Start where we are or walk the extra distance to the edge of Irún?

[AlwaysLost]

We are about to start our first Camino tomorrow morning and, after much getting lost, we are relaxing on our very comfortable beds at Hotel Urdanibia Park. My question is, do we start from where we are or do we walk the 3 km east, in the direction away from San Sebastián, to get to the outer edge of Irún, the official Del Norte start? I suppose a bus ride to the border would be an option but after a 17-hour flight and a five-hour train ride plus another train ride, I want to stay off any kind of motorised transport for a while. What would you do? I’m thinking over 800 km is enough walking, plus the extra distance we’ll accumulate with our talent for getting lost, but I can also get quite stuck on details!

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

There is no right or wrong answer to this.
But you asked "what would you do"?
The simple answer is: I'm there to walk, so I would walk.
What's 3 km more when you're going to walk 800.

Buen Camino!

 

[AlwaysLost]

It seems the ‘official’ start varies, though. I just read elsewhere that the start is at the airport, which is 4 km north from where I am. I’m inclined to head towards France.

 

[Marc S.]

It seems the ‘official’ start varies, though. I just read elsewhere that the start is at the airport, which is 4 km north from where I am. I’m inclined to head towards France.

There is no such thing as an official start...

Feeling sympathy though, I remember getting lost on my first day of my Norte as well, for some reason it took me 2 hours to find my way out of Irun town centre - I really have no idea what went wrong. (and after that I never got lost again).

But you'll be fine. Buen Camino !

 

[Suzanne S.]

IMHO, you've already started. I started at the airport in Irun, walked to my bed, and in the morning, walked again!

 

[AlwaysLost]

That’s hilarious! It most definitely is something that can happen to us. We wandered around San Sebastián for an hour o find our Pension that was ten minutes away from the train station. Thank you for your reply re the start point.

 

[AlwaysLost]

There is no such thing as an official start...

Feeling sympathy though, I remember getting lost on my first day of my Norte as well, for some reason it took me 2 hours to find my way out of Irun town centre - I really have no idea what went wrong. (and after that I never got lost again).

But you'll be fine. Buen Camino !

My reply is floating in the comments below - I’m glitching! But thank you for your logical point of view on the start.

 

[AlwaysLost]

IMHO, you've already started. I started at the airport in Irun, walked to my bed, and in the morning, walked again!

You make sense!

 

[C clearly]

the outer edge of Irún, the official Del Norte start?

Often the start of a Camino route in any city is the Cathedral or a church, where presumably pilgrims would visit. I don't know what the "outer edge" would signify.

 

[AlwaysLost]

Often the start of a Camino route in any city is the Cathedral or a church, where presumably pilgrims would visit. I don't know what the "outer edge" would signify.

Thank you - I figured the church in the city centre would be a good, symbolic place to start. We’ll be doing the extra few km

 

[amchara]

Don't suppose that matters where you start in Irun. I walked without a pack to the bridge on the border and took the opportunity of a passerby to take a photo.

 

[Tincatinker]

There is no “official” start to Camino. It begins where you begin. On the assumption that you are walking to Santiago and the old boy’s bones I’d suggest “go West” and buen Camino

 

[trecile]

to get to the outer edge of Irún, the official Del Norte start?

There is no "official" start. There are places where guide books, apps and websites start, but they are not "official." Gronze's first Norte stage is from Bayonne.

Camino del Norte | Gronze.com

www.gronze.com

 

[AlwaysLost]

There is no "official" start. There are places where guide books, apps and websites start, but they are not "official." Gronze's first Norte stage is from Bayonne.

Camino del Norte | Gronze.com

www.gronze.com

Thank you, it was slowly dawning on me that the starts are really just because they have to start somewhere, not because there’s an actual start line.

 

[Marc S.]

My Cicerone guide actually lets the Norte start at Irun bus / train station.

I think I understand where your idea about the 'outer edge of Irun' may have come from, because The Santiago bridge / river crossing to France is also often referred to a starting point, and it is on the edge of the city.

 

[AlwaysLost]

My Cicerone guide actually lets the Norte start at Irun bus / train station.
I am sure @Dave had good reasons for this

I think I understand where your idea about the 'outer edge of Irun' may have come from, because The Santiago bridge / river crossing to France is also often referred to a starting point, and it is on the edge of the city.

Yes, that is the reason. My Camino app also starts there. But I suppose that’s just a convenient place to start drawing a line. I think not overthinking is key.

