Reservations at Orisson

[JamesB]

Hi,
In the throes of planning my first Camino (Francés) at the moment. This forum is a goldmine of useful information, but I have one question re. the first couple of days.
I will be flying out from Bristol to Bordeaux, then getting the late train to Bayonne, on 3rd April. I was planning to have an easy day the next day, getting the lunchtime train to SJPdP, then start the walk to Roncesvalles on the 5th (I've already made a reservation there for that night).
However, now I'm thinking maybe I should get the early train to St Jean on the 4th, then walk up to Orisson and stay the night there, and still arrive in Roncesvalles on the 5th. Would there be any need to book at Orisson that early in the season?
Also, I think I read somewhere that you have to pay up front when reserving at Orisson, so if I had to go by the Valcarlos route due to the Napoleon being closed, that would mean I would lose my money. Am I worrying unnecessarily here?
Any clarification on this would be much appreciated!
James

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I think I read somewhere that you have to pay up front when reserving at Orisson, so if I had to go by the Valcarlos route due to the Napoleon being closed, that would mean I would lose my money.

See this short thread: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/orisson-question.39139/

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

You don't have to worry , you will get a refund.

Wish you well,Peter.

 

[JamesB]

That's great- thanks for the reassurance.

 

[Willigsu]

That's great- thanks for the reassurance.

How did you get a reservation and for when?

 

[Latecomer]

How did you get a reservation and for when?

I just made my deposit for September via PayPal!
I requested two spots via the email address at http://www.refuge-orisson.com/en/#contact , and received a confirmation and invoice from Jean-Jacques in a little over 24 hours.
I am happy we will be able to ease into the Camino the first day.
¡Buen Camino!

 

[PegaPegasus]

Hi,
In the throes of planning my first Camino (Francés) at the moment. This forum is a goldmine of useful information, but I have one question re. the first couple of days.
I will be flying out from Bristol to Bordeaux, then getting the late train to Bayonne, on 3rd April. I was planning to have an easy day the next day, getting the lunchtime train to SJPdP, then start the walk to Roncesvalles on the 5th (I've already made a reservation there for that night).
However, now I'm thinking maybe I should get the early train to St Jean on the 4th, then walk up to Orisson and stay the night there, and still arrive in Roncesvalles on the 5th. Would there be any need to book at Orisson that early in the season?
Also, I think I read somewhere that you have to pay up front when reserving at Orisson, so if I had to go by the Valcarlos route due to the Napoleon being closed, that would mean I would lose my money. Am I worrying unnecessarily here?
Any clarification on this would be much appreciated!
James

Hello JamesB
When I tried to make a reservation at Orisson for April 9 2018, I received an email reply stating they did not accept reservations at that time of year. I should call 24hrs in advance to book - weather pending. Hope this helps.

 

[t2andreo]

I still recommend spending a full day, if you can, at St. Jean Pied de Port. It is a singularly beautiful town with a fair bit to see.

They have been equipping, provisioning and sending pilgrims forth to Santiago for more than 1100 years. IMHO, SJPdP is worth a two or three-day tourist visit all by itself.

You CAN take the early train from Bayonne and start out immediately, after checking in at the Pilgrim Office (rue Citadelle #39) to obtain the most up-to-date information on the route, guides, a scallop shell, your first pilgrimage sello / stamp, and last minute supplies you might need in local shops. However, rushing from Bayonne to Orisson, via SJPdP in one-day is pushing it, at least IMHO.

Life and the Camino is about the journey, NOT the destination. Santiago will be there waiting for you. He does not get out much these days... Enjoy the route...

 

[mspath]

t2andreo is so right; SJPdP is well worth a slow visit.

For a brief account in French of SJPdP history and monuments see this web from the town hall.
http://www.st-jean-pied-de-port.fr/decouvrir/histoire-et-patrimoine/sites-et-monuments/

and
more history in this French SJPdP web.http://www.st-jean-pied-de-port.fr/...ge-une-ville-navarraise-au-pied-des-pyrenees/

Bon chemin!

 

[Seabird]

rushing from Bayonne to Orisson, via SJPdP in one-day is pushing it, at least IMHO.

I agree with this! For me, the beginning of a journey, setting the right frame of mind, savoring the moment, was so important. So consider a night in SJPdP and in Orisson, whatever works best for you.

