Getting to SJPDP from the US

[patticake5]

Forgive me if this is a redundant post. I have searched old threads and did not find what I was looking for. I am flying out of Chicago/US to start the Camino in SJPDP this September. In terms of getting to SJDPD, which would make more sense-flying to Paris and making connections or flying to Madrid? Seems like with either there are several additional legs of the journey. Are there any recommendations regarding bus, train or additional flight to get to the final destination of SJPDP? I've thought about splitting up the travel so I'm not trying to make all connections within the same day (if that's even a possibility). Thanks for your advice!!

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, patticake,
I also fly through Chicago every year (I am downstate). What I have found is that for me the absolute easiest way to get to and from the camino is to fly on Iberia to Madrid, then take a second flight to the Spanish city closest to my starting point (last year Almeria, this year Irun, etc). For you that would likely be Pamplona. Then my return ticket is Santiago-Madrid-Chicago-Champaign. Booking it this way is usually not that much more than the round trip from home to Madrid would be. And it saves a lot of time. Having it on one ticket also means I don't worry about connections -- if my flight from Santiago to Madrid is late and I miss my connection on the Iberia flight, they will have to rebook me, not at my expense. That is why I always recommend to people that they not buy separate tickets and hope they have enough time to connect. I was once in Madrid when this happened to a young traveler, and not only did she lose the money she spent on her ticket, she had to buy another ticket, last minute one way to Chicago, and it was NOT cheap.

Anway, back to your question about SJPP. One of the disadvantages is that by flying into Pamplona, you then have to take a bus to SJPP that sort of takes away the surprise of the next day's walk since you will have seen some of the beautiful scenery from the bus. But I have done that and I have enjoyed arriving in Pamplona in early afternoon, taking some time to walk around Pamplona, get over jet lag, sleep in Pamplona. The next day I took a bus up to SJPP, stayed in a great albergue, and then started walking the next day. Arriving in SJPP with time to walk around is both a nice way to deal with jet lag and a chance to visit this very picturesque place.

This is just one option of several, but it has worked well for me for years. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Deleted member 67185]

Hi, Patti and welcome to the Forum.

• Having flown both into Paris and Madrid, I prefer Paris.
• From Paris, I catch a quick and inexpensive flight to Biarritz.
• At Biarritz, I take a 45 minute shuttle ride to SJPdP. (Express Bouricott)

 

[Susan M Fron]

I head planned the same trip, Chicago to Madrid and then a flight Pamplona at noon. Iberia discontinued the noon flight and now there is only a 4:00 flight to Pamplona,which means you get in too late to take the bus to St. Jean that day. So now I will be staying over in Pamplona and then getting up the next day and taking the bus to St. Jean. the other option is to fly into Madrid and take the train to Pamplona and then the bus to St. Jean. That can all be done in one day. I think that is the better option but I can't use it because I would have to cancel my whole trip and rebook at a higher price. Good luck.

 

[RJM]

Most interesting way to Saint Jean is to fly in to Paris and take the train.
Easiest way is to fly into Madrid and bus to Pamplona (from the airport terminal 4) and from there take the bus (or taxi but more expensive if no shared ride) to Saint Jean. That really is the easiest way.
Two other good options are to fly to Madrid or Dublin and take flights to Biarritz/Bayonne and take the train or bus from there to Saint Jean.
I have done them all.

 

[patticake5]

Hi, patticake,
I also fly through Chicago every year (I am downstate). What I have found is that for me the absolute easiest way to get to and from the camino is to fly on Iberia to Madrid, then take a second flight to the Spanish city closest to my starting point (last year Almeria, this year Irun, etc). For you that would likely be Pamplona. Then my return ticket is Santiago-Madrid-Chicago-Champaign. Booking it this way is usually not that much more than the round trip from home to Madrid would be. And it saves a lot of time. Having it on one ticket also means I don't worry about connections -- if my flight from Santiago to Madrid is late and I miss my connection on the Iberia flight, they will have to rebook me, not at my expense. That is why I always recommend to people that they not buy separate tickets and hope they have enough time to connect. I was once in Madrid when this happened to a young traveler, and not only did she lose the money she spent on her ticket, she had to buy another ticket, last minute one way to Chicago, and it was NOT cheap.

