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Best way from Northern Ireland to St James DPDP ??

Claireabella

Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino de santiago - 2017
I have been looking at all the posts and getting useful info about travelling to walk the Camino. The only problem is there is such an interweb of how people are getting there and i am flummoxed! I have never travelled on my own and have no knowledge of any of it (i sound so stupid!).

Im travelling from Northern Ireland and would love some guidance, in relation to flying there and home again. Do i fly to Lourdes and get a train the rest of the way? Do i fly to paris and get a train down? Do i fly to madrid and get a plane up?

I have plenty of time as im not doing this til 2017 but i feel once i've decided i'm going to do it, i want to prepare and get as much knowledge as i can.
 
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Fly Dublin to Biarritz on Ryanair. Book early and get cheap fare. From Biarritz airport take bus to Bayonne and train or bus to sjpdep. No problem, you will see people with back packs all on same journey enjoy
 
As for flying home depends where you finish camino . Santiago to Dublin .bilbao to Dublin Santander to Dublin. Google Ryanair or airlingus and you get idea, by 2017 you will be an expert
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Factors:

a. Closest Airport to SJPdP is Biarritz.

b. The closest airport to SJPdP in Spain is San Sebastian, which is 3 km from Irun/Hendaye border crossing and rail service provided by SNCF and Renfe.

c. SJPdP has SNCF train/bus service to Bayonne.

d. SJPdP has seasonal CONDA (ALSA) bus service to Pamplona.

e. There is Transports64 Regional bus service from SJPdP to Pau. Pau has a regional airport.

f. Consider how you will get home from Santiago.

A. If I were traveling from Biarritz to SJPdP I would:

a. Take Chronoplus bus 14 from Biarritz airport to Gare Bayonne.

b. Take SNCF TER 62 train/autocar service from Bayonne to SJPdP.

B. If I were traveling to SJPdP by way of Paris (or Bordeaux) I would:

a. Determine if it was cost effective and time effective to fly from Paris to Biarritz. Time effective means arriving in time to catch a train from Bayonne to SJPdP on the same day. (Allow 4 - 5 hours to transfer from CDG flight arrival to Orly flight departure)

b. If arriving at CDG and taking the train is the better option ... take the train from CDG 2 to Bayonne if the schedule is viable.

c. If CDG 2 schedule doesn't work ... Take RER B train to St Michel and transfer to the Metro. Take the line 4 Metro to Montparnasse. Then board the TGV train originating from Montparnasse to Bayonne. There is more frequent service from Montparnasse.

d. If arriving at Orly ... take the Orly Val train to station Antony and RER train to Massy. Take TGV from Massy to Bayonne.

C. If I were traveling to SJPdP by way of Madrid I would:

a. Take the Metro (from either T1T2T3 or from t4) or Renfe Cercanias (from T4) to Puerta Atocha and take a Renfe train to Pamplona.

b. Or ALSA provides bus service from Madrid T4 airport to Pamplona via Soria or Zaragosa. Bus service is slower than the train however it runs frequently, is cheaper, and requires no knowledge of Madrid transportation systems.

c. CONDA provides (seasonal) bus service to SJPdP - See ALSA schedule - from the Pamplona bus station.

d. I would consider a flight from Madrid to either Pamplona or San Sebastian.

D. If I were traveling to SJPdP by way of London (Dublin would work too) I would:

a. Tranfer from arrival airport (Probably Heathrow or Gatwick) by National Express bus to either Stansted (Ryan air has flights to Biarritz all year) or Gatwick (Easy Jet has summer flights to Biarritz).

b. Fly from Stansted or Gatwick (or Dublin) to Biarritz France.

c. Take SNCF train and bus service to SJPdP.

E. If I were traveling to SJPdP by way of Barcelona I would:

a. Take Barcelona Cercanias to Barcelona Sants station.

b. Take either Renfe train or ViBasa (Monbus) bus from Barcelona Sants to Pamplona.

c. Take CONDA bus from Pamplona to SJPdP.

d. I would consider a flight from Barcelona to San Sebastian.

F. If I were traveling to SJPdP by way of Bilbao I would:

a. Take PESA bus from Bilbao (Loiu) airport to San Sebastian.

b. Take PESA or ALSA bus from San Sebastian to Bayonne. ALSA buses go to Gare Bayonne (TGV Bayonne)

c. Take SNCF train and bus service from Bayonne to SJPdP.

G. If I were traveling to SJPdP by way of Lisboa (or Porto) I would:

a. Take CP overnight train from Lisboa to Hendaye France.

b. Take SNCF train from Hendaye to Bayonne.

c. Take SNCF TER 62 service to SJPdP.

These are but a few of the options.

Regardless of whichever city you choose to arrive in ... it will take a full day of travel to get to SJPdP.
 
Factors:

a. Closest Airport to SJPdP is Biarritz.

b. The closest airport to SJPdP in Spain is San Sebastian, which is 3 km from Irun/Hendaye border crossing and rail service provided by SNCF and Renfe.

c. SJPdP has SNCF train/bus service to Bayonne.

d. SJPdP has seasonal CONDA (ALSA) bus service to Pamplona.

e. There is Transports64 Regional bus service from SJPdP to Pau. Pau has a regional airport.

f. Consider how you will get home from Santiago.

A. If I were traveling from Biarritz to SJPdP I would:

a. Take Chronoplus bus 14 from Biarritz airport to Gare Bayonne.

b. Take SNCF TER 62 train/autocar service from Bayonne to SJPdP.

B. If I were traveling to SJPdP by way of Paris (or Bordeaux) I would:

a. Determine if it was cost effective and time effective to fly from Paris to Biarritz. Time effective means arriving in time to catch a train from Bayonne to SJPdP on the same day. (Allow 4 - 5 hours to transfer from CDG flight arrival to Orly flight departure)

b. If arriving at CDG and taking the train is the better option ... take the train from CDG 2 to Bayonne if the schedule is viable.

c. If CDG 2 schedule doesn't work ... Take RER B train to St Michel and transfer to the Metro. Take the line 4 Metro to Montparnasse. Then board the TGV train originating from Montparnasse to Bayonne. There is more frequent service from Montparnasse.

d. If arriving at Orly ... take the Orly Val train to station Antony and RER train to Massy. Take TGV from Massy to Bayonne.

C. If I were traveling to SJPdP by way of Madrid I would:

a. Take the Metro (from either T1T2T3 or from t4) or Renfe Cercanias (from T4) to Puerta Atocha and take a Renfe train to Pamplona.

b. Or ALSA provides bus service from Madrid T4 airport to Pamplona via Soria or Zaragosa. Bus service is slower than the train however it runs frequently, is cheaper, and requires no knowledge of Madrid transportation systems.

c. CONDA provides (seasonal) bus service to SJPdP - See ALSA schedule - from the Pamplona bus station.

d. I would consider a flight from Madrid to either Pamplona or San Sebastian.

D. If I were traveling to SJPdP by way of London (Dublin would work too) I would:

a. Tranfer from arrival airport (Probably Heathrow or Gatwick) by National Express bus to either Stansted (Ryan air has flights to Biarritz all year) or Gatwick (Easy Jet has summer flights to Biarritz).

b. Fly from Stansted or Gatwick (or Dublin) to Biarritz France.

c. Take SNCF train and bus service to SJPdP.

E. If I were traveling to SJPdP by way of Barcelona I would:

a. Take Barcelona Cercanias to Barcelona Sants station.

b. Take either Renfe train or ViBasa (Monbus) bus from Barcelona Sants to Pamplona.

c. Take CONDA bus from Pamplona to SJPdP.

d. I would consider a flight from Barcelona to San Sebastian.

F. If I were traveling to SJPdP by way of Bilbao I would:

a. Take PESA bus from Bilbao (Loiu) airport to San Sebastian.

b. Take PESA or ALSA bus from San Sebastian to Bayonne. ALSA buses go to Gare Bayonne (TGV Bayonne)

c. Take SNCF train and bus service from Bayonne to SJPdP.

G. If I were traveling to SJPdP by way of Lisboa (or Porto) I would:

a. Take CP overnight train from Lisboa to Hendaye France.

b. Take SNCF train from Hendaye to Bayonne.

c. Take SNCF TER 62 service to SJPdP.

These are but a few of the options.

Regardless of whichever city you choose to arrive in ... it will take a full day of travel to get to SJPdP.
Omg.... Thank you so much for taking the time out to give me this info. Much , much appreciated!:)
 
Ryanair Dublin to Biarritz seems to be the most common, most direct, most cheap. Yayyy. I'm going next year in March. Will book flights as soon as they're available, usually 6 months ahead. Enjoy or as they say here:
Buen Camino!
 
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If you're anywhere near Derry, you can often get flights from there to Stansted for £20 or so. From Stansted, there are flights to/from Biarritz (for SJPP), Santiago and cities along the north coast of Spain. It would depend if you could get flight times and connections to work for you. Happy planning!
 
Ryanair Dublin to Biarritz seems to be the most common, most direct, most cheap. Yayyy. I'm going next year in March. Will book flights as soon as they're available, usually 6 months ahead. Enjoy or as they say here:
Buen Camino!
I was wondering which was the most popular way thank you. Buen Camino you lucky thing!
 

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