What guidebook should I get for Camino Frances?

[NorwegianWalker]

I'm starting my walk very soon and I think I would appreciate a guidebook with me to get the most of the journey. What guidebook should I get? I'm starting my walk from SJPdP and probably going all the way to the End of the World. Thanks in advance for any help in getting me the guidebook I want

 

[Walli Walker]

John Brierley's is popular and with good reason.

 

[Deleted member 43985]

I agree with @Walli Walker about Brierley's guidebook and use myself but if you are among the minmalists or ounce/gram counters you can also consider some very useful smartphone apps such as WisePilgrim that have maps with GPS function, lodgings, attractions, a little history and more.

 

[Dutch]

Brierleys is good. I would suggest you get Brierleys 'maps only' guidebook. This has all the info (maps, city maps, hotel/albergue info) the thick guidebook has, except Brierleys own floaty spiritual mumbo jumbo and at a fraction of the weight of the full version.

 

[petitewalker]

I really liked A Village to Village Guide to hiking the Camino de Santiago by Anna Dintaman & David Landis

 

[obinjatoo@yahoo.com]

Forget Brierly, it's heavy and gives way too much info. People kill themselves trying to follow his stages. There is a simple lightweight Michelin atlas you can find in SJPP. It gives distances, grades and SOME alburgue info. Let The Way guide you to where the universe knows where you need to go.

 

[Deleted member 43985]

Forget Brierly, it's heavy and gives way too much info. People kill themselves trying to follow his stages. There is a simple lightweight Michelin atlas you can find in SJPP. It gives distances, grades and SOME alburgue info. Let The Way guide you to where the universe knows where you need to go.

I would ask "Gives too much information for who"? Someone who has already walked the Camino or a first-timer? During my first Camino I found the information in Brierley's guide helpful on many occasions. I even enjoyed some of the spiritual 'mumbo jumbo' that can be found within the covers. The guidebook weighs 11oz and if you follow the author's advice and cut out the pre-Camino info, it goes down to a little over 6oz. Not too heavy in my books...

 

[movinmaggie]

Forget Brierly, it's heavy and gives way too much info. People kill themselves trying to follow his stages. There is a simple lightweight Michelin atlas you can find in SJPP. It gives distances, grades and SOME alburgue info. Let The Way guide you to where the universe knows where you need to go.

We all know that one person's experience is not the same as another's. I found JB's Guide vey helpful, but opted to stay at points in between. Seems there are a couple of new guides being offered up recently. I do agree Michelin does produce excellent guides overall

 

[ranthr]

I use the Brierley Maps guide. It is not heavy and enough if you read a bit before leaving. In the pilgrimsoffice in SJPdP you will get some prints of the stages. You could as well print out some maps from one of the pilgrimswebsites as www.mundicamino.com. In this forum you can find pdf with all the albergues.
If you want to buy a guidebook, OUTDOOR have come up with an English version of the German Camino Frances guide.
Ivar just annonced it in the forumshop, if you order it he will send it to you. I have used some of the OUTDOOR guides in German, and they are updated, handy(16x11) with OK maps.

 

[na2than]

I'm starting my walk very soon and I think I would appreciate a guidebook with my to get the most of the journey. What guidebook should I get? I'm starting my walk from SJPdP and probably going all the way to the End of the World. Thanks in advance for any help in getting me the guidebook I want

At SJPdP they will give you a few sheets of paper with basic info and you get a credential. May I very humbly suggest you take this and a large dose of trust and faith. Follow the arrows and be free of guidebooks. Read this and other forums make the odd note in a journal and keep a diary.then you end up with your very own guide book for yourself and to share

 

[sabbott]

I like the new Village to Village Guide for its clean layout and easy to follow information. http://www.amazon.com/dp/0984353348/?tag=casaivar02-20 I plan to cut out anything superfluous before I go, and keep discarding as I travel.

I bought Brierley and returned it, as I didn't care for the layout, maps and his personal musings.

I also have this historical and cultural guide on my phone to read in evenings http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0091I0YOE/?tag=casaivar02-20.

 

[Kurt5280]

I have to go with the Brierley Maps Guide too...the most important factor is the alternative routes...for example going into Pamplona use the large park trail along the river and forget the poorly maintain and difficult traditional trail...I used another map guide that did not show this alternative trail and had a very poor experience on the traditional trail...the reason I choose not to use the Brierely Maps Guide was the weight...but on the Camino Frances I saw another hiking pilgrim that removed all of the extra pages to reduce the weight...and a biking pilgrim that annotated and removed the maps pages from the book.

