Getting there: how to reach the start of your Camino
Here's the truth nobody tells you: getting to the Camino can be harder than the first day of walking it. Planes, trains, buses, a language you may not speak, and a body that thinks it's the middle of the night. Don't worry. Thousands of pilgrims figure it out every year, and so will you.
I've started in St Jean Pied de Port five times. Here's what I'd tell you over a cup of coffee.
Getting to St Jean Pied de Port
St Jean sits on the French side of the Pyrenees, and it isn't on the way to anywhere. Every route in ends with a small train or a bus. Plan for that last leg and you'll be fine.
Through France. Fly into Paris, then take the high-speed TGV train to Bayonne (about 4 to 5 hours). From Bayonne, a small regional train runs up the valley to St Jean in a little over an hour.
That last train only runs a few times a day, and less on Sundays and holidays. Check the schedule before you book anything else. Missing the last one means a night in Bayonne. Not a bad thing, but a change of plans.
Biarritz is the closest airport to St Jean. It's a short ride into Bayonne to catch the same train. Flights into Biarritz usually connect through Paris or London.
Through Spain. Fly into Madrid or Barcelona and take the train to Pamplona. From Pamplona, pilgrim shuttles and buses run over the mountains to St Jean, mostly in the walking season. Book ahead in spring and fall.
You can also take the bus from Pamplona to Roncesvalles and start there. You'll skip the Pyrenees crossing and start in Spain with a lot less climbing on day one. No shame in that.
My advice: Give yourself a full day, or two, between landing and walking. Jet lag is real. Sleep in St Jean, pick up your credential at the pilgrim office, and walk out the next morning rested. The mountain will still be there.
Booking trains: Trainline
If train tickets in a foreign language make you nervous, Trainline is your friend. It's a website and a phone app that books trains in both France and Spain, all in English, in one place.
Search Paris to Bayonne, Bayonne to St Jean, or Madrid to Pamplona, and it shows you times, prices and connections side by side. Buy the ticket and it lands right in the app. Show your phone to the conductor and you're on your way.
There's a small booking fee, and sometimes the same ticket is a little cheaper on the railway's own site (SNCF in France, Renfe in Spain). For me, the peace of mind is worth a couple of euros. That's one less thing to worry about when you're jet-lagged and standing on a platform in a country you just landed in.
Download it before you leave home, set up your account and add your payment card. Then you're ready to book from anywhere.
Website: thetrainline.com
App: search "Trainline" in the App Store or Google Play
Other Caminos
Camino Portugués: Fly into Porto. You can walk right out of the city, or take the train north to Valença or Tui on the Spanish border. Lisbon has more flights and a good train to Porto.
Camino del Norte: Fly into Bilbao, or into Biarritz and start in Irún. Trains and buses along the coast are slower and less frequent, so check timetables ahead.
Camino Primitivo: Fly into Asturias airport, then take a bus or train into Oviedo, where the walk begins.
Camino Inglés: Fly into Santiago or A Coruña, then take the bus or train to Ferrol, where the route starts.
Starting in Sarria (the last 100 km): Fly into Santiago, then take the train or bus to Sarria. Or come from Madrid by train.
A few hard-won tips
Book train tickets early for the best fares, especially high-speed trains like the TGV and AVE.
Download offline maps before you leave.
Screenshot every ticket and reservation. Wi-Fi fails at the worst times.
Carry your pack on the plane if you can. Lost luggage is a rough way to start a Camino.
Something will go sideways. A late train, a missed bus. Take a breath and figure out plan B. That's the first lesson of the Camino, and it starts before you take a single step.
Got a question about getting there? Send it to askmeacaminoquestion@gmail.com and I might answer it on the show.
