Camino de Santiago queries, info ...

blackpool123

Well you can get a company to organise it, caminoways.com or even go into your own travel agent and ask them to sort it.
I'm going in august, have just booked flights to santiago, then going to bus it to Sarria and walk into Santiago where i'l fly home.
Going to book hotel accom for first night in Sarria and last night(s) in Santiago, and then just hostels as we walk.

Have you decided/planned anything yet??

chewed

blackpool123 wrote: »

Well you can get a company to organise it, caminoways.com or even go into your own travel agent and ask them to sort it.
I'm going in august, have just booked flights to santiago, then going to bus it to Sarria and walk into Santiago where i'l fly home.
Going to book hotel accom for first night in Sarria and last night(s) in Santiago, and then just hostels as we walk.

Have you decided/planned anything yet??

I was actually looking at that option you have mentioned with Caminoways! It seems like a good route if you want to get a taste for the walk. I would love to go, but the other half may be changing jobs soon so not sure if we can get the time off over the next few months. If we do go it will be Sept or Oct.

Please let me know how you get on.

irishtris

hi me and my friend looking to do this in Sept, we only able to do a few dates so we were thinking about the french way going from Saint Jean Pied de Port and finishing in Pamplona, just wondering of best and cheapest options from ireland.

pjproby

Fly with Ryanair to Biarritz and come back with Ryanair from Santander/ or from Bilbao with Aer Lingus?

irishtris

is it far from pamplona to santander/bibao i know flying into biarritz we can get the train to saint jean de port

athtrasna

If you were willing to take two flights (connecting in Madrid) Iberia Express fly from Pamplona.

irishtris

alot of ppl on trip advisor saying fly into madrid and go from there trying to see how to get from madrid to st jean de port but loads of conflicting answers

kerry4sam

irishtris wrote: »

hi me and my friend looking to do this in Sept, we only able to do a few dates so we were thinking about the french way going from Saint Jean Pied de Port and finishing in Pamplona, just wondering of best and cheapest options from ireland.

We have 57 threads in our Independent & Youth forum. Have a gander in there. Be very surprised if you don't find what you're looking for

Safe Travels,
kerry4sam

kerry4sam

Just compiled this Mega-Merge Mega-Thread of El Camino de Santiago.

Look also in our Travel Reports&Reviews separately for the feedback in there

Buen Camino,
kerry4sam

Bananaleaf

I'm going to do this June 8-14. Sarria to Santiago, the last, busiest, 100km.

Will I need to prebook accommodation for this along the way. I'm being told no by friends. I don't mind staying in refugios with others but will not want to sleep on the floor.

Bananaleaf

Hi all

Will be doing part of the Camino de Santiago this June 8-15.

Just last 100km - Sarria to Santiagod de Compostela.

Will be booking accommodation for first and last night, but apart from that, wondering is it necessaryt to book accommodation along the way.

Colleagues who have done it said no. I don't mind a refugio - hostel type situation sharing with others, but I don't want to end up on the floor.

Should I book?

Also - anyone know how much passport and cert are? Is passport used if you're only doing the last100km

Posted in the mega thread but got no answer.

Thanks
B

kerry4sam

Firstly, no need to start new threads on same topic(s). You only posted yesterday so no need to get anxy just yet. Just give it time for a reply
I've merged your post(s).

re: Passport, if you want to purchase in advance of travelling you can buy from here with the monies going to/staying with the Irish Society of St.James. Alternatively, you can get your hands on one when you arrive before setting off in Sarria.

re: Accommodation: You done the right thing by booking first and last-night. I pre-booked all my accommodation when I cycled just over 300km last month. I did meet others though who didn't book anything in between and did find the odd day where they couldn't locate a bed when they wanted it, so had to travel further before setting down for the night.
What I'd suggest though is have a print-out handy on various options with contacts so you can phone them en route when you know, on the day, which area you want/need to settle for the night. Plenty of accommodation from Sarria into Santiago. Plenty.

I wrote up my Journey here but if you've any further queries, don't hesitate.

