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UK to Norte with “alternate” routes

Purple Backpack

Active Member
Time of past OR future Camino
CF’12 VF’16 VP w/variants 2022/23 Norte’23, CF ‘23
Dear UK pilgrims…found a great deal to London and working on Rome2Rio to get to Biarritz/Irún. Up popped a British Air flight to the Channel Islands, then maybe Mont St Michel then south to the Camino del Norte. Is that possible? Have about a week before the hike and have been to the UK several times so thought it would be fun to see something other than London. It looks like travel may be complicated though. Thanks a million!
 
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
From Jersey in the Channel Islands it is possible to travel as a foot passenger to Granville in France but only in the summer months withs Manche Iles Express. Then take a train to Pontorson which has a bus connection to Mont Saint Michel (or a 10km walk along a canal).

The other option is ferry from Jersey to St Malo with Condor. It runs a few times a week. From St Malo take a train but you have to change at Dol de Bretagne to reach Pontorson (with a bus to mont St michel). There is also a hiking route from St Malo to Mont St Michel

After Mont S Michel - From Pontorson there are two possible routes to Irun - first is to take a train to Paris, then to Hendaye and then switch at Hendaye or walk over bridge into Irun - this is fairly fast and straightforward. The other involves a longer series of different trains - to Rennes, then Nantes, then Bordeaux then Hendaye (all of which are lovely cities to visit) - but this will take alot longer and probably only if you want to sightsee along the way.

The other option is much longer - there is a camino route marked from Mont Saint Michel (2 in fact!) - I did the Voie des Capitales from there then connected to the Voie des Anglais/Littoral to Bayonne and onwards to Irun. But that is at least a month's journey
 
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The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Jersey Island itself is weather a few days visit! Then again, you can literally walk from Heathrow to the English shore and take a ferry from there to France (St Malo) and walk two days to MSM. Or fly to Biarritz and walk to SJPdP! You have a wealth of opportunities that are only limited by time, health, and funding!!!!
 
You could consider a flight to Biarritz and walking from there. A little sniff of the Pays Basque before you enter Euskadi
I walked from Biarritz this year. A couple of fairly easy days along the French coast before you get to the hard climbs in Spain. Gronze shows the stages.
 
Thanks so much for the thoughtful and helpful reply! Wish there was time to walk the Capitales but the Norte is calling this time. Looks like a lot of train time before walking…thanks again!
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
You could consider a flight to Biarritz and walking from there. A little sniff of the Pays Basque before you enter Euskadi
It’s the getting to Biarritz that looks complicated! Think the walk will actually start from there.
 
Hadn’t thought of walking from Heathrow…now that’s a good start to an adventure!
 
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