Travel by train from Paris to St Jean Pied de Port.

[DianaEB]

Does anyone know how to travel by train from Paris to St Jean Pied de Port?

 

[trecile]

Yes, there are many threads on this.
I took the train from the Montparnasse station to Bayonne, then transferred to what I call "the pilgrim express" train to St Jean Pied de Port. Depending on when you are going these routes might not be available to book yet.

 

[CaminoFitz]

Does anyone know how to travel by train from Paris to St Jean Pied de Port?

I did that 15 years ago and what I remember is it was pretty simple....long ride though maybe but beautiful scenery along the way...

 

[Anniesantiago]

Unless you already have a ticket, I prefer to fly from the USA into Madrid and bus/train to SJPP or to Pamplona for a day or two of recovery and then to SJPP.

I've gone via France and did not like it.

 

[JabbaPapa]

There is now also the Night Train from Paris to Bayonne.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/return-of-the-night-train.72164/post-1204212

 

[Robo]

Does anyone know how to travel by train from Paris to St Jean Pied de Port?

I've done it a couple of times.
Very easy.
Great excuse for a day in Paris to get over jet lag.
The Airport Bus takes you to Gare Montparnasse
Montparnasse station to Bayonne on the fast train (TGV 4 hours).
Bayonne to St Jean (connecting train)

If you stay near Gare Montparnasse you can easily walk to central Paris to see the Louvre etc.
We walked from there up to Montmatre.
Easy city to walk around to many of the main sights.

 

[CWBuff]

I also love to spend a day in Paris!
It's easy to make your way to Montparnasse from CdG on RER B and then a Metro line.
I stayed at Enjoy Hostel which was about 10-15 minutes from Gare Montparnasse.
Checked myself in, then oriented myself how to get to GM "for tomorrow" went to hang out at Cimetière Montparnasse and had a wonderful dinner of Escargot and Bouef Tartar...
As @trecile initially said the train will take you to Bayonne and then you switch. Do pre-book if you can. A 10:00am or thereabouts train will take IIRC 4.5 hours and get you to SJPDP perhaps around 3pm
Good luck and Buen Camino

 

[Saint Mike II]

Hola G'Day @DianaEB & @trecile. Yes from my 2017 travels this was the most effective. However I should add that in April (and sometimes in late March through to early May) the Bayonne to St Jean line can be closed for maintenance in which case they (SNCF) will put on two or three buses. Cheers

 

[David]

Rien de plus simple!! French distance trains are marvellous, and unlike in the UK each ticket is given a seat number. No overcrowding, clean, fast, comfortable, cheap - is an easy journey, just check your Bayonne connection to the St Jean train so you aren't waiting around for too long.
Pensioners can get a good discount.

If you are getting over jet lag you can break your journey and stop in Bordeaux, that beautiful city.

As an aside - it is often mentioned that you have to walk "up the hill" from St jean station into town - this is not true, it is merely a gentle slope for the last 100 metres of the 650 metre stroll to the centre. Credit Agricole bank with a cashpoint set back on the right as the road curves left after 500 metres.

 

[Bradypus]

as an aside - it is often mentioned that you have to walk "up the hill" from St jean station into town - this is not true, at most it is a gentle slope and the centre is very close.

If the prospect of the walk from the station into the centre of town is daunting then it might be an idea to rethink your plans to walk a Camino!

 

[David]

If the prospect of the walk from the station into the centre of town is daunting then it might be an idea to rethink your plans to walk a Camino!

I always thought that whenever I have read about the "hill" - crikey! there is a real mountain next day

 

[Bvdh]

Yes, there are many threads on this.
I took the train from the Montparnasse station to Bayonne, then transferred to what I call "the pilgrim express" train to St Jean Pied de Port. Depending on when you are going these routes might not be available to book yet.

I booked this trip a few weeks ago online. No problems.

 

[trecile]

I booked this trip a few weeks ago online. No problems.

When will you be traveling?

 

[JoeBoston]

I made this trip in November of 2022. I had a ticket from Gare Montparnasse to St jean Pied de Port, with a change at Bayonne. Unfortunately, the onward train was cancelled (due to a strike, I was told), and I had to locate the bus to St Jean Pied de Port. I was informed that it was not unusual for this to happen. Just so you know!

 

[JerryStroebele]

The TGV to Bordeaux and Bayonne has double decker cars. If you want to see the French countryside on your ride be sure to book a seat on the upper level. I don't know if that requires a first class ticket. But, for the sights, it would be worth it. Bon Chemin.

 

[trecile]

If you want to see the French countryside on your ride be sure to book a seat on the upper level. I don't know if that requires a first class ticket

It does not require a first class ticket. I have traveled in the upper level twice - once one a first class ticket, and once on a standard ticket.

 

[John Crawford Howell]

And if the bus is necessary from Bayonne to SJPdP, it leaves from the same parking lot as the train station. It's a small station with helpful staff. I flew to Paris then taxied to Gare Montparnasse, thence to Bayonne which is a delightful place to recover from jet lag for a couple of days. It's an easy city for walking with historical monuments and plenty of good restaurants. The Nive River flows through the city—the very same river one crosses in SJPdP to begin the Camino journey.