Thanks,
kerry4sam

Bananaleaf

kerry4sam wrote: »

Firstly, no need to start new threads on same topic(s). You only posted yesterday so no need to get anxy just yet. Just give it time for a reply
I've merged your post(s).

re: Passport, if you want to purchase in advance of travelling you can buy from here with the monies going to/staying with the Irish Society of St.James. Alternatively, you can get your hands on one when you arrive before setting off in Sarria.

re: Accommodation: You done the right thing by booking first and last-night. I pre-booked all my accommodation when I cycled just over 300km last month. I did meet others though who didn't book anything in between and did find the odd day where they couldn't locate a bed when they wanted it, so had to travel further before setting down for the night.
What I'd suggest though is have a print-out handy on various options with contacts so you can phone them en route when you know, on the day, which area you want/need to settle for the night. Plenty of accommodation from Sarria into Santiago. Plenty.

I wrote up my Journey here but if you've any further queries, don't hesitate.

Thanks,
kerry4sam

Your write up is very informative and the best thing I've read so far, thank you. Despite the myriad sites and blogs online, there is suprisingly very little decent information on the Camino in my opinion.

There's an article in the Sunday Times today - not great either.

To be honest, I'm quite apprehensive about going alone following Denise Thiem story.

Will I always find others to walk with?

loobylou

Bananaleaf wrote: »

To be honest, I'm quite apprehensive about going alone following Denise Thiem story.

Will I always find others to walk with?

Tragic what happened to that poor girl, but I would'nt let it put me off.
That last section is like a procession though, you'll more likely be wishing for some peace and quiet given the numbers doing it!

kerry4sam

Bananaleaf wrote: »

Your write up is very informative and the best thing I've read so far, thank you. Despite the myriad sites and blogs online, there is suprisingly very little decent information on the Camino in my opinion.

There's an article in the Sunday Times today - not great either.

To be honest, I'm quite apprehensive about going alone following Denise Thiem story.

Will I always find others to walk with?

While yes it is something to be mindful of, very real risks and dangers out there, you can't let them determine your future or journey through life either

Be prepared in every possible aspect. You can always send on pm's to me through here while on your Camino if you're unsure of anything en route. You'll find you're never really alone on the Camino!
You've opted for the busiest, the Most Family-Friendly-Section of the Camino de Santiago and that it evident everywhere.
This will be huge for you, a very real Personal Journey that you'll value throughout your life.
You will always find someone to chat to en route, if you want to talk to someone. Definite!
Don't hesitate in popping in here before your departure date with anything you want advice on,

Have fun planning and preparing.
Remember - Keep Positive!
kerry4sam

Bananaleaf

kerry4sam wrote: »

While yes it is something to be mindful of, very real risks and dangers out there, you can't let them determine your future or journey through life either

Be prepared in every possible aspect. You can always send on pm's to me through here while on your Camino if you're unsure of anything en route. You'll find you're never really alone on the Camino!
You've opted for the busiest, the Most Family-Friendly-Section of the Camino de Santiago and that it evident everywhere.
This will be huge for you, a very real Personal Journey that you'll value throughout your life.
You will always find someone to chat to en route, if you want to talk to someone. Definite!
Don't hesitate in popping in here before your departure date with anything you want advice on,

Have fun planning and preparing.
Remember - Keep Positive!
kerry4sam

Thanks for your reply kerry4sam

So .... I just booked the flights! No going back now!! Quite a bit concerned still following Denise Thiem as there seems to be a lot of similar stories (not murders, but lots of muggins, assaults rapes) being discussed now in Spanish media.

I would hope to either not end up walking any of it alone or at least end up walking it at the same times that other people are out along the trail so that I'm not alone.

I have a lot of reasons for doing this. A bit of me time, to improve my Spanish, to experience this aspect of Spanish culture, to visit the city of Santiago de Compostela, to get a bit of exercise in

I've a night's accommodation booked in Sarria. I get a bus from Santiago airport to Lugo - I emailed the company re: prices - only 9euro or so, pretty good for a 2+ hr trip.

I've also decided to treat myself to a night in the luxurious Parador hotel in Santiago at the end, because I'm worth it!

