Camino del Norte in October

[josephleaf]

Hi,

I'm planning my camino in October (and maybe into early Nov, depends on when I could start).

I"m deciding between Frances and Norte. I'd prefer the Norte as I would like more time on my own, as I've read that there are less pilgrim on the Norte.

It's hard to find info on the Norte in Oct, so if you have experience/info, please kindly assist:
- What's the weather like? Is it colder/wetter? How about rain? Is it cold in the evening? 10 deg C is considered cold to me.
- Is it harder to find Albergues / hostels in the Norte? Do they open in Oct?
- A sleeping bag seems necessary, should I also bring a tent in case I cant find a place to stay?
- Other than the CSJ guide, is there any other guide you would recommend?

Regards,
Joseph

 

[hujahuja]

Hi Joseph,

I'm also planning to start my pilgrimage in early October, and also deciding between the Camino del Norte and Camino de Frances...I'd rather go on the Camino del Norte but my only problem is that I can't find a good updated guidebook for it. I have the same concerns about weather and albergues as you. Have you gotten all your questions resolved since it's nearly October already? You definitely need a sleeping bag even when you're sleeping in albergues and a pad (thermarest is more comfortable but expensive, foam pad is cheaper) as well if you're considering sleeping outdoors. As it is a Holy Year, I don't think you need to worry about not finding a place to stay as long as you are flexible.

Given that it is a Holy Year this year and the next one won't be for another 11 years, does anyone have an idea of how many people will walk the Camino de Norte vs. Camino de Frances? I'm worried that the Camino de Frances might be too crowded, but October isn't usually a busy month, so I'm not sure. As for the Camino del Norte, I'd really appreciate it if anyone has ideas about the weather in October/November (amount of rain, temperature when in the mountains, etc). Is it a bad idea to start this late in the year? Will rain make it dangerous going up and down the mountains?

Also, I've heard that the Camino de Frances is near a highway most of the time (please correct me if I'm wrong), which is unappealing to me. How often is the Camino del Norte near a busy road?

I'm sorry I couldn't answer your questions, Joseph. I just posed more questions.

All the best,
Amie

 

[Anniesantiago]

I walked a portion of the way in Oct/Nov last year. I have a list of alburgues and information if you want to PM me.

The weather was beautiful except for a few days of heavy rain, in which we walked anyway of course!

 

[notion900]

I walked part of the norte and all of the frances. I would say that more of the norte is near a highway, as it closely follows the coast road, and there isn't much room between the coast and the mountains. Wheras the frances is often away from big roads, with the notable exception of a few road dominated days. Anyone agree or disagree?

I walked the frances in mid Sept / mid Oct three years ago and the weather was divine. The mid section is high, so you might expect some frosts by now though.