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18 days to do Camino April 2022

Toots

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
2021
I was planning a 6 week walk on the Frances route but plans have had to change as my original walking buddy has backed out. I have a new pilgrim to walk with but less time .
I wonder if we could do the whole walk in up 2-3 weeks using a travel company? Any recommendations on who to use would be really helpful?
If we can’t do the whole walk, is there any recommendation where to start that we could do in 2-3 weeks?
My origional plan was arrange it all but with time restrictions , I think using a company would be the better option. Any recommendations or advice would be really welcome . I will be 67 and my walking buddy will be 35 when we do it. I am fit and healthy. Many thanks.
 
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I wonder if we could do the whole walk in up 2-3 weeks using a travel company?
What would the travel company do for you? Are you looking for a bus tour along the camino, or do you want help deciding what sections to skip and how to arrange transport? I don't see how you can do the same thing in 2 weeks that you could in 6 weeks. Why don't you simply plan a 2-3 week Camino.

As to what you can do in 2-3 weeks, see this thread for a recent discussion.
 
I was planning a 6 week walk on the Frances route but plans have had to change as my original walking buddy has backed out. I have a new pilgrim to walk with but less time .
I wonder if we could do the whole walk in up 2-3 weeks using a travel company? Any recommendations on who to use would be really helpful?
If we can’t do the whole walk, is there any recommendation where to start that we could do in 2-3 weeks?
My origional plan was arrange it all but with time restrictions , I think using a company would be the better option. Any recommendations or advice would be really welcome . I will be 67 and my walking buddy will be 35 when we do it. I am fit and healthy. Many thanks.
I'm also curious to know what a travel company would do for you. Are you wanting to walk the Camino, or be a tourist dipping in and out of places?
That thread is worth looking at - there are lots of options mentioned there.
I would suggest starting at Leon, which is easy to get to, and walking to Santiago.
 
Join our full-service guided tour and let us convert you into a Pampered Pilgrim!
I was planning a 6 week walk on the Frances route but plans have had to change as my original walking buddy has backed out. I have a new pilgrim to walk with but less time .
I wonder if we could do the whole walk in up 2-3 weeks using a travel company? Any recommendations on who to use would be really helpful?
If we can’t do the whole walk, is there any recommendation where to start that we could do in 2-3 weeks?
My origional plan was arrange it all but with time restrictions , I think using a company would be the better option. Any recommendations or advice would be really welcome . I will be 67 and my walking buddy will be 35 when we do it. I am fit and healthy. Many thanks.
Pamplona to Leon.
 
I was planning a 6 week walk on the Frances route but plans have had to change as my original walking buddy has backed out. I have a new pilgrim to walk with but less time .
I wonder if we could do the whole walk in up 2-3 weeks using a travel company? Any recommendations on who to use would be really helpful?
If we can’t do the whole walk, is there any recommendation where to start that we could do in 2-3 weeks?
My origional plan was arrange it all but with time restrictions , I think using a company would be the better option. Any recommendations or advice would be really welcome . I will be 67 and my walking buddy will be 35 when we do it. I am fit and healthy. Many thanks.
I would echo what others have said here, a travel company isn't usually necessary. I know it provides a sense of security and takes the burden off your shoulders, but - for me at least - the planning, preparation and anticipation are part of the gift of the Camino.
As for where to begin walking:
First, it's important to determine how many walking days you have, taking into consideration travel days and a little time (a day or so) to get oriented and overcome any time differences between where you are traveling from and Spain. Second, decide whether it is important for you to conclude your Camino in Santiago, or if that matters. Then think about how many KM you may want to walk each day. I have found 25k to be a pretty reasonable number but you may prefer shorter or longer distances.
Let's say you have 14-15 walking days, that's probably enough time to walk from Leon to Santiago or from Ponferrada to Santiago and on to Finisterre.
Check out the Camino Planner feature at https://godesalco.com/plan to help you determine how many days you might need to walk the distances you feel you want to walk.
While it's tempting to leapfrog along the Camino, particularly over much of the Meseta, I think the experience of walking from point A to point B (Santiago) is much more rewarding. Then you can plan to return and to walk from SJPP to Leon the next time.
Finally, there are a great number of resources provided here on the forum and in the materials recommended here, so look around, do a little research enjoy your planning and preparations. Buen Camino!
 
