How do you plan your route out?

[Daniel Crowe]

I'm posting that much recently that I'm pretty sure most people know I'm doing the Norte in 3 weeks time! But it's only now that I'm really looking at the stages and deciding what's what. Ideally I want to finish this in 33 days or so which is an average of 25km a day. I saw the stages laid out on Pilgrim.com and even though there are 34 stages I notice that there are many that are 15km or so, or else 35km, at one point there was three of those 30km+ days in a row. I'm trying to figure out how I can blend those into more even days that average the 25km without having a clear map in front of me that tells me what's where.

I have the Buen Camino app - which is a tad hard to get my head around for right now if I'm honest - and I have my wisepilgrim book ordered today but that'll be two weeks or so away. I'd like to get planning asap and your advice is key!

Thanks!

 

[Robo]

Have you looked at Gronze?
I find it's a great planning tool, for looking along the route and getting a good sense of distances, and potential 'stages'. It's a great tool, in that it's very simple.

A schematic map, showing distances.
And lists of accomodation options at each village/town along the way.
The various guidebooks and maps are all good in their own way. I have lots of them.

But sometimes simple is best.

Camino del Norte | Gronze.com

www.gronze.com

 

[trecile]

I'm posting that much recently that I'm pretty sure most people know I'm doing the Norte in 3 weeks time! But it's only now that I'm really looking at the stages and deciding what's what. Ideally I want to finish this in 33 days or so which is an average of 25km a day. I saw the stages laid out on Pilgrim.com and even though there are 34 stages I notice that there are many that are 15km or so, or else 35km, at one point there was three of those 30km+ days in a row. I'm trying to figure out how I can blend those into more even days that average the 25km without having a clear map in front of me that tells me what's where.

I have the Buen Camino app - which is a tad hard to get my head around for right now if I'm honest - and I have my wisepilgrim book ordered today but that'll be two weeks or so away. I'd like to get planning asap and your advice is key!

Thanks!

Check out the stage planner on the Buen Camino app. You may want to completely clear the pre-planned stages and create your own from scratch.

Check out the video tutorial for tips on using the app:

 

[Daniel Crowe]

Have you looked at Gronze?
I find it's a great planning tool, for looking along the route and getting a good sense of distances, and potential 'stages'. It's a great tool, in that it's very simple.

A schematic map, showing distances.
And lists of accomodation options at each village/town along the way.
The various guidebooks and maps are all good in their own way. I have lots of them.

But sometimes simple is best.

Camino del Norte | Gronze.com

www.gronze.com

Gentleman Robo, I'll take a look at it for sure.

 

[Daniel Crowe]

Check out the stage planner on the Buen Camino app. You may want to completely clear the pre-planned stages and create your own from scratch.

Check out the video tutorial for tips on using the app:

Great Trecile, I'll give it another chance, it's going over my head a little right now. Hard to beat a good old map! Thanks

 

[trecile]

Great Trecile, I'll give it another chance, it's going over my head a little right now. Hard to beat a good old map! Thanks

You need to gather together your map, your phone and app, and have Gronze open on your computer!

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

I'm posting that much recently that I'm pretty sure most people know I'm doing the Norte in 3 weeks time! But it's only now that I'm really looking at the stages and deciding what's what. Ideally I want to finish this in 33 days or so which is an average of 25km a day. I saw the stages laid out on Pilgrim.com and even though there are 34 stages I notice that there are many that are 15km or so, or else 35km, at one point there was three of those 30km+ days in a row. I'm trying to figure out how I can blend those into more even days that average the 25km without having a clear map in front of me that tells me what's where.

I have the Buen Camino app - which is a tad hard to get my head around for right now if I'm honest - and I have my wisepilgrim book ordered today but that'll be two weeks or so away. I'd like to get planning asap and your advice is key!

Thanks!

While I don’t have wise pilgrim, I think many guides used stops on the Norte built around albergues. Since with covid that may not matter (i.e. alburges may be closed), I’d suggest looking at Gronze.com or the app of your choice to see both distances and elevation (since you may do more distance on days you’re not going up and done so much). Then just choose different stop points. I often ignored the suggested stages and got pension or hotel rooms. Sometimes just a motel I saw along the side of the road. I don’t know why Gronze makes the stage so short to Bilbao—maybe because no albergue for a while once you walk past, maybe because people like to look around (I recommend that).
I like gronze, it has a distance map, elevation map, and info on food and lodging on one page and it’s easy to move ahead or back to other stages

 

[SkyDancer]

Check out the stage planner on the Buen Camino app. You may want to completely clear the pre-planned stages and create your own from scratch.