Will I really be okay for accommodation along the way without booking? I have no map as of yet of the Camino but I cheekily requested a quote and itinerary from CaminoWays so have a rough idea of how many kms I will walk each day. I would like to experience each of the different towns, so I won't really want to arrive in, say, Portomarrín and discover that there is no accommodation and have to walk on.

My aim is to walk 23, 23, 28, 23, 14 kms each day - so I reckon start off at 7am each morning and probably walk until about mid day or so, then I get to enjoy the day in each particular town. I'm pretty fit so do feel that I will be able for the walking. Will try to fit in as much practice as I can beforehand, but due to time (work) I will probably only be able to do 10k walks in the weeks leading up to going.

Should I rest up completely the week before going?

Thank you

robo

Hi Bananaleaf, congratulations on booking your flights. I have done 3 trips on the Camino in the last 2 years - 1st was St Jean to Logrono, then Logrono to Sahagun and then last May from Sahagun to Sarria. So I have the same route as you to finish. I walked along the route (outside Astorga)1 month after Denise Thiem went missing - it was sad to see the Missing Person posters, because the route up to then I felt was safe enough once we (2 females) kept on the right way. There were always a lot of people along the way.
The route that you are doing Sarria to Santiago is one of the busiest parts so there will be plenty of people walking it. Its great cos if you want to walk & talk to others you can, but if you want to walk alone with others in sight in front or behind, you can also. You just take it at your own pace.
I am not sure how the busy the accommodation will be but as I said June is busy (September is the peak month). I play it safe & pre-book my accommodation before I leave Ireland, yes its dearer but its my holiday from work & I do like some comforts after a day walking. But each to their own.
Oh I also plan on booking the Parador in Santiago...cos we are worth it

Regarding the walking before you go - my advise would be to just make sure you have walked in your boots well, certainly do a bit of walking coming up to it. I think that the Sarria to Santiago route is not very mountainous so you should be ok, but Sarria is a hilly town. Lovely atmosphere in Sarria as it is the starting point for a lot of pilgrims. Also on the feet...listen to them. I know that may sound stupid, but on my 2nd trip I kept pushing it & took painkillers rather than dress my blistered feet properly & ended up having to stop walking for 3 days - it was heart breaking watching my friend walk on whilst I had to get a bus/taxi. The last trip I kept applying vasoline and stopping if they got bad, basically listening to my feet and I had a painfree walk for 2 weeks, it was lovely.

It is a wonderful experience and you will get out of it what you put in with a few surprises along the way from the people you will chat with & share a drink with in the Spanish evening.

confusticated

Hi, I'm posting this for my parents as they're looking for advice on the Camino and seems to be hard to find it if you're not doing the whole thing at once. They started it last year from St Jean de Pied de Pont, and are going back this year for another week and would like to start where they left off last time. They need to get to Estella and are flying into Santander airport on a Sunday afternoon. Has anyone done this journey before? They're looking for the easiest and cheapest option (I know that easiest might not be cheapest, but reasonable price would be good!) Most of the advice I've seen on the Camino sites says to fly to Bilbao but that's not an option. Thanks in advance for any advice.

edeldonlon

The best thing to do is take the bus to Pamplona http://www.autobuseslaunion.com/PDF/santander.pdf and then on to estella. It's about 3/4 hours to Pamplona and one more to estella http://www.laestellesa.com/es/horarios-compra

bbbbb

Yes bus is probably the best way.
Rome2rio might give other options
http://www.rome2rio.com/s/Santander/Estella-Lizarra

confusticated

Thanks a million. Looking at it again, bus looks doable but as they're arriving on a Sunday afternoon they'll lose a lot of time with transfers. Any idea how much it would be in a taxi, if that's even possible?

Bananaleaf

Hi all

So I last posted way back in September. It is now T-9 days until I head off. I'm excited!

I'm trying to get a list together now before heading off and I'm wondering about my feet. I think I'm going to pack enough epsom salts in my bag for the 6 days (only going for one week)

I've also read that ankle tights are brilliant for preventing blisters - can anyone confirm or debunk this? I've the Vaseline too - that's the same principle as running, yeah? It's for the chafing.

