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Walking from Bayonne to SJPdP

Fernie

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino Frances, September - October 2014
I've read numerous posts on this excellent forum regarding how to get from Bayonne to SJPdP with train, bus, taxi and so on. However, I cannot find any information about walking the distance. I mean, I'm already walking across freaking Spain, so I figure why not walk to SJPdP?

Is this a bad idea? Is there any suitable accommodation on the way?
 
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I've read numerous posts on this excellent forum regarding how to get from Bayonne to SJPdP with train, bus, taxi and so on. However, I cannot find any information about walking the distance. I mean, I'm already walking across freaking Spain, so I figure why not walk to SJPdP?

Is this a bad idea? Is there any suitable accommodation on the way?

Fernie,

Read what others and I have written re walking from Bayonne to SJPdP in this earlier Forum thread which also cites further links.

Happy planning and Bon chemin,

Margaret Meredith
 
There are certainly walking alternatives available . Walking the main route/some pathways to SJPdP from Bayonne is possible and there are many places to stay along the way or you can walk along the Atlantic coast and pick up the GR 1o in Hendaye. There are numerous towns and villages that you can drop down to along the GR 10 to stay in and eventually you can find your way to Valcarlos, SJPdP or up the mountain near the font de Roland. The issue is the time of year. In July, August and most of September the area (seaside resorts and mountain towns) will be crowded with tourists paying high prices for accommodations and meals. You might be spending the night on a park bench.
 
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Doing 2 or 3 days of walking before the tough SJPP-Roncesvalles makes a lot of sense to me.
And yes, there is a direct Bayonne-SJPP way. It is called "la voie de la Nive" (the Nive´s way, bcs it goes more or less along this river). It is sometimes confused with the more known "Baztan way", with which it shares a stage. There is a webpage http://vppyr.free.fr/pages_transversales/voie_nive/vnive.php?etp=accueil (sorry, only in French)
I have (still) not done it, but I am looking forward to it. Careful planning, maps, and reservations, may be required. Some forum members may have some experience.
Buen camino!
 
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Thank you so much, kind people! I have a lot of planning to do then, since I'm going in 21 days. Jeez, I hadn't realized I leave in no more than 21 days. This is going to be good!
 
There are certainly walking alternatives available . Walking the main route/some pathways to SJPdP from Bayonne is possible and there are many places to stay along the way or you can walk along the Atlantic coast and pick up the GR 1o in Hendaye. There are numerous towns and villages that you can drop down to along the GR 10 to stay in and eventually you can find your way to Valcarlos, SJPdP or up the mountain near the font de Roland. The issue is the time of year. In July, August and most of September the area (seaside resorts and mountain towns) will be crowded with tourists paying high prices for accommodations and meals. You might be spending the night on a park bench.


The benches outside the train station in Hendaye really aren't that bad!
 
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Alternatively you could head south to Hendaye, as has been mentioned, then carry on along the Camino Vasco (The tunnel or interior route) which joins the Frances at either Santa Domingo or Burgos and goes through Vitoria. Just trying to encourage more Pilgrims to try this route so I'm not totally alone when I walk it in 2016 :).
 
Looking at the tunnel route also. Have any idea to the amount of paved road is involved.
 
Hi, there is a whole section devoted to the Camino Vasco/Interior Route under 'Routes to Santiago' and some of the Posters on it have written some excellent posts about it. I can't remember if they mention the amount of paved roads to walk on but if they don't I'm sure you'd be able to ask them. Glad to hear someone else is thinking of walking that way.
Enjoy your planning and Buen Camino.
 
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Thank you so much, kind people! I have a lot of planning to do then, since I'm going in 21 days. Jeez, I hadn't realized I leave in no more than 21 days. This is going to be good!
Good Day Fernie,
I'm wondering if you walked from Bayone to St. Jean? I'm thinking of giving it a try. This coming August.
Was the camino crowded when you walked ? I'm thinking of walking late august into early October. I can change to mid September to early November if need be. I would appreciate your thoughts since you walked recently.
Thank You,
Buen Camino
Cliff
 
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Cliff, I walked La Voie de la Nive from SJPP to Bayonne in May 2014. We met two French pilgrims coming the other way on one of the days - other than that, no-one!! I'm guessing it's never crowded. We went off route one day to stay at the albergue in Espelette and met a few people doing the Baztan. We then did the Baztan aswell back to Pamplona and met one couple going in the same direction as us. Certainly in early spring these routes are very solitary.
 