 

[trecile]

When you spend the night at Orisson you don't need to start out early from St Jean, so you can enjoy a leisurely breakfast, and a stroll around town before setting out. I left around 11:00 my first time, and arrived in the early afternoon. There's not a lot to do up there, so no need to rush getting there.

 

[JamesB]

I emailed Orisson last night, and Jean-Jacques replied this morning saying they're not sure they'll be open at that time, and I should call a few days before I arrive to reserve. I presume the reason they might not be open is if the route's closed due to snow.

The train from Bayonne gets to St Jean at 8.40am, so I figure I should have time to call in at the pilgrim office, have some breakfast and have a look round the town before I start walking, and still get to Orisson at a reasonable time.

 

[t2andreo]

If the Napoleon Pass is closed due to snow, there is no point in walking that very steep upgrade 8 km to get there, is there...is there? You can take the Valcarlos Route instead.

My advice remains, get to SJPdP, stay in rented accommodation overnight or a second night. Visit the Pilgrim Office at #39 Rua Citadelle and consult with them. If the NP is not open, Orisson will not be open. Have them call the proprietor for you to double check, before you set out.

Hope this helps.

 

[naplesdon]

Not to sound too negative but in early April you may want to consider a start in Pamplona. The snow season in the Pyrenees seems to be coming later every year. Several years ago we had the most snow ever in May, it is snowing in the mountains today. It snowed on the beach yesterday. A way to monitor the situation is to watch the cold fronts that affect North America and add 3 to 5 days, they pick up energy and moisture as they cross the Atlantic and then dump the snow on France and Spain.

 

[Willigsu]

Not to sound too negative but in early April you may want to consider a start in Pamplona. The snow season in the Pyrenees seems to be coming later every year. Several years ago we had the most snow ever in May, it is snowing in the mountains today. It snowed on the beach yesterday. A way to monitor the situation is to watch the cold fronts that affect North America and add 3 to 5 days, they pick up energy and moisture as the cross the Atlantic and then dump the snow on France and Spain.

Thanks much for that info. We are starting from SJPP in April and I've been trying to get a general idea of the character of this year's winter.

 

[Monasp]

In this moment there is a lot of snow in the mountain and often in April there is snow and it's not possible to pass by the mountain. At the pilgrims office we say to pass by Valcarlos. So it's better don't book in Orisson. When you will be at SJPP you have to go to the pilgrims office and the volunteer will inform you and if it's possible to pass by the mountain he will call to Orisson for you.

 

[JamesB]

Thanks for the advice. I may have sounded a bit too optimistic about being able to go via the Route Napoleon. I appreciate that going over the mountain isn't a good idea if it's snowy. I'll get the early train to St Jean, and then make a decision between the two routes based on the weather forecast and advice at the pilgrim office.
If I seem overly keen to get to Roncesvalles on Thursday the 5th, it's because I want to get to Pamplona on the Saturday, so I can go to the 10am Traditional Latin Mass in the Cathedral on Sunday morning. After that I'm pretty easy about my schedule.

 

[Jodean]

What about September? I'd like to start as late in Sept. as possible, and want to make my reservations at Orrison, but without risking snow. Somewhere between 15-20 Sept?

 

[jsalt]

What about September? I'd like to start as late in Sept. as possible, and want to make my reservations at Orrison, but without risking snow. Somewhere between 15-20 Sept?

Hi Jodean, I have stayed at Orisson mid-Oct. They closed for the season a couple of days later, about 17 Oct. So you should be able to get a booking at the end of Sep.
Jill

 

[tpmchugh]

Hi,
In the throes of planning my first Camino (Francés) at the moment. This forum is a goldmine of useful information, but I have one question re. the first couple of days.
I will be flying out from Bristol to Bordeaux, then getting the late train to Bayonne, on 3rd April. I was planning to have an easy day the next day, getting the lunchtime train to SJPdP, then start the walk to Roncesvalles on the 5th (I've already made a reservation there for that night).
However, now I'm thinking maybe I should get the early train to St Jean on the 4th, then walk up to Orisson and stay the night there, and still arrive in Roncesvalles on the 5th. Would there be any need to book at Orisson that early in the season?
Also, I think I read somewhere that you have to pay up front when reserving at Orisson, so if I had to go by the Valcarlos route due to the Napoleon being closed, that would mean I would lose my money. Am I worrying unnecessarily here?
Any clarification on this would be much appreciated!
James

I have tried to reserve Orisson for the 6th but they would not accept it. They said it is a bit early and not sure if the route will be open then, Recommended I phone them the day before to see if they are open. Leaves me in a bit of a spot as there is no way I could do the whole walk in one day and if I cant get into Orisson, I dont know what I will do. But yes, normally you pay in advance

 

[JustEuman]

In this moment there is a lot of snow in the mountain and often in April there is snow and it's not possible to pass by the mountain. At the pilgrims office we say to pass by Valcarlos. So it's better don't book in Orisson. When you will be at SJPP you have to go to the pilgrims office and the volunteer will inform you and if it's possible to pass by the mountain he will call to Orisson for you.

