Transport Options to St Jean Pied de Port for the Camino de Santiago

If you plan on doing the whole Camino de Santiago—a bit of a myth as there is no such thing as doing “the whole” Camino—there are two main starting points: Roncesvalles, the first town in Spain, or St Jean Pied de Port, the last town in France. Starting from St Jean Pied de Port extends your pilgrimage by a day. Many prefer to start in St Jean rather than in Roncesvalles, especially if they plan on doing the Camino de Finisterre after reaching Santiago. This choice enables pilgrims to claim they’ve crossed the entire width of Spain from the French border to the Atlantic coast.

Moreover, starting in St Jean offers better connections to several destinations in France. Conversely, beginning your journey in Spain may present additional challenges.

Direct Connections by Public Transport

• From Bayonne: There is a direct train from Bayonne to St Jean Pied de Port.

Public Transport Routes that Require a Change

• From Biarritz: You can take a bus from Biarritz to Bayonne (either from the city center or straight from the airport) and then take the train from Bayonne to St Jean Pied de Port.
• From Hendaye or Irun: Take a train from Hendaye to Bayonne and then another train from Bayonne to St Jean Pied de Port. From Irun, you can walk across the border to Hendaye.
• From San Sebastián: Take a Euskotren (local train service) to Hendaye (just on the other side of the French border), then take a train to Bayonne and another train to St Jean Pied de Port. Although this may sound complicated, each segment of the journey is short.
• From Bilbao: Take a bus from Bilbao to San Sebastián and then follow the above directions to reach St Jean Pied de Port. Alternatively, you can go to Pamplona and proceed from there.
• From Zaragoza: Travel to San Sebastián and follow the directions from those cities.
• From Barcelona: Go to San Sebastián and then follow the directions provided above.
• From Madrid: Travel to San Sebastián and follow the subsequent directions.

Difficult Connections Requiring a Car or Taxi

Since both Roncesvalles and Pamplona are on the Camino de Santiago, starting from here is generally not recommended as it would require backtracking along the route.

• From Roncesvalles: You need to take a taxi from Roncesvalles to St Jean Pied de Port. Some travelers choose to hitchhike this segment.
• From Pamplona: Consider taking a bus from Pamplona to Roncesvalles and then a taxi to St Jean Pied de Port. To avoid the taxi option, you could take the longer route to San Sebastián and follow the directions from there.