Camino de Santiago queries, info ...

Hamilton777

No worries, will let you know how I got on.

If you want to submit an article on the Spanish Steps website about the Camino I will be happy to post it for you.

Just go here to submit it.

Cheers

Potatofarl

Anyone have a guidebook on the french route they don't want anymore or are willing to loan?? I'm an honest soul who would return it

freedom13

I too was thinking of doing some part of this walk this year, as I couldn't really take too much time off, I was thinking of doing the Ponferrada / Sarria / Santiago part of the trek. I was hoping to do it in 10/11 days . Was wondering if that would be achievable ? Nice thread by the way :-]

Clareboy

As regards walking from Ponferrada to Santiago in 10 or 11 days, it is possible, but you would have to walk at least 25 to 30 kms per day. Now I am 60, so I would be a slow walker, but if you are young and fit, it should be no problem for you. Personally, I would advise pilgrims not to be in too much of a hurry to reach Santiago - there is always next year! Buen Camino!

freedom13

I've been checking out some sites and the Sarria to Santiago trek looks the best suited for me, its 135km so should be very achievable and still give me time to enjoy the experience and sites. Might fly in to Santiago and get a bus to Sarria and trek back .It will give me a taste of the trek and hopefully in the future i can do the full trek. Thanks.

grainnemhaoil

Have wanted to do the Camino for years and am finally going. Leaving Easter Saturday and start walking from St. Jean on Easter Sunday. Have a month off work . Hope I make it to Santiago. Have the boots but am off to Galway now to buy a 40L rucksack and a sleeping bag and some socks.

freedom13

Ah to have a month off work :-] :rolleyes:
Well I've booked a flight from Dublin to Santiago on May 31st, from there I'm getting a bus to Lugo and then on to Sarria, the flight back is not until the June 12th [ only one available within decent time limit ], so I should have plenty of time to take it all in. Just watched the movie The Way last night, gave me a glimpse of what the camino is like, great movie.

Clareboy

grainnemhaoil wrote: »

Have wanted to do the Camino for years and am finally going. Leaving Easter Saturday and start walking from St. Jean on Easter Sunday. Have a month off work . Hope I make it to Santiago. Have the boots but am off to Galway now to buy a 40L rucksack and a sleeping bag and some socks.

May I wish you the very best of luck on your Camino. April and May is a good time to do it. Hoping that the your Camino pilgrimage will be the extraordinary experience that is was for me. Looking forward to reading about your Camino on the forum. Buen Camino!

Clareboy

freedom13 wrote: »

Ah to have a month off work :-] :rolleyes:
Well I've booked a flight from Dublin to Santiago on May 31st, from there I'm getting a bus to Lugo and then on to Sarria, the flight back is not until the June 12th [ only one available within decent time limit ], so I should have plenty of time to take it all in. Just watched the movie The Way last night, gave me a glimpse of what the camino is like, great movie.

Where did you see the movie The Way? I understood that it was to be released Ireland in May.

freedom13

Shhhh I watched it online last night , here is the link http://www.letmewatchthis.ch/watch-2338679-The-Way the veehd version is probably the best, just let it buffer for a while. That is in 2 parts , so make sure to start the 2 parts off at once and let both buffer for a little time.

Morzadec

Hi I was just wondering if anyone has done this and if they would recommend it?

I'm thinking about doing it for roughly 1 week, so from what I've found out that would mean starting in Saria.

I'm not in the slightest bit religious, so would be doing it for the general experience and to see the area and meet new people. Are there a lot of religous nuts that go on it? Also, I'm quite young so are there many other young people that do it? Is it very easy to meet people if you are on your own?

Just an idea that's bouncing around in my head at the moment, as I've got a week's holiday 1st week of June and I want to get away for it, but will be travelling alone. Any other recommendations around Spain are welcome!

Cheers in advance!

Teyla Emmagan

I'm going next month!! Doing a stretch around Pamplona. I'm only walking for 4 days or so, but haven't been before and am really looking forward to it.

I know a few people who have done it and it's certainly not for religious nuts. You get all ages and nationalities doing it and the atmosphere is supposed to be very good. The hostels are supposed to be basic enough, but if you're 'very young' you should be able to cope with that

There was a thread about a fortnight ago, maybe have a look for it.

Morzadec

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

I'm going next month!! Doing a stretch around Pamplona. I'm only walking for 4 days or so, but haven't been before and am really looking forward to it.

I know a few people who have done it and it's certainly not for religious nuts. You get all ages and nationalities doing it and the atmosphere is supposed to be very good. The hostels are supposed to be basic enough, but if you're 'very young' you should be able to cope with that

There was a thread about a fortnight ago, maybe have a look for it.

Great thanks for the info, I'll have a look for that. Didn't even consider doing a different stretch of it, any particular reason you've chosen that stretch?

Teyla Emmagan

I didn't choose it at all, I'm just doing what I'm told. The person doing all the research has decided that we'll 'get fit' walking on the plains of Pamplona for a few days and then head back to tackle the Pyrenees (!).

Who am I to argue...

Does suit me though as I can go in and out of Bilboa with Aer Lingus (booked today €177) and see the Guggenheim on the way home.

Oh yeah, a lot of people just do random stretches of it apparently - you don't have to finishing by walking into Santiago itself or anything.

Clareboy

Morzadec wrote: »

Hi I was just wondering if anyone has done this and if they would recommend it?

I'm thinking about doing it for roughly 1 week, so from what I've found out that would mean starting in Saria.

I'm not in the slightest bit religious, so would be doing it for the general experience and to see the area and meet new people. Are there a lot of religous nuts that go on it? Also, I'm quite young so are there many other young people that do it? Is it very easy to meet people if you are on your own?