Thank you, this is just the advice I wanted

 

[tpmchugh]

See this short thread: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/orisson-question.39139/

You wont lose any money as Orisson are currently not taking bookings for that week. They advised me to ring the day before, I start walking on 6th. I tried them again a couple of days ago and as yet have no answer. Ooops, I have already replied to this thread, sorry

 

[Iriebabel]

You wont lose any money as Orisson are currently not taking bookings for that week. They advised me to ring the day before, I start walking on 6th. I tried them again a couple of days ago and as yet have no answer. Ooops, I have already replied to this thread, sorry

I had the same via email ..I posted a thread sharing my email from Orisson
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/info-on-reservations-in-orisson-1-april.53198/

 

[ElOtro]

When you spend the night at Orisson you don't need to start out early from St Jean, so you can enjoy a leisurely breakfast, and a stroll around town before setting out. I left around 11:00 my first time, and arrived in the early afternoon. There's not a lot to do up there, so no need to rush getting there.

Thank you so much for that tip. How many hours you walked from Saint Jean? and then from Orisson to the next town...? Alberto

 

[trecile]

Thank you so much for that tip. How many hours you walked from Saint Jean? and then from Orisson to the next town...? Alberto

I've walked to Orisson 4 times now. I don't have my exact walking times, but around 3 hours, maybe less. It's about 7.5 km from St Jean Pied de Port to Orisson, which isn't a town. It's just a hostel and a restaurant. About 1 km farther up the road is Auberge Borda. Roncesvalles is about 17 km from Orisson.

Refuge Orisson

www.refuge-orisson.com

Auberge Borda | Authentic Hostel Accommodations

Experience the charm and comfort of Auberge Borda, an authentic hostel located on the GR 65 trail in Saint-Michel, FR. Enjoy stunning views and a cozy atmosphere.

www.aubergeborda.com

If you want to stay at either Orisson or Borda you need to book early, as there aren't that many beds at either place, and they book up quickly.

Here's information about the stage from SJPdP to Roncesvalles on the Napoleon Route:

Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port - Roncesvalles (Ruta de Napoleón) | Camino Francés | Gronze.com

Primera etapa del Camino Francés, dura y espectacular como ninguna otra. Por su itinerario principal, conocido como Ruta de Napoleón, cruzamos los Pirineos a través de los Puertos de Cize, ascendiendo desde los 172 metros de altitud de Saint Jean Pied de Port hasta los 1.430 del collado de...

www.gronze.com

 

[ElOtro]

Trecile,
Thank you again. Meaning Auberge Borda is a long walked from Orisson. That's great I'll do it.
Another question: do you thing is a good idea to reserve in these two towns in April or early?

 

[Bradypus]

Trecile,
Thank you again. Meaning Auberge Borda is a long walked from Orisson. That's great I'll do it.
Another question: do you thing is a good idea to reserve in these two towns in April or early?

It is probably less than 2km from Orisson to Borda. They are very close together. And they are not "towns" - there is almost nothing there apart from the albergues themselves.

 

[trecile]

It is probably less than 2km from Orisson to Borda. They are very close together. And they are not "towns" - there is almost nothing there apart from the albergues themselves.

According to Wise Pilgrim, they are only one km apart.

 

[domigee]

It is probably less than 2km from Orisson to Borda. They are very close together. And they are not "towns" - there is almost nothing there apart from the albergues themselves.

Indeed. No towns, not even villages. Nothing. Just two ‘shepherd huts’ that were transformed into pilgrim’s accommodation.

 

[trecile]

Indeed. No towns, not even villages. Nothing. Just two ‘shepherd huts’ that were transformed into pilgrim’s accommodation.

Correct.
I've marked up this map of the Napoleon Route between St Jean and Roncesvalles to show where the towns are.