Canterbury, England to Santiago de Compostela

[PurpleEyes]

Hi,
I have decided to walk from Canterbury to Compostela next year. I have no idea how to start planning this though!
What are the best routes to walk?
What equipment will I need?
When is the best time of year to do it?
Is it safe for a female (mid-twenties) walking alone?
Google Maps tells me it's about 1,500 miles so I've figured it will take about c.4-5 months. It is something I've always toyed with doing and I worry that if I don't do it now, I never will - life has a way of running away with you. Any tips, pointers, help and starting places for planning this would be gratefully appreciated.
Thanks,
Alice

 

[William Marques]

There are many ways of doing this.

You could walk down the Via Francigena to Chalons and take the Camino which crosses there from Germany. Alternatively walk on English footpaths to Portsmouth and catch a ferry to St Malo and walk via Mon St Michel.

Whether you carry a tent is the big decision and how happy are you wild camping. Perhaps it is better to aim to use parish accommodation, hostels and chambre d'hotes.

The best time of year would be now onwards until July. I reckon it will take about 4 months.

It is as safe as anywhere for a female walking alone and you will probably be alone for much of the early part of the route. Taking the VF route will add time and distance but there may be more people.

 

[MKalcolm M]

Hi there, firstly congratulations on your decision to do this. I suggest you pick up a copy of "Pilgrim Snail, Busking to Santiago" by Ben Nimo, who walked from Canterbury to Santiago, playing a trombone when he stopped off. This will give you a possible idea of routes and show some of the practicalities of what you want to do. Good luck in your planning!

 

[newfydog]

I'd take the Francigena to Rome, then a ferry via Corsica to Nice, and Nice to Santiago. It only took us about four years.

Actually, I'm not sure what to recommend, but there are certainly many good options, all safe, and mostly fairly empty for the first part. good project!

 

[VNwalking]

No matter how you do it, this will be the experience of a lifetime! Fantastic.

An enjoyable read is A Cockleshell Pilgrim - A Medieval Journey to Compostela
It reconstructs one pilgrim's journey from Worcester to C0mpostela. While that's far to the West of Canterbury, it describes the French route down the coast as it would have been then. Though not much help for present-day planning purposes, it's a wonderful description of the old pilgrims' way...and the stories have been a very helpful reality check on the road for when I've found myself in a difficult patch! Nothing we face today on the Camino comes close to the challenge of creeping through enemy territory as an Englishman during the Hundred Years' War...to say nothing of the day to day difficulties. No cafes or albergues then!

 

[SYates]

Hi,
I have decided to walk from Canterbury to Compostela next year. I have no idea how to start planning this though!
What are the best routes to walk?
What equipment will I need?
When is the best time of year to do it?
Is it safe for a female (mid-twenties) walking alone?
Google Maps tells me it's about 1,500 miles so I've figured it will take about c.4-5 months. It is something I've always toyed with doing and I worry that if I don't do it now, I never will - life has a way of running away with you. Any tips, pointers, help and starting places for planning this would be gratefully appreciated.
Thanks,
Alice

Lucky you! The CSJ has a guide to the Via Francigena here http://www.csj.org.uk/product/via-f...me-1-canterbury-to-the-great-st-bernard-pass/ which would give you a good overview about the first bit. And http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jakobsweg#/media/File:Ways_of_St._James_in_Europe.png gives you a rough overview of available ways also.

Kalimedia (German web site, but you can use Google translate) has a great overview map of European pilgrimage roads here: http://www.kalimedia.com/Pilgern.html

... I suggest you pick up a copy of "Pilgrim Snail, Busking to Santiago" by Ben Nimo, who walked from Canterbury to Santiago, playing a trombone when he stopped off. This will give you a possible idea of routes and show some of the practicalities of what you want to do. Good luck in your planning!

I second that suggestion! A great travel memoir, but his backpack was a tiny bit on the heavy side with 28kg ;-)

Buen Camino, SY

 

[AJ]

Your first decision is whereabouts in France you want to start walking. Do you take the ferry to Calais, or Cherbourg say.

If Calais you could head for Paris then take the Paris/Tours route or continue to Vezelay and take the Voie de Vezelay or to Le Puy and take that route. There are guide books in English for Paris/Tours and Le Puy and in French for Vezelay.

If Cherbourg head for Mont St Michel then the Plantagenet way then either the Voie Littorale or join the Paris route in Bordeaux. If Voie Littorale down the coast you could join the Camino del Norte. There are guides for all of this in English or French.

Then there is the Via Francigena from Wissant (near Calais) from which you can branch off to the Voie de Vezelay.

There are probably other choices too. Have fun!!

 

[PurpleEyes]

Thank you all for your advise! I clearly have a lot of reading to do and then a lot of decisions to make. I really appreciate you taking the time to reply and shall probably be back to ask more questions! Thank you