Even in the dusk of morning walking out of St. Jean Pied de Port the directions are clearly marked. You walk either the valley route through Valcarlos, the route of Charlemagne, or weather permitting, you ascend the heights and follow in the footsteps of Napoleon's army.
When my wife and I did this in 2011 it was a hazy day and visibility was poor. There was no distance. A second crossing, in 2013, along with snow and winds that would move you, was incredibly clear.
That first day really gets the legs in bottom gear, but what an accomplishment. I was lucky with the weather on the 25th May 2010. Fairly mild/cool with clear visibility.
@biarritzdon It is unreliable this time of year. I walked it April 17, '13 with my son (his birthday) and it had just opened and was closed again not long after.
This site is run by Ivar at in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon