amaWalker: via tolosana

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Thursday, May 10, 2012

How do I get to ..........

One of the most frequently asked questions on Camino forums, at workshops and emails is, "How do I get to ...... St Jean, Roncesvalles, El Ferrol, Porto, Sevilla" etc etc.

The following is an extract from my Camino planning guide, "YOUR CAMINO on foot, bicycle or horseback in France and Spain."

Getting to the start

You can start your pilgrimage in any country, from any place, on any route.
This guide is focused on the routes in France and Spain but you will find information and advice by going to the links provided for routes in other countries.

Flights to France or Spain

Most international airlines fly into Paris in France and Madrid or Barcelona in Spain. From the US you might find it cheaper to fly to an airport in the UK and get an economical flight, coach or ferry to France or Spain from there.
The most convenient would be to fly on the Spanish carrier Iberia on a multi-route ticket which means that you can fly to any destination in Europe, walk to Santiago and fly out from Santiago, usually with a stopover at Madrid.

Starting in France

The Via Turonensis - Starts in Paris, Orleans or Tours

Most national airlines fly to Paris and then you get a train or bus to Orleans or Tours, or start walking from Paris.

The Via Podiensis  - Starts in Le Puy
By Air from Paris to Le Puy www.hexair.com/vol-regulier-le-puy-en-velay-paris
Or, you can fly to Lyon airport and take a bus from there to St Etienne and a train to Le Puy.
By Rail: TVG from Paris to Lyon, local train to St Etienne, and a second local train on to Le Puy.

Via Lemovensis - Sarts in Vezelay:
Paris - TGV - Gare de Lyon station to Montbard – connection by bus to Avallon). Connections to Vézelay – Friday evening and Monday morning all year: Every other day only in July and August.
Or: Train from Paris(Gare de Lyon station or Bercy station) to Laroche-Migennes or Auxerre – then local train to Sermizelles (10 km from Vézelay). Taxi to Vezelay. Train www.sncf.com

Via Tolosana    - Starts in Arles
By air: www.amadeus.net or Airfrance to Marseilles then train to Arles.
By rail: www.voyages-sncf.com

Chemin du Piemont   - Starts in Narbonne- Plage

Via Carcasonne and Lourdes to St Jean Pied de Port.

Ryanair and other airlines fly from various UK airports. The nearest airports to Narbonne Plage are Beziers, Carcassonne, Montpellier, Nimes and Perpignan. The TGV stops at Narbonne and a local bus will take you to Narbonne-Plage.

Camino Frances from St Jean Pied de Port in France

The most popular and busiest route in Spain is the Camino Frances. Many modern guide book publishers have included a first-day stage from St Jean Pied de Port in France to Roncesvalles on the Spanish side of the border, mainly because of the beautiful mountain scenery.

The most Frequently Asked Question about the Camino Frances is:

‘How do I get to St Jean Pied de Port?’

St Jean Pied de Port (St John at the Foot of the Pass - 163 m ASL) is a small, medieval tourist town at the foot of the western Pyrenees close to the Spanish border. The Codex Calixtinus (Book of St James chapter) lists St Michel as the starting place to cross this part of the Pyrenees into Spain. The path went through Val Carlos (valley of Charlemagne) and the Ibaneta Pass to Roncesvalles. However, St Jean soon became a popular pilgrimage town and link to the Pass into Spain.

There is no direct bus or train service to St Jean from the main cities of France and no bus or rail link between France and Spain, so there is no direct way of getting there from Spain on public transport.

The nearest airport in France is Biarritz and most people travel to Bayonne/Biarritz by train then take the local train or bus to St Jean Pied de Port – about 1.5 hours through pretty countryside. www.voyages-sncf.com

A quicker and easier way (but obviously more costly) is to take a taxi from Bayonne/ Biarritz to St Jean. You can book a lift in a shuttle service – Express Bouricott (Smart Donkey) – that operates between France and Spain, transporting pilgrims from airports at Pau, Bilbao, Irun and Pamplona. They also cart pilgrims over the mountain from Roncesvalles to St Jean, charging according to the number of passengers in the vehicle. www.expressbourricot.com. There is a facility on their website to form a carpool. (They cannot take people from one place in Spain to another place in Spain)

Or you could try the local taxi service in Biarritz: www.taxis-biarritz.fr

A pilgrim hostel in St Jean offers a page on their website for you to put your name down for a ‘carpool’ as well, so that you can share a taxi to St Jean: www.espritduchemin.org/EC/carpoolEN.html

They also have a link to the timetable for the rail/bus line to St Jean and a town map (www.espritduchemin.org/English/travelinfo.html) and information on parking your car in St Jean and walking the Camino from there.

