Walking Forum
Regions - Trip reports, destination advice, recommended routes, etc. => International => Topic started by: gunwharfman on 10:30:39, 11/01/21
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For those who may be thinking of hiking in France this year, you may find this suggestion useful?
Type 'www.gr-infos.com' into your browser, then 'enter.'
A large map (non-interactive) showing all of the French GR routes will be displayed in front of you.
Scroll to the bottom of this map and left-click on the words 'GR INFOS Google Maps interactive maps,' it will take up to 15 seconds to load.
You will now see the same map but this one is Interactive.
You now have two choices, to use the satellite view map that's already displayed, or to move your mouse pointer onto the square small map at the bottom left-hand corner of your screen, Left click on it and the satellite map instantly changes into a normal Google map. It's just a matter of choice. Hover your mouse pointer (it may take a little practice at first?) over any GR routes, it works on both maps, until the 'little hand' on your screen suddenly changes to a 'little hand with an index finger pointing upwards' and then left-click. The route will now be highlighted on your screen. Brilliant!
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That's really good, thanks for posting. O0
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Nice one GWM O0
this could be really useful thanks.
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Thanks GWM.
Very interested in the route from Le Puy to St. Jean Pied De Port.
Hopefully may get to wander along that one say, probably next year.
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I've hiked along the GR65 route from Le Puy (fantastic little medieval town) to Figeac, about 9 days away. I then turned off on the GR 4 to Rocamadour and then on to Sarla ect. Took me three weeks. The GR65 that I walked on is either flat(ish) or the path goes across the top of downland, its an excellent route and very historical and as I found out a great route to meet people from all over the world. Almost as good for this as the Tour de Mont Blanc.
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Thanks GWM.
Very interested in the route from Le Puy to St. Jean Pied De Port.
Hopefully may get to wander along that one say, probably next year.
The following website shows a good overview of the day to day distance/terrain albeit it is a travel holiday website.
https://www.worldwalks.com/holidays/france/pilgrim-routes/le-puy-to-st-jean-pied-de-port/
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The following website shows a good overview of the day to day distance/terrain albeit it is a travel holiday website.
https://www.worldwalks.com/holidays/france/pilgrim-routes/le-puy-to-st-jean-pied-de-port/ (https://www.worldwalks.com/holidays/france/pilgrim-routes/le-puy-to-st-jean-pied-de-port/)
Useful info, thanks Harland.
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Look at the cost! Wow! And the customer still has to walk!
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I camped at Le Puy and my next camp was at a municipal site was at St-Privat-d'Allier, the lady in charge was wonderful, bar and restaurant within about 200 yards.
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After that, I can't really remember except for a hotel called the Ferme des Gentianes a stand-alone building seemingly in the middle of nowhere (a tiny hamlet called Finieyrols was a bit further on) but the Manager let me camp in their garden for nothing (I did have a full meal there later) and the best bit was a waiter bought me a coffee and a croissant on a tray to me in my tent early the next morning. Now that was good service!
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Look at the cost! Wow! And the customer still has to walk!
I think what Harland was getting at was, an idea of the stages, rather than the use of the commercial company. .
When I saw the cost, I think I felt my pacemaker kick into action. I am of a mind to do this trip in 2022, but in keeping with me being a tight wad. Plenty of good camp sites and hostels on that route.
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I think the Camino offers three main options 1) the whole route from Le Puy to Santiago de Compostela, 2) from Le Puy to St John Pied de Port, or 3) from St Jean Pied du Port to Santiago to Santiago de Compostela.
I didn't find Le Puy to be that easy to get to. When I hiked the GR70 from Le Puy I first went to Lyon, (by coach, dreadful) then caught a train (a double-decker, via St. Etienne) to Le Puy. When I hiked the GR65 from Le Puy I first went to Clermont Ferrand, (by train from Dieppe via Paris) then caught a train (two carriages only) to Le Puy. Both of my journeys were rather time-consuming although both routes were very scenic and all of the French trains were really good.
For those who might be thinking of option 3, I suggest two options. To fly into Biarritz then catch a bus to St Jean Pied du Port and then hike on into Spain, (excellent Refuge about 10 miles out on the way to Roncevalles) or for a more demanding and interesting experience, fly into Biarritz (or Bordeaux) catch a train to Hendaye and then hike for 5 days on the GR10 route to St Jean Pied du Port. A really good 'warm-up' experience (and you also see and walk across the tracks of a cog railway) for walking across Spain.
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When I walked the Camino Frances in 2019 instead of getting a bus from Biarritz Airport to Biarritz and then getting a train/bus to St Jean I contacted EXPRESS BOURRICOT. Their charge was 84 euros but they will get others wanting to travel and "lump them together" and then split the cost between them. There were 5 in the minibus when I went so 17 euros each, a cost that I was willing to pay to get there quickly. I knew some 3 months beforehand that there were at least 3 others otherwise I may have chosen the longer but less expensive public transport route.
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Harland, I also got Bourricot for less than 20E. If I do the Camino Frances again (March 2022?) then I'll walk from the airport to Bayonne then walk the 3 days from there to St Jean Pied De Port on the Voies de la Nive route.
GWM thanks for the travel tips to Le Puy, so many people have told me that the walk from there to St Jean is not too hard but isn't crowded like so many of these types of walk can get. Mainly, that the countryside is just beautiful.
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I've just looked up the 'Voies de la Nive' route but have not found an online map showing it all the way to St Jean. I've found a 12km cycle route alongside a river, is this the route? If it is do you then have to make up your own route to St Jean?
I've also noticed that the GR8 passes by Bayonne to the east and goes on to Cambio Les Bains, I could see myself doing that route and from around there I would find a route to walk to Biddaray on the GR10 and then on to St. Jean, or at Bidderay stay on the GR10 back to Hendaye?
If I'm not careful I can get obsessed with all of the options that are available.
I also walked another route to the Camino. I walked over a bridge at Hendaye into Irun, Spain and then followed the GR11 along the Spanish side of the Pyrenees, to Roncevalles. Once there I hit crowds of tourists (who seemed to go straight into the coffee and cake establishments) and lots hikers going west, luckily for me, I was going east. As I walked east in France dozens upon dozens of hikers came towards me walking the other way. I've never seen so many hikers on one route before!
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Hi GWMNot a lot on the WWW except for many bits of info that it actually exists.
Here is one such, https://www.google.com/url?q=http://verscompostelle.be/guides%2520gratuits/Bayonne-Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port%2520FR2016.pdf&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwif8t-X3pbuAhUvREEAHS7oBgYQFjABegQIChAB&usg=AOvVaw0cfW_lktfkfOVRGyiM_AbQ (https://www.google.com/url?q=http://verscompostelle.be/guides%2520gratuits/Bayonne-Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port%2520FR2016.pdf&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwif8t-X3pbuAhUvREEAHS7oBgYQFjABegQIChAB&usg=AOvVaw0cfW_lktfkfOVRGyiM_AbQ)
There is also quite a few mentions on Camino de Santiago forum, including a Gpx for the route in the resources.
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Thanks for that, I missed that site, I can work from that and identify the route on my map of the area.