Expenses (in euros):
Train ticket from Bayonne to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port: About 10.00
Coffee in Bayonne: 1.60
Lunch in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port 12.50
Hostel: 8.00
Groceries: 4.00
We arrived at the starting point of our 500 mile hike on the Camino, Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port this morning on the overnight train from Paris. The cost of my train ticket was 67 euros for the ride from Paris to Bayonne which took almost 10 hours - a lengthy train ride for a country the size of France but I was just glad to sleep through all of them! Of course sleeping on a train isn't for everyone, but if you're looking for a deal and are able to doze off under less than ideal circumstances it's a good way to save on a night's accommodation. The last leg of the journey, from Bayonne to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port cost an addition 10 euros.
We pulled into town just in time to hop into the tourist office to pick up our "credentials" before the doors were shut for midday break at 1pm (it opens again at 2pm) . We'll need the "credentials" passport - which will be stamped by hostels and tourist offices along the way - to prove we've hiked the Camino in order to get our certificates of completion at the end of the hike. We also reserved a spot in the municipal 'refuge' for 8 euros including breakfast. It's not fancy, but it is clean, serves a free breakfast and has a quiet yard with a lovely view of the Basque landscape.
After we'd checked into the hostel we were left with a bit of time to pick up some supplies from a nearby grocery store*, grab a plat du jour at one of the cafes that line the rue de la Citadelle and take a little stroll around town (see pics below). Then it was off to bed at the early hour of 9pm to get a good night's sleep before hitting the trail at 7am! Here we go!
*Note - Not exactly sure what the story is, but we can't find any info on grocery stores around Roncenvalles. So I'd recommend buying two days worth of food in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.
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| The municipal refuge in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in the foreground plus a view of the gorgeous Basque landscape |
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| Trail markers |
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