Check out the video tutorial for tips on using the app:

Wow, I had no idea the app could do all this. Thank you so much for sharing!

 

[C clearly]

Hard to beat a good old map!

There's no reason you can't use a good old map. Just draw the line of the Camino on your map, and follow along. That's actually what you do on your phone instead of paper, when you put a KML file (the line, made up of many points) on maps.me (the base map). Either way, Gronze is a very good tool since it shows the line of the Camino, and all of the villages that you will pass through, with accommodation options listed.

Ideally I want to finish this in 33 days or so which is an average of 25km a day. I saw the stages laid out on Pilgrim.com and even though there are 34 stages I notice that there are many that are 15km or so, or else 35km, at one point there was three of those 30km+ days in a row. I'

Unfortunately, that is the challenge for people who are trying to squeeze a journey into limited days. If the longer stages are a problem, there is always the option of using a taxi to assist - by getting a ride 5 or 10 km up the path. Just don't do it in the last 100 km if you want a compostela.

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

I looked back at my stops (I only went to the Primitivo turn off) and IMO there are two places you can save a day easily, either gernika to Bilbao (around 30km), or Bilbao to El Haya (around 33 km if you go the way I did, 27 if you use the shorter variant to portugalate), followed by el haya to loredo. Both of those distances IMO are close enough to 25…I think due to lodging you may end up either long or short of 25 in general. The problem is you really should want to see at least Bilbao, if not also gernika. There were a few other places I combined distances but they were almost double your target distance. I think as @C clearly said, you may need to alter either days or distance, or consider along some stretches to take other transportation. Luckily there are many options for public transportation on the Norte.

 

[trecile]

You can try the stage planner on this site:

rutasasantiago.com - This website is for sale! - rutasasantiago Resources and Information.

This website is for sale! rutasasantiago.com is your first and best source for all of the information you’re looking for. From general topics to more of what you would expect to find here, rutasasantiago.com has it all. We hope you find what you are searching for!

www.rutasasantiago.com

There are a couple of different ways to do it. One option is to you choose how many days you want to take, and it generates the stages for you:

rutasasantiago.com - This website is for sale! - rutasasantiago Resources and Information.

This website is for sale! rutasasantiago.com is your first and best source for all of the information you’re looking for. From general topics to more of what you would expect to find here, rutasasantiago.com has it all. We hope you find what you are searching for!

www.rutasasantiago.com

Or, you can plan each stage yourself:

rutasasantiago.com - This website is for sale! - rutasasantiago Resources and Information.

This website is for sale! rutasasantiago.com is your first and best source for all of the information you’re looking for. From general topics to more of what you would expect to find here, rutasasantiago.com has it all. We hope you find what you are searching for!

www.rutasasantiago.com

Godesalco now also has a stage planner for the Norte:

Planificador - Camino del Norte - Godesalco.com

Perfiles altitudinales, planificación de etapas y archivos GPS para el Camino del Norte.

godesalco.com

 

[jpflavin1]

I'm posting that much recently that I'm pretty sure most people know I'm doing the Norte in 3 weeks time! But it's only now that I'm really looking at the stages and deciding what's what. Ideally I want to finish this in 33 days or so which is an average of 25km a day. I saw the stages laid out on Pilgrim.com and even though there are 34 stages I notice that there are many that are 15km or so, or else 35km, at one point there was three of those 30km+ days in a row. I'm trying to figure out how I can blend those into more even days that average the 25km without having a clear map in front of me that tells me what's where.

I have the Buen Camino app - which is a tad hard to get my head around for right now if I'm honest - and I have my wisepilgrim book ordered today but that'll be two weeks or so away. I'd like to get planning asap and your advice is key!

Thanks!

The Norte is my favorite route. It is also one of the more challenging, in the beginning. Beautiful Seascapes, several touristy towns, good seafood and a number of nice donative Albergues. The route gets progressively easier especially once you reach Galicia. You can easily do in 33 days by walking longer days nearer the end.

