First couple days on the camino

[ladywalker#1]

I fly from Detroit to Madrid on jun 16 and arrive around 3pm. I should arrive in sjpdp around 6pm. My problem is I made my reservation for Orisson not until jun 19! Should I change that to jun 18 or should I spend the next day, the 18th in sjpdp at leave the next morning for Orisson. I have enough time but a whole day seems long. I'm 57 and have never been on a flight this long!

Also can I get some suggestions on places to stay in sjpdp!
Thanks everyone. Buen Camino!

 

[mspath]

By the time you arrive in SJPdP you will have flown from Detroit via Madrid to Biarritz and then taken the local train/bus combo!! Thus you will be tired. Do plan to stay in SJPdP for 2 nights in order to catch up on sleep/conquer jet-lag so to be able to fully enjoy the wonderful new adventure of walking your camino. Scan this Office de Tourisme listing for all types of accommodation in the SJPdP area.

 

[Icacos]

Just curious ...... there were two other posts here, originally #2 and #3, but they're gone. Any particular reason for this?. True, #2 may have been removed by the person who posted it, but I didn't remove mine, #3. They were both pretty benign - no dissing anyone and no rude words.

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

I fly from Detroit to Madrid on jun 16 and arrive around 3pm. I should arrive in sjpdp around 6pm. My problem is I made my reservation for Orisson not until jun 19! Should I change that to jun 18 or should I spend the next day, the 18th in sjpdp at leave the next morning for Orisson. I have enough time but a whole day seems long. I'm 57 and have never been on a flight this long!

Also can I get some suggestions on places to stay in sjpdp!
Thanks everyone. Buen Camino!

Stay the day in Sjpdp and take your rest.Buen Camino , Peter .

 

[naplesdon]

I fly from Detroit to Madrid on jun 16 and arrive around 3pm. I should arrive in sjpdp around 6pm. My problem is I made my reservation for Orisson not until jun 19! Should I change that to jun 18 or should I spend the next day, the 18th in sjpdp at leave the next morning for Orisson. I have enough time but a whole day seems long. I'm 57 and have never been on a flight this long!

Also can I get some suggestions on places to stay in sjpdp!
Thanks everyone. Buen Camino!

I have never flown to Madrid and gone on to SJPdP, so I have no idea if it can be accomplished in 3 hours. Are you sure? After waiting for baggage, seques for bus connections, etc. That sound pretty fast to me since I know it would take me over 5 hours to drive from Biarritz to Madrid with no stops.
Spend a day in SJPdP, you'll love the rest.

 

[cherrys]

I fly from Detroit to Madrid on jun 16 and arrive around 3pm. I should arrive in sjpdp around 6pm. My problem is I made my reservation for Orisson not until jun 19! Should I change that to jun 18 or should I spend the next day, the 18th in sjpdp at leave the next morning for Orisson. I have enough time but a whole day seems long. I'm 57 and have never been on a flight this long!

Also can I get some suggestions on places to stay in sjpdp!
Thanks everyone. Buen Camino!

Hi - Do you leave Detroit on June 16 or arrive in Madrid June 16? It's usually an overnight flight to Spain. If you actually arrive June 17, then definitely leave your booking as is. I flew cheaply but circuitously from NYC (6 pm) to Brussels the next morning, train to Paris and then on to SJPDP by 7 pm that night. Jet lag didn't really bother me. I left for Orisson just before lunch the following day. In retrospect I wish I had looked around more, but I did wander some, getting food for the walk, sightseeing, etc . I stayed at Gite Ultreia, which was very central, fine, and the owners speak some English. www.ultreia64.fr/en Breakfast was bread and jam, coffee. Not really enough to start walking on, but it is what you will get at Orisson the next morning, and quite a bit thereafter. So make sure you bring good snacks. If you have more questions, pm me. Have a great time - buen camino - Cherry

 

[Mikel Olivares]

Hi Ladywalker.
From Madrid to SJPP. three hours? Impossible.
One suggestion, the rest day you can stay here in Pamplona.
Mikel.

 

[GettingThere]

Just curious ...... there were two other posts here, originally #2 and #3, but they're gone. Any particular reason for this?. True, #2 may have been removed by the person who posted it, but I didn't remove mine, #3. They were both pretty benign - no dissing anyone and no rude words.

Looks like there are two separate, almost identical threads - confusing! The other one has the other replies. Trying to link to it but my phone won't oblige! The thread title is almost the same, and same OP.

