This was my big question! I literally had no idea where to start. There are several routes, commencing in various places in Europe, as well as other locations around Spain. The Camino Frances is perhaps the most traditional route, starting at St. Jean Pied de Port in France, unless you want to avoid the tough first day, skip the 1450m hike over the Pyrenees, and start in Roncesvalles in Spain instead.

I decided to begin in St.Jean so then I had to find out where this was…In the south west corner of France…and from there the closest airport. I was flying in from London and booked a flight with Ryanair to Biarritz. It was like putting a jigsaw puzzle together and that’s one thing I love about planning an itinerary.

I searched a few forums on the Camino, posted a question and then had a vague sense it was a train and a bus from Biarritz to St. Jean. As soon I’d collected my luggage on arrival in France I noticed my first pilgrims at the airport and a crowd of us soon gathered by the bus stop outside. The bus took us to Bayonne (one kindly French man pointed out we had to hop off and change buses at one point in town, some buses might be direct).

Once I’d arrived in Bayonne, I dug deep for my best school girl french to buy a rail ticket to St.Jean Pied du Port and half expected a bus or taxi to then be waiting on arrival at the train station. I soon realised I had chosen a pilgrimage which had now begun and I needed to walk to the Pilgrim’s Office to officially register. It’s only five minutes away.

I met several pilgrims who literally closed their front door and started walking. I thought that was pretty cool. I live in Australia though so it gave me slightly different options.

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