Gronze.com is a good guide. The only planning, I did was to look at the options for the next day. This route has several alternate options and intersects multiple times with the E-9.

 

[Daniel Crowe]

The Norte is my favorite route. It is also one of the more challenging, in the beginning. Beautiful Seascapes, several touristy towns, good seafood and a number of nice donative Albergues. The route gets progressively easier especially once you reach Galicia. You can easily do in 33 days by walking longer days nearer the end.

Gronze.com is a good guide. The only planning, I did was to look at the options for the next day. This route has several alternate options and intersects several times with the E-9.

A veteran you are! Thanks a lot for that. Gronze is the way forward obviously

 

[Daniel Crowe]

You can try the stage planner on this site:

rutasasantiago.com - This website is for sale! - rutasasantiago Resources and Information.

This website is for sale! rutasasantiago.com is your first and best source for all of the information you’re looking for. From general topics to more of what you would expect to find here, rutasasantiago.com has it all. We hope you find what you are searching for!

www.rutasasantiago.com

There are a couple of different ways to do it. One option is to you choose how many days you want to take, and it generates the stages for you:

rutasasantiago.com - This website is for sale! - rutasasantiago Resources and Information.

This website is for sale! rutasasantiago.com is your first and best source for all of the information you’re looking for. From general topics to more of what you would expect to find here, rutasasantiago.com has it all. We hope you find what you are searching for!

www.rutasasantiago.com

Or, you can plan each stage yourself:

rutasasantiago.com - This website is for sale! - rutasasantiago Resources and Information.

This website is for sale! rutasasantiago.com is your first and best source for all of the information you’re looking for. From general topics to more of what you would expect to find here, rutasasantiago.com has it all. We hope you find what you are searching for!

www.rutasasantiago.com

Godesalco now also has a stage planner for the Norte:

Planificador - Camino del Norte - Godesalco.com

Perfiles altitudinales, planificación de etapas y archivos GPS para el Camino del Norte.

godesalco.com

Just come with me Trecile, what do you think?

I'm going to use everything at my disposal as you were saying. Just need to set aside the time and get her done!

 

[VNwalking]

er my head a little right now.

I totally sympathize.
But your phone can turn into a comfortably useful tool. If I can do it anyone can. It's just different.

Find the tools you feel most comfortable with, and mix and match. I like a phone mapping app I can use offline, that I can refer to as I go (I use OSMand, others swear by Maps.me), plus whatever other info comes to hand - these days more and more are in my phone, either as ebooks or apps. I sometimes also print out lists of albergues and contact numbers. But there is nothing like a paper map and a proper guidebook full of stick-on page tabs.

 

[ScorpioGirl22]

Check out the stage planner on the Buen Camino app. You may want to completely clear the pre-planned stages and create your own from scratch.

Check out the video tutorial for tips on using the app:

The version of the App I have does not have the option to receive alerts. Why would that be?

 

[ScorpioGirl22]

Check out the stage planner on the Buen Camino app. You may want to completely clear the pre-planned stages and create your own from scratch.

Check out the video tutorial for tips on using the app:

The version of the App I downloaded a few months ago does not give me the option to receive alerts. Why would that be?

 

[trecile]

Just come with me Trecile, what do you think?

You don't know how tempted I am!

The version of the App I have does not have the option to receive alerts. Why would that be?

Did you look in the settings?

 

[SuperPilgrim]

I'm posting that much recently that I'm pretty sure most people know I'm doing the Norte in 3 weeks time! But it's only now that I'm really looking at the stages and deciding what's what. Ideally I want to finish this in 33 days or so which is an average of 25km a day. I saw the stages laid out on Pilgrim.com and even though there are 34 stages I notice that there are many that are 15km or so, or else 35km, at one point there was three of those 30km+ days in a row. I'm trying to figure out how I can blend those into more even days that average the 25km without having a clear map in front of me that tells me what's where.

I have the Buen Camino app - which is a tad hard to get my head around for right now if I'm honest - and I have my wisepilgrim book ordered today but that'll be two weeks or so away. I'd like to get planning asap and your advice is key!

Thanks!

Daniel, I'm doing norte in 4 weeks and have planned every stage in detail with notes on what to see and do, where to stay and where to sleep. I've even made notes on restaurants and history for each place of importance. Send me a direct message and I'll share them with you.

