Starting the Norte at Biarritz Airport

[Eddiew]

I am currently planning for the Camino del Norte and considering Biarritz Airport as my start point and and walking to Irun. I have previously done the Camino Frances so perhaps I am being a little adventurous on this occasion. I am finding it difficult to get a downloadable map (for android phone) for this part of the route. I would appreciate any suggestions or advice on this please.

 

[trecile]

Excellent idea to start from Biarritz. That's where I started the Norte last year.
I used the Gronze map app, but you do need an internet connection to use the maps.

Gronze Maps | Camino de Santiago | Gronze.com

Gronze Maps es la App de Gronze.com para usar en ruta (on the road). Muestra los tracks y alojamientos en el mapa y la ubicación del usuario en tiempo real. Contiene toda la información actualizada sobre los servicios y alojamientos en conexión con Gronze.com. Funciona en cualquier dispositivo...

www.gronze.com

You can also use mapy.cz. You can download its maps for offline use. The Camino route is marked by a dark blue line, and you can see that it passes right by the airport.



For accommodation information I used Gronze.

Camino del Norte | Gronze.com

www.gronze.com

 

[roving_rufus]

Truthfully I would take the bus to Biarritz train station as there is a very busy road section with no footpath from airport roundabout for a five hundred metres until the next roundabout at Campanile hotel.
But if you want to do it, walk main road until the Campanile hotel then leave main road onto side streets to reach Biarritz train station. Veer up to main road junction from there and under the viaduct there are camino arrows.

 

[Vacajoe]

There is a marked path there by the airport that heads towards France, but I chose walking the quieter city streets towards Biarritz first, then simply following the coast southward until I intersected the official path. This was safer and much more enjoyable then the official path and didn’t add that many kms

 

[trecile]

Truthfully I would take the bus to Biarritz train station

I spent the night in Bayonne, then took the train to Biarritz and a bus to the lighthouse because I thought that would be a fitting place to start my Camino.

 

[roving_rufus]

I spent the night in Bayonne, then took the train to Biarritz and a bus to the lighthouse because I thought that would be a fitting place to start my Camino.

My comment was more a safety one than a preferred start point.

 

[Charles Chamberlain]

I made this same trip in 2019 and it was a wonderful walk on The Coastal Path from Bidart. It's a short 10 minute bus ride from the Airport to Bidart and eliminates walking the busy roads out of the airport.

Buen Camino

 

[Eddiew]

This is all very helpful thank you

 

[Eddiew]

I have another query. Is there any baggage transport service in the Beyonne to Jean de Luz/ Hendaye? I don't carry my bag for health reasons.

Many thanks

 

[Corned Beef]

In searching around Irun as I was thinking about the Voie de Tours endpoint, I realised there is an airport at Irun (San Sebastian/EAS) with good links to Madrid. You can get there from Dublin via BCN or MAD. Saves the walk from BIQ, unless you want to do it.

Edit: Also gets you into the Correos bag transfer without having to ship from France.

 

[Eddiew]

Thanks - walking from Biarritz sort of appeals to me!

 

[tjz]

If you are arriving in the afternoon, I might recommend what we did - we walked from the airport into Bayonne (easy) and visited the cathedral and stayed there. It's a lovely area. The next day we walked to Guéthary and then the day after that into Hendaye. We loved the first days in France.

 

[trecile]

I have another query. Is there any baggage transport service in the Beyonne to Jean de Luz/ Hendaye?

I don't know, but there are so few pilgrims on this stretch that it's probably not cost effective for the luggage transport services. You might be able to hire a taxi to carry your bag.

 

[Eddiew]

thanks

 

[caminka]

On mapy.cz, the blue line is not actually the waymarked route (I think it's someone's gps route) so don't be surprised if you don't see any waymarks. You can join the waymarks where the railway passes under the highway. The waymarked route follows Rue Mouettes parallel to the railway.