 

[Mark Lee]

Yeah, the good old Brierley guidebook is a solid choice, and I'm sure his maps only guide is good too. It's well worth hauling around for a Camino first timer.
Speaking as someone who showed up in SJPdP on his first Camino with no guidebook, I can say the piece of papers they give you at the pilgrim's office with the elevations and list of albergues is good, but a guidebook is way better, and I snatched one up first chance I could (a kind, unknown pilgrim left one on the donativo table in one of the albergues).

 

[peregrina2000]

The "yellow German guide" has now been translated into English and is getting good reviews. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B010Q1ME6U/?tag=casaivar02-20

The truth is, as others have said, that no guidebook is necessary, but it's nice to have an idea where you are and what there is to see there.

 

[AlwynWellington]

I would appreciate a guidebook with me to get the most of the journey. What guidebook should I get? I'm starting my walk from SJPdP and probably going all the way to the End of the World

It is a matter of courses for horses. One person's meat ... etc etc

I expect to start form SJPdP late April / early May. So anything I say is from an arm chair point of view.

I have three recent guides that start at SJPdP and one that starts at Sarria and ends at Finisterre including Muxia. They are:

1. Brierley (2015 and I understand a new version is out now): I have heard, from friends who have completed, of that days journey being read aloud either the night before or in the morning. The maps seem good and seem to cover the variations. For example I wish to travel to Samos (Brierley stage 28) and that is covered.
2. Rother Walking Guide (2013): This seems quite thorough and covers the Aragones (Somport to Obanos) and the Finisterre and Muxia legs from Santiago. The stages for the Frances differ at times from Brierley. For example Tricastella to Barbadelo (via Samos) and not stopping at either Samos or Sarria. (Stage 27a)
3. Outdoor - the way is the Goal (2015): downloaded from Amazon.co.uk for my tablet. "The Yellow Guide". This publication seems to ignore stages as such. Rather it describes the journey between towns and you decide what you want to do each day. Yes variations are covered. It covers the way from Santiago to Finisterre but not to Muxia. Though the text does not discuss stages these are often implied by the elevation and route maps.
4. Brierley (2016): Sarria - Santiago - Finisterre including Muxia. This seems to follow the format of the "principal" Brierley guide (see 1 above)

These will all go with me as each appears useful in its way and provide overlapping points of view and information.

Please remember these are views from the armchair. I hope to have a clearer view well before the end of May.

 

[Dutch]

Your taking 3 paper guidebooks? And one for your tablet?

Uuhhh isnt that a little overkill? Not to mention the extra weight.

Is this like an insurance policy to cover for your insurance policy thing.......x 2?

I wonder how fast 2 of them will end up on a Roncesvalles donativo table....or maybe even Orisson

 

[marbuck]

We used Brierley's for our CF in 2014, it was excellent. It now has pride of place on our bookshelf. Full of notations, stains and wear an tear.

 

[nidarosa]

I have used the full fat Brierley (too heavy, too much irrelevant text for me), the red Rother (loved it, love the compact format, still heavy) and the Anaya Touring guide (notebook format, double page maps then 4 lined pages for notes) and on my last walk I used the Brierley maps only (slim, light, simple, some lines for notes).

I will take the maps-only one again in April. I don't need a map or guide book anymore as such, but I have made notes in it, underlined places I stayed and enjoyed plus tips on places to eat, sleep, stop, detour etc from the forum. Don't overdo it on the map thing, read a good and thorough guide or history book before you go and print out a few pages of things you want to see, do or visit (in geographical order). The waymarking is good, all you really need is a sense of when the next rest stop is. Buen Camino!

 

[Anniesantiago]

I love Brierley and have used his books for 10 years.
You do not have to follow his stages.
In fact, the nice thing about his books is that he shows plenty of lodging "between stages" as well.
I like all the info he includes, but if you aren't into that, he sells a much lighter weight map book.
You can find both on amazon.com for under $20

 

[Mark Lee]

Your taking 3 paper guidebooks? And one for your tablet?

Uuhhh isnt that a little overkill? Not to mention the extra weight.

Is this like an insurance policy to cover for your insurance policy thing.......x 2?