Anway, back to your question about SJPP. One of the disadvantages is that by flying into Pamplona, you then have to take a bus to SJPP that sort of takes away the surprise of the next day's walk since you will have seen some of the beautiful scenery from the bus. But I have done that and I have enjoyed arriving in Pamplona in early afternoon, taking some time to walk around Pamplona, get over jet lag, sleep in Pamplona. The next day I took a bus up to SJPP, stayed in a great albergue, and then started walking the next day. Arriving in SJPP with time to walk around is both a nice way to deal with jet lag and a chance to visit this very picturesque place.

This is just one option of several, but it has worked well for me for years. Buen camino, Laurie.

Thank you for the info. Did you book all your flights on your own or go through a travel agent? If on your own did you go through the airline directly or another party? I'm not having much luck with google flights.

 

[peregrina2000]

I book them on the American Airlines site directly. Since I fly out of such a small airport, and American is my only choice, these internet search engines don't help me much.

If you go to the American "book flights" section, and click on "advanced search" and then "multi city" you can put in each leg of the flight and it comes up with a total RT fare.

For instance, this year I just had to put in CMI to San Sebastian and then Santiago to CMI. Then American combines those two separate legs into one ticket. Make sense?

 

[t2andreo]

My considered opinion, having done it both ways, is to seek an "Open Jaw" reservation. Both Laurie and Dave, above, are correct. But, IMHO, my way is more convenient. Also, it ought not cost much more...

1. Fly ORD to CDG. Both AA and US have regular flights. You can connect on IB through MAD. I know it seems counter-intuitive, but it is actually smoother this way, at least IMHO.

2. From the baggage reclaim area, go outside and take Line #4 of the Le Bus Direct to Gare Montparnasse. Pay the driver. Ride takes @ 45 minutes from airport to train station.

Le Bus Direct

Cars Air France” have become “Le Bus Direct”. Paris Aéroport is launching a new quality service, “Le Bus Direct”, in partnership with Aérolis.

www.parisaeroport.fr

3. From Gare Montparnasse, take the SNCF TGV to Bayonne, you can book here...

Europe by train and bus made easy | Rail Europe

Buy train and bus tickets for the UK and Europe. Simple, fast booking.

www.raileurope.com

OR

SNCF – Timetables, Trains, Traffic, Services, International

Your gateway to the latest offers and news from SNCF, a global leader in passenger mobility and freight logistics.

www.sncf.com

High speed train takes about 5.5 hours. The scenery is beautiful.

4. At Bayonne, transfer to the TER #62 line from Bayonne to Saint Jean Pied de Port. You can buy your ticket from Paris to SJPdP at the Rail Europe or SNCF sites above...

Here is the TER schedules site:

SNCF - TER - Rechercher une fiche horaire

www.ter.sncf.com

Also, in connection with arriving this way, I always recommend booking two night stay at SJPdP. The first night you will be tired from traveling for a day. Spend the intervening day to explore the town, exercise your legs, and top up supplies.

You can also arrange to send a suitcase or duffel bag, ahead all the way to Santiago using Express Bourricot. Send all the souvenirs you just bought at SJPdP and post-Camino clothes and supplies ahead, to be waiting for you. Two people can share one bag. Here is their website:

Accueil - Express Bourricot

www.expressbourricot.com

It is NOT cheap. But it is easy, safe, secure and reliable. I use it every time I start from SJPdP.

5. AFTER your Camino, returning from Santiago, you can either fly, train, or bus to Madrid. IMHO, flying is the easiest. However, if you want to spent some time in Madrid, then the bus or train is definitely the way to go as these two methods land you directly in the city. As is mostly the case, large airports are well outside the downtown core.

Check routes and schedules here:

ALSA (bus) - http://www.alsa.com/en/web/bus/home#

RENFE (train) - http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/index.html

6. Return home from Madrid, MAD - ORD direct. Easy peasy...

The bus and train ride from Santiago to Madrid is about 6 hours +/-. So, you likely need to plan at least one overnight at Madrid before heading to the airport.

OTOH, flying can be done in one day. You take an early flight out of Santiago to Madrid, then connect to your US-bound return flight. They mostly leave between 1100 and 1300.

