San Sebastian, Spain to Pau, France
 

Hello.

I'll be in San Sebastian, Spain in November and am considering spending some time in and around Pau, France. I am already familiar with the region as I've done the reverse trip, though coming from Biarritz, France. I was wondering if it's possible to take a different route to get to Pau rather than going through Biarritz and Bayonne by train. Also, I need to figure out a route to get from Pau back to Madrid. Do I need to retrace my steps through Bayonne, Biarritz and St. Sebastian or can I do this in some other fashion. Train/bus/plane will do.

Thanks in advance.

Ross :-)

About the only thing I can imagine is a plane from Bilbao to ---? Perpignan? Montpellier? Toulouse? You don't want to go all the way to Paris, do you?

If you were willing to rent a car, it's easy to hook up with the main artery headed south once you are over the border. I drove all the way to the Mediterranean, then along the Costa Brava to drop the car off in Barcelona. You could fly from there to Madrid or stop sooner in Girona.

Have you checked into going from Pau to Perpignan by train or bus, and then catching a train to Girona for a flight to Madrid? Or to Barcelona and the train to Madrid? Perhaps there are flights from Perpignan, Montpellier or Toulouse?

I can't remember how far south the fast trains run in the area. A fast train from Toulouse to Paris and a flight to Madrid might actually save you time.

From SS to Pau you definitely need to go via Biarritz and Bayonne if you're using the train. Pau to Madrid should offer more options, but none of them look good.

My out-of-date Thomas Cook Rail Map shows a minor route across the Pyrennees from Pau to Zaragoza, but bahn.de doesn't recognize it - maybe SNCF might show something? It also looks like you should be able to go Pau-Toulouse-Barcelona-Madrid, but bahn.de insists you have to go via Narbonne, and it takes for ever.

Good luck!

I can't imagine going over the Pyrenees in November in any kind of conveyance -- or even walking!