How to I get to the start?
CAMINO FRANCES:
St Jean Pied de Port is a small pilgrimage town at the foot of the French Pyrenees in Southern France. You can fly from Paris to Bayonne/Biarritz, or take a fast train from Paris to Biarritz-Bayonne.
* From the US you could fly to London, Paris or Dublin where you can get a cheap flight to Biarritz.
* From Paris you can also get a TGV train to Biarritz and a local train from there to St Jean Pied de Port.
* From the UK, you can take an EasyJet flight to Biarritz and a train to St Jean Pied de Port.
* Iberia flies to Madrid and Paris from most countries with connecting flights to Pamplona or Biarritz.
* From South Africa the cheapest flights to Madrid are on TAAG (± R12 000), Emirates ± R15 000 , Turkish Airlines and Qatar also fly to Madrid with prices between R12 000 and R17 000.
The TAAG flight duration is shorter so you arrive in Spain early in the morning instead of mid-afternoon, which makes it easier to reach St Jean in one day.
You can fly from Madrid to Pamplona on Iberia for ± €60 - flights departing at 09h10 arrive at 10h10, which will give you time to get the daily bus to St Jean around lunch time. (Later flights from Madrid are at 12h25, 16h10 and 20h25. )
The ALSA website, available in English from main menu, is at https://www.alsa.com/en/web/bus.
If you cannot make the mid-day ALSA bus, from Monday to Friday, there is an Artieda bus from Pamplona bus station which goes to Roncesvalles all year at 1330 for €5.65 - pay on the bus. Artieda bus journey time is 1 hour 10 min. From Roncesvalles to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port a taxi will be around one third of the price of a taxi from Pamplona to SJPdP.
There are no direct trains that go to St Jean from Madrid so traveling to Pamplona first is the best route. Regular trains go direct from the airport in Madrid to Pamplona 3h25min. There are 3 stations in Madrid so ensure you go to the Atocha station for the train to Pamplona. You can reserve your seats on Rail Ninja, Rail Europe or Renfe
The bus to Pamplona takes ±6 hours (€24 - €35)
From Santiago you can fly back to Madrid or Paris on Vueling.com for about €70 and on Ryanair for less than that. Train or bus back to Madrid from €28 - €78
NB: a) Check the layover times on the way to Europe - the cheaper flights can have layovers of up to 12 hours.
b) Prices fluctuate so check the costs before deciding.
MYSITCAL MESETA
You can fly to Madrid from many countries. From there you can take a 2hr train journey to Logroño or Jiminez buses The station is about 5km from the City but buses leave on the half hour from the station into the city from 7h30 to 21h30. There is also a taxi rank outside the train station.
CAMINO INGLES
The closest airports to Ferrol are are in A Coruña and Santiago de Compostela. You can fly to one of them and from there take a bus/train to Ferrol. A Coruña is the closest and there are more buses from there than from Santiago.
Tickets can be purchased at the bus station . They take about an hour
From Santiago de Compostela there is one direct train - about a 2 hour journey.
VIA FRANCIGENA TO ROME
Siena is connected by bus from and or train from Rome (3 hours and €12 - €15) You can fly also to Florence from some European cities
VIA FRANCIGENA - ALPS
You can fly to Geneva and get a train direct train to La Douay, or stop in Lausanne, Vevey or Montreux before taking the train to La Douay. Lausanne is also connected by cruise boat or the St Bernard Express
CAMINO FRANCES:
St Jean Pied de Port is a small pilgrimage town at the foot of the French Pyrenees in Southern France. You can fly from Paris to Bayonne/Biarritz, or take a fast train from Paris to Biarritz-Bayonne.
* From the US you could fly to London, Paris or Dublin where you can get a cheap flight to Biarritz.
* From Paris you can also get a TGV train to Biarritz and a local train from there to St Jean Pied de Port.
* From the UK, you can take an EasyJet flight to Biarritz and a train to St Jean Pied de Port.
* Iberia flies to Madrid and Paris from most countries with connecting flights to Pamplona or Biarritz.
* From South Africa the cheapest flights to Madrid are on TAAG (± R12 000), Emirates ± R15 000 , Turkish Airlines and Qatar also fly to Madrid with prices between R12 000 and R17 000.
The TAAG flight duration is shorter so you arrive in Spain early in the morning instead of mid-afternoon, which makes it easier to reach St Jean in one day.
You can fly from Madrid to Pamplona on Iberia for ± €60 - flights departing at 09h10 arrive at 10h10, which will give you time to get the daily bus to St Jean around lunch time. (Later flights from Madrid are at 12h25, 16h10 and 20h25. )
The ALSA website, available in English from main menu, is at https://www.alsa.com/en/web/bus.
If you cannot make the mid-day ALSA bus, from Monday to Friday, there is an Artieda bus from Pamplona bus station which goes to Roncesvalles all year at 1330 for €5.65 - pay on the bus. Artieda bus journey time is 1 hour 10 min. From Roncesvalles to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port a taxi will be around one third of the price of a taxi from Pamplona to SJPdP.
There are no direct trains that go to St Jean from Madrid so traveling to Pamplona first is the best route. Regular trains go direct from the airport in Madrid to Pamplona 3h25min. There are 3 stations in Madrid so ensure you go to the Atocha station for the train to Pamplona. You can reserve your seats on Rail Ninja, Rail Europe or Renfe
The bus to Pamplona takes ±6 hours (€24 - €35)
From Santiago you can fly back to Madrid or Paris on Vueling.com for about €70 and on Ryanair for less than that. Train or bus back to Madrid from €28 - €78
NB: a) Check the layover times on the way to Europe - the cheaper flights can have layovers of up to 12 hours.
b) Prices fluctuate so check the costs before deciding.
MYSITCAL MESETA
You can fly to Madrid from many countries. From there you can take a 2hr train journey to Logroño or Jiminez buses The station is about 5km from the City but buses leave on the half hour from the station into the city from 7h30 to 21h30. There is also a taxi rank outside the train station.
CAMINO INGLES
The closest airports to Ferrol are are in A Coruña and Santiago de Compostela. You can fly to one of them and from there take a bus/train to Ferrol. A Coruña is the closest and there are more buses from there than from Santiago.
Tickets can be purchased at the bus station . They take about an hour
From Santiago de Compostela there is one direct train - about a 2 hour journey.
VIA FRANCIGENA TO ROME
Siena is connected by bus from and or train from Rome (3 hours and €12 - €15) You can fly also to Florence from some European cities
VIA FRANCIGENA - ALPS
You can fly to Geneva and get a train direct train to La Douay, or stop in Lausanne, Vevey or Montreux before taking the train to La Douay. Lausanne is also connected by cruise boat or the St Bernard Express
