Train from Paris/Quickest way to SJPDP

[frannie z]

Apologize -- I'm a nervous traveler, not too concerned with cost - need easiest to follow instructions. Please suggest most direct/easiest way to get from Paris to SJPDP on Sept. 20, 2022. Will leave my Paris Hotel morning of Sept. 20th to meet my walking buddy at a small hotel in SJPDP.

 

[mspath]

Apologize -- I'm a nervous traveler, not too concerned with cost - need easiest to follow instructions. Please suggest most direct/easiest way to get from Paris to SJPDP on Sept. 20, 2022. Will leave my Paris Hotel morning of Sept. 20th to meet my walking buddy at a small hotel in SJPDP.

Take the morning TGV from Gare Montparnasse to Bayonne and then take the next local TER train to SJPdP.
You must have a reserved ticket for the TGV. The price of the ticket is cheapest the earliest you book it
The transfer at Bayonne for the local train to SJPdP is very simple. The Bayonne gare/train station is small and used to pilgrims.

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

Apologize -- I'm a nervous traveler, not too concerned with cost - need easiest to follow instructions. Please suggest most direct/easiest way to get from Paris to SJPDP on Sept. 20, 2022. Will leave my Paris Hotel morning of Sept. 20th to meet my walking buddy at a small hotel in SJPDP.

Check the Rome2rio app for all ways to SJPdP.

 

[markie6]

Take the morning TGV from Gare Montparnasse to Bayonne and then take the next local TER train to SJPdP.

this sncf website, book the tgv to st jean ( via bayonne)

 

[frannie z]

Check the Rome2rio app for all ways to SJPdP.

Need to understand how to load and use app I do have a cell phone so I'll try. Am not good with electronics. Thank you.

 

[frannie z]

this

Do I need to book this train from Paris in advance?

 

[mspath]

Do I need to book this train from Paris in advance?

You must have a reserved ticket for the TGV. The price of the ticket is cheapest the earliest you book it

 

[frannie z]

Take the morning TGV from Gare Montparnasse to Bayonne and then take the next local TER train to SJPdP.
You must have a reserved ticket for the TGV. The price of the ticket is cheapest the earliest you book it
The transfer at Bayonne for the local train to SJPdP is very simple. The Bayonne gare/train station is small and used to pilgrims.

can i book the tgv in advance? will i need to?

 

[Grousedoctor]

Let me double what @mspath said. Take the high speed train from Gare Montparnasse in Paris to Bayonne and then transfer to the regional train to SJPP. To save some money, buy your ticket in advance. In the past, I’ve used the SNCF website both for schedules and for purchasing tickets. From what I can see for 9/20, you could catch a 10 train out of Paris and arrive in Bayonne around 2 pm. With about a half an hour there, you then take the train to SJPP and arrive at 3:37 pm. It’s an easy, comfortable trip. I’ve done it twice and enjoyed both trips south. Buen Camino!

 

[mspath]

can i book the tgv in advance? will i need to?

A good way to book in English is with www.omio.com which is an SNCF /French railroad web.

 

[Marbe2]

You can also book easily with Trainline.com. If money is not issue upgrade to first class. Yes, absolutely book in advance!

 

[Rick M]

If you are in the USA, there can be issues with using your credit card on the SNCF website. As above, I like www.thetrainline.com which is hassle free, or you can use raileurope.com as well. You buy the ticket, and they send you an email with a .pdf as your tickets. Very much like buying a plane ticket. Print them out, and take them with you, you have to show the QR code on the ticket when you board.

 

[frannie z]

Let me double what @mspath said. Take the high speed train from Gare Montparnasse in Paris to Bayonne and then transfer to the regional train to SJPP. To save some money, buy your ticket in advance. In the past, I’ve used the SNCF website both for schedules and for purchasing tickets. From what I can see for 9/20, you could catch a 10 train out of Paris and arrive in Bayonne around 2 pm. With about a half an hour there, you then take the train to SJPP and arrive at 3:37 pm. It’s an easy, comfortable trip. I’ve done it twice and enjoyed both trips south. Buen Camino!