When you arrive in St Jean visit the Pilgrim’s Office to collect a pilgrim passport (Credencial) and find out where to stay the night. Accueil des pelerins de St-Jacques, 39 rue de la Citadelle. The office is open from 7h30 to 12h30 and then from 13h30 to 22h00.

If you go in the busy season (July–September) it is advisable to book a bed ahead in one of the private albergues in St Jean.

Esprit du Chemin: www.espritduchemin.org

Auberg de Pelerin: www.aubergedupelerin.com

There are two routes from St Jean to Roncesvalles – the ‘road route’ which is on the original route through Val Carlos (Valley of Charlemagne), now a small tarred road, and a cross country route called the Route Napoleon which also consists of a tarred road for about 15km and a cross country trail thereafter.

If it is the first day of hiking many people take two days to walk from St Jean to Roncesvalles. If you are reluctant to cross the Pyrenees on the Route Napoleon to Spain in one day, you can book a bed at the Refuge Orisson which is about 8 km up the hill from St Jean: www.refuge-orisson.com/ refuge.orisson@wanadoo.fr

If taking the road route you can stay at a pilgrim hostel in Val Carlos (valley of Charlemagne) or in a BandB or Casa Rural. www.turismo.navarra.es

Starting from France or Spain – in alphabetical order

Arles Via Tolosana

Fly to Nimes-Arles (or to Marseilles) Air France – Camargue Airport (FNI/LFTW) and then a train to Arles: Or, TVG from Paris to Avignon and then a local train to Arles.

Astorga - from Valladolid

ALSA bus to Astorga.

Astorga - from Madrid

Travel to Leon by train or bus: You can get the ALSA bus from Madrid Barajas airport. It takes about five hours. www.alsa.es

If you go by train, there is a Renfe office in the airport (on the lower level to the right of where you exit customs). They can sell you a ticket there. There are about eight trains a day to Leon. It takes ± 4 hours. www.renfe.es
The train station you need to get to is Madrid-Chamartin. You get there on the metro which leaves from the airport. Once in Leon you can get an ALSA bus to Astorga. There are over 20 buses a day, they take about 50 minutes.

Bayonne - from London

Eurolines – National Express overnight coach.

Biarritz - from Santiago

Train from Santiago passing Astorga, Leon, Burgos and then going north-east via Bilbao to the border at Irun-Hendaye. Then another to Bayonne.

Bilbao - by sea

Brittany Ferries: Portsmouth twice a week. www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/routes

Burgos - from Madrid

Three trains a day: www.renfe.es About 20 buses per day: www.Alsa.es

Castrojeriz

By bus from Burgos www.burgoscity.com/burgos/estacionbus.php

Estella

By bus from Pamplona www.laestellesa.com/servicios/

Ferrol from Santiago or Lugo

By bus: www.arriva.es By train: www.renfe.es

Irun from Barcelona

By train: www.renfe.es Barcelona Nord to Irun
By bus: Vibasa Bus runs an overnight bus from Barcelona Nord to Irun: www.vibasa.es
Irun - from Madrid
By bus, seven hours: www.alsa.es
By train, five hours: www.renfe.es

Jaca - from Barcelona

Alosa bus   www.alosa via Huesca
Jaca - from Pamplona
By bus   www.alosa.es
Jaca - from Madrid
There are 19 ALSA buses a day between Madrid airport and Zaragoza and there are 20 trains a day from Madrid to Zaragoza - on the half hour, every hour - they take between 1h15 and 1hr21 and cost €60.The buses from Zaragoza to Jaca are at 06h30, 08h30, 11h00, 14h00, 15h30, 17h00 and 19h00
Léon - From Barcelona

By train www.renfe.es. Or by bus Barcelona/Sants to Leon: www.alsa.es

Léon from Bilbao:
By train www.renfe.es

Léon - from Madrid

By train ± 4 hours www.renfe.es: By air, fly to Valladolid. Alsa.es run a direct service from Valladolid airport to Leon – takes 1h45.
Logroño - from Barcelona

By train: www.renfe.es By bus: www.alsa.es
Logroño - from Bilbao

By bus: www.laburundesa.com
Logroño - from Irun

Bus to Pamplona www.laburundesa.com and then another to Logroño from there.
www.laestellesa.com
Logroño - from Madrid