If flying back, and NOT using Iberia or AA, consider that you will have to change terminals. IB and AA dominae T-4. Other US carriers, DL and UA, use terminal 1, IIRC. Allow an extra hour for making the terminal change, just in case.

The other advantage of using AA or IB through T-4 on the return is that your checked baggage is routed through to ORD. You do not see it after Santiago, until you arrive at ORD.

Hope this helps.

 

[jo webber]

We found the least expensive flight from Los Angels to Spain, this was Barcelona at that time. Then figured out train, bus to SJPdP. I do recommend at least 2 nights someplace before you set out walking. We spent two nights in Barcelona to arrange phone service, get some sleep and begin to adjust our internal clocks. Then two nights in SJPdP so we were not in a rush, sent a suitcase to Santiago, bought myself a very warm vest because it was much colder than I expected.

 

[RJM]

Thank you for the info. Did you book all your flights on your own or go through a travel agent? If on your own did you go through the airline directly or another party? I'm not having much luck with google flights.

I have always booked my own flights. I have had good luck with hotwire and priceline. Sometimes I spot a good deal on them and then go directly to the airline website and they have the same price for the same flight and then I book directly with airline because it allows you to choose seats, and if any problems occur, change or cancel flights.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

I have always booked my own flights. I have had good luck with hotwire and priceline. Sometimes I spot a good deal on them and then go directly to the airline website and they have the same price for the same flight and then I book directly with airline because it allows you to choose seats, and if any problems occur, change or cancel flights.

I do the same exact thing.

I agree some of the best deals I have found were thru third party booking services. I usually got the best deals thru CheapOair (not cheapair).

Like you said, it is a risk, though. When I had to cut my 1st Camino short at Burgos, the cost of making the change was slightly less than if I were buying a full fare ticket. That was because of booking thru Cheapoair rather than directly with the airline.

Apparently in exchange for third party bookings with the lower prices you lose some perks in exchange, like being able to make changes thru the airline for free or with a surcharge which is far less expensive than full fare.

Now that doesn't have anything to do with travel interruption insurance if one has such a policy, which requires a medical reason signed by a doctor for any reimbursement. That is different from just wanting to change a scheduled date for a flight.

Nowadays I choose to book thru the airlines themselves; and I always try to get the best deal from the agent I talk to. I am surprised at how often the airlines will match a third-party travel site's price.

I wish I had known that prior to the rude awakening

 

[RJM]

Nowadays I choose to book thru the airlines themselves; and I always try to get the best deal from the agent I talk to. I am surprised at how often the airlines will match a third-party travel site's price.

I did not know they would do that, but not surprised. Like the old saying goes, "everything's negotiable". I will be sure to remember that.
Probably the best deal I ever had on a flight was through priceline I believe, although a couple of the other travel sites do it as well, I booked a roundtrip flight at a discount of about 60%. The only catch was I did not know the exact departure, arrival times and layovers etc until I actually booked the flight and there was no refund. Definitely was a gamble, but I had a very flexible travel schedule. As it turned out the itinerary was quite good and I got what was about a 1300 euro round trip for about 500 euro. Not bad.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

I did not know they would do that, but not surprised. Like the old saying goes, "everything's negotiable". I will be sure to remember that.
Probably the best deal I ever had on a flight was through priceline I believe, although a couple of the other travel sites do it as well, I booked a roundtrip flight at a discount of about 60%. The only catch was I did not know the exact departure, arrival times and layovers etc until I actually booked the flight and there was no refund. Definitely was a gamble, but I had a very flexible travel schedule. As it turned out the itinerary was quite good and I got what was about a 1300 euro round trip for about 500 euro. Not bad.

It makes it extra sweet when that kind of risk ends up being a nice reward

 

[peregrina2000]

Nowadays I choose to book thru the airlines themselves; and I always try to get the best deal from the agent I talk to. I am surprised at how often the airlines will match a third-party travel site's price.

Dave you must be quite a charmer, because I have never heard of that. I do know that American charges you $40 if you have them book your flight for you, so it must not be American! What airlines has this worked for you on?

