Camino, March 2021.

[Marinita]

Hello! I would like to take Camino in March 2021. but I am not sure are routes going to be open then. Does anyone maybe now what is with Cathedral and how long is going to be closed? I heard, it is renewing. Thanks

 

[VNwalking]

Welcome to the Forum, @Marinita. All of us here would love to know the answers to your questions, but who knows when albergues will open, and it is possible to walk again?

But the Cathedral question is easier: restoration is almost finished.

If you want a sense of what it's like right now in Santiago, @ivar (who runs this forum) posts a weekly video update most every Monday from Santiago. So the next one should be coming soon.

 

[Marinita]

Thank U very much. I am just hardly waiting to buy a ticket but I am not sure for when.

 

[Marbe2]

I too have no idea of when Spain wil open up for visitors and pilgrims....
This is a reply we are all waiting for.

However, I read an article regarding the vaccine suggesting that most Spaniards would not be innoculated until May.

“....However, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t reason to be hopeful that by May of next year as suggested by Spain’s Minister of Health Salvador Illa, much of Spain’s population will have been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus.”

I realize that this does not specifically answer your question, but it may be an indicator of when it might be time for somene, who also has been innoculated to travel to Spain.

https://www.thelocal.es/20201117/when-will-the-new-covid-19-vaccines-be-available-in-spain

 

[Marinita]

Thank U very much. I am very happy to find out for this forum. It would be really nice that this situation settles little bit down so we can take the walk by beautiful Spain

 

[trecile]

Personally, I'm hoping to walk again in September. I don't see widespread vaccinations happening before the summer. I won't be traveling until I have been vaccinated and the majority of the population where I'm traveling to has been vaccinated also.

 

[Sixwheeler]

Just a personal opinion but I think that you are pushing your luck if you want to walk in March. The UK will start vaccination to the most vulnerable groups next week and "hope" to get all the higher risk groups vaccinated by Easter; I suspect that most national travel restrictions are unlikely to be eased until their most vulnerable groups have been done.

We all have the highest of hopes for 2021 but I think that it's likely to be the summer before there's any realistic chance of overseas travel and could well be later than that. Everyone wants to get back to normal but no one wants to risk more deaths; it's a tricky balancing act and I think governments will tend towards caution.

We can only hope.

 

[Marinita]

I hope it will go away next year. Well, plans are always removable.

 

[Marbe2]

Personally, I'm hoping to walk again in September. I don't see widespread vaccinations happening before the summer. I won't be traveling until I have been vaccinated and the majority of the population where I'm traveling to has been vaccinated also.

We are planning for September 21 too! Apparently so are many others judging by the difficulty getting rservations in good private establishments in larger towns along the CF.

If you are planning to walk the Camino in September, I suggest you consider making reservations! If the Camino opens up and travel bans are lifted, I think there could be a surge of walkers and insufficient beds on the CF....Here is why.

Even if we are all vaccinated by then, according to the CDC the virus will still be around and we will continue to need to distance and wear masks. Therefore, albergues, which currently, have less capacity than before the pandemic, may still not have the overnight capacity they had before the pandemic. And will some of those albergues that closed due to the pandemic be able to reopen? In addition, it is a Holy Year! Many private establishments in towns like Portomarin are already fully occupied on certain days in September.

 

[Marinita]

Well, September is not my month at all cause in that time I am working but maybe in October.

 

[trecile]

We are planning for September 21 too! Apparently so are many others judging by the difficulty getting rservations in good private establishments in larger towns along the CF.

If you are planning to walk the Camino in September, I suggest you consider making reservations! If the Camino opens up and travel bans are lifted, I think there could be a surge of walkers and insufficient beds on the CF....Here is why.

Even if we are all vaccinated by then, according to the CDC the virus will still be around and we will continue to need to distance and wear masks. Therefore, albergues, which currently, have less capacity than before the pandemic, may still not have the overnight capacity they had before the pandemic. And will some of those albergues that closed due to the pandemic be able to reopen? In addition, it is a Holy Year! Many private establishments in towns like Portomarin are already fully occupied on certain days in September.

I'm hoping to do the Norte/Primitivo, but have no idea exactly when, so I won't be making reservations this far out.

 

[Marbe2]

I'm hoping to do the Norte/Primitivo, but have no idea exactly when, so I won't be making reservations this far out.

I know you already know about the CF, Trecile! I was trying to alert any Newbies. Hope you can get to do the Norte/primitivo in September!

 

[jpflavin1]

My current plans are on a late March Camino. I have not decided which one yet. I believe, based on what I have read, that I should be eligible for vaccination sometime in late February. I know everything is speculative but I am half glass full atm.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[Marinita]

It is nice to hear that someone is optimistic.

 

[Deleted member 34316]

Just keep in mind that Spain is under the State of Alarm until May 9th 2021.
This doesn't have to impact your travel across Spain, but you never know.
The Camino might just get more adventurous! Which may be a good thing?

https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/latest-uk-govt-rejects-imposing-national-lockdown-73897656

 

[thepacman]

I won't be traveling until I have been vaccinated and the majority of the population where I'm traveling to has been vaccinated also.

I think that's a very wise approach, both for one's own wellbeing but also for that of those around us, fellow travellers and hosts alike. Without wishing to trivialise anything, some of us (me included) will remember the days when we weren't allowed to travel until we had had a smallpox inoculation. Eventually that paid off.

 

[thepacman]

I think that you are pushing your luck if you want to walk in March.

It's still all very fluid and situational. Apart from @Sixwheeler's UK based comment, here in Oz my latest understanding is that we are not even allowed out of Australia until March earliest. That's not a comment on when people should travel or not, but simply an attempt to highlight that we are still far away from the thing we used to call "normal".

 

[Scorpio1983]

I thought a lot of casas are still open? I'm confused by this post. I thought I only need a negative pcr test to travel into Spain? I'm planning on travelling many times to the Camino next year.

 

[trecile]

I thought a lot of casas are still open? I'm confused by this post. I thought I only need a negative pcr test to travel into Spain? I'm planning on travelling many times to the Camino next year.

As the post above yours says

It's still all very fluid and situational.

 

[Barney12]

Ok so reading the above comments maybe 2022 is a better option... but then thats going to possibly be crazy busy too given a lot of us who were planning to walk Sept 21 will be changing our plans. I guess its just a case of sit these next few months out.. see what eventuates with vax and countries policies and think more seriously about dates after June 22??
But I cant wait to walk!!! And Im getting older gah!!!!

 

[HappyValley Bob]

Thank U very much. I am very happy to find out for this forum. It would be really nice that this situation settles little bit down so we can take the walk by beautiful Spain

Like you, my wife and I want to walk the French Way in September 2021 but we realize we’re rolling the dice. We booked our flight and 1st night in Orisson. We both are Covid vaccinated and are hoping that may help in some way. Went been in hold for 2 years and we will continue to book each year until it’s open. Wish you well and hope it happens for you. Bob from Oregon

 

[HappyValley Bob]

Ok so reading the above comments maybe 2022 is a better option... but then thats going to possibly be crazy busy too given a lot of us who were planning to walk Sept 21 will be changing our plans. I guess its just a case of sit these next few months out.. see what eventuates with vax and countries policies and think more seriously about dates after June 22??
But I cant wait to walk!!! And Im getting older gah!!!!

Barney- we booked fir September 2021 but realize that’s a risk. Hope it happens for you (and us). Good luck!