 

[ScorpioGirl22]

You don't know how tempted I am!

Did you look in the settings?
View attachment 107264

Yes.....That option doesn't appear in my Settings --- \i don't know how to attach a screeshot otherwise I show you.

You don't know how tempted I am!

Did you look in the settings?
View attachment 107264

 

[ScorpioGirl22]

You don't know how tempted I am!

Did you look in the settings?
View attachment 107264

Yes I did as I was following along with the tutorial. See Below......

 

[Trailhawk]

I am creating my own itinerary from scratch. I am very careful that there would be no successive 30+ kms days. A 30 is always sandwiched in between two 20s, and so forth, to minimize injury due to fatigue and overstretching your effort. I would also start at 06:00-07:00 and end each day at 18:00 so I could have ample time of rest. This itinerary would take me to Lekeitio and Ea then down to Gernika then up to Sukarrieta, Mundaka and Bermeo to Mungia and Bilbo instead of going to Markina-Xemein to Gernika to Bilbo. Then I would make sure that I would spend a few hours at the archaeological museums of Santimamine, Altamira and Grandas de Salime. I studied my route last year, tracing it with Google Map and Wikiloc. I saved all my day-to-day routes in Wikiloc. I am doing the Norte and the Primitivo on April next year.

 

[trecile]

Yes I did as I was following along with the tutorial. See Below......

View attachment 107272

Hmm. Do you have an iPhone? I have the Android version, so that could make the difference.
But not to worry, while the notifications will occasionally alert you to something coming up, such as an alternate route, they are not the most important feature of the app.

 

[Paul J W]

I'm posting that much recently that I'm pretty sure most people know I'm doing the Norte in 3 weeks time! But it's only now that I'm really looking at the stages and deciding what's what. Ideally I want to finish this in 33 days or so which is an average of 25km a day. I saw the stages laid out on Pilgrim.com and even though there are 34 stages I notice that there are many that are 15km or so, or else 35km, at one point there was three of those 30km+ days in a row. I'm trying to figure out how I can blend those into more even days that average the 25km without having a clear map in front of me that tells me what's where.

I have the Buen Camino app - which is a tad hard to get my head around for right now if I'm honest - and I have my wisepilgrim book ordered today but that'll be two weeks or so away. I'd like to get planning asap and your advice is key!

Thanks!

Get a “clear map”! Simples!

 

[celticone]

I'm posting that much recently that I'm pretty sure most people know I'm doing the Norte in 3 weeks time! But it's only now that I'm really looking at the stages and deciding what's what. Ideally I want to finish this in 33 days or so which is an average of 25km a day. I saw the stages laid out on Pilgrim.com and even though there are 34 stages I notice that there are many that are 15km or so, or else 35km, at one point there was three of those 30km+ days in a row. I'm trying to figure out how I can blend those into more even days that average the 25km without having a clear map in front of me that tells me what's where.

I have the Buen Camino app - which is a tad hard to get my head around for right now if I'm honest - and I have my wisepilgrim book ordered today but that'll be two weeks or so away. I'd like to get planning asap and your advice is key!

Thanks!

Hello Daniel,
Gronze also has a stage profile if you click on it - very important for the Norte.
Buen Camino
Ena

 

[JerryStroebele]

My favorite private albergue on the del Norte is Witericus near Carballedo, between Baamonde and Miraz. 678 415 728. In Laredo stay with the nuns at la Trinidad, 942 606 141. In Santillana del Mar spend a couple of hours and divert 2 km off the Camino to visit the Museo Altamira. 16,000 year old cave art that will boggle your mind. In Comillas spend an hour at the Gaudi house. Buen Camino

 

[Barbara]

Plan to your heart's content, but just remember that no plan survives first contact with the enemy.....

 

[An Tincéir]

I'm posting that much recently that I'm pretty sure most people know I'm doing the Norte in 3 weeks time! But it's only now that I'm really looking at the stages and deciding what's what. Ideally I want to finish this in 33 days or so which is an average of 25km a day. I saw the stages laid out on Pilgrim.com and even though there are 34 stages I notice that there are many that are 15km or so, or else 35km, at one point there was three of those 30km+ days in a row. I'm trying to figure out how I can blend those into more even days that average the 25km without having a clear map in front of me that tells me what's where.

