Camino Ingles from Toronto

[yorkman]

Hello everyone. My wife and I have booked time off from work starting Apr. 6th-13th and we're thinking of doing the Camino Ingles since it's one of the shortest distances and it'll be our first time there.

Could someone please help us prepare?

My main questions are:

1) Round trip to Barcelona & back is about $900 CAD for that week if we book now, but for an extra $100 or so we can go to Porto in Portugal and maybe bus from there to Camino Ingles is possible? What would be the best and cheapest way to go through and how do we get to the Camino Ingles from there? Which bus/train should we look for and how long is the trip? Not sure what time we'd land there (looks about 10:30 am to Barcelona) so would we need to book a hotel somewhere near the camino for the first night before heading out for the walk the following morning?

2) Roughly how much CAD will we need to convert for the duration? 200 euro each without over converting too much? We plan on using the private albergues to avoid having trouble sleeping if there's too many people in public albergues. But if we have to book ahead of time then not sure how complicated that is to do for the first stop, or all stops.

3) What is the most recommended place to get a temporary sim card for cell phone usage with internet in case we want to makes calls Toronto and how much can we expect one to cost for the week?

4) You probably remember doing this trip for the first time yourself so what mistakes did you make and what would you do differently now? Preventing blisters perhaps?

5) Recommended gear from Amazon.ca? Backpack, sleeping bag, bug spray, etc? We're in the early to mid 50's with average build and in good shape. I'm also a letter carrier in TO so I do 12 km's a day on average, and have done walks that are almost 20 km's without issues. My wife goes for walks casually almost daily.

6) What kind of weather can we expect at this time, temperature wise. Most days sunny or rainy?

7) Where do you eat? What kind of food is expected and approx. how much does it cost per person?

Any tips would also be appreciated. Thanks to all those who are kind enough to respond.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

@yorkman, welcome to the forum. Many if not most of the questions you ask above have been asked before - some frequently. You will find nearly everything you need to know here on the forum. Simply select the magnifying glass above (top right), choose 'advanced search', enter a couple of keywords and select 'titles and first posts only'. This will give you more than just my personal experience and opinions.

1/ I've never flown directly from Toronto to Spain so have no experience here.
However you will spend an awful lot of time simply getting from either Porto or Madrid to Ferrol. If it's an option, fly into and out of Santiago. It may cost a little more but then you have the option of direct bus or train directly to Ferrol, and it's only an hour and a half.

If on the other hand you wish to fly into Porto then perhaps you might wish to consider walking from Tui to Santiago, rather than walking the Inglés. It will be much easier for you to access.

2/ Yes, 200 euros per person should be sufficient for you as a start so you can assess your needs. Card's are widely accepted on the camino nowadays, but some places either do not accept card or have a minimum spend - for example 10, occasionally even 30 Euros, so you will definitely need some cash. If you're staying in Albergues then your budget for the day is going to be in the vicinity of 50 to 60 euros per person. Depending of course on your dining choices! Possibly excluding Santiago it tends to be a little more expensive.
MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted, American Express and Diners Club not so. Better still is a debit card. Americans tend to favour Charles Schwab, I have no idea if that is an option in Canada. I know of several Canadian forum members that carry the Wise card, as do I myself. But check first with your bank because they may well have an option for you.

3/ sorry, don't know

4/ Blister prevention - the best prevention is a good shoe/ sock combination and preparation - if you do some training you will learn what a hotspot feels like and what works best for you to prevent it. Personally I carry hikers wool for me it is invaluable. Hundreds of threads on this. Search out the absolutely excellent blister prevention and management videos from Rebecca Rushton on YouTube. Her YouTube channel is literally called @ Blister Prevention.

5/ Amazon? They know nothing about sporting Gear - if you need advice, go to a decent hiking shop in Toronto and consult the experts. You'll pay a little more but what you're paying for is the advice. Next to your shoe /sock combo, a comfortable, properly fitted backpack is extremely important.
Yes you can buy other items on Amazon of course once you know what you're looking for. Check out some of the packing lists here on the forum. Or a few YouTube videos - several of us on here are YouTubers.

Training - ditto. You can walk with zero training, but training will help you enjoy the trail significantly more. It will also help you identify any possible issues with your equipment. Again lots of threads and YouTube videos available.

6/ I walked the Inglés at the beginning of April last year. Frost several mornings, 24 degrees in the afternoon. People walking the next week had three days of rain. It's Galacia, you're on the coast, the weather is extremely changeable. Again, packing lists.

7/ the food in Spain varies from reasonable to fantastic. Cafes and restaurants the same as at home. You can get a menu de Dia, ( basically the restaurants special of the day) generally served at what I call lunchtime. Pilgrims menu is often available of an evening, (warning often after eight pm the Spanish eat late) typically soup or salad followed by a pork / chicken and fries dish (fish if you're lucky) a small dessert and wine or water - between 12 to 15 euros. Al la carte (so your normal menu) is also generally available. Similar pricing, perhaps a little more but not s three course meal. As you're practically on the coast if you like it go for fish whenever possible! Pulpo (octopus) is a local speciality.

Enjoy reading and researching - and Buen Camino!

Peter

 

[Carlita416]

Hello... Great timing... There will be a presentation about the Inglés at the Long Branch Legion on March 4! Also s Camino info meeting on March 2 at Beach United Church. On Facebook look for the Canadian Company of Pilgrims and the Toronto Camino Community for details!

 

[Carlita416]

Ajay.. I walked the Inglés Sept 2022! Make sure to prepare for hills

 

[henrythedog]

If gaining a Compostela is your motivation, then every route is as ‘short’ as the Ingles. The start points are purely notional, you only need to walk the last 100k on foot to qualify; so you may find it easier to get to Valença/Tui (fly to Porto) or Sarria. (Fly Madrid, Santiago or elsewhere.

Spain’s a big square country and Barcelona is a long way from Santiago.

 

[SabsP]

There is a daily train from Barcelona Sants to Ferrol. A long trip.
Normally I always advise taking a train but in your case I would opt for a flight. Jetlagged and finding your way in Barcelona and transfer Madrid ( Atocha and Chamartin ) is not a nice combination.

 

[Camino4meCdn]

Hi I am walking the Porto Coastal Camino March 31.
3) Airalo E-Sim worked well for me in Costa Rica. I will be using it in Portugal and Spain. This is data only so make sure you have data turned off for Apps that use lots. I found Polar Steps used lots of data. You can make free calls on Wifi using WhatsApp.
4) I was told to get Armaskin socks for blisters. Expensive on Amazon.ca but you may find them somewhere in Toronto. I found mine at the Kidney March Assoc. in Calgary and they are amazing. I typically do not get blisters but these socks take away all the hot spots on my feet. My feet are less tired overall wearing these socks. They are a very thin tight ankle sock with a thin rubberized interior, I wear under my wool socks. Recommended by a woman who has lead multiple Camino's.
If you are carrying your own back back I would recommend walking with your pack weighted to get used to the weight on the hips and legs. I recently started 14 km daily walks with 15 lbs and my body is slowly getting used to it. Happy to be doing this prior to my trip. Wished I had used a weighted pack a month ago.
Enjoy your trip