 

[naplesdon]

Looks like there are two separate, almost identical threads - confusing! The other one has the other replies. Trying to link to it but my phone won't oblige! The thread title is almost the same, and same OP.

How right you are, there is one "first couple day on the Camino" and the other is "first couple days on the camino francis." Very confusing.

 

[ladywalker#1]

Hey.

I would suggest keep the buffer.
For my flight to St Jean Pied de Port in 2013 ..my flight got cancelled in Auckland. I then got bumped off a flight in Singapore and got diverted to London. By the time I got to Lyon ( where I was going to fly to Biarritz....I had lost two days.
Fortunately...i had allowed for delays so it didn't muck up my accomodation booking in St Jean and Orrisson. But I was exhausted when I arrived in France.

I am not sure what the time difference is between Detroit and France...but traveling solo is tiring for me. Jet lag can mess me up for a day or so.

It wouldn't take much for you to loose your three hours to get from Madrid to St Jean if there are delays etc.

St Jean is gorgeous. I was only there for 15 hours. I would have loved to have just sat down somewhere and catch up with myself.

Thank you so much. That makes a lot of sense especially since the time change is about 6 hours. I am a totally inexperienced world traveler. Thanks again.

 

[ladywalker#1]

Just curious ...... there were two other posts here, originally #2 and #3, but they're gone. Any particular reason for this?. True, #2 may have been removed by the person who posted it, but I didn't remove mine, #3. They were both pretty benign - no dissing anyone and no rude words.

I know I posted mine twice because I did the first one through an app of some sort. I deleted it and did another through the Camino frances section. I'm not ver savvy w these forums sorry if I deleted anything else in the process!

 

[ladywalker#1]

I have never flown to Madrid and gone on to SJPdP, so I have no idea if it can be accomplished in 3 hours. Are you sure? After waiting for baggage, seques for bus connections, etc. That sound pretty fast to me since I know it would take me over 5 hours to drive from Biarritz to Madrid with no stops.
Spend a day in SJPdP, you'll love the rest.

Ok maybe some of the info I got was off a bit or else I'm not considering all the details of baggage etc. in that case probably won't be getting to sjpdp til much later!

 

[SYates]

I fly from Detroit to Madrid on jun 16 and arrive around 3pm. I should arrive in sjpdp around 6pm. My problem is I made my reservation for Orisson not until jun 19! Should I change that to jun 18 or should I spend the next day, the 18th in sjpdp at leave the next morning for Orisson. I have enough time but a whole day seems long. I'm 57 and have never been on a flight this long!

Also can I get some suggestions on places to stay in sjpdp!
Thanks everyone. Buen Camino!

Take a day to recover from the jet-lag and the walk leisurely up to Orisson. There is a list of all albergues on the CF here in the resources section. Buen Camino! SY

 

[ladywalker#1]

Hi - Do you leave Detroit on June 16 or arrive in Madrid June 16? It's usually an overnight flight to Spain. If you actually arrive June 17, then definitely leave your booking as is. I flew cheaply but circuitously from NYC (6 pm) to Brussels the next morning, train to Paris and then on to SJPDP by 7 pm that night. Jet lag didn't really bother me. I left for Orisson just before lunch the following day. In retrospect I wish I had looked around more, but I did wander some, getting food for the walk, sightseeing, etc . I stayed at Gite Ultreia, which was very central, fine, and the owners speak some English. www.ultreia64.fr/en Breakfast was bread and jam, coffee. Not really enough to start walking on, but it is what you will get at Orisson the next morning, and quite a bit thereafter. So make sure you bring good snacks. If you have more questions, pm me. Have a great time - buen camino - Cherry

Thank you Cherry I appreciate that. Thx for inviting me to PM I may need to. Take care!

 

[ladywalker#1]

Take a day to recover from the jet-lag and the walk leisurely up to Orisson. There is a list of all albergues on the CF here in the resources section. Buen Camino! SY

Thank you much!

 

[ladywalker#1]

How right you are, there is one "first couple day on the Camino" and the other is "first couple days on the camino francis." Very confusing.

You are right! I was afraid the other hadn't worked! Sorry!

 

[Siobhan02]

You are right! I was afraid the other hadn't worked! Sorry!

Hi, just wondering, if you are landing at 3pm have you made arrangements to get to SJPdP? Its just when I went from Madrid last May I had to catch a train to Pamplona and get picked up by the owner of a Refugio in Burguete and he drove me to SJPdP at 6.30 the next morning, arriving at 7.30. The pick up from Pamplona, accommodation, food and transfer were all very reasonable cost wise, from memory about $52 AUS but don't quote me on it! I am just wondering how you are getting from Pamplona to SJPdP so late in the afternoon/evening.

