Someone to walk with

[thomr]

Hi,
I'm doing the Camino Frances starting at St Jean in late Feb - mid march (I have some flexibility on just when I start) and was hoping to be able to find someone to at least start off with. Is anyone going to be there at around the same time?

[Leslie]

If you don't find anyone to start with here I think you will meet other pilgrims on your first day anyway. I did without any problem.

All the best.

[nicola]

You don't need to find anyone to start with as you'll meet so many people - you'll have a ball!

[thomr]

Thanks for the encouragement! I'm not really worried myself, it's my Mum and Aunt who are the ones who are worried! I thought that if I knew someone before hand then they would be happier about me going.

[Covey]

I presume that you will be going out the Ryanair route from Stansted to Bairritz and then the airport bus to Bayonne Railway Station, and then the train to St Jean.

The station is at the bottom of town and the Pilgrim Office is at the top of the main street. Usually there are quite a number of Pilgrims (especially Saturdays)on the train and at the Pilgrim Office they give you the brief chat and paperwork (Pilgrim Passport) by nationalities so they don't have to keep repeating themselves. At this point you will meet any other Brits and the normal routine is to find a bed for the night and then set off first thing in the morning.

Nobody on the Camino worries about nationality (except the French!) age or gender. Everybody mucks in and helps each other if they need help and are generally looking for mutual support from each other on the way up the hills to Roncesvalles. By the time you get to Roncesvalles you are all old friends who survived the hardest day on the Camino Frances. You also feel battle hardened and ready to tell of your experiences "coming over the top" to the new pilgrims who join the Camino at Roncesvalles and who will secretly come to wish they too had started at St Jean.

Have fun, take each day as it comes and enjoy a beer or two (ish) at the end of the day.

[murphydog201]

If I'm arriving at the bus station in Pamplona (from Madrid), is it usually easy to find pilgrims to share a cab with to St. Jean?

By the way, to the guy who started this thread, I'll be arriving in Pamplona probably on February 23.

[Jaola]

Thanks for the encouragement! I'm not really worried myself, it's my Mum and Aunt who are the ones who are worried! I thought that if I knew someone before hand then they would be happier about me going.

I understand that, my mum is exactly the same!