Australian walking in May

[beccablue2803]

HI All,

I just booked my flight/train to the beginning of the Camino Frances to walk for the month of May. I am an Australian coming from Scotland.

I am travelling alone and was wondering whether there are any walking groups you can join that dont cost money for a bit of support along the way.

Bec

[Jenny Demmer]

I will also be walking with a grouo of friends from South Africa during the month fo May. We are starting from Rabanal on 2 May

[Covey]

You are never really alone on the Camino, unless you want to be.

Pilgrims tend to gravitate to like minded souls who speak the same language, walk at the same pace and look as though they might have a sense of humour!!

If you start from St Jean, you will meet fellow pilgrims on the bus from Bairritz airport, at Bayonne station, on the train, in the albergue, so by the time you set off at dawn the next morning you will be on speaking terms with at least a dozen like minded souls who are all going to the same destination as you.

Enjoy

[beccablue2803]

Thankyou your responses! Jenny whereis Rabanal? I think Ill be starting on May 1st from St John. I arrive on Apr 29 and will leave when I get my passport. Are you coming from South Africa as well?

Covery Thanyou! I am excited about starting by myself and meeting new people. I am flying into Paris and getting the train to Bayonne and then to St John. Do I need the book the train in advance? How long will it take me to get a passport once im in St John?

I appreciate the help.

[Covey]

I presume you are getting the TGV which is the very high speed train. I once looked at going to St Jean from London via the Channel Tunnel/Eurostar to Paris and then the TGV overnight from Paris to Bayonne.

Expensive was not the word!! I did not want to buy the train, merely borrow a seat. The train fare from London to Bayonne was nearly €350 ONE WAY!! I then looked at the varying individual components and Paris to Bayonne was €70 one way by TGV booked on its own, so they were charging €280 just to get from London to Paris by train, against flying London to Bairritz by Ryanair for €50 one way

TGV have a website in English so you could book your ticket in advance. If I were you, I would fly to Paris to arrive sometime AM and then spend some time wandering around the sights of Paris, and catch the overnight TGV to Bayonne. Arriving in Bayonne at the crack of dawn will allow you to get to St Jean by lunchtime, sort out your Pilgrim Passport at the Pilgrim Office (opens at 10am and takes 30/45 minutes) grab a bed and get your bearings and do your final repack of the kit and go off and buy the food you need for the following day.

So many pilgrims fly to Bairritz arrive mid morning/lunchtime and by the time they catch the 5pm train to St Jean and get to the long queue at the Pilgrim Office, find the albergue or a bed , find somewhere to eat, it is 10pm and they are still running around trying to sort themselves out.

You on the other hand could be having a quiet beer watching the sun go down, knowing you are good to go.

[Covey]

Jenny.

You say you are starting from Rabanal. This seems a somewhat odd place to start from in that it is in the middle of nowhere in terms of transport links. Rabanal is a small village just before you get to the Iron Cross Hill.

The nearest town before Rabanal is Astorga and the nearest City to Astorga is Leon. After Rabanal and the Iron Cross Hill the nearest town with transport links is Molinaseca, and then on to Ponferrada. Ponferrada is on the main East-West highway linking Santiago to Leon and Burgos

You could get to Rabanal by taking the bus from Leon to Astorga and getting a taxi out to Rabanal (i don't remember seeing a bus service in four trips through Rabanal).

Where are you arriving in Spain and how are you planning on getting to Rabanal?

[Covey]

Rabanal has an albergue run by the UK Confraternity of St James which is about half way up the street in the middle of the village on the left hand side.

There is quite a nice shop within 25m of the above albergue and a new restaurant at the top of the street on the left just before you exit the village. Sells the cheapest Gin & Tonic (?4 )on the Camino Frances (well it did in Aug09 but this year, who knows) Their food was dire but the Gin OK. One bar in Logrono last year was charging ?11 but you did get a peanut!!.

I usually stay in the Albergue El Tesin which is attached to the first bar you walk past at the entrance to the village. Comfortable, nice sitting room with fire in autumn, food is OK in the bar, and surprisingly, they will serve a decent jug of Sangria for peasants like me!!

Everybody on the Camino walks past the bar door, so it is a good spot for an afternoons mooching in the sun with a jug of Sangria!!

[aussie al]

Hi

Plan to be in St Jean ready to start walking on 18 May