Bilbao to Pamplona

[Frank Metcalf and Mary Doherty]

Jack,

Taking a bus to Pamplona from Bilbao is easy.  We took a bus from the main
bus station that left around 10 or 10:30 AM, and arrived in Pamplona ca.
two hours later: a short, frequent trip. There are several trips every day,
I believe. Look in the Rough Guide for Spain under the Travel Details
heading for the appropriate region (that's what we did). Or just show up at
the station early and ask.

 From Lonely Planet Walking in Spain: ALSA, www.alsa.es, two hours, five
daily, 10.15 Euros.

We had lots of time to mail stuff to ourselves in Burgos, and walk around
Pamplona, before catching the bus to Roncesvalles in late afternoon. I'm
sure the time for that departure is in the archives here. Or you could also
take the cab that's recommended in the archives all the way to SJPP, let
alone Roncesvalles. It's all much simpler "on the ground" than it appears
to be from afar.

Bilbao seems to be under-recommended in this newsgroup for an interesting
"gateway" city quite close to Pamplona. We loved the city, and will be back
there before June 23 to visit friends from our 2002 camino, stay in the
atmospheric Casco Viejo (ancient quarter), and see the Guggenheim again. On
the 23rd we'll fly to Dublin in order to visit Mary's relatives in several
western counties.

We took several photocopied (both sides) pages of town maps and information
from the Rough Guide and Lonely Planet of Spanish cities we knew we'd be
visiting, both on and off the camino. This was very useful, and we'll do it
again for the Le Puy route coming up soon.

Frank


Date:    Thu, 22 Apr 2004 20:36:10 -0700
From:    Jack Christensen <jchristeaSONIC.NET>
Subject: Bilboa to St Jean

I want to go from Bilbao to StJean.  Checking the archives it appears that
there is hourly bus service from Pamplona to Roncevalles.  At Roncevalles
one can take a taxi to St. Jean.  There is an ancient message talking about
a bus from Bilbao to Pamplona.  Does anyone know about it's schedule??  Is
there a better way to get from Bilbao to St. Jean.  I'll be traveling on 4
May.  I'd like to leave Bilbao in the afternoon and make it to St Jean that
evening.  Is this possible?
Thanks,
Jack