You're an angel. I'm computer challenged and nervous BUT I can follow these instructions! Thank you.

 

[LesR]

this sncf website, book the tgv to st jean ( via bayonne)

Agreed - go to https://www.sncf.com/en/booking-itinerary/book-tickets.

Have done that twice - tickets are delivered online (print off at home if paper copy is your preferred format, otherwise load the electronic version onto your smartphone) within hours. Problem solved and the mind can worry about other things...

 

[CWBuff]

pretty much repeat of what has been said above but....
just did it on my (WOW.... has it really been a month since i came home?! ) Camino Frances:
booked online March 9th for May 20th departure using raileurope.com
TGV INOUI 8537 - 2. CLASS from Paris Gare Montparnasse dep 10:11 AM arrive Bayonnne 14:05
TER 867309 dep Bayonne @1435 to Cambo Les Bains (arr 14:59) and technically
CAR 405489 from there to SJPdP (dep 15:09 arr 15:52) but they intercepted us in Bayonne proper and put us straight onto the bus and took us to SJPdP so some headaches were saved (although I dont think it would've been too bad... lots of pilgrims in Bayonne so one just has to follow the backpacks, which BTW extends to pretty much the whole Camino "when in doubt".... )
IIRC I was on that bus at 14:15 and we arrived SJ at 15:30

at Gare Montparnasse - the large blue tableau on 1st floor will display all the info and your train should come up roughly 30 mins before actual departure so thats plenty of time to get to proper platform.

Hope it gives you some more info and eases your mind
Buen Camino

 

[frannie z]

pretty much repeat of what has been said above but....
just did it on my (WOW.... has it really been a month since i came home?! ) Camino Frances:
booked online March 9th for May 20th departure using raileurope.com
TGV INOUI 8537 - 2. CLASS from Paris Gare Montparnasse dep 10:11 AM arrive Bayonnne 14:05
TER 867309 dep Bayonne @1435 to Cambo Les Bains (arr 14:59) and technically
CAR 405489 from there to SJPdP (dep 15:09 arr 15:52) but they intercepted us in Bayonne proper and put us straight onto the bus and took us to SJPdP so some headaches were saved (although I dont think it would've been too bad... lots of pilgrims in Bayonne so one just has to follow the backpacks, which BTW extends to pretty much the whole Camino "when in doubt".... )
IIRC I was on that bus at 14:15 and we arrived SJ at 15:30

at Gare Montparnasse - the large blue tableau on 1st floor will display all the info and your train should come up roughly 30 mins before actual departure so thats plenty of time to get to proper platform.

Hope it gives you some more info and eases your mind
Buen Camino

Thank you. My fellow walker who has done the Camino Frances guided me through the trainline.com site and it was EASY... I've got both the TGV from Pais to Bayonne and inter train from Bayonne to SJPDP... I also went ahead and made my reservation to Madrid.

 

[Paula P]

If you are in the USA, there can be issues with using your credit card on the SNCF website. As above, I like www.thetrainline.com which is hassle free, or you can use raileurope.com as well. You buy the ticket, and they send you an email with a .pdf as your tickets. Very much like buying a plane ticket. Print them out, and take them with you, you have to show the QR code on the ticket when you board.

I know this is an older thread but hoping I can find some help! Planning to purchase tickets from SNCF tomorrow and doing it from USA. What is the problem exactly and what can I do about it?

 

[trecile]

I know this is an older thread but hoping I can find some help! Planning to purchase tickets from SNCF tomorrow and doing it from USA. What is the problem exactly and what can I do about it?

If you have issues buying from the SNCF site you can use Trainline or RailEurope.

 

[Rick M]

I'm not sure if you are going to have a problem. In general, some European websites have problems accepting some north American credit cards. I could not get sncf to take mine, but it's been a while since I tried. As @trecile just suggested, the others will have no problems, but it costs a few bucks more. Try it!

 

[Paula P]

Just wanted to report we had no problem purchasing tickets on SNCF with our American credit card! Thanks for all the advice ...it felt better to be prepared with some other options in case it didn't work! People here are so helpful!