Paris to SJPDP Routing

[jacenj]

I'm planning to start in Paris and walk the full, approximate 1687km to Muxia.

The route from SJPDP seems clear, however the route from Paris to SJPDP is not so well documented.

Right now, I have a plan that includes routing, that I believe are French hiking trails such as D97 from Paris to Orleans.

Has anyone hiked this route prior? Any advice? Thank you!

 

[mspath]

jacenj,

Welcome to the Forum!

What a wonderful journey you are planning; when you plan to set off?

Many Forum members will be happy to offer advice and suggestions for your kit and your route. Be sure to scan the Forum section below on Routes in France for further in-depth info.

I have not (yet) walked all the way from Paris but have found these two French guidebooks useful; perhaps you will also. See La Via Turonensis , La voie Atlantique and La Via Turonensis par Chartres.

Happy planning, Bon chemin and Buen camino,

Margaret Meredith

 

[Deleted member 3000]

This shows the route from Paris. From Tours, there are guidebooks to get to SJPdP.

http://pilgrim.peterrobins.co.uk/routes/details/paris.html
http://pilgrim.peterrobins.co.uk/routes/details/tours.html

 

[SYates]

I haven't walked that route but I found some links that may be helpful to you:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/walking-from-paris-to-santiago-de-compostela.6853/
http://www.compostelle-tours.org/
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008KNIPM4/?tag=casaivar02-20
http://walkinginfrance.info/pilgrimages/the-way-of-tours/

Hope that helps you at least a little bit. Buen Camino! SY

 

[pudgypilgrim]

From Tours, there are guidebooks to get to SJPdP.

Actually there are a couple of guides from Paris, too. There is the Guide LePere, also the GR655 is kind of the French preferred way, including the usual meanders--I think the GR655 route manages to make the approx. 70 km to Chartres (the Northern variant of the Voie de Tours) into a 144 km walk, for example.

There's an entire forum (not terribly active) here devoted to the Voie de Tours:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/forums/the-tours-route.47/

However, I have to ask where you're coming from, since there are many, many of us who wish to walk this route, but if you're coming from some countries, including the USA, it's not possible to do it in one go, since the Schengen countries only allow us to stay for 90 days in every six month period, with no easy way to get a visa extension. So if you're American, you'd either have to split it into two different years, or choose to do only part, or do a shorter route. If you're from one of the fortunate countries that don't have this restriction, I'm jealous!

 

[SYates]

Forgot to add, in the case that you are living in Paris, I can put you in touch with a group of pilgrims there that meets monthly. SY

 

[newfydog]

Great! traditionally, large groups of pilgrims departed daily from the Tour St Jacques, down the rue St Jacques and on to St Jacques de Compostelle. You'll find the route is indeed marked with the coquille all the way, but there are many options and guidebooks for all of them.

 

[jeffnd]

However, I have to ask where you're coming from, since there are many, many of us who wish to walk this route, but if you're coming from some countries, including the USA, it's not possible to do it in one go, since the Schengen countries only allow us to stay for 90 days in every six month period, with no easy way to get a visa extension. So if you're American, you'd either have to split it into two different years, or choose to do only part, or do a shorter route. If you're from one of the fortunate countries that don't have this restriction, I'm jealous!

I am currently looking into this now. It's a bit of a headache. I do think it would be possible to do the route from Paris to Santiago in 90 days, but it would be very rushed.

 

[pudgypilgrim]

I'm doing it in two different years, planning to do Paris to somewhere near SJPP this year and the rest next. However, whenever I have asked about this route here the invariable response is "Go do the Le Puy route instead," which is something you might want to consider if you aren't set on Paris.

There's also a forum member who did Paris to SJPP on a bike, then walked in Spain.

 

[JabbaPapa]

I'd take the Chartres route, via Jouy-en-Josas and St Rémy/Chevreuse.

Not least because it's THE fastest route from Paris centre out to the countryside, but also because the walk into Chartres and the arrival there are so stunningly amazing.

Admittedly, the walk from Orléans to Tours down the Loire is hands-down superior to the walk from Chartres to Tours ...

 

[JabbaPapa]

I do think it would be possible to do the route from Paris to Santiago in 90 days, but it would be very rushed.

hrrmm, did it in 44 LOL, but I was young and in a serious hurry he-he-he-he ...

