Starting camino del norte

[donal]

Hi all,
I'm starting the coastal route on July the 18th 2017. Can anybody recommend a guide that is actually up to date. All the ones I've got hold of some far are at least 3 years old.
Also is the start point easy enough to find ? Any tips from those who have already done it ? Thanks in advance

 

[MichaelSG]

I just finished walking the del Norte / Primitivo combination. The arrrows on that route are are quite good but I didn't know where to start officially either. I did start though at the bridge to Hendaye, just so I could say I walked from France. There were arrows on the bridge and through Irun.

I found that using maps.me on my iPhone along with downloaded gps files of the Camino routes was very useful to reassure me and get me back on the right route when I accidentally (or purposely) went off course. The app is free, an off-line map, i.e., works in airplane mode and is easy to use.

I had the up-to-date Cicerone guide on the Northern Caminos bit rarely looked at it. Maps.me has all the albergues, hotels, etc on it but we also used the Gronze site and booking.com. Most places we stayed in were cheap pensións or hotels with a sprinkling of albergues and casa rurals. I have a summary in my blog, if it helps, and I trying to expand on it now.

Buen Camino!

 

[poogeyejr]

The arrows start in Irun, but I walked this year from Bidart to San Sebastian. (Bidart is close to Biarritz)

 

[Dominik]

I would (almost) totally trust Gronze. That's true that the maps aren't as precise as one would like, but the descriptions are quire clear. I've bought the newest edition of the Rother's guide (the famous German) in French. And nonetheless I've already found some places where it isn't up to date (the famous rail bridge after Boo), while Gronze is exact. So I'll probably try to combine both.
And, by the way, I'm starting July the 22nd, so there are some tiny chances we meet.

 

[Babyboomergirl]

I just finished walking the del Norte / Primitivo combination. The arrrows on that route are are quite good but I didn't know where to start officially either. I did start though at the bridge to Hendaye, just so I could say I walked from France. There were arrows on the bridge and through Irun.

I found that using maps.me on my iPhone along with downloaded gps files of the Camino routes was very useful to reassure me and get me back on the right route when I accidentally (or purposely) went off course. The app is free, an off-line map, i.e., works in airplane mode and is easy to use.

I had the up-to-date Cicerone guide on the Northern Caminos bit rarely looked at it. Maps.me has all the albergues, hotels, etc on it but we also used the Gronze site and booking.com. Most places we stayed in were cheap pensións or hotels with a sprinkling of albergues and casa rurals. I have a summary in my blog, if it helps, and I trying to expand on it now.

Buen Camino!

Thank you for your tips and all the information in your blog. I will be walking the del Norte with my husband ,starting in Irun in March and am really looking forward to the journey.