Camino de Santiago de Compostela

[Too Many Choices]

Me and my walking partner love the idea of camping along the route. What options are there to set up a really basic bivouac on the warmer nights along the way? Can you just set up any where off the beating track?

What are the dangers to consider when camping like this?

Thanks

[Laurancetsang]

http://www.santiago.ca/PDF/CAMPING.pdf

I have also been looking into this. This is a list of camp sites. It seems there will be rare occassions of wild camPing for most of the camino. Also there are rules in Spain eg. No fires. No camping within 2km of a campsite or city. I am planning to still wild camp as much as I can but you don't know what the situation is like until you get there. Also someone else on a previous thread has posted a full map with locations of site marked on it

[Laurancetsang]

Most of the land surrounding the camino is private land. Possibility of getting shot

[sillydoll]

Go for it!

I have a few pages devoted to camping in my book but here is an extract:

Wild camping is legal in Spain but with some restrictions. You are not allowed to camp in "urban" areas, these areas are prohibited for military or touristic reasons, or within a 1km of an official campsite. Basically this means you cannot camp on tourist beaches, but if you are sensible and "wild camp" nearby, having some sensitivity to the rules, you can camp almost anywhere in the countryside. Avoid places called "Parques Naturales" because it is forbidden to place a tent there.

There are few ‘wild’ camping places on the Camino Frances as the route passes through many private and state owned farms and vineyards but you can always set up camp out-of-sight somewhere in the countryside. Some albergues allow camping on their properties and there is wild camping in a few villages such as Rabanal, O Cebreiro, Sarria etc.

Maps: For a map of all the camping sites in Spain:
elCaminosantiago.com/PDF/Map_Spain_Campings.pdf
Zoom in to about 400% on the map on page one and look at the green tent icons. You can also look at page two ‘per autonomia’ for camping locales.

[Too Many Choices]

Thanks for the advice, something I'm really keen to do. But as stated, I guess it depends on the situation when over there.

[Camino2010]

I know a few people who camped their way along the Camino Frances from SJPP to Santiago and on to Fisterra, from September to the end of October (I walked then in 2010 and 2011). I also saw others I didn't get to meet. There were some cold nights along the way! But being under the Milky Way with warm enough clothes and sleeping bag is amazing.

[k-fun]

My husband and I did the Camino in Sept and Oct 2011 and camped six times. Camping can be more expensive than staying at an albergue, but it offers privacy not found there. We carried a hubba-hubba tent that is light and easy to assemble, mats, and, of course, sleeping bags. Even on the colder nights I managed to stay warm by wearing my fleece clothing.

We stayed at the following places:

- Roncesvalles, in the field behind the hotel. Register at the abbey.
- Caming Urrobi 2 km from Espinal/Aurizberri
- Albergue de Peregrinos Padres Reparadores, in the courtyard, Puente la Reina
- La Playa in Lagroño
- Camping Camino de Santiago, Castrojeriz
- Albergue Tesin (in field across the street) Rabanal del Camino

Our guide listed other campground, but they were not convenient to the Camino. Who wants to walk an extra 3 or 4 km and back? Have fun, enjoy your walk and camping.

[Geoffroy]

Hi

Camping in France, is completely possible though the extra weight for such a long trip isnt ideal.
In Spain there really isnt to many places to camp, wild or on a campsite. If u havent got a tent already dont buy one. The cost of accommodation really isnt that expensive in Spain and the extra money you will spend, though very little is completely worth it. Having meals and sharing stories with the friends youve met is priceless and apart of the experience.

[sherrysnicker]

Are there private hotels at most the stops along the way ?

[falcon269]

Are there private hotels at most the stops along the way ?

There are private accommodations regularly along the camino, and some albergues have private rooms. The choices are hostales and hoteles, which are pretty similar, and pensions, which are private rooms, either in homes or associated with a bar or restaurant. There is the occasional casa rurale, which is usually a farm bread and breakfast.

[billmclaughlin]

Last year between SJPP and Burgos I stayed in just 3 hostels of various sorts, twice sharing a room with 11 others and once sharing with just one. All other times I found a hotel or pension or whatever. It was easy. If you get the Miam Miam DoDo guide it's even easier. It's coverage of places to stay is most comprehensive I've seen, and you can usually make a reservation just a day ahead.

I had friends who once found themselves arriving in a town without a reservation. They went to a pension and it was full, but the owner made a phone call and they stayed in a spare room in someone's apartment. This happened more than once and worked out.

I enjoyed my shared experiences, and enjoyed the luxurious sleeping privacy even more.

[clairebear2]

Got some camping questions. I'm a fairly experienced camper/backpacker (though nothing like the 500 miles I'm hoping to go from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to SdC.
1. Price. Seems like it waffles between cheaper and more expensive. Any thoughts?
2. Safety. 20-something girl hiking alone (hoping to meet new people along the trail and probably meeting up with friends in Burgos or Leon). How safe is it for me to camp in the official campgrounds solita?
3. Mosquito net/tent. I am not planning on bringing a tent but a pole-free mosquito net. I need to hang it from a tree. Are there many bugs or do you guys sleep outside sans tent/mosquito net? Are there usually trees, etc from which I can hang my net at campgrounds?
4. Should I bring my pocketrocket stove, or did you all mostly buy food @ restaurants/cafes/supermercados?

Main hopes for camping are to enjoy the outdoors and save some $. All thoughts welcome!

Thanks,
Claire