One other benefit that comes from buying your ticket directly from the airline comes in case the flight is cancelled. We were on Madeira when a flight was cancelled because of weather. TAP put us up in a four star hotel, with two taxi vouchers, and vouchers for a day of meals. That came out to about what we paid for the tickets. Not sure why they put us up when the cause was weather, but I am not complaining (assuming EU rules are different). People who got their tickets on Priceline, etc did not get this treatment, and people on another flight on one of the discount airlines wound up sleeping in the airport or coughing up the cash for a hotel themselves, all the while fuming that they would file a complaint.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

The main thing that I do is to have a window of several days for the agent to work with in booking a flight.

The other thing is that more airlines are now having the best prices themselves when booking thru them; they are finding that they can make up the difference with getting customers to agree to 'upgrade' certain services. . . the kinds of things like bag fees, seat selection fees, etc.

It also depends on the 'class' you want to book, too. Premium Economy or Business seem to help get a better price at times due to the higher profitability. And now, some airlines, like Icelandair, have further subdivided each class into a fee class with certain services and a lower fee with less services. Sometimes I ask if I can book a seat on their least busy travel day inside the 5 day window I've given, and then ask if I can get the lower service price for the the full service.

As I said, it doesn't always work. But when I talk to an agent I always try to engage them in a bit of "getting to know you" fluff: "How is the weather there? How long have you worked for the company? You must be a saint to deal with customers the way you do. Do you like flying with this airline?" It seems to help the agent feel more invested in doing the best they can to get you the best outcome.

Yeah, its all pretty elementary stuff. But I always follow the most basic of all the rules for getting a better deal: It never hurts to ask.

 

[katie@camino]

Hi, Patti and welcome to the Forum.

• Having flown both into Paris and Madrid, I prefer Paris.
• From Paris, I catch a quick and inexpensive flight to Biarritz.
• At Biarritz, I take a 45 minute shuttle ride to SJPdP. (Express Bouricott)

This is exactly what I did when I flew from NYC and it was quick and seamless. Highly recommend Express Bouricott.

I left NYC on Saturday at 11pm, arrived in SJPDP about 4-5pm Sunday, began walking on Monday am. If I had my time over, I'd have stayed an extra night either in Biarritz or SJPDP to give myself time to transition into the walking component of the Camino. Having only a little over 12 hours between arriving in and leaving SJPDP felt too rushed. I stayed at Gita Kayola the first night, with dinner at Orisson, both of which I loved. Gite Kayola was so cosy.

 

[Mike Blackard]

Last September I flew from Seattle to London (Gatwick) FOR $ 206 DOLLARS !! Then Easy Jet Gatwick to Biarritz for $89 then 1 Euro bus ride from terminal to Bayonne train station and finally 10 Euro train ride to St. Jean. I just looked up Norwegian from Chicago- They fly every other day from Chicago to Gatwick for $179 Dollars this coming September!! Great flight on Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

 

[Mike Blackard]

DUH - the airline was Norwegian Airline

 

[trecile]

I'm so jealous of those of your who live near major airports. There's no such thing as a "cheap" flight to Europe from my small local airport.

Fortunately though, I have been able to buy my flights for all of my Caminos with airline miles.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I'm so jealous of those of your who live near major airports.

It doesn't have to be direct. We once saved a bundle by a Boston - Detroit - Amsterdam ticket.

 

[trecile]

It doesn't have to be direct. We once saved a bundle by a Boston - Detroit - Amsterdam ticket.

I can only dream of direct flights. The problem is getting from East Podunk to a major airport

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Consider flying to Barcelona also; maybe you can get a better deal on flights. Then bus, train or fly to Pamplona. I think the train takes only a hour longer than the one from Madrid and the fares can't be too much different from each other.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

It doesn't have to be direct. We once saved a bundle by a Boston - Detroit - Amsterdam ticket.

Yup; I have to hop a 35 minute flight from East Wenatchee to Seattle.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I can only dream of direct flights. The problem is getting from East Podunk to a major airport

I have to hop a 35 minute flight from East Wenatchee to Seattle.

What I meant was that once you reach the first major airport you could pay a little to go to another major airport out of the way which may have a special deal going to your final destination (which may save you a lot). For example, East Wenatchee (or East Podunk) to Seattle to Vancouver (or San Francisco) to Madrid. I think that more people check out destination alternatives than the the source alternatives. By this I mean, for example, comparing leaving Seattle to land in Dublin to go to Madrid (or elsewhere) with leaving Seattle to land in London to go to Madrid (or elsewhere.)

 

[Deleted member 67185]

What I meant was that once you reach the first major airport you could pay a little to go to another major airport out of the way which may have a special deal going to your final destination (which may save you a lot). For example, East Wenatchee (or East Podunk) to Seattle to Vancouver (or San Francisco) to Madrid. I think that more people check out destination alternatives than the the source alternatives. By this I mean, for example, comparing leaving Seattle to land in Dublin to go to Madrid (or elsewhere) with leaving Seattle to land in London to go to Madrid (or elsewhere.)

Yeah. I consider our airport a taxi service. It only serves the East Wenatchee to Seattle route. So I always plan my flights using Seatac as the departure point. Then after that flight is secured, I schedule my shuttle flight to Seatac from Pangborn.

 

[Jackieduda]

Forgive me if this is a redundant post. I have searched old threads and did not find what I was looking for. I am flying out of Chicago/US to start the Camino in SJPDP this September. In terms of getting to SJDPD, which would make more sense-flying to Paris and making connections or flying to Madrid? Seems like with either there are several additional legs of the journey. Are there any recommendations regarding bus, train or additional flight to get to the final destination of SJPDP? I've thought about splitting up the travel so I'm not trying to make all connections within the same day (if that's even a possibility). Thanks for your advice!!

Either way you do it, it isnt likely to be a short list of connections from the U.S. to there.
Please dont do what i did...made a reservation to madrid, then tried to figure out the rest...instead, study all of the transportation carefully before you make any reservations that are set in stone. I recommend you follow the advice from others on this forum, which will probably be to fly to france, train to St Jean pdp. You will probably take at least one plane, bus, and train ride before you get there, so make a reservation for a comfy room in SJPDP to get a good nights rest before you start your trek. Then...
Buen Camino to you!

(Jacscamino.wordpress.com)

 

[tomnorth]

Forgive me if this is a redundant post. I have searched old threads and did not find what I was looking for. I am flying out of Chicago/US to start the Camino in SJPDP this September. In terms of getting to SJDPD, which would make more sense-flying to Paris and making connections or flying to Madrid? Seems like with either there are several additional legs of the journey. Are there any recommendations regarding bus, train or additional flight to get to the final destination of SJPDP? I've thought about splitting up the travel so I'm not trying to make all connections within the same day (if that's even a possibility). Thanks for your advice!!

I flew from Minneapolis to Paris and then caught the TGV train right at CDG to Bayonne, where I then caught the city train to SJPDP.

 

[RobertB]

Hi, Patti and welcome to the Forum.

• Having flown both into Paris and Madrid, I prefer Paris.
• From Paris, I catch a quick and inexpensive flight to Biarritz.
• At Biarritz, I take a 45 minute shuttle ride to SJPdP. (Express Bouricott)

I do exactly the same from Houston, my last trip landed in Paris around 8:20 am and I had to hurry through gates and passport security to arrive at final boarding gate to Biarritz by 10 am (final check in time). Made It, Stress gone.

 

[Michael; Camino-addicted]

Hallo Patti,

you can fly Chicago via Dublin to Biarritz - in the best case both flights together for less than 300 €

Look at www.skyscanner.com

 

[peregrina2000]

Please dont do what i did...made a reservation to madrid, then tried to figure out the rest...instead, study all of the transportation carefully before you make any reservations that are set in stone.

I would add to that very good advice just a little — also make sure you know how you will get home from Santiago or your final destination before booking a ticket. That’s why Madrid as point of entry always works best for me. I fly into Madrid, on an internal flight on Iberia to someplace close to my starting city, and then back from Santiago to Madrid and onto the plane again. These extra add-on in-Spain flights rarely add a lot to the cost of my ticket and are cheaper and quicker than lots of the options of booking separate tickets on plane, train, or bus, especially since it eliminates the need for a night in a hotel en route.

Buen camino,Laurie

 

[Michael; Camino-addicted]

Of course, the words from Laurie are true - it can be much more expensive go back to US, if you need before the flight a long transport and an expensive overnight in a hotel.

You wrote, that it´s not necessary for you to make it all in one day.

