Beginner!

[princesalizzie]

Hello everyone!
I've been reading the post on here and am becoming a little overwhelmed! My partner and I (31 and 35 years) are planning on walking the Camino next May from Verin. I did a 21 mile walk for charity yesterday as my first practice and think I could complete 10 miles a day with ease.

We are complete novice walkers and although we have spent lots of time in many parts of Spain (my partner's father was Spanish), we have never done countryside walks etc. My partner's Mother and my Mother and Father wish to complete the walk with us, in memory of my partner's father. The are all over 60 and we are the nominated 'planners' of the walk!!

I would be really grateful of any information about where to start planning the walk... what maps do I need to buy to plan the route? Where can we stay? (Our family don't want to sleep in dorms). How do we register and get our Camino passports stamped? The main worry of mine is the actual route, I have no experience or off road walking and am terrified of getting my family lost! Is the route well signposted etc!??

Many thanks,
Lizzie

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Read the FAQ's for a start.

For actual stage planning, go to:

http://www.godesalco.com/plan/plata

For accommodations that are not albergues, go here and search the Lodging listing for each stage:

http://www.mundicamino.com/ingles/rutas.cfm?id=38

Ask a lot of questions. Be warned that questions might aggravate veteran walkers if they are repeat questions. However, you are likely to get an answer from the more amenable members.

Buen camino!

 

[sulu]

The camino from Verin is very quiet and there is not a lot of information on the route up to Orense. For the route after Orense look at:
http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/los ... /sanabres/

and for info on private accommodation look through the posts as people have often mentioned hostals that they used. For the route from Verin to Orense your best bet is the Confraternity of Saint James (CSJ) website and their booklet on the Via de la Plata via Porugal as this is the route which returns to Spain in Verin. Between Verin and Orense there are no albergues but plenty of private accommodation, mostly Casas Rurales I think, but there are hotels in some places.
I'm afraid I stopped in Verin and got the bus to Orense but I was going to cross to the more frequented route as I prefer albergues.
Enjoy the planning, you have plenty of time

 

[JohnMcM]

Lizzie,
Just in case you've missed it there's a Search Forum link at the top of this page. It might make your search for info easier. That along with the natural goodwill of folks on here who will want to help you will most likely help you find your way.

Good luck with your preparations.

 

[unadara]

Gosh Falcon! are you saying veteran "members/walkers" are NOT amenable?
I will stick my neck out and advise to start with the Camino Frances as it is very well equipped with accommodation, guidebooks and signposting.
You have plenty of time to get fit, enjoy the planning.

 

[madrid12]

I walked this route last March and apart from the stretch out of Verin is very well marked.[The lady in the turismo said go to the end and turn left which you follow along the main road to Albarellos de Monterrei}. I used an old CSJ guide. I am not sure about hostels along the way but this is where I stayed. It mainly follows the N525 road. I think you can also turn right in Verin and eventually join the VdlP there.

Verin albergue but there are a few hostels
Trasmiras/Viladerei albergue
Sandias albergue
Allariz Hostel Alarico
Ourense albergue
Cee albergue
Castro Dozon albergue
Silleda Hotel Ramos
Ponte Ulla Pension Cruceiro
Liz

 

[freeflyer123]

Hi Lizzie,

Welcome to the forum. I remember when we first began planning, we were just as nervous as you are. But part of the fun and preparation is checking out everything this forum has to offer. We even used Google Earth to get a 'feel' of the road and path conditions. I agree with Unadara above that the Camino Frances would probably be the best one to begin with. Although one of the longest, and it goes over three huge ranges of mountains (if you start at St John Pied de Port), it is also one of the best as there is always something to see, small albergues/hostels dotted along the way, and plenty of "pit-stops".

We did not have any trouble with finding small double rooms along the way, although we did also use dorms at times as the beds are cheaper. We paid, on average, 35 or 40 euros for a double room, as opposed to 5, 10 or 11 euros each for a bed in a large dormitory. It might also be worth noting that there is always a local bus you can catch between villages/towns. Above all, remember that the Camino is meant to be a wonderful experience for everyone and it's not how many miles you achieve, but what you get from doing them.

If you want the "Compostela" (ours proudly adorn the wall in our front room) when you finally reach Santiago, it helps to know that only the last 100 miles (if on foot, or 200 if on bike) need to be recorded in your Pilgrim's Passport. Many people do the whole stretch from St John Pied de Port to Santiago; some begin in Roncesvalle, or even Pamplona; while most only do the last 100 miles. To be honest, I did not feel we spent enough time doing the route by bike as the three weeks sped by far too fast. It also gets easier as you go along - I have heard that many people give up after only the first day or two, which is a pity because if we had done this, I know we would have bitterly regretted not sticking with it.