Just an idea that's bouncing around in my head at the moment, as I've got a week's holiday 1st week of June and I want to get away for it, but will be travelling alone. Any other recommendations around Spain are welcome!

Cheers in advance!

I have walked the Camino de Santiago and you can read about my experiences on the Travel Review part of this forum. I never met any ' religious nuts'.

freedom13

Hi
From what I've read about the Camino, it sounds like an experience of an lifetime . I'm not very religious myself, but I'm also doing it, arriving in Sarria 31st May and walking for a week or so. Hope you have a good Camino

summerplans

I am deliberating over whether to do the Camino Pilgrimage. I was thinking of doing it for the month of July on my own. Any thoughts?

Clareboy

summerplans wrote: »

I am deliberating over whether to do the Camino Pilgrimage. I was thinking of doing it for the month of July on my own. Any thoughts?

Speaking as a former pilgrim, I would not recommend doing the Camino in July because of the heat and the crowds. The best months to walk the Camino are April, May or October. My Camino threads can be found in the Travel Review section of this forum.

fifilarue

Myself and a friend are planning to head over to do a section of the Camino in September. We have 7 days/6 nights and would like to include the section from Santiago to Finisterre. I was just wondering if anyone had any experience of this?

brian duffy

Looking into flying over to france in a week or two to walk (part of) the Camino de Santiago.

Is Biaritz a good place to start? Is there a better place? I'd do a week maybe 8 or 9 days of walkin but not sure Im dedicated enough to pound it out for 800km.

If anyone has done it then I'd love to hear about your experience

Meathlass

This is a trip that I'm hoping to do in the future and am currently reading Buen Camino by Peter and Natasha Hogan. It goes through the Camino day by day, each stop off. Well worth the read. Might give you some realistic idea of distances you can cover each day and hostel facilities etc.

kevrr

brian duffy wrote: »

Looking into flying over to france in a week or two to walk (part of) the Camino de Santiago.

Is Biaritz a good place to start? Is there a better place? I'd do a week maybe 8 or 9 days of walkin but not sure Im dedicated enough to pound it out for 800km.

If anyone has done it then I'd love to hear about your experience

Hi Brian. I did it a few years ago. Couldn't recommend it enough, a great experience. You can fly pretty cheap into Biarritz and from there catch a quick train to a small town in the Pyrenees called St.Jean Pied de Port, and start wallking from there.

St. Jean is a good place to begin, you can get your pilgrims passport there (allows you to stay in really many excellent pilgrims hostels/refuges along the route) and also it's on the French side of the Pyrenees so you get to cross them on your way into Spain which is pretty nice, and a lot of the small vilages and towns in the Basque Country that you'd pass through are really cool.

It takes most people the guts of 30-40 days to get to Santiago from St. Jean, unless you're cycling or something like that. So in 8-9 days you'd still get to see a lot, but if you can the time off to walk the whole lot in one go I'd highly reccomend to do that.

Civilian_Target

My sister and several friends did it.
IIRC, she started in San Sebastian, but traditionally there is a starting point in each country... in Ireland, the starting point is Saint James' Gate

Get yourself a comfy set of shoes, suncream, a good hat, and blister pads

brian duffy

Thanks for the tips everyone. After posting the question i did more googling and found out about St. Jean but cudnt find out how long it would take. 30-40 days?? I've got the time - but I was hoping to fit some partying in this summer too. Sure I'll head for St Jean and see how it goes. Should I bring a tent/sleeping bag I wonder?

blorg

No need for a tent, there is an abundance of refuges and other accomodation (and virtually no campsites, incidentally, they are all on the northern coast.) I wouldn't bother with the sleeping bag either, shouldn't be necessary, although a light silk liner might be handy (it won't be cold.) But again shouldn't be needed, anywhere we were had bedding.

brian duffy

thanks to everyone for the responses. One last question and I'll stop pestering everyone....

I was planning on just wearing some runners. Will runners be alright or should I invest in proper mountain walking boots?

springhill6

brian duffy wrote: »

thanks to everyone for the responses. One last question and I'll stop pestering everyone....

I was planning on just wearing some runners. Will runners be alright or should I invest in proper mountain walking boots?

I walked last 110km in 2005 from Sarria to Santiago and used Ecco road shoes, and found very comfortable. Here's an interesting discussion on the subject

http://www.caminodesantiago.me/board/equipment-questions/topic7621.html

also this forum has lots of questions and answers. Good luck.

http://www.caminodesantiago.me/board/el-camino-frances/

blorg

I didn't walk the Camino (I cycled it) but I am just done walking the Annapurna circuit in the Himalayas in cheap trail runners, and found them fine. The Camino would be less difficult I think.

kevrr

brian duffy wrote: »

Thanks for the tips everyone. After posting the question i did more googling and found out about St. Jean but cudnt find out how long it would take. 30-40 days?? I've got the time - but I was hoping to fit some partying in this summer too. Sure I'll head for St Jean and see how it goes. Should I bring a tent/sleeping bag I wonder?

Depending on how you want to go, the tent/sleeping bag could come in useful. I met some people while walking it who mixed things up and stayed in refuges/accomodation half the time and camped out the other half in fields along the way, either in tents or just unrolling a mat/sleep bag and sleeping out under the stars.

With the shoes, you'd probably be fine in any kind of trail runners/hiking boots, unless it rains bad the terrain is never too difficult...a lot of it is very flat and blisters are the real nuisance for most people so if you can get shoes that are comfortable and that you've worn/broken in a bit before starting the trek it helps.

Other useful stuff is some really good walking socks and some first aid materials for patching up said blisters. And in general you'd probably want to keep your pack as light as possible.

Horse4horse

Hey,

Really good thread. I was just wondering is language a big barrier? I've read a few different sites that say no one really speaks english on the trail. Would you want to have alot of Spainish/ French?