I know I've to keep the backpack to max 10kg. I'm going to try go lighter than that again.

What else are serious essentials? So far I have:

• Either not going to bother with shampoo and hope accommodation has it (I'm prebooking decent enough accommodation) or bring sachets.
• Have baby wipes and hand gels
• 2 tshirts
• 1 long sleeve jumper
• 1 leggings
• 1 jogging shorts
• 1 cap

What kind of socks will I need?

LionelNashe

Bananaleaf wrote: »

Hi all

So I last posted way back in September. It is now T-9 days until I head off. I'm excited!

I'm trying to get a list together now before heading off and I'm wondering about my feet. I think I'm going to pack enough epsom salts in my bag for the 6 days (only going for one week)

I've also read that ankle tights are brilliant for preventing blisters - can anyone confirm or debunk this? I've the Vaseline too - that's the same principle as running, yeah? It's for the chafing.

I know I've to keep the backpack to max 10kg. I'm going to try go lighter than that again.

What else are serious essentials? So far I have:

• Either not going to bother with shampoo and hope accommodation has it (I'm prebooking decent enough accommodation) or bring sachets.
• Have baby wipes and hand gels
• 2 tshirts
• 1 long sleeve jumper
• 1 leggings
• 1 jogging shorts
• 1 cap

What kind of socks will I need?

Sun factor? Although when I walked it last August/September it rained really heavily for several days in Galicia. So, maybe rain protection, depending on the forecast.

Bananaleaf

LionelNashe wrote: »

Sun factor? Although when I walked it last August/September it rained really heavily for several days in Galicia. So, maybe rain protection, depending on the forecast.

Oh yeah, sorry I do have that in and a fold-up rain jacket - it's actually raining there at the moment.
Also have underwear which I forgot to mention too.
Mini towel too - my accommodations will have towels for me
Bringing a small knife for cutting up bits of meat/cheese/bread along the way
Small book and notebook

Listening to friends they are saying bring compeed patches for feet, plasters, bandages .... do I need all of that for 5days walking? I have a reasonable to good level of fitness - I'll definitely be able for the walking that is no problem. My shoes aren't new - in fact I was considering just wearing runners. Would people advise against this? If the weather is decent it should be fine, but would you take boots too just incase? Worried about the weight of carrying them if weather is good or should I just take boots and wear all the time regardless of weather?

I'm going Sarria - Santiago by the way - the most agreeable terrain afaik

LionelNashe

Bananaleaf wrote: »

Oh yeah, sorry I do have that in and a fold-up rain jacket - it's actually raining there at the moment.
Also have underwear which I forgot to mention too.
Mini towel too - my accommodations will have towels for me
Bringing a small knife for cutting up bits of meat/cheese/bread along the way
Small book and notebook

Listening to friends they are saying bring compeed patches for feet, plasters, bandages .... do I need all of that for 5days walking? I have a reasonable to good level of fitness - I'll definitely be able for the walking that is no problem. My shoes aren't new - in fact I was considering just wearing runners. Would people advise against this? If the weather is decent it should be fine, but would you take boots too just incase? Worried about the weight of carrying them if weather is good or should I just take boots and wear all the time regardless of weather?

I'm going Sarria - Santiago by the way - the most agreeable terrain afaik

I bought compeed patches for cracked heels but I couldn't get them to stay on - there must be some trick to using them that I didn't get. Plasters might be no harm. If you do get a blister or abrasions, you don't want your socks to be stuck to your feet with dried blood. I wouldn't bring bandages.

If I was doing it again, I think I'd go for walking shoes. I don't see the point of boots because it's mostly paths and road that you're walking on. I would say that the most important factor is whether they're already well broken in or not, and if you have done a few 20k days in them to see how they feel. I'd advise sticking in a pair of light sandals in your backpack so that you can get out of your shoes in the afternoon, and leave the shoes to dry if needs be.

anewme

I did Sarria to Santiago in April this year and I LOVED it. I'm going back to do another route next year. We did not stay in hostels but a step up, some lovely small Hotels and Pensions.

