDG to Biarritz. If you stay at Paris for a night it might work out better to take Air France HOP from ORLY to Biarritz. You'll want a flight that gets to Biarritz in time to catch the last train from Bayonne to SJPdP.

Then Chronoplus bus #14 to Gare Bayonne and SNCF train to SJPdP.

Paris Airports CDG and ORLY
http://www.parisaeroport.fr/en

Paris Interactive transit map including RER and Metro
http://www.ratp.fr/plan-interactif/

Le Bus Direct airport bus
http://en.lebusdirect.com/

SNCF train
http://www.sncf.com/en/passengers

Biarritz BIQ Airport
http://biarritz.aeroport.fr/en/

Chronoplus Bayonne/Anglet/Biarritz urban bus
http://www.chronoplus.eu/

SNCF TER (you can use SNCF site too)
http://www.ter.sncf.com/aquitaine/depliant/recherche

Thank you for all of the resources! The interactive map of Paris will definitely come in handy

 

[Mark Lee]

Looks like I'll be doing it again. Arrive in SJPdP on the 14th, reservations at Gite Azkorria albergue and stepping off and on to Roncesvalles and SDC the next morning.
If I see any of y'all on the Way, beer on me. I'll be the Americano with the light grey backpack and black and orange New Balance trail runners.
cheers and ultreia

 

[AcrossTheWater3008]

Hi

Looks like quite a few of us are walking in/ around mid July... I get to SJPDP on 12/7/16 and have reservation at Orrisson for 14/7/16... great! I was worried I would be alone on the Pyrenees like a lost sheep! So glad quite a few of us will be starting from SJPDP!

Buen Camino!

 

[Mark Lee]

Hi

Looks like quite a few of us are walking in/ around mid July... I get to SJPDP on 12/7/16 and have reservation at Orrisson for 14/7/16... great! I was worried I would be alone on the Pyrenees like a lost sheep! So glad quite a few of us will be starting from SJPDP!

Buen Camino!

Believe me, this forum only represents a tiny percentage of pilgrims past and present and future pilgrims. I would say 99.9999% of pilgrims don't know this forum exists.
You will see lots of pilgrims in mid July. No way will you be alone, and after a few days you will probably wish there weren't so many pilgrims, ha ha.

 

[AcrossTheWater3008]

Believe me, this forum only represents a tiny percentage of pilgrims past and present and future pilgrims. I would say 99.9999% of pilgrims don't know this forum exists.
You will see lots of pilgrims in mid July. No way will you be alone, and after a few days you will probably wish there weren't so many pilgrims, ha ha.

Quite agree with you... it's good to know that some pilgrims from the forum will be walking too and will be fun to spot some forum faces ! Nahhhh.... I just hope there wont be any jostle and pushing and, certainly no bed races as only booked up to Formista..! I am in no hurry to get back to the UK, if I finish earlier will be a bonus to get to Finisterra and Muxia... if not, I only hope I can finish the walk.

Buen Camino

 

[Falcon]

I did it

 

[AcrossTheWater3008]

I did it

Hey

Many congratulations! Love the smiley pic!!