Well, Alan's posts have pretty well sold me on this camino, even though I keep telling myself -- no more solitary caminos! So I'm looking at options for getting to the starting point. Would love to get some of your expert eyes on this question.
I would like to start on the water -- Riumar, at the mouth of the Ebro is most appealing, but most complicated. The other water option is Sant Carles de la Rapita, where Stephen started.
Option 1. Train from BCN to Ampolla (how wonderful to get off a train in a town named Blister on my way to the Camino!), taxi to Riumar (about 25 km I think), but the problem is finding a place to sleep in Riumar. Bungalows available for around 70 euros. Walk the next day, to Amposta. Easiest and most direct, but expensive. Wondering if there are other options in Riumar.
Option 2. Train to Ampolla, taxi from Ampolla to Deltebre. Spend night in Deltebre, next morning taxi to Riumar and start to walk.
Option 3. Train to Ampolla, then a taxi to Riumar and right then walk the 12 kms to Deltebre, where I would sleep. That might be a pretty long first day starting with an 8:30 am arrival in BCN from overnight flight from New York. But it has a certain appeal, no backtracking.
Option 4. Bus from BCN straight to Sant Carles de Rapita. On the water, but not at the mouth of the Ebro. Clearly the easiest.
And maybe there are options I haven't thought of. Thanks, transportation gurus, Laurie