I suspect the Meseta might be challenging from a walking pilgrim's point of view as, in places, it is very long and flat. But even this can be turned to your advantage and help you to "recharge your batteries" before you hit the hills again. We rode the route and met people who said they wished they were riding, while I was wishing I was walking! As a group, you will have an amazing time, and a wonderful experience. You will never regret the decision to do the Camino. As an afterthought, I am 65, and my husband is 72, and we are planning another return next year as well, although the consensus as to whether to use the bikes again, or get out there on foot is far from resolved!

 

[Saint Mike II]

Hi Lizzie,

Welcome to the forum. I remember when we first began planning, we were just as nervous as you are. But part of the fun and preparation is checking out everything this forum has to offer.
If you want the "Compostela" (ours proudly adorn the wall in our front room) when you finally reach Santiago, it helps to know that only the last 100 miles (if on foot, or 200 if on bike) need to be recorded in your Pilgrim's Passport. Many people do the whole stretch from St John Pied de Port to Santiago; some begin in Roncesvalle, or even Pamplona; while most only do the last 100 miles. To be honest, I did not feel we spent enough time doing the route by bike as the three weeks sped by far too fast. It also gets easier as you go along - I have heard that many people give up after only the first day or two, which is a pity because if we had done this, I know we would have bitterly regretted not sticking with it.

Yes welcome from a fairly new chum (now almost 1 year of posting). I thought the minimum distance was 100 Km walking; 200 Km cycling - not 100 MILES, if you wish to receive your Compostela. You and partner may want to walk further and meet up with the other party members at a town 100-120 km from SDC and then all walk the final stages together. Your partner being Spanish will be an added bonus as not a lot of English is spoken in rural Spain. Buen Camino.

 

[piogaw]

Hello Lizzie,

Welcome to the forum.

Correction as mentioned bt saint mike ii, the minimum walking distance is 100 kilometres. However i would like to add this, you must collect two stamps minimum per day for the last 100 kilometres to santiago. This is due to the fact that the staff at the pilgrim office will checked your stamps on your pilgrim credential carefully. I worked as a volunteer in the pilgrim office issuing compostelas for almost a week just this past september, and i have seen pilgrims?? who are not qualified to receive compostelas trying to get one. I have also seen pilgrims who are genuinely unaware that they will need 2 stamps per day. For this we will question the pilgrim and take a careful look at his/her credential. If we feel that it was an honest omission, we tend to give the pilgrim the benefit of a doubt. However this all depends on the member of staff issuing the compostela. As a last resort we will conferred with the supervisor of the shift to ask for advice.

You can get your sellos (stamps) along the path of your camino from the town hall (ayutamiento), police station, church, cafe-bar, restaurant, albergue (hotel, casa rural, hostal particular), guardia civil station which is opened 24/7.

I hope you and your extended family will have a good camino.

Que tengan un buen dia y buen camino. Que dios os bendiga.

 

[Beverly Lucke]

Hi Lizzie,

Welcome to the forum. I remember when we first began planning, we were just as nervous as you are. But part of the fun and preparation is checking out everything this forum has to offer. We even used Google Earth to get a 'feel' of the road and path conditions. I agree with Unadara above that the Camino Frances would probably be the best one to begin with. Although one of the longest, and it goes over three huge ranges of mountains (if you start at St John Pied de Port), it is also one of the best as there is always something to see, small albergues/hostels dotted along the way, and plenty of "pit-stops".

We did not have any trouble with finding small double rooms along the way, although we did also use dorms at times as the beds are cheaper. We paid, on average, 35 or 40 euros for a double room, as opposed to 5, 10 or 11 euros each for a bed in a large dormitory. It might also be worth noting that there is always a local bus you can catch between villages/towns. Above all, remember that the Camino is meant to be a wonderful experience for everyone and it's not how many miles you achieve, but what you get from doing them.

If you want the "Compostela" (ours proudly adorn the wall in our front room) when you finally reach Santiago, it helps to know that only the last 100 miles (if on foot, or 200 if on bike) need to be recorded in your Pilgrim's Passport. Many people do the whole stretch from St John Pied de Port to Santiago; some begin in Roncesvalle, or even Pamplona; while most only do the last 100 miles. To be honest, I did not feel we spent enough time doing the route by bike as the three weeks sped by far too fast. It also gets easier as you go along - I have heard that many people give up after only the first day or two, which is a pity because if we had done this, I know we would have bitterly regretted not sticking with it.

I suspect the Meseta might be challenging from a walking pilgrim's point of view as, in places, it is very long and flat. But even this can be turned to your advantage and help you to "recharge your batteries" before you hit the hills again. We rode the route and met people who said they wished they were riding, while I was wishing I was walking! As a group, you will have an amazing time, and a wonderful experience. You will never regret the decision to do the Camino. As an afterthought, I am 65, and my husband is 72, and we are planning another return next year as well, although the consensus as to whether to use the bikes again, or get out there on foot is far from resolved!

I am also 65 and am a newcomer to the Camino. You give me inspiration for my upcoming trek in 2018. Thanks.