 

[pudgypilgrim]

JabbaPapa, Scruffy1 posted elsewhere that his son wants to do Paris>Chartres and then cut down to Orleans to pick up the other branch of the Voie de Tours. Do you know anything about the best way to walk from Chartres to pick up the Orleans-Loire Valley branch?

 

[scruffy1]

Don't miss the Tour St Jacques in Paris, there is a kiosk in the back where they will stamp your credencial! My son? He is in Nepal! climbing cliffs, rafting down rivers, bungee off bridges, and base camping the Everest...sigh.

 

[mspath]

As Scruffy suggests in Paris visit the Tour Saint Jacques and perhaps dine nearby at the Auberge de Nicolas Flamel , 51 rue de Monmorency, a restored medieval house in the marais area built by and named for a man who donated much of his wealth to help pilgrims.

Be sure to check out these earlier Forum threads for more about pilgrim sites in Paris and the camino in Paris.

When on the parvis or place facing the Notre Dame cathedral below you underground lie Roman ruins and visible to your right across the Seine begins the medieval rue Saint Jacques which pilgrims followed to leave the city; walk it a bit and ponder history.

Take a deep breath, relax and just enjoy it! As an American who has lived close to 35 years in France both in Paris and Champagne even after all those years for me as Thomas Jefferson wrote “a walk about Paris will provide lessons in history, beauty, and in the point of life.”

 

[JabbaPapa]

JabbaPapa, Scruffy1 posted elsewhere that his son wants to do Paris>Chartres and then cut down to Orleans to pick up the other branch of the Voie de Tours. Do you know anything about the best way to walk from Chartres to pick up the Orleans-Loire Valley branch?

It's certainly possible to walk from Chartres to Orléans -- shorter than the walk to Tours, and from Chartres I'd personally go South East via Morancez, Corancez, Vovelles, Pézy, Voves, Fains-la-Folie, Ohé, (cool names those last 2), Fontenay-sur-Conie, Orgères-en-Beauce, Villevé, Villepion, Faverolles, Terminiers, Sougy, Huêtre, Gidy, Saran >> Orléans

 

[Helen1]

No matter which route you choose, if you are going to fly into Paris then I would spend a day or two in Paris and follow the CSJ walks (can't find the book on their new website) around Paris (See http://parisisinvisible.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/the-way-of-saint-james-through-paris.html for a taster). Paris is lovely to walk around and these walks give you a sense of how big and how organized pilgrimage was in medieval Europe. Getting my credencial stamped at Notre Dame was incredibly exciting, I had already travelled 100s of miles with 100s more to go, but there was something special about being in Paris for me.

I used this guide book http://www.chemin-compostelle.fr/boutique/france/chemin-tours/ which has lots of maps and info. I went via Chartres by bike.

Have a read of this blog to get a sense of what the walking will be like: https://marisawalksacross.wordpress.com/2013/07/30/july-29-oui-oui/ Parts of this route are really lovely, like the Loire valley, parts of the route are mentally tough like Les Landes (see https://marisawalksacross.wordpress.com/2013/08/25/august-25-mountains/ ) the bike route (which I think is also the walking route) takes you along a minor road which goes along the side of the motorway for miles, it was peeing down with rain when I was there, the traffic noise is a constant drone and there is nothing there but woodland and the occasional hamlet.

My main bit of advice would be to make sure that you budget appropriately; the Chemin de Saint Jacques is not like the Camino Frances in Spain. If you aren’t camping then you need to budget for gites/hotels most nights and some the places you will be staying like Chartes, Saintes, Tours, etc. are big tourist centres and even budget hotels are expensive. There are some places that will offer cheap pilgrim accommodation Blaye and Bordeaux seemed quite organized for pilgrims but I think it’s more of the exception than the rule.

Good luck with your planning!

Helen

 

[pudgypilgrim]

Thanks, JabbaPapa!

A little confused by this part, though:

> shorter than the walk to Tours

But wouldn't one be going to Tours anyway, just via the Loire-side path instead of through Vendome?

 

[JabbaPapa]

Thanks, JabbaPapa!

A little confused by this part, though:

> shorter than the walk to Tours

But wouldn't one be going to Tours anyway, just via the Loire-side path instead of through Vendome?