When you arrive at Madrid Barajas, you can take either a taxi or the metro (stop at Avenida
de America Station) to Inter-cambiador de Avenida de América nº 9, and ask for the ALSA
bus to Logroño. www.alsa.es
Another service is PLM www.plmautocares.com/ which goes between Madrid and Pamplona
via Logroño.
Rail: There are very few trains from Madrid to Logroño. www.renfe.es
Logroño - from Pamplona
By bus - www.laestellesa.co

Madrid - from Barcelona

AVE – fast train ww.renfe.es

O Cebreiro – from Bilbao, Madrid and Pamplona

Bus to Piedrafita (5 km from Cebreiro) and then you walk up the hill or take a taxi.
www.alsa.es
O Cebreiro - from Ponferrada

By bus to Piedrafita via Lugo www.alsa.es

Oviedo - from Madrid

By train www.renfe.es

Pamplona - from Alicante

There are buses from the airport at Alicante to Pamplona. There is one that leaves at 8h15 and
arrives in Pamplona at 18h15 and another that leaves at 20h20 and arrives at 5h35   Bilman
Bus Company www.bilmanbus.es
Pamplona from Barcelona
By bus: www.vibasa.es
By rail: At the BCN airport, exit the secured area and walk through the sky tunnel to the left
to the Cercania. It will take you to Sants Estació. Sants Estació has both the train station and
the bus station you need. There are three trains to Pamplona daily.
Or - Train to Irun and then from Biarritz to Pamplona:
By bus: www.laburundesa.com
Or 6h00 bus to San Sebastian (± 1 hour) so that you can get the 10h00 train to Pamplona
Pamplona - from Madrid
By bus: www.alsa.es or PLM www.plmautocares.com/
By train: www.renfe.es
Fly: www.iberia.com

Ponferrada - from Bilbao
By bus: www.alsa.es By train: www.renfe.es
Ponferrada - from Madrid,

By train: www.renfe.es   By bus: www.Alsa.es

Porto - from Santiago
By bus: www.alsa.es   By train: www.renfe.es to
Vigo and then www.cp.pt to Porto
Roncesvalles - from Bilbao
By bus: www.laburundesa.com Or 6h00 bus to San Sebastian (± 1 hour) and 10h00 train to Pamplona – 2 hours. (Next train is 18h00)
6h00 bus to Roncesvalles. www.autocaresartieda.com
Roncesvalles - from Paris

By rail: high-speed train south to Bayonne or Biarritz: www.sncf.com: Train from Biarritz (and Bayonne) to St Jean Pied de Port ± 1hr50. Express Burricot taxi to Roncesvalles –book ahead: Email: apcaroline@hotmail.com
Roncesvalles - from Madrid
By bus: www.alsae.es to Pamplona By PLM www.plmautocares.com/ to Pamplona
By train: www.renfe.es to Pamplona
Fly: www.iberia.com to Pamplona
Then a 6h00 bus to Roncesvalles www.autocaresartieda.com or Taxi to Roncesvalles

Salamanca - from Madrid

By bus from Conde de Casal Station www.auto-res.net
By train: www.renfe.es

Santander - from Plymouth

Brittany Ferries    www.brittanyferries.com

Sarria - from Burgos
By bus to Lugo: www.alsa.es   And then to Sarria on www.monbus.es
By train: www.renfe.es
Sarria from Madrid
By overnight train: www.renfe.es
Or – fly to Santiago – bus to Lugo and then bus to Sarria. Or train, bus to Santiago and taxi to Sarria
Sarria - from Pamplona

By train: www.renfe.es on the LUGO line
Sarria - from Santiago
By bus to Lugo: www.empresafreire.com and then half an hour bus to Sarria:
www.monbus.es

Santiago - from Madrid

Fly: Ryanair.com By bus: www.alsa.es By train: www.renfe.es

Seville from Madrid By bus: www.socibus.es

Somport - from Madrid

You can go to Pamplona and then get a bus to Jaca and then a local bus to Somport.

