Train from Bayonne to SJPDP.

[Former member 64845]

I have heard that the train from Bayonne to SJPDP is not running any more. Is this a fact? If so, are there other options for us coming with the train from Paris?

 

[mspath]

Please read this post by Kathar1na and those posts that follow it for the current status as of today 5 February 2022.
Happy planning and Buen camino

 

[Anik2001]

Please read this post by Kathar1na and those posts that follow it for the current status as of today 5 February 2022.
Happy planning and Buen camino

Thank you for the link @mspath, with that, I found a new app with RailEurope. Tickets with RailEurope are 20$ cheaper than with Trainline.

 

[Chris RJ]

I have heard that the train from Bayonne to SJPDP is not running any more. Is this a fact? If so, are there other options for us coming with the train from Paris?

I have been trying to book tickets for 14 April from Paris and was only able to get a train part of the way up the mountain from Biarritz / Bayonne (Cont remember which), but a connecting bus service is available

The SNCF app and website and Trainline also both say that tickets for this date are not yet released.

I am very interested in responses to your message from the group.

 

[SeñorJacques]

I have been trying to book tickets for 14 April from Paris and was only able to get a train part of the way up the mountain from Biarritz / Bayonne (Cont remember which), but a connecting bus service is available

The SNCF app and website and Trainline also both say that tickets for this date are not yet released.

As @Kathar1na helpfully explained in this thread, the train route from Bayonne to SJPP has currently been replaced for a segment of the journey by a connecting bus from Cambos-les-Bains, and it seems that all future searches for that itinerary include the connecting bus (even though an official SNCF notice shared by @JabbaPapa in this post indicated the bus connection replacement was only in effect until the end of February.) It seems it's for track repair/maintenance so perhaps the train will return at some point in the spring, but for now all searches through mid-May include the bus in the itinerary.

I was able to buy a Paris to SJPP ticket for May 6 via the SNCF website a few days ago, so booking is definitely now open through at least that date. I just tried searching for April 14th for you and came up with the following:



It seems the SNCF website is very sensitive to the time of day you search for in your intinerary, in addition to the date - and when you search, it will autopopulate that search field with the local time in France. So if you're searching, say, during the day here in North America or in the evening in Europe the search results might come up nil since there are no trains leaving Paris after mid-afternoon. Try searching again with an early morning time (say 09:00h) and see what happens.

 

[JabbaPapa]

I have been trying to book tickets for 14 April from Paris and was only able to get a train part of the way up the mountain from Biarritz / Bayonne (Cont remember which), but a connecting bus service is available

The SNCF app and website and Trainline also both say that tickets for this date are not yet released.

It's still too early to purchase transport for that date -- the current difficulties are supposed to end after February 27th, but then booking for that part of the trip is pretty unnecessary, as it is a small local train line.

Booking as far as Bayonne makes sense ; but then look at local timetables, stretch your legs, if you're hungry sit down for a pilgrim menu, or look about town as you prefer ; if you have sleeping arrangements done in SJPP as seems likely given these concerns, and given 14th April is a normal weekday, just get whichever more personally convenient train up to SJPP after your arrival in Bayonne, depending on how tired you may be on the day, or how much in a hurry, or hungry, relaxed, timetables you can see, SJPP hospitalero requests re: time of arrival, and so on -- most importantly, when you step off the train in Bayonne : think like a pilgrim !!

 

[SeñorJacques]

It's still too early to purchase transport for that date -- the current difficulties are supposed to end after February 27th, but then booking for that part of the trip is pretty unnecessary, as it is a small local train line.

Booking is indeed open for April 14 - I just booked for May 6, as explained in the reply I seemed to be posting at the same time you were The itineraries continue to show the bus connection for dates after February 27, but as I also said in a previous post - as long as it gets me to SJPP somehow, I can't complain.

 

[Kathor1]

Booking is indeed open for April 14 - I just booked for May 6, as explained in the reply

Bookings for Bayonne-SJPP are currently open until Sunday 29 May 2022. I clicked through the SNCF booking system right now ... . There was a bug until recently that prevented booking tickets for trips after the middle of March. Some websites interpreted is as 'tickets not yet released' or as 'no itinerary available' but it was bug that is now fixed.

 

[SeñorJacques]

Bookings for Bayonne-SJPP are currently open until Sunday 29 May 2022. I clicked through the SNCF booking system right now ... . There was a bug until recently that prevented booking tickets for trips after the middle of March. Some websites interpreted is as 'tickets not yet released' or as 'no itinerary available' but it was bug that is now fixed.

One more reason why I'm finding it better to book with SNCF directly than via intermediary sites like Trainline or Rail Europe - both of which also add a (small) surcharge to the price of the ticket, not unlike Booking.com often does compared to booking with an establishment directly. (And making sure to indicate the time you're hoping to travel makes a big difference with finding itineraries as well: searching for a Paris to SJPP trip for, say, April 14th turns up two itineraries if a 09:00 departure time is indicated in the search, but none for that date if the site pre-fills the time field as 19:00 if one forgets to change it.)

 

[Chris RJ]

As @Kathar1na helpfully explained in this thread, the train route from Bayonne to SJPP has currently been replaced for a segment of the journey by a connecting bus from Cambos-les-Bains, and it seems that all future searches for that itinerary include the connecting bus (even though an official SNCF notice shared by @JabbaPapa in this post indicated the bus connection replacement was only in effect until the end of February.) It seems it's for track repair/maintenance so perhaps the train will return at some point in the spring, but for now all searches through mid-May include the bus in the itinerary.

I was able to buy a Paris to SJPP ticket for May 6 via the SNCF website a few days ago, so booking is definitely now open through at least that date. I just tried searching for April 14th for you and came up with the following:

View attachment 118003

It seems the SNCF website is very sensitive to the time of day you search for in your intinerary, in addition to the date - and when you search, it will autopopulate that search field with the local time in France. So if you're searching, say, during the day here in North America or in the evening in Europe the search results might come up nil since there are no trains leaving Paris after mid-afternoon. Try searching again with an early morning time (say 09:00h) and see what happens.

Thank you so much for confirming that info. I may be unlucky and just have to get a cab from Bayonne as I want to be in SJPDP at a reasonable hour

Not the end of the world. I can offer a lift to some if I get a ride

 

[SeñorJacques]

Thank you so much for confirming that info. I may be unlucky and just have to get a cab from Bayonne as I want to be in SJPDP at a reasonable hour

Glad it was helpful! A 10:00-ish train from Paris will get you to SJPP by 4 PM (even with the bus), which I didn't think was too late - though of course you may want to get there earlier, in which case a cab is always an option. (At US$130-180, though, it's considerably more than the train from Paris to Bayonne!) Wishing you an enjoyable journey and Buen Camino however you get there

 

[Chris RJ]

Glad it was helpful! A 10:00-ish train from Paris will get you to SJPP by 4 PM (even with the bus), which I didn't think was too late - though of course you may want to get there earlier, in which case a cab is always an option. (At US$130-180, though, it's considerably more than the train from Paris to Bayonne!) Wishing you an enjoyable journey and Buen Camino however you get there

Yup, all that makes sense. I had in mind scouting around the town a bit and meeting pilgrims and 4pm is a slightly late for that.

One way or another I will figure it out, but thanks so much for taking the time to put me in the picture.

Cheers from London, Chris