Risky
Member, Brisbane Australia.
- Sep 28, 2014
- 59
- 50
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Chemin d'Arles / Frances 2023
Frances 2024/2025
This route is becoming more popular. When I was a hospitalière in Sorges in september '14 we were full every night. I walked the Voie de Vézelay in April 2011 and found quite a few pilgrims en route. It all depends! That's the fun of it; you never know!I walked it in 2016, late april and may, and it was very quiet and solitairy. You'll meet the odd pilgrim but don't count on it. Enjoy, and bon chemin!
That was in June 2017.We found it very quiet. Over a two week period encountered about 4 pilgrims while walking. Maybe 10 in total counting those in the gites.
We are hoping to walk from Vezelay to La Souteraine but probably a bit later than you. We may start around the beginning of May. I imagine we will be well behind you on this Camino. I am glad you asked this question as I was wondering how busy it would be too?Thanks for your prompt replies.
I have been reading through as much as I can, from the forum, for details on the number of Pilgrims walking the Vezelay route and looking at the statistics for those arriving in SdC from Vezelay the numbers look really low......
I normally walk with my wife but, due to family needs, this time I will be walking without her. I had been thinking of walking from Le Puy again, or an alternate from Tours or Vezelay, as we loved walking through France last year. The Vezelay route looks beautiful and it looks like a really good way so maybe Vezelay is meant to be.
It's just that my wife and I have been inseparable for over 30 years and I am a bit of a social being so I am a bit concerned it may be too isolated ......... that said, maybe it would be good for me ....... I plan to walk on to SdC so there will be plenty of pilgrims on the Frances.
Probably over thinking it. Thanks once again.
I'm just wondering... have you given any thought to the route from Geneva to Le Puy? There will be more walkers than on the Vezelay route, I'm guessing.commencing around the 15th of April
Thank you for this information, Purky. This is exactly the type of thing I want to know as we hope to be walking it in May this year.Just want to let you know that the Vezelay route has two places that still shine exceptionally bright in my memories and therefore come highly recommended IMHO. The first one is L'Esprit du Chemin in Le Chemin, 25 km after Vezelay on the Nevers variant. Arno & Huberta who run it are legends.
The second one is the Moulin de Piis just after La Réole. It is an old watermill (renovated by local craftsmen) and a dreamlike location to spend the night. But remember to bring your own food and drinks if you sleep there. Small kitchen is available.
Bon chemin!
This is exactly the type of thing I want to know
Thank you!! I probably will once we start planning it a bit more. We usually don't like to walk much more than 20km so I am hoping there will not be too many really long stretches without accommodation. We are only going as far as La Souterraine this year (maybe finish it next year).If you want/need more info, let me know...
I am still in two minds about it....
G'day jeannick, yes I intend walking on to SdC and have allowed some 75 days including 5 rest days (?).........one of those rest days is planned in SJPdP to buy replacement shoes as they seem to wear out after about 900 to 1000 kms. Last year I replaced my shoes at Oviedo after walking Le Puy and then GR10 to Norte and the year before in SdC after walking the VDLP.Hi Risky , walked from Vezelay intending to stop at St Jean , and ended up doing the whole , 1600Km about
took me 77 days and i'm a slow walker , it's three millions steps
Thank you Risky, I was thinking of ordering the Dutch guides and have now downloaded them from the link you have sent. We also have Miam Miam Dodo (although I am not sure if it is 2018 or not).G'day Purky, thanks for the heads up.
I have done some stage planning using the Dutch Association route and accommodation guides and I am waiting for a copy of the 2018 Miam Miam Dodo to arrive to cross reference. I am definitely planning for the L' Esprit de Chemin and I also have Moulin de Piis in Bassanne, in at this stage. That said, once we start walking I always try to go with the flow, talking to fellow pilgrims, hospitaleros and locals to understand route and accommodation options.
G'day Lucy Longpath, you can go to the link below which has the Dutch association guides for the Vezelay route.
https://www.santiago.nl/english/vezelay-main-page.
Thanks and Cheers, Bon Chemin
Thanks for your prompt replies.
I have been reading through as much as I can, from the forum, for details on the number of Pilgrims walking the Vezelay route and looking at the statistics for those arriving in SdC from Vezelay the numbers look really low......
I normally walk with my wife but, due to family needs, this time I will be walking without her. I had been thinking of walking from Le Puy again, or an alternate from Tours or Vezelay, as we loved walking through France last year. The Vezelay route looks beautiful and it looks like a really good way so maybe Vezelay is meant to be.
It's just that my wife and I have been inseparable for over 30 years and I am a bit of a social being so I am a bit concerned it may be too isolated ......... that said, maybe it would be good for me ....... I plan to walk on to SdC so there will be plenty of pilgrims on the Frances.
Probably over thinking it. Thanks once again.
Hi Mick53,
Not sure there are that many walking yet but I expect that the publishing of Miam Miam Dodo for the way will increase numbers over the next few years.
Also, I've just seen a post showing potential train strikes throughout April so you never know we might be walking from Paris ;-) Link to article follows. Hopefully more detail will be available as things progress ?
Rail Strike Article
Regards, Risky
Hi Risky,
I will do about a week's hiking from Vezelay (or rather from Avallon via Vezelay) on the Southern route via Never the week before Easter this year.
Ask me if you want to have a recent update for that route
bye, Claudia
Thank you, that would be much appreciated. We are doing some booking in advance because of the two holiday days coming up on 8th and 10th May and the bridge, as it is referred to in France, around those dates (when people have holidays attached to those dates and a lot of accommodation is booked). I don't know whether those days and the other day later in May (21st I think) will be an issue, but it did cause some panics with bookings on Le Chemin du Puy when we were there in 2016. There are about 4 bank holidays in May in France. We will just miss the first one.Hi Lucy, I am in Vezelay and stayed at the Centre Saint Magdeleine. It is good. I start for le espirit today. I'll give you an update in a week. Regards, Kenton
Hello... I just wanted to give a recommendation for Saint Astier I live just a few kilometres from the route and Saint Astier is my nearest small town... they have a great market every Thursday morning... your schedule is probably already set but if there is a chance for flexibility I can recommend a visit. Perigueux is beautiful too.
I would offer to meet you as you walk through but I leave for Spain tomorrow... but have a great walk!