I wonder how fast 2 of them will end up on a Roncesvalles donativo table....or maybe even Orisson

Hey, that's cool. Bring em. Donate em. Ha ha....
Like I mentioned earlier, a donativo guidebook helped me out on my first Camino, as did a tube of donativo sunscreen.
But I gotta agree. That is a lot of guidebooks. Like bringing an extra compass to make sure your compass points in the right direction.

 

[AlwynWellington]

Your taking 3 paper guidebooks? And one for your tablet?

Hey, that's cool. Bring em. Donate em. Ha ha....

Not that silly. They are all on my tablet. Including maps from other publications. And guides and maps for the other three trips I intend to cover this northern Summer. Being on a tablet I can "blow-up" the size for reading.

After a while I expect I will find myself using two in preference to the others. My criteria will be: which maps are clearest with the detail and way finding (including elevations). And which guide covers the wayside features that most interest me (built environment).

So, sorry, no donativo opportunities.

 

[Stellaluna]

So, sorry, no donativo opportunities.

Unless you become a Luddite and offer up your tablet??

 

[AlwynWellington]

Unless you become a Luddite and offer up your tablet??

From the experiences of seeing films like Horse Feathers and A night at the opera I suspect none of the Marx Bros would know their Escape key from their Shift button, especially Groucho. And it would only save me 300 grams. Just not worth thinking about.

 

[AJ]

The truth is, as others have said, that no guidebook is necessary, but it's nice to have an idea where you are and what there is to see there.

I agree, but like to have the Brierley maps which contain sufficient info regarding accommodation, restos and bars.

 

[Kanga]

Ivar's forum shop (above) has a good selection of guides, including the Brierley book and map book, and the yellow guide by Joos (mentioned by Laurie). He posts things very promptly, I know. Stuff I've ordered arrived in a few days, even though it is coming all the way to Australia.

Support the forum, buy here! https://www.santiagodecompostela.me/

 

[Raimund Joos]

..... and the yellow guide by Roos.....

Support the forum, buy here! https://www.santiagodecompostela.me/

"Joos!!"

Bon Camino!

Raimund Joos

 

[Mark Lee]

Ivar's forum shop (above) has a good selection of guides, including the Brierley book and map book, and the yellow guide by Roos (mentioned by Laurie). He posts things very promptly, I know. Stuff I've ordered arrived in a few days, even though it is coming all the way to Australia.

Support the forum, buy here! https://www.santiagodecompostela.me/

And the good thing is that once you buy a good guidebook (whichever one you decide upon) you can use it for any future Caminos you may do. Very little changes from year to year overall, and if you start from SJPdP the pilgrim's office there will give you a sheet with updated albergue listings from town to town.
Personally I'm a bit old school, and like to physically have a book to refer to and to read and I like how they get a bit of character in them (dog-eared pages, scuffs, etc) after being hauled around for 30+ days.

 

[Kanga]

Ah @Raimund Joos don't take it personally - I'm an Aussie and my keyboard automatically types Roos (as in kangaROOS).

 

[GRR]

I saw many many Brierly books reduced to maps only.

 

[Victoria_Peregrina]

On my first Camino, I used Brierley's map book which provided all the information I needed. I purchased it in 2013, and did not realize that Brierley updates it annually. Now, I have Brierley's full book published in December 2015, and I am waiting for a new map book for 2016. I am leaving in April. If I don't get a mapbook by then, I will tear off pages from the full book.

 

[obinjatoo@yahoo.com]

Remember that there were pilgrims walking before the printing press was even invented. They had no guides, save the stars.

 

[Deleted member 43985]

Remember that there were pilgrims walking before the printing press was even invented. They had no guides, save the stars.

I wonder if Pope Callixtus II would agree with that...!

 

[obinjatoo@yahoo.com]

I imagine pilgrims still walked even before he put it on paper. And I would bet too that at that time, most pilgrims were illiterate anyway.

 

[Deleted member 43985]

I've read that the Codex was written around 1140 AD, at a time that it is believed to be when the Camino really became a organized, significant event. Yes, there were some who made pilgrimage to SDC prior to that however what I can find is that they were generally located in close proximaty to SDC. The Codex illuminated the way to people further abroad during the 12th century when it began it's rise in importance. As to literacy, I would agree that the common man was illiterate however the clergy were not and it was they who gave the instructions (either voluntarily or as an act of penance) of how to get to SDC to pay hommage to Santiago.