I have the Buen Camino app - which is a tad hard to get my head around for right now if I'm honest - and I have my wisepilgrim book ordered today but that'll be two weeks or so away. I'd like to get planning asap and your advice is key!

Thanks!

Have you looked at wise pilgrim (Wisely). They have a system where you can move your start point along as you go and it will show you th3 distance to the next albergues down the trail.

 

[trecile]

Have you looked at wise pilgrim (Wisely). They have a system where you can move your start point along as you go and it will show you th3 distance to the next albergues down the trail.

The Buen Camino app does this too.

 

[Trailhawk]

Plan to your heart's content, but just remember that no plan survives first contact with the enemy.....

True. Make your plan proactive. Consider alternatives Plan B, C, D, etc.

 

[Daniel Crowe]

I am creating my own itinerary from scratch. I am very careful that there would be no successive 30+ kms days. A 30 is always sandwiched in between two 20s, and so forth, to minimize injury due to fatigue and overstretching your effort. I would also start at 06:00-07:00 and end each day at 18:00 so I could have ample time of rest. This itinerary would take me to Lekeitio and Ea then down to Gernika then up to Sukarrieta, Mundaka and Bermeo to Mungia and Bilbo instead of going to Markina-Xemein to Gernika to Bilbo. Then I would make sure that I would spend a few hours at the archaeological museums of Santimamine, Altamira and Grandas de Salime. I studied my route last year, tracing it with Google Map and Wikiloc. I saved all my day-to-day routes in Wikiloc. I am doing the Norte and the Primitivo on April next year.

Yeah the successive 30+ days I'm not too keen on, so I'm going to try plan around that! Best of luck on yours TH

 

[Daniel Crowe]

Hello Daniel,
Gronze also has a stage profile if you click on it - very important for the Norte.
Buen Camino
Ena

Thank you

 

[Daniel Crowe]

My favorite private albergue on the del Norte is Witericus near Carballedo, between Baamonde and Miraz. 678 415 728. In Laredo stay with the nuns at la Trinidad, 942 606 141. In Santillana del Mar spend a couple of hours and divert 2 km off the Camino to visit the Museo Altamira. 16,000 year old cave art that will boggle your mind. In Comillas spend an hour at the Gaudi house. Buen Camino

I'm definitely into that cave art idea. I'm reading Fingerprints of the Gods by Graham Hancock at the minute so that cave art and historic viewing would be right up my street. I've got it noted, you're a gent Jerry.

 

[Daniel Crowe]

Plan to your heart's content, but just remember that no plan survives first contact with the enemy.....

Love it "Barbara Tsu" haha

 

[Trailhawk]

For some days I just want to go out of the box and let myself be lost where there are no Camino signage. A stretch of a path that is out of the way. A journey within a journey.

 

[Barbara]

For some days I just want to go out of the box and let myself be lost where there are no Camino signage. A stretch of a path that is out of the way. A journey within a journey.

I can do that with a map, a GPS, and yellow arrows. Don't need to try.

 

[OTH86]

At first, I plotted every step on my spreadsheet using guide books, the Forum, and a few apps. The spreadsheet was invaluable -- until I forgot it one time. Let my feet guide me from then on!

 

[Trailhawk]

I can do that with a map, a GPS, and yellow arrows. Don't need to try.

Surely you could do that but I find satisfaction in mine. I travel by memory and by a scrapbook.

 

[Barbara]

Surely you could do that but I find satisfaction in mine. I travel by memory and by a scrapbook.

Yes, well. Next time I will use a smiley. It was just meant to be a joke about my proficiency in getting lost.

 

[VNwalking]

I can do that with a map, a GPS, and yellow arrows. Don't need to try.

Were you by any chance behind the door when they were handing out a sense of direction, Barbara?

 

[Barbara]

Were you by any chance behind the door when they were handing out a sense of direction, Barbara?

Not really. I just get sidetracked and wander off, sometimes I try to avoid big hills, and when I walked with a donkey I needed to avoid fords and very narrow tracks. I always get where I need to be eventually. Just sometimes by unusual routes, and some asking...

 

[VNwalking]

. I just get sidetracked and wander off,

This is an underappreciated virtue.
There are wonders just a stone's-throw from the camino, and most people never know what they've missed.

 

[mspath]

See this earlier post re an unexpected but needed guide out of dense woods in 2009