Would do it again in a heartbeat!

Brilliant food brilliant wine fantastic people.

It rained though, a lot and I think it always does. So decent lightweight rain jacket.

I wore my gym clothes, running tights and t shirts, soft shell jackets!

In our group some of the lads wore walking boots and one girl wore runners. I was the only one who did not get either one blister or wet feet. The girl who had runners got some bad blisters. I had invested in a decent pair of trail walking shoes, these are defo the way to go. My feet were perfect. Parts of the terrain can be a bit uneven, especially if wet.....

I am not a walker but had no trouble doing it...the 28k day was a tough one!

Enjoy the Pulpo!!

I would go back in a heartbeat, buen Camino!!!

anewme

Bannanaleaf, have you booked accomodation - if not, I can give you a couple of recommendations, but there are lots of fantastic places along the way.

I did not do the albergues, I did pensions with my own room, given that it was lashing rain most of thetime I was there, I needed to have my own bath and nice bed at the end of the day. Nothing fancy, just my own time.

Bananaleaf

anewme wrote: »

Bannanaleaf, have you booked accomodation - if not, I can give you a couple of recommendations, but there are lots of fantastic places along the way.

I did not do the albergues, I did pensions with my own room, given that it was lashing rain most of thetime I was there, I needed to have my own bath and nice bed at the end of the day. Nothing fancy, just my own time.

Yes please - I will take all the recommendations!!

I have some accommodation booked. First night is hotel in Sarria(45euro) and second in Portomarin is a hotel too (55euro) Nothing for the next night Palas do Rei and night after that I've a pension in Arzua (after the 28k!!) for 45euro. Nothing for Amenal yet - not sure what to do here - rough it in an albergue? As I've only the 14k that final day and am staying in the Parador!

I know the albergues are only a fiver so by that comparison my hotels are v expensive - but like you say anewme I want my own room. However, if you have a list of pensiones etc I would love to compare prices and I also do need accommodation for those two extra nights.

I think I will maybe invest in a pair of trail shoes - you're not the first person who has said that to me. Only problem is I might not get near a shop now until Monday - going Wed - enough time to break them in??

anewme

I've sent you some recommendations there, so have a look! There are also some lovely little Cafe's along the way, we were stopping for coffee and cake, then another 8 or so Km and then lunch and then another 8 or 10 kms then more coffee and then destination and dinner!

It seems like you are eating loads, but you do use up all the energy. I started getting fed up of the cheap Pilgrim menus, the menu del Dia, slightly more expensive is better and in some cases, I just had a main course. The food is excellent as is the wine and the Santiago Cake! Not so keen on the Pulpo though, very much an acquired taste.

I had only worn my trail shoes a couple of times (shopping on a Saturday) before I went and they were perfect. As I said, I was the only one with no blisters or wet feet. I had plasters etc as back up but did not need them, some people along the way were in a bad way.

Bananaleaf

anewme wrote: »

I've sent you some recommendations there, so have a look! There are also some lovely little Cafe's along the way, we were stopping for coffee and cake, then another 8 or so Km and then lunch and then another 8 or 10 kms then more coffee and then destination and dinner!

It seems like you are eating loads, but you do use up all the energy. I started getting fed up of the cheap Pilgrim menus, the menu del Dia, slightly more expensive is better and in some cases, I just had a main course. The food is excellent as is the wine and the Santiago Cake! Not so keen on the Pulpo though, very much an acquired taste.

I had only worn my trail shoes a couple of times (shopping on a Saturday) before I went and they were perfect. As I said, I was the only one with no blisters or wet feet. I had plasters etc as back up but did not need them, some people along the way were in a bad way.

Wow - your mail is so detailed - thank you so much!

I will search out some of those places - I've a friend who stayed in the monks cells too and said they were amazing. I may very well be changing that reservation!

Thank you so much! Did 15km today with a 10kg backpack and no troubles at all - could have definitely gone again. Did it in 2.5hrs. So hopefully I'll be able to keep going 5days in a row - not ever done that. Will get to go out tomorrow and do same and Friday too but not Saturday - so will see how I feel after 3 days in a row.