Good Day Fernie,
I'm wondering if you walked from Bayone to St. Jean? I'm thinking of giving it a try. This coming August.
Was the camino crowded when you walked ? I'm thinking of walking late august into early October. I can change to mid September to early November if need be. I would appreciate your thoughts since you walked recently.
Thank You,
Buen Camino
Cliff

I did not, in the end, walk from Bayonne to SJPdP so I cannot tell you if that part was crowded.

Although, I can tell you that from SJPdP (I started the 1st of September) you can indeed expect the camino to be very crowded. It could be quite distractive and even stressful sometimes, what sometimes became a bed race. After Burgos somewhere however, I guess people had spread out so much that I didn't have any problems finding a bed again.

Such a beautiful time to walk it though, and so much interesting people to meet. I wouldn't have it any other way :) Furthermore, in hindsight, I believe most problems that I did have made my camino more meaningful and more of a learning experience, even though they were a pain when they happened.

Crowded or not, August or mid-September, I am sure you are going to have a great time!
 
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thank You for your reply. Yea, maybe I'm " over thinking " this.

Just going to enjoy the journey,

Buien Camino !
Cliff
 
thank You for your reply. Yea, maybe I'm " over thinking " this.

Just going to enjoy the journey,

Buien Camino !
Cliff
I think that is a sound plan.

Buen camino Cliff, y buena suerte!
 
Doing 2 or 3 days of walking before the tough SJPP-Roncesvalles makes a lot of sense to me.
And yes, there is a direct Bayonne-SJPP way. It is called "la voie de la Nive" (the Nive´s way, bcs it goes more or less along this river). It is sometimes confused with the more known "Baztan way", with which it shares a stage. There is a webpage http://vppyr.free.fr/pages_transversales/voie_nive/vnive.php?etp=accueil (sorry, only in French)
I have (still) not done it, but I am looking forward to it. Careful planning, maps, and reservations, may be required. Some forum members may have some experience.
Buen camino!
Any idea if you can ride this on a Mt Bike?
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
No personal experience, but there is a note about doing it in a vtt (that's mountain bike):
http://vtt.compostelle.pagesperso-orange.fr/bayonnestjean.htm
sorry, in French. I (roughly and shortly) translate the conclussion:

A beautiful route, in the heart of the Basque mountain, very easy technically but reserved for cyclists used to tough climbs. All is well marked (except a section), but you must be very attentive in the crossroads. And be wary of farm' s dogs...

There are maps and general indications in http://vppyr.free.fr/pages_transversales/voie_nive/vnive.php?etp=accueil. Again, in French.
Good ride!
 
No personal experience, but there is a note about doing it in a vtt (that's mountain bike):
http://vtt.compostelle.pagesperso-orange.fr/bayonnestjean.htm
sorry, in French. I (roughly and shortly) translate the conclussion:

A beautiful route, in the heart of the Basque mountain, very easy technically but reserved for cyclists used to tough climbs. All is well marked (except a section), but you must be very attentive in the crossroads. And be wary of farm' s dogs...

There are maps and general indications in http://vppyr.free.fr/pages_transversales/voie_nive/vnive.php?etp=accueil. Again, in French.
Good ride!
Thanks for the reply. "technically easy" but reserved for those used to tough climbs-hmm! Will be my first day so not so sure about that. So may take the main road.
Here is someones description of it:
"Easy ride on primarily on major roads with most of it having decent shoulder to ride on. The first ten kilometers or so were along an excellent paved bike path that bordered the west side of the Nive River (Chemin de Halage de la Nive). The path starts from the Bayonne city center so that there's no concerns at all about traffic when getting out of town".
Have you done that or know of anyone who has. Worried mainly about the traffic.
 

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