So, if your pilgrimage goes to Santiago, you could go back to Chicago via Milan, both flights in many cases (I looked Oktober) for around 320€.

Buen Camino

Michael

 

[Susan M Fron]

I am flying from Chicago to Madrid. I am arriving at 7:30 a.m. Madrid time. There are numerous trains that you can catch that take you to Pamplona and then you can catch the bus to St Jean before that day is over.

 

[Susan M Fron]

I would add to that very good advice just a little — also make sure you know how you will get home from Santiago or your final destination before booking a ticket. That’s why Madrid as point of entry always works best for me. I fly into Madrid, on an internal flight on Iberia to someplace close to my starting city, and then back from Santiago to Madrid and onto the plane again. These extra add-on in-Spain flights rarely add a lot to the cost of my ticket and are cheaper and quicker than lots of the options of booking separate tickets on plane, train, or bus, especially since it eliminates the need for a night in a hotel en route.

Buen camino,Laurie

I agree.

 

[t2andreo]

One excellent tip, not mentioned above (unless I missed it) is to use Rome2rio. You can also get the free app for your smartphone.

Go to www.rome2rio.com. Input where you are starting from (yes, even ‘nowheresville’) to your final destination. This clever application will provide you ALL the options for driving, taxi, bus, train, and plane that it knows of.

Click on the results to dive down, into the results for listings of railways, bus companies or airlines. Sometimes, schedules are provided.

Rome2rio makes life and travel MUCH easier. Instead of randomly poking around the internet, Rome2rio helps you focus your search, and fast.

Hope this helps.

 

[Dogbreath]

I booked my flights about two months ago (to SJPdP via Paris). It's the return I'd like to hear about. I'm coming back from Lisbon to Chicago. Various reasons I went this routing rather than Madrid. What's the take on Lisbon travel, sights to see as time permits? Thanks!

 

[t2andreo]

The Lisbon Metro is just outside the airport terminal. There is plenty to see. Lisbon is a beautiful, very old, and historic city.

Anyone who has time should spend a few days. I did four days after my 2017 Camino. I had a good time.

Recommend using the hop on hop off tour bus to get a good overview and to learn about the various sections of the city. After this, you can come back to visit the sites that appealed to you.

Hope this helps.

 

[CWBuff]

Nowadays I choose to book thru the airlines themselves; and I always try to get the best deal from the agent I talk to.

Dave you must be quite a charmer, because I have never heard of that. I do know that American charges you $40 if you have them book your flight for you, so it must not be American! What airlines has this worked for you on?

Not only charges but couple of times I tried to talk to an agent I spent on an average about 45 mins on hold! (United not AA to be fair).
I try very diligently to watch prices once I start monitoring them.... but for most of the time once I committed to make the purchase - I am done. (for better or worse - out of sight out of mind so to speak; perhaps a distorted part of my "don't look back" superstition )

 

[patticake5]

Most interesting way to Saint Jean is to fly in to Paris and take the train.
Easiest way is to fly into Madrid and bus to Pamplona (from the airport terminal 4) and from there take the bus (or taxi but more expensive if no shared ride) to Saint Jean. That really is the easiest way.
Two other good options are to fly to Madrid or Dublin and take flights to Biarritz/Bayonne and take the train or bus from there to Saint Jean.
I have done them all.

Do you know if these buses run daily? I've been looking online and the dates seem to be on the weekend for SEptember.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Do you know if these buses run daily? I've been looking online and the dates seem to be on the weekend for SEptember.

The ALSA/Conda buses from Pamplona run daily. It may be too early for the September schedule to be shown online but roughly for the last few years September has had this schedule:
Sep 10:00 14:30 17:30
And in October they drop the 10:00 service. They stop all service in November.

 

[Suzanne S.]

What @davebugg said is exactly what I did. Out of Paris...

