Heading to Narbonne Plage - next week!

[Carla Lee Fabian]

Hi! I have just this week decided to walk from Narbonne Plage to San Jean (and possibly on from there to Irun and Santiago, leaving here (Alaska) on May 1st!
I have done several caminos in the past 15 years and am excited to be walking this route. I do, however, have one burning question:
Where can I can get a guidebook for this route and a credential (in Marseilles or Narbonne). Thanks so much!
Carla

 

[mspath]

Welcome to the Forum!

For where to get a Credential in Narbonne you might ask the tourist office via their English web site.
http://www.narbonne-tourism.co.uk/

For many helpful tips/links re walking from Narbonne plage see this earlier forum thread --https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/from-narbonne-plage-to-puente-la-reina-or-pamplona.10239/

For helpful info in French see
http://pelerins-compostelle.com/pelerinage-compostelle-chemin-piemont-etape-itineraire/

See also this encyclopedic overview from CSJ dated December 2016--
https://www.csj.org.uk/planning-you...he-routes-today/the-pyrenean-foothills-route/

Happy planning, Bon chemin and Buen camino!

 

[TMcA]

Possibly most complete response ever! Well done, mspath.

 

[Helen1]

This is a really lovely walk. Guess Carla Lee Fabian is already walking but for others benefit I struggled with this guide at times: http://www.martin-delbert.fr/978284...la-route-des-abbayes-de-l-aude-olivier-guix/#

Crossing over the hills out of Narbonne I got mixed up on the woodland paths and the local fireman ended up giving me a lift - mostly out of concern about wild boar attacks but also because they couldn't work out the route in the book or find the crosses it mentioned (probably easy if you know where to look). Also coming into Lourdes it takes you through a very little used footpath that was head high in brambles and pretty unpleasant. I can't quite remember the location but there's another section (which includes a big hill) that obviously was way marked to Santiago but there must be a more recent path, you get taken through the edge of a woodland/fence along a marked path that's been totally overtaken by stinging nettles with no easy way out once you start down.

I also took this http://www.randonnees-midi-pyrenees.com/les-gr/topo-guides-gr/ref780.aspx the route is much easier after Carcassonne in terms of way marking. This book is very good, the GR takes you up hill and down dale but with the maps you can cut off some of the big loops that it takes you.

 

[Carla Lee Fabian]

This is a really lovely walk. Guess Carla Lee Fabian is already walking but for others benefit I struggled with this guide at times: http://www.martin-delbert.fr/978284...la-route-des-abbayes-de-l-aude-olivier-guix/#

Crossing over the hills out of Narbonne I got mixed up on the woodland paths and the local fireman ended up giving me a lift - mostly out of concern about wild boar attacks but also because they couldn't work out the route in the book or find the crosses it mentioned (probably easy if you know where to look). Also coming into Lourdes it takes you through a very little used footpath that was head high in brambles and pretty unpleasant. I can't quite remember the location but there's another section (which includes a big hill) that obviously was way marked to Santiago but there must be a more recent path, you get taken through the edge of a woodland/fence along a marked path that's been totally overtaken by stinging nettles with no easy way out once you start down.

I also took this http://www.randonnees-midi-pyrenees.com/les-gr/topo-guides-gr/ref780.aspx the route is much easier after Carcassonne in terms of way marking. This book is very good, the GR takes you up hill and down dale but with the maps you can cut off some of the big loops that it takes you.

Thanks, Helen, for your response, which I am only seeing now that I am in Carcassonne! Yesterday (day 5) was the first day I had waymarking on the GR 36 from Monze all the way, and it made the walking so much more enjoyable. Having to rely on my French guidebook and dictionary has been mentally exhausting and slowed me down as well. That said, the landscapes have been lovely!
Hoping to be able to follow the GR78 from here on out, but it sounds like some roads may be preferable if it rains a lot.
Carrying a sleeping bag but haven't needed it yet. Thinking about sending it on, but perhaps there it will come in handy up ahead if more pilgrim accommodation. Any thoughts on this?
Thanks for your input!
Carla

 

[Helen1]

Hi Carla,

Hope things are going well, I camped more or less all the way so I'm not much help with pilgrim accommodation. I got the impression that there were plenty of pilgrim style places to stay along the route. As you've probably already found out the tourist info places are v helpful. Seem to remember Le Mas-d'Azil had places to stay with local priest and I think there were quite a few places around there. (I'm love prehistory so mas d'azil was cool, but there's another set of caves a bit off the route, (it looks like they are on route but the entrance is miles away) which I found really moving, entrance is limited to X number per day but they have red hand prints and all sorts of drawings... I don't have my books with me and can't remember name but it was pretty awesome if you like that kind of thing.)

