Riding the St Jacques De Compostella pilgrimage route

[jonyjony]

Hi...i have just joined this cycling forum and in my" Hello" posting i wrote about this ride , however , this part of the forum would seem more appropriate .
I want to cycle the St Jacques de Compostella route from St Jean Pied de Port in Southern France to Santiago in Spain , some 800 Klms . I did this some years ago ,just before retired and would love to do it one more time .
I intend to go in late march or mid April 2016 ( just before or just after Easter )and was wondering if anyone would like to join me on this mostly enjoyable ride . I say mostly, because there are quite a few hills that i had to push my heavily laden bike up .

I will be leaving North Suffolk by car , driving through France , parking at St Jean P P ,cycling to Santiago ( about 12 -13 days ) catching the bus back to the car ,then driving home .
Costs...the fuel and ferry costs for the return journey would be about £280 , for which i would like a contribution. Accommodation in the hostels (refuge) on the "chemin " is anywhere between 8 and 15 euros per night ( inc evening meal ) and then the 65 euros for the overnight bus back to the car .
I only cycled about 40 - 70 klms per day due to the terrain so it is by no means a race ,and i am no spring chicken , but if anyone is interested , then lots of info about this wonderful ride is available on the web to help you decide . Regards.....John.

 

[snorri]

Save yourself the expense of taking the car over the ferry and pick up the route in Haarlem just south of Ijmuiden.

 

[steveindenmark]

Hi John,

What type of bike will you be using? Is it all rideable tarmac?

Do you have a link for the bus that takes bikes from Santiago?

 

[jonyjony]

Thanks snorri but i dont think my legs have got an extra 1500klms in them , and besides the weather in Northern France in March / April , the cost of accommodation and the cost of the return journey negate this idea for me . Maybe 15 years ago i would have considered this route ,but 15 years ago i did not have the time ..ah well " c'est la vie ".

 

[steveindenmark]

Save yourself the expense of taking the car over the ferry and pick up the route in Haarlem just south of Ijmuiden.

That is still over 1000km away from the start point. It takes some working out to see if it would be a saving. Plus John would have the convenience of the car.

 

[jonyjony]

Hi John,

What type of bike will you be using? Is it all rideable tarmac?

Do you have a link for the bus that takes bikes from Santiago?

Hi John,

What type of bike will you be using? Is it all rideable tarmac?

Do you have a link for the bus that takes bikes from Santiago?

Hello Steveindenmark , i have a cheap Nakamura Cliffhanger ( cost me 125 euros new ) which in France is classed as a V T C which i suppose is a cross between a Mountain Bike and a City bike . The "chemin " is a mix of tarmac roads /gravel tracks /a small section of "shale" / grass track . A pure road bike would not be suitable in my opinion . The bus company is called "ALSA " and they operate a service which will carry a couple of bikes to Biarritz and then it will be a 60 klm cycle back to St Jean PP .

 

[midliferider]

Hi Jonyjony
I am planning a tour in Europe in late April or early May.
Can you direct me to a website which provides information on route

 

[Ajax Bay]

@midliferider - Just google "St Jacques De Compostella pilgrimage cycle route" ffs

 

[midliferider]

@midliferider - Just google "St Jacques De Compostella pilgrimage cycle route" ffs

I did, I got loads of websites. Just asking for a recommendation to a particular site.

 

[jonyjony]

Hello Midliferider.......This website may help.....if you click on the highlighted days at the side of the page it gives you day by day info on hostels / cafe s /banks etc .
http://www.caminoadventures.com/camino-frances/

 

[midliferider]

Hello Midliferider.......This website may help.....if you click on the highlighted days at the side of the page it gives you day by day info on hostels / cafe s /banks etc .
http://www.caminoadventures.com/camino-frances/

Thanks.

 

[Polite]

@midliferider - Just google "St Jacques De Compostella pilgrimage cycle route" ffs

I thought the whole point of a forum on touring was to ask advice, exchange views etc. What is the purpose of replying like this? You clearly didn't know, either.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I would love to read the ride report of this, have a great time when you go.

 

[jonyjony]

Ohhhh.... Pat "5mph" if only........ .....i have had several mini adventures in my life but, do not have the way with all or discipline to keep records or remember to take photos .. , so i don't think a ride report is on the cards ...sorry . Now.....if my wife was coming with me we would have more photos than you could " shake a stick at " ( whatever that means ) ,but she thinks her bike is just for nipping down to the January sales .

 

[steveindenmark]

I wouldnt mind doing this ride but I wont stay in a dormitory. They should have rooms where the snorers sleep. Some of them are deafening and nobody but the snorers get to sleep.

Id rather take light camping gear and sleep outside.