 

[CWBuff]

Reading through all the posts it seems to me that options are GALORE based on what one wants to do and to some extend what one is willing to do (i.e. how expensive, how many stops\connections\etc.)
Like it or not - this is my conclusion based on everything I read here and on other posts:
The easiest and most direct way is to fly US -->Biarritz (I don't see any N/S from the airports close to me so lets say 1 stop) and then take Express Bourricott. (which IS what @davebugg said )
The issue here is, that it will unquestionably cost you (remember if anything one has to book EB ahead and if they do not have another person to pick up - you are forking the whole fare (80+ E if I am not mistaken).
The shortest flight from JFK is slightly over 10 hours incl. 1h4m layover at CdG. I don't think that transferring anywhere in Paris (be it a bus, train or anything) will take less time. The CdG-->BIQ flight is 1h25m so you are looking all together at 2.5 hours time from landing at CdG. Again, IMHO - this is hard to beat.
This flight (5:48pm JFK) can get you to Biarritz at 10:10 am. according to EB they come 30m after you land and trip takes 1 h, so you would be in SjPdP by noon the latest (providing nothing goes whacko but nobody can guarantee that). Thats 2 hours to do whatever (go to Pilgrim Office, get your Credenciale, etc.) and be by your albergue by 2:00pm?

(Actually after taking @t2andreo advice and checking out rome2rio I found a EWR flight that is shorter so you start later (6:40pm) and land slightly earlier (10:00 am). I take EWR over JFK any time as it is much more easier for me to travel to former than later.)

Now, granted as everyone can see I am still a long way from going on my 1st Camino so far it be for me to argue with those who have done it and done it numerous times. I merely am pointing out what seems to me the most direct route with least changes. (to repeat - fly to BIQ with 1 stop and take EB).
Much can be said about cost and\or scenery as well as initial camaraderie on the Bayonne leg(s). Considering that there are some voices suggesting that it wold not be a bad idea to be reasonably rested before starting on the Camino, personally I would not want to take 2-3 flights and then deal with trains or buses (or both) afterwards... I don't know... seems a long day.... (heck... If I could afford it - I'd fly business class and try to get some descent sleep while jumping over the pond... OK one CAN dream, right? )
But, to each his\her own

 

[naplesdon]

Having lived in Biarritz for the past nine years and traveling to and from South Florida and Cincinnati, I have regularly taken similar routes through Paris many times that CWBuff, T2A and Tom North all recommended. The train and the plane prices have become quite comparable over the past few years.
I have also flown directly to and from Bordeaux numerous times, that airport is easy to segue with the train to Bayonne and has far less wait time getting through security than the nightmarish clearance process that going home from Paris has.
Every trip I weigh the cost of flying to Bilbao which also offers fairly easy access to SJPdP once you have reached Hendaye. Bilbao airport is easy to get around and has bus service to the bus terminal in town with service to many towns on the Camino and Irun on the border across from Hendaye.
I have also tried the Dublin routing to Biarritz, because it was super cheap. I thought I was saving lots of money until I found I was also required to spend a night there before I returned to the US. The hotels at the airport are a rip off.
The caveat with many of these itineraries is a required nights stay going one way or the other due to early morning departures or late day arrivals.

 

[CWBuff]

I flew from Minneapolis to Paris and then caught the TGV train right at CDG to Bayonne, where I then caught the city train to SJPDP.

@tomnorth
Hi Tom
Following above I came up with this:

So... is there a transfer of trains involved or am I looking at something slightly different?

 

[naplesdon]

Allow me to jump in here. This is the train directly from the airport and you do get off of the TGV in Bordeaux and walk to another platform to get in the TER train. It only takes a few minutes and if the trains are not on schedule the station master normally respects the passengers and gives them enough time to get from one train to the other.
There are more trains if one goes to Gare Montparnasse. Le Bus has regular service between CDG and Montparnasse, but it is the same routine in Bordeaux of switching trains, however sometimes it is a transfer in Dax instead.

 

[CWBuff]

@biarritzdon - Thank You Sir that is a very informative explanation.
I am aware of more availability if I go to Gare Montparnasse. Fast check shows 5 before noon and one on each :52 every hour after that. Could be something to consider for sure.

 

[The Kolbist]

Rome2rio.com will have several options

 

[tomnorth]

@tomnorth
Hi Tom
Following above I came up with this:
View attachment 56593
So... is there a transfer of trains involved or am I looking at something slightly different?

Yes, you transfer at Bordeaux. It is an easy transfer. When you get off at Bayonne you go to the ticket office to get your ticket to SJPDP.

