Where to leave a car, worry-free?

[Lydia Banales]

Just a suggestion, but have you considered driving to Bordeaux or
Bayonne and dropping off the car. Then pick up another rental car in
Santiago at the conclusion of your walk.  This enabled us to drive out
to Finisterra before heading back to San Sebastian where we dropped off
the car and completed our European travels by train. I would not want
the worry of leaving a car I was financially responsible for, nor should
you pay the rental on a car that you're not using. There are sometimes
"drop off" penalties when you pick up a car in one country and drop it
off in another. You could avoid them by taking the train to France, then
renting the car. Drop off in Bayonne. Easy train/bus ride to SJPP. Then
pick up a car in Santiago and leave in San Sebastian or Barcelona and
continue by train to your home. We have travelled by train and car
combination and find it very convenient. We also take overnight trains
whenever possible to save time. Buen Camino. Lydia, also from Pasadena.

Tom Priestly wrote:

>This information, from some research I have made,  will probably not be of
>use to most of the (North American) Camino list members, but if any are
>Europeans or - like me - are joining up with a European for the pilgrimage,
>it should be very useful. In my case, I shall be joining my friend in
>Klagenfurt (Austria); we aim to start walking in St.-Jean-Pied-de-Port
>("SJPP") next fall sometime.
>
>To get to SJPP without recourse to the great expense of airplanes, we can
>either go by train or bus, or drive a car. I have not looked into buses,
>but suppose they will be about as efficient as trains, at best. The
>shortest train journey  - with six transfers! - takes 27 hours and will
>cost about 100 euros ($US 107) each way for each person. The drive will
>also take along time - it is 1875 km (1165 miles) - but will cost less
>(with two or more in the car) ***depending on the "parking" factor.***
>
>Obviously, we have to leave the car in a safe garage or car park for a
>month. Walking the Camino should not be marred by worries about finding a
>de-hub-capped, de-stereo'ed or ransacked car, or worse: no car at all, when
>we return to our point of departure.
>
>Having scoured the list archive, I asked the members of the list for advice
>about this problem a year or so ago; the best, and very detailed, advice
>was from Judith Nollar (Pasadena CA); she suggested that I write to the
>hotels in SJPP and also the tourist office in that city. I also contacted
>some airports in the vicinity, hoping that one would have a guarded
>long-term car park.
>
>I faxed four SJPP hotels. Two replied: one was non-committal, the other
>("Les Pyrénées") asked for 10 euros a night ($US 323 for the month).
>Ridiculous.
>
>Airports:
>Pau airport charges 39 euros a month; it is unclear how well it is guarded.
>Biarritz-Anglet-Bayonne airport has three carparks: the least expensive
>costs 61 euros a month. It is not patrolled at night but has double exit
>gates.
>Pamplona airport  has free parking but the parking area is not "under
>vigilance" (what a beautful phrase).
>Of course one would have to factor in the cost of the train or bus ride
>from these airports to SJPP or wherever one wants to start walking.
>
>Finally, the SJPP "Office du tourisme". I wrote a regular letter and
>received an e-mailed response. In translation: there is a safeguarded
>garage; the cost is 30.49 euros per week. It is called 'Garage Arrayet' and
>its phone number is 05-59-37-00-57.
>
>My thanks to Judith and all the others who gave advice!
>
>Tom Priestly
>
>
>
>============================================
>Tom Priestly
>9215-69 Street
>Edmonton AB
>Canada T6B 1V8
>phone 780-469-2920
>fax 780-492-9106
>e-mail: tom.priestlyaualberta.ca
>============================================
>
>
>