Traveling from Barcelona to SJPDP: Tips and Recommendations

[jawadwehbe]

Hello,

I will be arriving to barcelona on May 21st at around 8 30 am. Is it possible to reach SJPDP on the same day? If not, what is the recommended way to go to reach SJPDP?

 

[FoxyR]

There's an 11 am train to Pamplona. Several options from there. You can use the Rome 2 Rio website to see several options

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

The last few years the ALSA/CONDA bus between Pamplona and SJPdP has had less frequent scheduling than in the previous years. My guess is that there will be only one bus running per day then and at 1430. That means you aren't likely to get it in time if you take a bus or train from Pamplona. You may have to fly. Otherwise you could taxi from Pamplona for maybe a bit over 100€. When you get there though it should be easy to find other pilgrims willing to share the ride and costs.

Or spend the night in Pamplona.

 

[Tincatinker]

It is a spectacular, though occasionally challenging, walk. Girona and Figueres are cultural highlights before you hit the GR10 at Port de la Selva. Keep going West and you'll hit StJdP eventually. It'll take a bit more than "same day" though

That 11:00 am train will get you to Pamplona without any stress but same day to St J? Nah. Unless you want to make a taxi-driver very happy.

You could just start walking from Barcelona along the Catalan / Aragones or train it to Pamplona and start West from there. There being no rules follow your bent. For me the idea of travelling backwards along the Frances for the sole purpose of turning around and walking back along my €100 cab ride over a couple of days is anathema

 

[Bradypus]

Is there a particular reason why you want to fly into Barcelona and then leave the same day? Wouldn't a nearer airport such as Biarritz, Bordeaux or Bilbao be a more practical choice?

 

[Vacajoe]

To miss Barcelona is a travesty! And I stand by that even if you’ve been there before…

 

[Bradypus]

Choosing a Sunday for your arrival day is likely to make a fast journey to SJPDP that day even more difficult. Are you fully committed to the date, time and arrival in Barcelona? If you can tell us where you are travelling from then perhaps we can offer simpler solutions.

 

[dick bird]

Hello,

I will be arriving to barcelona on May 21st at around 8 30 am. Is it possible to reach SJPDP on the same day? If not, what is the recommended way to go to reach SJPDP?

I advise a night in either Barcelona or Pamplona to get used to travelling slowly. Even if you reach SJPdP the same day, you won’t be able to start walking. Check rome2rio for bus or train to Pamplona then bus. It’s an easy journey.

 

[Joanne P]

We are traveling from Australia and arrive in Barcelona on the afternoon of May 31st. We have booked a hotel near the main train station, will stay one night and catch the train to Pamplona the next day. There we will enjoy 2 nights to recover from the long flight, get a taxi to SJPDP on the morning of June 3rd and start walking (after a quick visit to the pilgrims office). We are lucky we have enough time to have those 2 nights in Pamplona.

 

[john sommo]

It is a spectacular, though occasionally challenging, walk. Girona and Figueres are cultural highlights before you hit the GR10 at Port de la Selva. Keep going West and you'll hit StJdP eventually. It'll take a bit more than "same day" though

That 11:00 am train will get you to Pamplona without any stress but same day to St J? Nah. Unless you want to make a taxi-driver very happy.

You could just start walking from Barcelona along the Catalan / Aragones or train it to Pamplona and start West from there. There being no rules follow your bent. For me the idea of travelling backwards along the Frances for the sole purpose of turning around and walking back along my €100 cab ride over a couple of days is anathema

Wow walking - nice idea. How long do you think it would take?

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Wow walking - nice idea. How long do you think it would take?

It took me three days to walk from Barcelona to Monserrat (you could take the train to start there instead). Then another 19 days to Puenta de Reina and one to Pamplona. No rest days. Not as many places to stay as on the CF so its a bit harder to adjust your schedule. I did it Oct/Nov and kept thinking how pretty it would be in spring; lots of fruit trees. I used Gronze for lodging info and Wikiloc for tracks. I used the Caminos Catalan (via Huesca) and Aragonese.

 

[Tincatinker]

Wow walking - nice idea. How long do you think it would take?

From Port de la Selva to St Jean on the GR10, 60 - 70 days depending mainly on weather. Hikers are occasionally pushed off-trail and need to hunker down for a few days. re-supplying can require detours too.

The Camino routes are a bit kinder. 20 days or so as @Rick of Rick and Peg says

 

[john sommo]

Thanks! Thought I might ride my bike from Barcelona leave it and walk the Camino!

 

[chrislc90]

Just yesterday my plane landed to Paris CDG terminal 1 at 1830. Took the internal train to terminal 2 .and after 10 minutes I rest my body and pass the night to a hotel inside terminal.(ok Paris is nice attractive I saw it before and never is enough but the target is Santiago .so today 07.17 took the train to Bordeaux and change train to Bayonne and now iam almost arrive to sjdp.have enough time between train's departures .

 

[Keith H]

Just yesterday my plane landed to Paris CDG terminal 1 at 1830. Took the internal train to terminal 2 .and after 10 minutes I rest my body and pass the night to a hotel inside terminal.(ok Paris is nice attractive I saw it before and never is enough but the target is Santiago .so today 07.17 took the train to Bordeaux and change train to Bayonne and now iam almost arrive to sjdp.have enough time between train's departures .

Buen Camino!

 

[jawadwehbe]

Choosing a Sunday for your arrival day is likely to make a fast journey to SJPDP that day even more difficult. Are you fully committed to the date, time and arrival in Barcelona? If you can tell us where you are travelling from then perhaps we can offer simpler solutions.

Sorry for the late reply, but yeah barcelona is the cheapest ticket from my country(Lebanon). It seems i should book a flight from Barcelona to Bordeaux or somewhere closer to SJPDP to get there.

 

[Keith H]

I just took a look and flights are very expensive (right now) to get there on the same day. It looks like the train to Pamplona is the best option but will add a day. You can make up that day along your Camino by busing or taxiing one day. Totally understand if you don’t want to do that though.