There's an eco gite in the place before bernard de comminges at bottom of mountain that I really loved. I had planned to camp on top of the mountain but the campsite was unexpectedly closed, so I walked down the mountain feeling pretty miserable as it was getting late. I rocked into this little village thinking it's miles to next campsite but should be able to make it before dark. Stopped for a drink in a little shop and asked if the gite was open he said of course and I spent a very special night there drinking water from the village stream, enjoying a fantastic meal and watching the most tremendous thunderstorm via the roof light - someone was looking after me that night

Note bernard de comminges, the night I got there, possibly a Monday? there was only one place to eat and all they served was salad. It was a very lovely salad but the place was full of starving walkers and cyclists. The campsite there has wooden chalets pilgrims can stay in I can't remember how much 10-15 euro maybe. You would need sleeping bag there.

All the best - Helen

 

[Ramblanista]

Hi Carla,

Hope things are going well, I camped more or less all the way so I'm not much help with pilgrim accommodation. I got the impression that there were plenty of pilgrim style places to stay along the route. As you've probably already found out the tourist info places are v helpful. Seem to remember Le Mas-d'Azil had places to stay with local priest and I think there were quite a few places around there. (I'm love prehistory so mas d'azil was cool, but there's another set of caves a bit off the route, (it looks like they are on route but the entrance is miles away) which I found really moving, entrance is limited to X number per day but they have red hand prints and all sorts of drawings... I don't have my books with me and can't remember name but it was pretty awesome if you like that kind of thing.)

There's an eco gite in the place before bernard de comminges at bottom of mountain that I really loved. I had planned to camp on top of the mountain but the campsite was unexpectedly closed, so I walked down the mountain feeling pretty miserable as it was getting late. I rocked into this little village thinking it's miles to next campsite but should be able to make it before dark. Stopped for a drink in a little shop and asked if the gite was open he said of course and I spent a very special night there drinking water from the village stream, enjoying a fantastic meal and watching the most tremendous thunderstorm via the roof light - someone was looking after me that night

Note bernard de comminges, the night I got there, possibly a Monday? there was only one place to eat and all they served was salad. It was a very lovely salad but the place was full of starving walkers and cyclists. The campsite there has wooden chalets pilgrims can stay in I can't remember how much 10-15 euro maybe. You would need sleeping bag there.

All the best - Helen

Hi Helen

I'm thinking about walking this Camino next summer, with a tent. How was the camping, many municipal or private sites? Did you have to do much wild camping?

Sian

 

[Helen1]

Hi Sian,

I walked quite long days but on the whole camping was easy. Quite a few municipal campsites. I wild camped three times, once because the campsite listed didn't exist and the next gite that the book said you could camp didn't actually allow camping when I called ..., once because I got lost and once because I got something wrong or went a different route (can't remember...) the tourist info tried local accommodation but all booked/no response. I stayed in a hotel in Lourdes, the eco gite, the convent at Carcasonnne, an F1 at Pamiers, Logis Hôtel les Minotiers at Mirepoix (I was shattered, came in via the old railway line, saw the hotel, blew the budget and checked in (v nice place & food), the extra 1km to the campsite was too far to walk to that night ) I met a couple of people wild camping/camping at farms with no problems. Camping Saillet by the river at Lestelle-bétharram was nice, really chilled out family running the place when I was there.

I'm about to head to US for work, then holiday, back mid Sept, if you send me a reminder I can look up the details of where I stayed for you. One of my favourite campsites was at the top of a famous tour de france climb, beautiful views and fantastic pizza.

Helen

 

[Ramblanista]

Thanks Helen, very useful. I'll get back to you at the end of next month, if that's okay.

Sian