Or, follow the instructions to Jaca and then: Bus from Jaca 8:25 h, 12:00 h, 14:45 h, 19:35 h. and 21:45

Somport - from Pau

Pau to Oloron Ste Marie by train - 34 mins and then to Somport by Bus in 1hr 23 mins

Book one ticket - bus and train - through sncf - www.sncf.com:

St Jean - from Barcelona

By train to Bayonne www.renfe.es Then French train to St Jean: www.sncf.com
By train to Pamplona and a taxi to St Jean (Or bus to Roncesvalles and taxi to St Jean)
St Jean – From from Bayonne/ Biarritz

Taxi: www.taxis-biarritz.fr or www.expressbourricot.com
By train or bus from Biarritz to St Jean via Bayonne: www.voyages-sncf.com
Take the #6 bus from the Biarritz airport to the train station. It leaves about every 30 minutes and takes about 45 minutes.
Or train to Bayonne then bus or train to St Jean Pied de Port.
St Jean - from Blibao

By bus: www.pesa.net
Or: ALSA buses to IRUN leave Bilbao many, many times a day. The next day you travel
from IRUN to BAYONNE by bus/train and from BAYONNE to SJPP by train: www.pesa.es
www.sncf.com
By train to Hendaya
St Jean - from Madrid

www.renfe.es – then SNCF train to St Jean www.voyages-sncf.com/ Or by train to Pamplona
and taxi to St Jean

Triacastela

By bus to Lugo on Freire: www.empresafreire.com from Santiago and then Monbus to
Triacastela: www.monbus.es

Vezelay

TGV from Paris: from Paris – Gare de Lyon station to Montbard (connection by bus to
Avallon)
Train from Paris (Gare de Lyon station or Bercy station) to Laroche-Migennes or Auxerre – then local train-stop at Sermizelles (10 km from Vézelay). www.sncf.com Taxi from Sermizelles www.chez.com/taxivezelay

Walking the last 100km

Many people like to walk the last 100km in order to earn the Compostela ceertificate. It is much easier to reach the 100km starting points on the different routes from Santiago airport than from other cities many kilometers away.

Camino Frances:

From Sarria to Santiago 114 km
Closest airport Santiago
Bus to Lugo and then to Sarria from Santiago

Camino Ingles:

From Ferrol to Santiago 108 km
Closest airport Santiago
Bus or train to Ferrol

Camino Portuguese:

From Tui to Santiago 117 km
Closest airport – Porto
Or, Vigo – Tui

Via de la Plata:

From Ourense to Santiago 108 km
Nearest airport Santiago
Bus from Santiago to Ourense

Whichever route you walk, whichever way you get there, wishing you a Buen Camino!

Friday, August 06, 2010

SANTIAGO TO ROME

Ever since a French pilgrim walked from Bordeaux to Jerusalem and back in 333AD, ordinary people with an extraordinary wanderlust have trekked long distances to sacred places.

The Anonymous Bordeaux Pilgrim

http://www.scribd.com/doc/26855737/The-Anonymous-Pilgrim-of-Bordeaux-333-a-d

My good friend "Little John" is one of those extraordinary pilgrims who is planning on walking from Santiago to Rome next year. He has already done most of the Camino routes - Norte, Ingles, Frances, Primitivo, Via de la Plata, Madrid, Portugues etc and the Via Francigena from Canterbury to Rome and from Brindisi to Rome in the south.

John now wants a new challenge and has decided to walk the Jesus Trail from Nazareth next year and then fly to Santiago to walk to Rome. John will be 77 years-old in October and is walking the Annapurna Circuit in Tibet in November. Quite an inspiration!)

Why not walk from Rome to Santiago?

The route to Rome isn't that well marked and John feels that it could be difficult to follow it in reverse. The Camino is so well marked that it shouldn't be too difficult to walk it the other way.

How long will it take?

It is about 2 800km from Santiago to Rome. John is a good steady walker and plans to cover about 25km per day. With a few shorter days and rest days it should take him about 4 months. He has a British passport so can take as long as he likes. Anyone needing a Schengen visa would have a problem with the 90-day maximum time allowed. Its not impossible to walk it in 90 days. In the summer of 2009 Herman walked from Rome to Santiago in 78 days averaging more than 35km per day. You will find some info on his blog in English even though most of it is in Dutch. http://herecomesherman.wordpress.com/camino-roma-santiago-under-construction/

Live on the trail!

http://burkinaschool.blogspot.com/

Babette Gallard and Paul Chin have been on the Arles to Rome trail on horseback since April with the idea of writing a guide book on the Santiago to Rome route and also to raise funds to build a classroom in a school in Burkina Fasso. You can contact them through their website Pilgrimage Publications: www.pilgrimagepublications.com/

mail@plgrimagepublications.com

Dan and Hilary are walking from Rome to Santiago and then potentially back across Spain (different route) and up the west coast of France.

http://www.travelpod.com/s/hotel+pavia+rome+italy

Rome to Santiago
http://trollpilgrimage.blogspot.com/

OTHER PILGRIM TALES

http://zinaztli.blogspot.com/ Bike from Rome to Santiago

Ann Milner walked from Santiago to Rome in 2006

She started on 4th April in Santiago and arrived in Rome on 2nd September. http://www.w2r.fammaprojects.co.uk/p2006home.html

Her Route

Camino Frances to Puente la Reina

Camino Aragones to Somport.