 

[Siobhan02]

Hi, just wondering, if you are landing at 3pm have you made arrangements to get to SJPdP? Its just when I went from Madrid last May I had to catch a train to Pamplona and get picked up by the owner of a Refugio in Burguete and he drove me to SJPdP at 6.30 the next morning, arriving at 7.30. The pick up from Pamplona, accommodation, food and transfer were all very reasonable cost wise, from memory about $52 AUS but don't quote me on it! I am just wondering how you are getting from Pamplona to SJPdP so late in the afternoon/evening.

Ooops, the refugio is in Viscarret Guerendiain, sorry

 

[Siobhan02]

Ooops, the refugio is in Viscarret Guerendiain, sorry

Here is a link with details: http://santiago.forwalk.org/en/trai...01-78-204/place/el-castanar/accomodation/487/

 

[ladywalker#1]

Hi, just wondering, if you are landing at 3pm have you made arrangements to get to SJPdP? Its just when I went from Madrid last May I had to catch a train to Pamplona and get picked up by the owner of a Refugio in Burguete and he drove me to SJPdP at 6.30 the next morning, arriving at 7.30. The pick up from Pamplona, accommodation, food and transfer were all very reasonable cost wise, from memory about $52 AUS but don't quote me on it! I am just wondering how you are getting from Pamplona to SJPdP so late in the afternoon/evening.

I realized since I wrote this post that I had a miscue somewhere leading me to think sjpdp was only a few hours from Madrid. I booked two nights in sjpdp and then realized I'd never be able to get there by 10 pm. So I'm going to cancel the first night and try to get to Pamplona the first night and then like you say get to sjpdp the next day. This is the part I worry about being alone. Did you book your train to Pamplona in advance. I'm flying into Barajas airport. Thx so much for the info.

 

[Siobhan02]

I realized since I wrote this post that I had a miscue somewhere leading me to think sjpdp was only a few hours from Madrid. I booked two nights in sjpdp and then realized I'd never be able to get there by 10 pm. So I'm going to cancel the first night and try to get to Pamplona the first night and then like you say get to sjpdp the next day. This is the part I worry about being alone. Did you book your train to Pamplona in advance. I'm flying into Barajas airport. Thx so much for the info.

I booked my train ticket prior to travel, from Australia. But I had been horse riding west of Madrid for a week before heading to SJPdP. The pick up provided for the refugio was very convenient, and I don't have any connection with them, but I would definitely recommend it as an option. I traveled and walked alone, and I just felt like I had already 'connected' with the camino by staying there the first night, it gave me a 'taste' of refugios, after not backpacking since my late teens, I met other pilgrims and just felt 'ready'. Pamplona is a big town and even though you will end up walking through it, I'm glad I stayed 'out of town'. Don't worry about being 'alone', you never are. The Madrid public transport system is amazing, and the locals were very helpful.

 

[Siobhan02]

I booked my train ticket prior to travel, from Australia. But I had been horse riding west of Madrid for a week before heading to SJPdP. The pick up provided for the refugio was very convenient, and I don't have any connection with them, but I would definitely recommend it as an option. I traveled and walked alone, and I just felt like I had already 'connected' with the camino by staying there the first night, it gave me a 'taste' of refugios, after not backpacking since my late teens, I met other pilgrims and just felt 'ready'. Pamplona is a big town and even though you will end up walking through it, I'm glad I stayed 'out of town'. Don't worry about being 'alone', you never are. The Madrid public transport system is amazing, and the locals were very helpful.

I booked my train on a website called 'raileurope.com.au', it's Australian but there is bound to be a US equivalent. It cost $99 AUS (May last year), and also Santiago to Madrid, $37 AUS.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I fly from Detroit to Madrid on jun 16 and arrive around 3pm

Where are your connecting flights? Your arrival seems very late from my experience, and it causes you to miss all but the last bus to Pamplona, which arrives about midnight (a bit late to be wandering a very safe city).

Have you looked into multiple flights, where your fly into Pamplona and depart from Santiago? Iberia Airline has flight connecting through Charlotte that arrive in Pamplona in the early afternoon. Chicago is a major hub for Iberia/American Airlines/British Airways, so there should be other flight possibilities, especially for arriving in Madrid.