Start · Camino Francés
Getting to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
CaminoFinder maps the Camino Francés from here to Santiago de Compostela. The Cathedral does not require every pilgrimage to begin in this town.
There is more than one way to arrive. The durable France-side chain is air or long-distance rail into the Basque coast, then the regional train from Bayonne. Coach services from Spain exist as operator listings, not as a CaminoFinder timetable.
Getting there
By train
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port has an SNCF station. It is the inland end of regional TER line 54, which the Nouvelle-Aquitaine network maps from Bayonne via Cambo-les-Bains.
Bayonne is the transfer hub: long-distance and TGV-type services meet regional TER trains there, including TER line 51 along Bordeaux–Dax–Bayonne–Hendaye. Check current journeys on SNCF Connect.
The station is in the town, about 0.8 km from the tourism office on place Charles de Gaulle. It is not at the Accueil des pèlerins or Porte Saint-Jacques. Expect a short walk or a local taxi; walking minutes are not listed here.
By air
The useful gateway airport is Biarritz-Pays Basque (BIQ) in Anglet. There is no direct airport train or airport bus to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.
The airport’s own bus page sends travellers toward Bayonne railway station on the Txik Txak urban network, then to Saint-Jean on the TER from that station. Check Txik Txak and SNCF Connect for the day you fly.
By coach
Coach services from Spain are sold by operators such as ALSA, which lists Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port among Camino destinations. Whether a journey is running on your date is an operator question, not a CaminoFinder fact.
Before you go
- Do not treat any one chain as the required route. France-side rail is SNCF; any Spain-side coach is a separate operator.
- Advance reservation is not stated here as a requirement. Check SNCF Connect or ALSA if you need a ticket.
Plan your journey
Official operator pages. CaminoFinder does not sell tickets or keep timetables.
- SNCF Connect — Check current rail journeys
- TER Nouvelle-Aquitaine — Regional rail network, including line 54
- TER SNCF — Current regional departures
- Biarritz-Pays Basque Airport — Airport information
- Biarritz Airport buses — Airport buses toward Bayonne station
- Txik Txak — Urban buses around the airport and Bayonne
- ALSA — Check whether a coach from Spain is running
- Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port tourism office — Municipal visitor information
On the Camino
Sources
- Commune de Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
- Commune — Accueil des pèlerins
- Office de tourisme Pays Basque / tourisme64
- Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine TER
- SNCF Connect
- Aéroport de Biarritz-Pays Basque
- ALSA — Way of St. James
Operator pages checked 20 September 2026. Confirm services on the day you travel.