3 weeks (20 days walking), where to start?

[keiri]

My Mom and I will be walking the Camino Frances beginning on May 31st with flights back home on the morning of June 21st from Santiago. I've poured over guidebooks and am doing my best to plan as much as can be reasonably planned beforehand, but I'm having a hard time of deciding where exactly to start.

According to the guidebooks and timing everything out, it seems like an ideal starting point would be somewhere between Burgos and Leon. However, I'd really like my mom to see Burgos. It seems like a shame to have her fly all the way over here and miss such a major city on the route. Is it reasonable to take the bus/train to Burgos, stay there for a day or so, and then bus/train to another city along the route and begin walking there? Are there buses that go through the small towns along the way to take?

I'd like to arrive in Santiago on the 19th of June so we can have a day to relax and explore the city, but also because I don't want to risk missing the pilgrim's mass if I arrive on the 20th...and because it will be my mom's 50th birthday and I want to be sure we have time for a nice dinner, etc.

So, any ideas/suggestions, anyone?


thank you!

 

[MichaelB10398]

Hello, you might remember that to qualify for a Compostela you only have to walk from Sarria to Santiago. After that you are free to do as you choose; it really depends on your objectives. If it is to walk as much as possible, you can do that. If you want to be meld tourism into you Camino, you can do that too. Reflect on your objectives and do those things; will you be pilgrims or tourists. Both roles have their place in life. Of course, if the Compostela is not of value to you, you can just take a bus into the city after you have toured the rest of the great Spanish nation.

 

[sillydoll]

Keiri, how special to be walking with your Mom - and to arrive in Santiago on her 50th birthday!!
You have so many options but, if I had 21 days, I would start at Roncesvalles (just to experience the pilgrims' mass) and would walk for 12 days to Burgos.
I would get a bus to Sarria and start walking from there

31) Roncesvalles - Zubiri 21.8 km 21.8 km
1) Zubiri - Pamplona 20.5 km 42.3 km
2) Pamplona - Obanos 21.1 km 63.4 km
3) Obanos - Estella 24.4 km 87.8 km
4) Estella - Los Arcos 21 km 108.8 km
5) Los Arcos - Viana 18 km 126.8 km
6) Viana - Navarrete 22.1 km 148.9 km
7) Navarrete - Azofra 22 km 170.9 km
8) Azofra - Grañón 22.8 km 193.7 km
9) Grañón - Tosantos 20.3 km 214 km
10) Tosantos - Agés 22.8 km 236.8 km
11) Agés - Burgos 21.9 km 258.7 km

12) Bus to Lugo and then to Sarria

13) Sarria - Portomarín 22.4 km
14) Portomarín - Palas de Rei 25 km
15) Palas de Rei - Ribadiso da Baixo 25.7 km
16) Ribadiso da Baixo - Santa Irene 19.5 km
17) Santa Irene - Santiago de Compostela 22.1 km
18) Free day in Santiago
19) Bus to Finisterre
20) Santiago
21) Fly home

This way you see the best of the start of the camino and comply with the last 100km at the end to earn the Compostela.

 

[keiri]

Thank you so much for the responses!

The Compostella is very important to us and we are definitely pilgrims before tourists. Although the idea of starting in Roncevalles, stopping, and then starting again in Sarria would assuredly lead to a more beautiful Camino, I really like the idea of starting to walk somewhere and walking all the way to Santiago from there. My mom and I are interested making friends (if that's what the Camino has in store), and I think it would be rough to get to know a group of people and then leave abruptly). Also, since my mom's flight lands in Madrid, transport from there all the way to Roncevalles would be rough after a 15 hour flight.

This thought just came to mind (inspired by the last post that mentioned Finesterre)...maybe we can spend the day in Burgos, bus/train to Leon, and walk from Leon to Finesterre? Is that doable in 20 days?

 

[sillydoll]

It is very doable.
Day 1: ALSA Bus Madrid to Burgos 2h45 21 euro
Day 2: ALSA Bus Burgos to Leon 2hrs 13.50 euro
Day 3 - Day 19: Walk Leon to Santiago - 311km Santiago to Finisterre - 90km
Average 25km per day = 16 days.
Day 20: Back to Santiago
Day 21: Fly home

 

[SherlyC]

Hi Keiri, did you do the 21 days of Camino Frances with your mom? Which route did you take at the end? Did you skip some parts?
I'm planning to do 3 weeks of CF this September and I'd love to hear how it went so I can plan my route.

 

[KathleenGrace]

Hi Sheryl
We are planning our first Camino and also have 3 weeks in April/May. Did you do this and can you please tell me what you thought and your starting point? kind regards

 

[HedaP]

Hi Sheryl
We are planning our first Camino and also have 3 weeks in April/May. Did you do this and can you please tell me what you thought and your starting point? kind regards

I doubt you will get a reply from SherlyC because she only made that one post.
I don’t know how fast you walk or how far you would like to walk each day but if I had three weeks and wanted walk the Frances I would start in Leon and walk to Santiago de Compostela. It’s my favourite part of the walk and it’s my opinion that there is something special that comes from walking an entire distance rather than doing it in fits and starts with buses or trains. It would be approx 320 kms which over 21 days is an average of 15 kms a day. This average offers some leeway for rest days if wanted or needed. Leon, Astorga and Santiago are well worth spending some time extra time in. If I finished early I would walk or bus on to Finisterra.
Hoping you have a very buen camino.

 

[KathleenGrace]

I doubt you will get a reply from SherlyC because she only made that one post.
I don’t know how fast you walk or how far you would like to walk each day but if I had three weeks and wanted walk the Frances I would start in Leon and walk to Santiago de Compostela. It’s my favourite part of the walk and it’s my opinion that there is something special that comes from walking an entire distance rather than doing it in fits and starts with buses or trains. It would be approx 320 kms which over 21 days is an average of 15 kms a day. This average offers some leeway for rest days if wanted or needed. Leon, Astorga and Santiago are well worth spending some time extra time in. If I finished early I would walk or bus on to Finisterra.
Hoping you have a very buen camino.

Hi Heda
Thank you very mudo appreciate your suggestion and eill check out my map. Becoming more real a we plan it.
Kindest regards

 

[heathertux]

Hi Keiri, did you do the 21 days of Camino Frances with your mom? Which route did you take at the end? Did you skip some parts?
I'm planning to do 3 weeks of CF this September and I'd love to hear how it went so I can plan my route.