If You Travel By Plane
Where can you land in France?Prefer the airports of Biarritz or Paris .The airports of Toulouse , Pau , Lourdes or Bordeaux can also be interesting entry points.From all of those cities, you will need to take other means of transport to get to Saint Jean Pied de Port.
Where can you land in Spain?Prefer the airports of Pamplona or Madrid .The airports of Bilbao and San Sebastian can also be interesting entry points. A bit further, the airport of Barcelone can have attractive deals that make up for the fact its pretty far away from Saint Jean Pied de Port.From all of those cities, you will need to take other means of transport to get to Saint Jean Pied de Port.
What To See And Do In Saint
Like many of Frances small medieval towns and villages, the main things to see are found within the remaining fortifications that once protected the historical centre. Other than the narrow cobblestone streets lined by pink shist houses, old door lintels written in Basque and the beautiful red or green half-timbered balconies and shutters, youll get to see an incredibly well-preserved fort, few middle-age gates and bridges as well as ramparts, a little church and a Bishops Prison
Wander the streets, watch the Pilgrims preparing to leave on the French Way and capture the essence of the place while sipping a glass of the local cider or wine.
Saint-James door | The Saint-James door is located up the main pedestrian road rue de la Citadelle. This Unesco World Heritage monument is the historical entry for the Pilgrims walking to Santiago de Compostela and coming from Saint-Jean-le-Vieux,
City ramparts | Before the door, to the left, a small trailhead to the citys ramparts. It takes about 15 min to walk along the fortified wall which leads to the square right by the tourism office. If you pass the Saint-James door as if you were leaving the town, youll find on the left a little platform overlooking the northside of the village.
Rue dEspagne quarter | Cross the bridge to enter the Rue dEspagne area which corresponds to the extension of the city outside the first enclosure. In this street, the House of the States of Navarre is one of the best-preserved.
How Many Daily Journeys Are There From Paris To Saint
If you want to get from Paris to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, you can travel with providers such as SNCF and OUI.sncf. You will find a maximum number of 3 departures per day. On average, there are 3 departures per day. Book in advance to make sure that your journey will run smoothly and you depart at a time that suits you best. When you travel, you can look for direct journeys or other routes which offer connections and changes. On average, there are direct journeys between Paris and Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. If you don’t mind changing along the way, you may find more options available to you. There are usually 3 journeys with at least one change. These numbers may vary depending on the time of year or day of the week. Some travelers prefer direct routes, particularly if they are carrying heavy suitcases or concerned about missing a connection. Others enjoy the flexibility offered by connecting journeys. Whatever you prefer, Virail can help you find the right options to suit you.
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More Content To Prepare Your Trip To France
You are planning a trip to the Basque Country and wish to read more about it? You will find on Tales From The Lens some great content to help you out.
ESSENTIALSPACKING | Our long term and outdoor travel packing list
And this is a wrap. I loved so much my time in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. It is such a nice place with lots of Pilgrim and day tourists. The energy is so great! If you liked this article or have been to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and want to share tips or share your experience, please feel free to contact me or leave a comment below I answer all of them! I am looking forward to hearing from you.
How To Get To Saint Jean Pied De Port
Posted on Published:
By: Author Alya
For centuries Saint Jean Pied de Port has played an important role in European Christian culture. The town is the starting point of the Camino Frances, the most popular Camino de Santiago route. Thousands of people arrive every year at the small town of St.Jean Pied de Port in the French Pyrenees to start their journey on the Camino de Santiago. In this post, Im going to describe different ways of getting to St.Jean by public transport.
There are different ways of getting to St.Jean Pied de Port. Whichever way you choose youll have to make at least one switch in order to get there. Its a very small place, there are no direct transportation options from major cities in France or Spain. When I walked the French Camino I got to Saint Jean from Barcelona. First, I took a bus from Barcelona to Pamplona, and then another bus from Pamplona to SJPDP.
Departure times and ticket prices can change, please, confirm the information on the companies websites following the links provided in the post.
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Getting From Paris To St Jean By Air Via Biarritz
Air France runs 2 flights a day from CDG to Biarritz and it takes 1.5 hours. This routing is only worth the time and money if you can catch the flight from CDG. Orly airport also has flights to Biarritz, but transferring between CDG and Orly takes too much time and in that scenario, youd be better off taking the train.
Once in Biarritz, catch the Express Bourricot shuttle, which will take you directly to St Jean in 1.5 hours. It runs twice a day and you should pre-book the ride.
If you are coming from elsewhere in Europe, you can also fly into Biarritz from: Dublin, Bristol, London Stansted, London Gatwick, Brussels, Luxembourg City, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Berlin, Geneva, Lyon, Basil and Lille. The carriers are Air France, Easy Jet, Ryanair and Scandinavian Airlines.
Take this routingif you can get a flight to Biarritz with a reasonable layover time.
Public Transport Routes That Require A Change
- From Biarritz: You can take a bus from Biarritz to Bayonne and then take the train from Bayonne to St Jean Pied de Port.
- From Hendaye or Irun: Take a train from Hendaye to Bayonne and then another train from Bayonne to St Jean Pied de Port. From Irun, walk across the border to Hendaye.
- From San Sebastián: Take a Euskotren to Hendaye (just on the other side of the French border. Then take a train to Bayonne and then another train to St Jean Pied de Port. This sounds difficult but all parts of the trip are short.
- From Bilbao: Take a bus from Bilbao to San Sebastián and then follow the above directions from San Sebastián to St Jean Pied de Port. Alternatively, go to Pamplona and follow directions from there.
- From Zaragoza: Go to San Sebastián and follow directions from those cities.
- From Barcelona: Go to San Sebastián and follow directions from those cities.