A detour to Lourdes

Via Toloana at Maubourguet all the way to Arles:

Via Domitia to Montgenevre

Via Aurelia heading south-east to Menton.

At Genoa she walked inland joining the Via Francigena at Pontremoli and then on to Rome from there.

Assisi to Santiago

Starting from Assisi, north along the Via Francigena: From Sarzana along the Italian Riviera, crossing the border into France before following the Cote d’Azur and heading west , passing through Arles, Montpellier, Toulouse, Auch, and Pau. Then cross the Pyrenees into Spain along the Camino Aragonese to Puenta La Reina, onto the Camino Frances, and finishing at Santiago de Compostella
http://assisi2santiago.com/route.html

Resources:

Santiago to Puente la Reina:

You can follow any of the Camino Frances guides - CSJ, John Brierley, Pili Pala Press, or just follow the arrows.

Puenta la Reina to Somport:

You can follow the directions and arrows for the Aragones route to Somport - CSJ, Rother, Miam Miam Dodo - or follow the arrows.

Somport to Lourdes:

From Somport to Oloron Ste Marie and Lourdes you can follow the Chemin du Piemont Pyrénéen.

Lourdes to Arles:

From Arles:

From Arles, there are two routes to choose from.
North east towards Montgenevre or South east to Menton.
Some websites suggest that the Montgenevre route is easier.

This website offers information and maps from Arles to Italy:

http://www.compostelle-paca-corse.info/

La Provence - Alpes - Côte d'Azur is the natural pathway, both for pilgrims coming from Italy or southern Europe towards Compostela, and those who sailed from Spain or France en route to Rome. Founded in 1998, the Association "Provence - Alpes - Cote d'Azur - Corsica" Friends of Pathways of St. Jacques de Compostela and Rome currently has over 600 members in seven departments of the region.

Help and advice to prospective pilgrims (information, documentation)
Support for pilgrims crossing the region;
Creation and Maintenance, in association with the French Federation of hiking trails, routes between Arles and the Italian border;
Looking for accommodation with the municipalities, parishes and individuals;
Studies and research on local heritage and history of pilgrimages;
Promotion of pilgrimage by organizing exhibitions
Maintain links with associations pursuing the same goal, in France and abroad, especially in Italy;
Maintenance of friendships between former and future pilgrims through periodical publications and events (meetings, visits, walks, lectures.

Somport Pass between Spain and France

http://santiago.via.arles.free.fr/montgmen/frjusstmax/frejstmax.htm

Discover the way to Arles , Italy (Col du Montgenèvre Mortola or near Menton) to Spain over the Somport pass using maps and map the paths and their alternatives. This site will inform you of routes and associations that can help you in your pilgrimage to Compostela and Rome .

This site has a description of the route from Montginevro Pass to Torino

http://www.moncalieriincammino.it/monginevro_oulx.htm

Guide Books

http://shop.terre.it/

Guida alla Via Francigena

A 900km walk from Montgenevre to St. Peter's, from the border with France to Rome, through Piedmont, Lombardy , Emilia Romagna, Tuscany and Lazio.

La Via Francigena, Cartografia E GPS -

The first complete and detailed mapping of ViaFrancigena - over 900 km on foot, in 38 stages , retracing the journey from ancient Rome to Montgenevre . Step by step through Piedmont, Lombardy , Emilia Romagna, Tuscany and Lazio : the maps and all the data necessary to navigate.

USEFUL WEBSITES

For accommodation on the different routes

http://camino-medieval.webs.com/accommodationlists.htm

http://www.compostelle.alpes-haute-provence.fr/saint-jacques-dans-les-alpes-de-haute-provence/le-chemin-dans-les-alpes-de-haute-provence-la-via-domitia/

http://www.compostelle-paca-corse.info/Chemin/viaaurelialesami.html

http://www.confraternitadisanjacopo.it/Francigena/guida/guida.htm

http://www.ffrandonnee.fr/boutique/topo-guide.aspx?ref=6531

http://pilgrim.peterrobins.co.uk/routes/details/francigena_i.html

http://www.camminideuropageie.com/

For a list of VF links in Italy
http://www.francigenalibrari.beniculturali.it/news3_en.html

THE VIA FRANCIGENA