 

[JerryStroebele]

Great little Senegalese restaurant in Bayonne. Buen Camino

 

[Jarrad]

The train system in France is a great way to go. That said, if flying from Paris is not out of the question, I recommend checking out current costs. Last I checked, you could get direct flights out of either Paris airport to Biarritz for about 140 USD. Flight time is about 90 minutes. Train is definitely cheaper (70 to 100 USD), but 4-5 hours travel time.

 

[CWBuff]

@Jarrad - cannot argue with that, however I do believe that those of us who "advertise" (if you will) the train do it with stipulation that one has to spend the night in the city. If you're going to do that, then start trekking back to CdG 'tomorrow morning', then fly to Biarritz, then try to get to SJPdP from there - well there goes your 4-5 hours and I suspect it will take even longer.
If one does not want to make a stop-over then I guess make the change for domestic flight and go to Biarritz in one day (that would be an option)

Train is a nice option. You can even bring some food and\or lite snacks. Sit by the window and enjoy the scenery rolling by. Nothing to see on the 90-min flight except clouds....

 

[RobandMer]

Is a 2:03pm arrival at Bayonne on the tgv allow enough time to catch the 2:20pm to SGPP?

 

[trecile]

Is a 2:03pm arrival at Bayonne on the tgv allow enough time to catch the 2:20pm to SGPP?

Yes. The first time that I took that route I had seven minutes transfer time.

 

[RobandMer]

Thank you.

 

[SturdyLegs]

Does anyone know how to travel by train from Paris to St Jean Pied de Port?

Super simple (as others said on this thread): by train from Gare Montparnasse in Paris to Bayonne and then from Bayonne Station take the train to Saint-Jean Pied de Port. If for whatever reason (maintenance, landslide, strike) the train to SJPDP is not going, there will be a bus replacement going from the station. No need to fret about booking ahead either, in particularly for the stretch Bayonne-SJPDP. It does not get any simpler than that

 

[CA_Pilgrim]

Yes, there are many threads on this.
I took the train from the Montparnasse station to Bayonne, then transferred to what I call "the pilgrim express" train to St Jean Pied de Port. Depending on when you are going these routes might not be available to book yet.

This is exactly how I did it in May of 2022. I stayed overnight in Paris at a small but nice at HOTEL DE PARIS MONTPARNASSE across from the Montparnasse station (where all the high speed trains depart Paris). Got off in Bayonee and stayed at Hotel ibis Styles Bayonne near the train station. The hotel overlooked the river. I then took the local train to SJPDP the next morning. It was good that I had two days to accommodate to the time zone differences. Three actually, because I stayed one night in SJPDP at Beilari Albergue (directly across from the Pilgrim's Office).

 

[BikeHikeChai]

For searching for train connections I use the DB Navigator app (Deutsche Bahn).

For actually purchasing the tickets in France (once I know what I’m doing from the step above) i use the SNCF Connect app. This also holds your tickets (as QR codes) to show on trains.

Of course you can search for trains in the SNCF app but sometimes I’ve found the DB one better for more complex journeys (or if i wish to see which ones allow bicycles).

Trainline app also works especially across multiple countries.

 

[Marianne Hansen]

Yes, there are many threads on this.
I took the train from the Montparnasse station to Bayonne, then transferred to what I call "the pilgrim express" train to St Jean Pied de Port. Depending on when you are going these routes might not be available to book yet.

I did the same it was easy to do

 

[Bvdh]

When will you be traveling?

I will travel on the 19th of March. Starting in Liege.

 

[FoxyR]

I will travel on the 19th of March. Starting in Liege.

I"m traveling in early June and I only see tickets for one afternoon train on the SNCF Connect web site. There is another note that says more trains may be available soon. I have no idea how far in advance tickets should be purchased.

 

[CWBuff]

I've done it a couple of times.
Very easy.
Great excuse for a day in Paris to get over jet lag.
The Airport Bus takes you to Gare Montparnasse
Montparnasse station to Bayonne on the fast train (TGV 4 hours).
Bayonne to St Jean (connecting train)

You know.... I just noticed:
Airport Bus to GM --> GM to Bayone --> Bayone to SJPdP

where is the day in Paris to get over jet lag?

 

[Robo]

You know.... I just noticed:
Airport Bus to GM --> GM to Bayone --> Bayone to SJPdP

where is the day in Paris to get over jet lag?

You can insert a 'pause'

Airport Bus to GM --> OVERNIGHT STOP --- >GM to Bayone --> Bayone to SJPdP

Nice places to stay around GM (Gare Montparnasse) and an easy walk to the centre of Paris.
Louvre etc.

As explained in my post above. (You left out the 'staying' part when you paraphrased the post).

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/travel-by-train-from-paris-to-st-jean-pied-de-port.84823/#post-1215644