Transport links to Airports Bilbao and Santander ? ETC...

[unadara]

Hi Everyone
Some information as requested..I am going on the Dublin Diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes and my partner proposes to meet me at Bayonne train station on 12th Sept to travel onwards to St.Jean to start the Camino. We hope to walk for 10days. This is due to flights available back to Dublin on 22nd Sept from both Bilbao and Santander.
The questions are, which airport might be the easiest to get to ? depends on where we get to ? is there a good transport link / location we should try to finish in ?
These are just planning questions to get basics arranged/before he changes his mind haha...I have talked the camino for years and have read so much about it. You have so much sound advice on this forum I never cease to be ammazed at all the pilgrims coming from all over the world, and so many from Ireland. We are 50+, I do lot of hill-walking but have bad knees, Garry has a kidney transplant, a stent in his heart but is very fit!!!

[HuskyNerd]

Congrats on your upcoming Camino. If you start at St Jean PdP and walk for 10 days you'll be somewhere shy of Burgos, which is approx 280 kms from St. Jean. This allows you a train connection to either Bilbao or Santander. The Bilbao train is quicker since it does not require a transfer (which the Santander train does in Palencia). There are three departures a day from Burgos (Rosa de Lima station) to Bilbao, taking 2.5 to 3 hours. There are three departures per day from Burgos to Santander with travel time of about 3.5 hours, but the layover at Palencia is 1-3 hours.

If your pace is a little slower or your timeline is shorter you could choose to finish at Logroño, which is approx 165 kms from St. Jean. There are two direct trains daily from Logroño to Bilbao.

Buen camino!

[unadara]

Back again
Have found so much information, flights home out of Bilbao seem to suit so a local bus to Burgos/Logrono depending where we end up, believe a local bus links up along this road most towns, so if we end on 21st and get a bus to train station we should easily make a 3pmish flight home. I will keep reading other posts to gather information re boots v walking shoes, etc. Please advise if you think this plan will suit. The trains from Bayonne to StJPdeP seem to put us in at 7.35pm which means we ok to collect passport , get advice re weather and eat and sleep.
Talk soon
Una

[HuskyNerd]

Sounds like you have a workable plan, Unadara. The albergues' hospitaleros can help you with bus questions along the way. Buen camino ~
Sandy

[unadara]

Thanks
I am so excited I can hardly breath now as I go to book the flights, this forum is so interesting, is it you and Covey have the same ruck sacks ? I just bought a 35 litre in LIDL which is amazingly comfortable, I have to try it though with "full weight" before deciding it is good enough, because there are 2 of us we may be able to cut down gear a little, 1 camera, phone, chargers, toiletries! etc..
Will keep reading as the weeks are ticked off to see other stories.
Una