LOL yes of course !!!

But the normal Chartres > Tours route does not pass through Orléans, and it is considerably shorter -- but the projected hike via Orléans and down the Loire valley would certainly be a pleasant detour.

 

[pudgypilgrim]

Thanks! Any idea of how much longer it would be?

 

[Kanga]

Hi @jacenj and @pudgypilgrim

I'm a bit tardy in replying to this thread but here are my two cents worth. We walked from Orléans. We had intended to walk all the way to SJPDP but when the weather turned really bad there was a rebellion in the ranks and we abandoned the walk at Poitiers.

Between Orléans and Tours we made our own trail, following the network of GRs and also local footpaths. We wanted to see some of the chateaux (including Vilandry west of Tours) and also visit the vineyard where we picked grapes 40 years ago. That necessitated a bit of creative route finding but it was not difficult at all. We did meander around quite a lot to avoid roads. I used IPhiGeNie which is an app that allows you to download all the IGN maps for the walk and to use them offline.

After Tours we followed the GR655 pretty much.

We did not meet a single other pilgrim all the way.

I still have an emotional attachment to the idea of walking from Paris to SDC.

 

[pudgypilgrim]

I used IPhiGeNie which is an app that allows you to download all the IGN maps for the walk and to use them offline.

Thanks, Kanga, and thanks especially for the mention of IPhiGeNie. I have the Geoportail app but couldn't see how to get the maps downloaded offline.

 

[waveprof]

My wife and I plan to do Paris to SJPDP in our 50s but would really like to get from Paris to Tours to SJPDP. And most Parisian routes follow the coast. So I'll be following this thread with great interest.

 

[lovingkindness]

Bonjour, Jacenj. Last year I followed Le Voie de Tours in reverse from Bordeaux via Tours & Orleans to Paris. I didn't have a guide book until after Poitiers, just a brochure and notes gleaned from pelerins heading in the opposite direction. Occassionally I got a little confused but always reached where I was heading by the end of the day. Difficulties occurred before and after Poitiers due to construction work on the new TGV. In Massy locals advised me to follow la Coulée Verte du Sud Parisien (VTT) in to Paris rather than Le Chemin de Saint Jacques. It is a greener option

Map http://www.af3v.org/-Fiche-VVV-.html?voie=27

Bonne Chemin,
Lovingkindness

 

[pudgypilgrim]

In Massy locals advised me to follow la Coulée Verte du Sud Parisien (VTT) in to Paris rather than Le Chemin de Saint Jacques.

Hmm, that's a bit strange, because that is the Chemin de St Jacques if you're doing the Chartres variation. I thought the Coulee Verte was part of the GR655. It's certainly in the Guides LePere as the way to go. Anyway, thanks very much for the video. Several of my friends are very concerned about me on the first day (from Paris towards Chartres), and that should help to quiet them down a bit.

I think there is updated info on the TGV construction situation on the sites of the local amis for the areas that were/are affected.

Did you blog that trip, lovingkindness? Your posts on the trip from Norway remain one of my favorite camino blogs ever.

 

[lovingkindness]

Salut & thanks, Pudgypilgrim, No I didn't blog the journey. I carried a schoolbook and pen, scrapbooking with all the tourist brochures and odds and ends one accumulates each day. In Poitiers a pelerin heading south gave me a part of the Lepere book, the bit he'd finished with from Paris to Poitiers. I spent several days in Poitier making music outside Eglise Notre-Dame la Grande and visiting with a couple of pelerins who live locally. They suggested I avoid the TGV muddle and pick up the trail near Naintres. They drove me about 20 kilometres north and dropped me off in the countryside.

Weeks later in Artenay I met a pelerin who knew nothing of the signed Chemin de St Jacques nor it's supportive infrastructure. He had heard it was possible to follow railway tracks all the way south from Paris to Poitiers then somehow on to Santiago d C. He set off. In Artenay someone directed him to the Presbytere and it was there that we met and exchanged info. From Artenay until Monneville I did as he had, following a field track beside the Voie Ferrie then, later a track parallel to a motorway. The weather was appalling. This was the quickest option.

Cheers.

 

[pudgypilgrim]

Thanks very much for the detailed info, lovingkindness.

 

[lovingkindness]

You're welcome.