 

[CWBuff]

@tomnorth - Yip easy enough transfer. thanks

 

[Deleted member 86885]

Most interesting way to Saint Jean is to fly in to Paris and take the train.
Easiest way is to fly into Madrid and bus to Pamplona (from the airport terminal 4) and from there take the bus (or taxi but more expensive if no shared ride) to Saint Jean. That really is the easiest way.
Two other good options are to fly to Madrid or Dublin and take flights to Biarritz/Bayonne and take the train or bus from there to Saint Jean.
I have done them all.

thanks very much- i am a first-timer and planning to fly into paris and take the train- seems like it ought to be pretty easy. any recommendations on places to stay in st jean the first night before starting?

 

[Juspassinthru]

PattiCake5,

As a multi-million mile flyer on 2 different airlines and, I say that not to brag but more as a sad reality of being away from home far too much, I will share this. The more connections, the greater chance of something going wrong and that usually translates into delays, aggravation and $$. From Chicago I’d get to either Madrid or Paris and then either Biarritz from CDG or Pamplona from MAD and then, relax. From either, you’re a couple hours away. This may cost a bit more but far less in time and peace of mind. I hope this helps, Buen Camino.

 

[RemysMimi]

Forgive me if this is a redundant post. I have searched old threads and did not find what I was looking for. I am flying out of Chicago/US to start the Camino in SJPDP this September. In terms of getting to SJDPD, which would make more sense-flying to Paris and making connections or flying to Madrid? Seems like with either there are several additional legs of the journey. Are there any recommendations regarding bus, train or additional flight to get to the final destination of SJPDP? I've thought about splitting up the travel so I'm not trying to make all connections within the same day (if that's even a possibility). Thanks for your advice!!

Hi Patticake5,
I flew out of SFO into Paris, took a short hop to Biarritz (1-1/2 flight and hired a car to SJPdP (which took about 1/2 hour) because we got in late. I understand you can take the bus or train as well and it is not far. It was very easy.

 

[Juspassinthru]

PattiCake5,

I just took a quick look, there’s a TAP Air Portugal flight from Chicago to Bordeaux via Lisbon. I flew them in 2017 and found them very comfortable and the fares were very reasonable. Bordeaux is a quick trip to Bayonne and a change to SJPP. I’d overnight in Bordeaux and catch the early train. There was a flight from A Coruña to Lisbon for the return. Consider a layover in Lisbon if you have time.

 

[Donjek]

thanks very much- i am a first-timer and planning to fly into paris and take the train- seems like it ought to be pretty easy. any recommendations on places to stay in st jean the first night before starting?

I would suggest starting a new thread. As you can see, all you've done is attract answers to the first post on this thread even though 'tis a year old.

 

[RJM]

thanks very much- i am a first-timer and planning to fly into paris and take the train- seems like it ought to be pretty easy. any recommendations on places to stay in st jean the first night before starting?

Definitely make reservations for that first night in Saint Jean. There are a fair number of albergues to choose from. I have stayed in four different private ones there, but do not recall their names. They were all nice. Clean and adequate. I booked them via booking.com. It is a good site to use and had photos and reviews.
Also definitely make reservations for your time in Santiago.
ultreia

 

[BROWNCOUNTYBOB]

Patticake, my wife and I have walked CF three times and are planning on walking it again this fall. First two times we fly Indpls through a connecting town, then direct flight to Madrid. We absolutely love Madrid (my first visit was 1978) so take the subway downtown, enjoy the city while we recover from jet lag. Next morning we have a nice breakfast, then take a train to Pamplona. Pamplona is one of our favorite cities on Camino Frances (my brother and I went for the running of the bulls in 1981). We relax there, spend the night then take a bus to St Jean. We arrive just before noon, get our credentials stamped before the office closes for lunch, then enjoy St Jean the rest of the day. Early next morning we're up and begin our camino hike at 7 am. We altered our travel plan in 2019 by flying to Barcelona, then the rest was the same (train to Pamplona, etc). We really like walking through Pamplona just three days later to enjoy the city again - this time as a pilgrim.

After arriving in Santiago, we spend two nights there, then take a direct (and inexpensive) flight to Madrid, spend the night there, then fly back to Indianapolis the following day. We'll follow this plan again this fall. Since this will be our 4th camino, we have favorite bars, restaurants, grocery shops, in each town and we look forward to spending time at each again.

Bob