Journalist group promoting the Valcarlos route

[Bradypus]

Just saw an article reporting on a visit to Valcarlos promoting the town and the route through it as a primary Camino route - not simply a winter alternative to the Route Napoleon. Some mention of actions being taken to make the route a more attractive option. Including negotiating an agreement with ALSA to make Valcarlos an official stop on the Pamplona - SJPDP bus route.

Periodistas del Camino de Santiago francés reivindican Valcarlos como inicio del Camino en Navarra - NAVARRA INFORMACIÓN

La Liga de Asociaciones de Periodistas del Camino de Santiago francés reivindica Valcarlos como inicio del Camino en Navarra Más de una veintena de representantes de la Liga de Asociaciones de Periodistas del Camino de Santiago francés han acudido al Valcarlos, en una visita que se ha enmarcado...

www.navarrainformacion.es

 

[Kathor1]

Best of luck to the mayor of Valcarlos!

Nomen est omen , his name is Nicólas Camino. If I understand this correctly - creating and maintaining a good infrastructure and making use of existing assets for promotion are the clue: elimination of the sections of the Valcarlos route that are walked on the road with motor traffic present; restoration of those sections of the Roman road that can be recuperated (not sure how easy this would be); building of an albergue for pilgrims and other tourists (perhaps with a restaurant like Orisson?) at the site of the modern Ibañeta chapel where there used to be a similar establishment in the very distant past; adapting the contract between the ALSA bus company and the regional government so that the line Pamplona-SJPP gets a bus stop in Valcarlos; promoting Valcarlos as the start of the Camino Francés all year long as Valcarlos is right on the Spanish border - a meaningful start (makes more sense than SJPP).

But it seems that these are only ideas and no concrete plans yet?

 

[Bradypus]

But it seems that these are only ideas and no concrete plans yet?

Valcarlos shows up as a stop on the ALSA bus route though buying a ticket to Valcarlos is not an option on their website. Perhaps that one can be settled fairly quickly.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

adapting the contract between the ALSA bus company and the regional government so that the line Pamplona-SJPP gets a bus stop in Valcarlos;

It is my understanding that the Navarra government put the restriction on ALSA/CONDA to provide only international travel on their Pamplona - SJPdP line to protect the smaller, local lines. I suspect ALSA would be happy to have the restriction removed.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Valcarlos shows up as a stop on the ALSA bus route though buying a ticket to Valcarlos is not an option on their website. Perhaps that one can be settled fairly quickly.

Not long ago I checked ALSA service and you could pick up the bus in Spain at a number of points if the ticket was to France. I suppose though that they can't prevent you from getting off the bus at any of the Spanish points if the bus actually stops there to pick up passengers.

If I remember correctly, if you take ALSA from France you get to buy a ticket to any of the Spanish stops.

 

[Kathor1]

Valcarlos shows up as a stop on the ALSA bus route though buying a ticket to Valcarlos is not an option on their website. Perhaps that one can be settled fairly quickly.

Correct. Their current concession allows customers to buy a ticket from Valcarlos to SJPP and also a ticket from SJPP to Valcarlos but not from Pamplona to Valcarlos. The purchase must be for a bus journey that is a cross-border trip, i.e. "international".

 

[good_old_shoes]

I like that.

As it is right now, the pilgrim office seems to discourage anyone who wants to take that route to do so - unless the Napoleon route is closed.

This year was the second time I noticed that.

I told them that I had would not walk the Napoleon route even though it was open, and that I would take the Valcarlos route because I had walked it before and like it.

They looked at me in horror as if I'd lost my mind and said, "but you do know that it is ALL on the busy road, and NOT in the woods?"

Honestly, I didn't even know what to say to that. There's only some sections that are on the N135 unless there's heavy snow and the sections on the secondary roads and the trail sections can't be walked. Why the pilgrim office is giving that kind of information when weather and walking conditions are perfect is beyond me.

I still took the Valcarlos against their advice, and used all the off-N135-variations. The trails were in perfect condition, not even muddy.

It was a lovely walk.

 

[Former member 104756]

They looked at me in horror as if I'd lost my mind and said, "but you do know that it is ALL on the busy road, and NOT in the woods?"

Honestly, I didn't even know what to say to that. There's only some sections that are on the N135 unless there's heavy snow and the sections on the secondary roads and the trail sections can't be walked. Why the pilgrim office is giving that kind of information when weather and walking conditions are perfect is beyond me.

I also don't get this .... I walked the Valcarlos route in 2013 and very little was on a main road. It was my second camino. We were starting on 1 April and Napoleon route was closed so had to walk Valcarlos. On that occasion, the pilgrim office volunteers were v helpful and specifically advised about how to avoid the road ... and I don't recall any difficulty in doing that. We really enjoyed the route, though it was certainly no walk in the park in terms of climbing.

In the intervening years, I've heard and read many descriptions of 'all the road walking' on the Valcarlos route and I couldn't make sense of it. That said, a very experienced pilgrim friend walked the Valcarlos for the first time in 2022 and also ended up with a lot of road walking. Maybe there are two sets of signs? It's not fresh in my memory, but I definitely recall being mostly on secondary roads, and trails.

 

[good_old_shoes]

I also don't get this .... I walked the Valcarlos route in 2013 and very little was on a main road. It was my second camino. We were starting on 1 April and Napoleon route was closed so had to walk Valcarlos. On that occasion, the pilgrim office volunteers were v helpful and specifically advised about how to avoid the road ... and I don't recall any difficulty in doing that. We really enjoyed the route, though it was certainly no walk in the park in terms of climbing.

In the intervening years, I've heard and read many descriptions of 'all the road walking' on the Valcarlos route and I couldn't make sense of it. That said, a very experienced pilgrim friend walked the Valcarlos for the first time in 2022 and also ended up with a lot of road walking. Maybe there are two sets of signs? It's not fresh in my memory, but I definitely recall being mostly on secondary roads, and trails.

If I recall correctly, there was a sign after Arneguy that showed the N135 as the main Camino to Valcarlos and the option via the D128 only as an alternative. So even pilgrims walking in summer will tend to use the busy national road instead of the quiet secondary road.

I stopped a pilgrim who was about to walk on the N135 and showed them the other way.

Overall, many of the signs were very difficult to spot because they were completely bleached. I got the impression that the Valcarlos route seems not to get much love.

 

[Former member 104756]

Overall, many of the signs were very difficult to spot because they were completely bleached. I got the impression that the Valcarlos route seems not to get much love.

Thanks for the info. That could explain it. Perhaps the alternative signage was clearer in 2013 and has gradually deteriorated so that people are missing the options to stay off the busy road.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

If the ALSA bus ever does stop in Valcarlos (or Arnéguy) I'll be telling pilgrims wanting to go to SJPdP to walk the Route Napoleon to get off the bus there and walk to SJPdP.