- From Madrid: Go to San Sebastián and follow directions from there.
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Plan Your Journey: Research Tickets And Transport Tips
Preparing a trip is far from being easy, you could even say its kind of an art!Seasoned traveler have knowledge and tricks they can use to make planning easier and faster. Here are some of those, to make your life easier, help you find the perfect means of transport and get to Saint Jean Pied de Port like a pro!
How Long Will It Take Me To Travel From Paris To Saint
The journey between Paris and Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port runs for about 691 km and usually takes approximately 5 h 48 min. However, this figure is an average and will vary according to a number of factors. Depending on the method of transport that you choose, you might be able to arrive in less time. The shortest time in which you can complete this journey is 5 h 9 min. If you are trying to get from Paris to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port as quickly as possible, look for express routes or non-stopping services. Direct routes are not always the fastest way to travel. At times, you may even find a quicker route that involves a connection in another city.
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Where To Eat And Drink In Saint
Café Ttipia | A lovely restaurant and bar right on the main road but with nice views over the Nivé river. They serve local food such as duck leg , veal with mushroom and foie gras, etc. Portions are well served and the waiter is always cordial and smiling. Top tip: order the cider of the house. Delicious and cheap!
Café le Navarre | A nice address to enjoy the last rays of the sun with an Apero . Order a sangria beer or a soft drink and chill at their terrasse. They also have a restaurant where they serve fresh local trout for 11.
Hurrup Eta Klik | A local restaurant where you can try a good Axoa and taste delicious cider! They have a pilgrim menu too.
Au coup Faim | snack bar with sandwiches and crepes. Well served and good.
Artizarra | Bakery where you can buy Macaron, chocolate and the traditional Basque Cake made out of almond and fresh cherry or whipped cream.
Cannelé du Pays Basque | A cannelé is a speciality of the region of Bordeaux that is made out of eggs, milk and Rum! It is absolutely delicious and this small shop sells sweet and savoury ones. You can try apple cinnamon, wild mushroom, bacon, etc.
How To Get To Saint Jean Pied De Port By Train
The only direct line that gets to Saint Jean Pied de Port departs from the French Town of Bayonne, through the company SNFC, this journey take 1 hour and 20 minute.
If you want to go from Spain by train, the best option is to catch the Euskotren in San Sebastián that will take you to Irún-Hendaya. There, the pilgrim will take another train, from the company SNFC, which will take him to Saint Jean Pied de Port. This trip includes a change of trains and it will take approximately 2 and a half hours.
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Travelling From Paris To St Jean Pied De Port By Train
Want to know how to get from Paris to by train? We have gathered for you all the useful information about this trip!
The fastest trains from Paris to St Jean Pied de Port take around 5 hours and 1 minute, covering a distance of approximately 691 kilometres.
On weekdays, the first train leaving is scheduled to depart at around 06:23. The last departure is usually at around 16:19.On Saturdays and Sundays, trains leave Paris at around 06:17, with the last train leaving at around 15:52.There are frequent services on this particular rail route.On average, there are about 22 trains per day travelling between the two cities.They leave approximately every 3 minutes.
Prices for a single ticket between the two cities start from $42.89.
We think any time is a great time to visit St Jean Pied de Port, as each season has its own unique charm. Nevertheless, please make sure you check the local weather and average seasonal temperatures at destination before deciding on your holiday.
For more tips to help you plan your journey, check out our help articles, or read our guide to .
Getting There From Spain
Info about searching and buying your plane / train / long distance bus ticket are in the section Plan your journey
- Search a carpooling onBlabla Car
- Trips for Pamplona or Bayonne are common
- Try your luck and look for a direct trip to Saint Jean Pied de Port… unlikely but you knows!
- Pay attention to the rendez-vous points, they can be unpractical to reach!
Hitchhiking: Why not?!
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Stopping In Paris Check Out These Tours
If you have the time, why not check out Paris for a day or two? Lots of pilgrims stop and get over jet lag before starting their Camino, see the sights, and eat yummy macaroons!
Whenever I only have a day in a city, I consider taking a tour. Although they might cost more than wandering on my own for the day, day tours allow you to cover a lot of ground quickly! By taking a tour, you can get a good enough feel for the city to determine if youd like to return for an extended period.
Check out these hand-picked tours for Paris.
Train From Charles De Gaulle Airport To Bayonne
It is possible to travel by train to Bayonne from the station at Charles de Gaulle Airport without going into the city of Paris. Visit www.thetrainline-europe.com.
Other useful websites for timetables, itineraries, booking tickets include:
It is cheaper to book train tickets online before arriving in France book as far ahead as possible for best deals.
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How Do I Get To The Starting Point Of The Camino
In order to start your journey on the Camino Frances on the Way of St. James, you need to know how to get to St. Jean Pied de Port. Located some 500 miles/770 km away from Santiago, its best to fly into airports nearby rather than Santiago.
The most popular major international airports to fly into to get to St. Jean Pied de Port are Paris, Barcelona, and Madrid. From there, the smaller nearby cities to fly into are Biarritz, Pamplona, and San Sebastian. In the following sections, well give details on how to get to SJP from each of these cities.
The methods of getting to SJP once youre in France or Spain are up to you. Well cover flights, trains, busses, taxis, and private shuttles. Before you write off a certain method as too expensive or uncomfortable, take a look at all your options. Sometimes what you think is the cheapest option actually isnt really or will cause you to have to stay overnight at a hotel, which could be more expensive in the long run.
That being said, check out the following options, and decide which is best for you! But, always check schedules ahead of time as things change from time to time. Plus, daytime schedules often differ from weekend or holiday schedules. As well off-season and on-season schedules and prices may differ. Schedules and prices up to date at the time of writing.