 

[Mananath]

I don't know that there is an official start point and if so, who chose it and why? I suspect as your journey on the Norte continues you will soon become frustrated with the official route and seek out the wonderful alternate routes that exist. However, if you think a month from now when you're sitting in Santiago that these missed 3km will haunt you than by all means walk them !

For me I started the Norte at the train station because that is where the bus dropped me off and the first arrow was like a block away from there.

Buen Camino!

 

[jsalt]

What would you do?

I would start where I am.
Buen camino!

 

[AlwaysLost]

I don't know that there is an official start point and if so, who chose it and why? I suspect as your journey on the Norte continues you will soon become frustrated with the official route and seek out the wonderful alternate routes that exist. However, if you think a month from now when you're sitting in Santiago that these missed 3km will haunt you than by all means walk them !

For me I started the Norte at the train station because that is where the bus dropped me off and the first arrow was like a block away from there.

Buen Camino!

I doubt very much they will haunt me! I think my first Camino lesson is about letting go of insignificant details. Or, maybe, noticing their insignificance in the first place!

 

[AlwaysLost]

I would start where I am.
Buen camino!

Thank you!

 

[JerryStroebele]

The Cathedral office is around the left side and opens at 9am. They will be happy to stamp your credencial. Get food and water before you leave town. Have some euro coins for the cold drink vending machine outside the bar just beyond the iglesia about 7 km beyond Irun. Buen Camino

 

[AlwaysLost]

Indeed. And following the right yellow arrows. In hindsight, a reason why I got lost getting out of Irun was that I was following the wrong arrows (belonging to another camino, the Camino Vasco)...

Thank you for the warning! I wouldn’t have thought of that.

The Cathedral office is around the left side and opens at 9am. They will be happy to stamp your credencial. Get food and water before you leave town. Have some euro coins for the cold drink vending machine outside the bar just beyond the iglesia about 7 km beyond Irun. Buen Camino

thank you! I saw this too late - I am already horizontal on my bed. The cathedral looked very closed and reading this would have been very useful. Obviously I’ll just have to do the del Norte again! Learn all the lessons this time and apply them next time.

 

[trecile]

Learn all the lessons this time and apply them next time.

Latger, rinse, and repeat!

 

[Patricia43]

We are about to start our first Camino tomorrow morning and, after much getting lost, we are relaxing on our very comfortable beds at Hotel Urdanibia Park. My question is, do we start from where we are or do we walk the 3 km east, in the direction away from San Sebastián, to get to the outer edge of Irún, the official Del Norte start? I suppose a bus ride to the border would be an option but after a 17-hour flight and a five-hour train ride plus another train ride, I want to stay off any kind of motorised transport for a while. What would you do? I’m thinking over 800 km is enough walking, plus the extra distance we’ll accumulate with our talent for getting lost, but I can also get quite stuck on details!

As a majority of 1, I really think I started in Minneapolis, MN - via Iceland, UK, Bilbao and Pamplona - I thought that was enough; and so I began walking.

 

[mattythedog]

We are about to start our first Camino tomorrow morning and, after much getting lost, we are relaxing on our very comfortable beds at Hotel Urdanibia Park. My question is, do we start from where we are or do we walk the 3 km east, in the direction away from San Sebastián, to get to the outer edge of Irún, the official Del Norte start? I suppose a bus ride to the border would be an option but after a 17-hour flight and a five-hour train ride plus another train ride, I want to stay off any kind of motorised transport for a while. What would you do? I’m thinking over 800 km is enough walking, plus the extra distance we’ll accumulate with our talent for getting lost, but I can also get quite stuck on details!

3km. 40 minutes. Big deal. Just do it. Then you can say you walked the whole thing

 

[Sirage]

But following this whole thread there is no whole thing to walk, there is just your choice.

Then you can say you walked the whole thing

 

[OldWisePilgrim]

If I am standing on the narrow cement median on the Hendaye-Irun bridge, do I start the Camino facing the “Espana” marking or with my back to the “France” marking? (for those with no sense of humor, my question is meant to be humorous)

 

[AlwaysLost]

As a majority of 1, I really think I started in Minneapolis, MN - via Iceland, UK, Bilbao and Pamplona - I thought that was enough; and so I began walking.

Cape Town, South Africa, via Dubai, and onward … 30 hours of travel. Yes. I see your point. And seven days in and many kilometres walked, I could have started where I was. Funny what seems important at first and then fades.