While it's tempting to leapfrog along the Camino, particularly over much of the Meseta, I think the experience of walking from point A to point B (Santiago) is much more rewarding.
I agree 💯percent. It's hard to explain to those who haven't yet walked the Camino, but getting into the groove of the Camino with one continuous walk is really (at least for me) an essential part of the Camino.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
What would the travel company do for you? Are you looking for a bus tour along the camino, or do you want help deciding what sections to skip and how to arrange transport? I don't see how you can do the same thing in 2 weeks that you could in 6 weeks. Why don't you simply plan a 2-3 week Camino.

As to what you can do in 2-3 weeks, see this thread for a recent discussion.
Thank you, the questions are helpful and enable me to consider things I’d not thought of. Tbh i had no idea what my alternatives could be as my plan was to walk the whole way without aid of any sort. This can’t be done in time frame now I realise. Yes perhaps I need to decide which bits to skip and how to arrange transport between the chosen places. I don’t really know what the travel companies do but thought it may take some of the stress away I currently feel, having my plans turned on their head. Im guessing it would not. Also, To get to the beginning of the Frances walk , do you know which airport is best to use? And bus route aftert that? Thank your for your ideas, it’s enabled me to start re planning.
 
I would echo what others have said here, a travel company isn't usually necessary. I know it provides a sense of security and takes the burden off your shoulders, but - for me at least - the planning, preparation and anticipation are part of the gift of the Camino.
As for where to begin walking:
First, it's important to determine how many walking days you have, taking into consideration travel days and a little time (a day or so) to get oriented and overcome any time differences between where you are traveling from and Spain. Second, decide whether it is important for you to conclude your Camino in Santiago, or if that matters. Then think about how many KM you may want to walk each day. I have found 25k to be a pretty reasonable number but you may prefer shorter or longer distances.
Let's say you have 14-15 walking days, that's probably enough time to walk from Leon to Santiago or from Ponferrada to Santiago and on to Finisterre.
Check out the Camino Planner feature at https://godesalco.com/plan to help you determine how many days you might need to walk the distances you feel you want to walk.
While it's tempting to leapfrog along the Camino, particularly over much of the Meseta, I think the experience of walking from point A to point B (Santiago) is much more rewarding. Then you can plan to return and to walk from SJPP to Leon the next time.
Finally, there are a great number of resources provided here on the forum and in the materials recommended here, so look around, do a little research enjoy your planning and preparations. Buen Camino!
Thank you so much for your advice, it’s really helpful for me as a complete novice. I will work out the planned walking days and distance we want to do daily as a starting point. I do think Santiago is the desired destination so will look a the routs you have suggested ans do some more reasearch on here. I Ann certainly feeling that a travel company is not required really. Many thanks for all your ideas, it’s really kind ans helpful for me as a complete newby at this pilgrimage.
 
To get to the beginning of the Frances walk , do you know which airport is best to use? And bus route after that?
The Camino Frances is often considered to be the route from St Jean Pied de Port (SJPP) on the French side of the Pyrenees to Santiago. However, there is nothing official about this starting point. Many people start before or after. To qualify for a Compostela at the Cathedral in Santiago, you only need to have walked from Sarria to Santiago.

The nearest airport to SJPP is Biarritz. The nearest airport to Sarria is Santiago. For bus routes, you would need to search for whatever towns you want to connect by bus. The website Rome2Rio is a good place to start. You need to find a map with the route marked on it, and study it! We can't tell you all the combinations of walking and busing 800 km across Spain. :confused:

thought it may take some of the stress away
Take the stress away by deciding how many km you can comfortably walk in a day, multiply that by the number of days you have, and check the map to find an appropriate place to start. Leon might be a good place. Use Rome2Rio to figure out how to get to Leon. Then you can just start walking as you had planned to do in the first place. Leon to Santiago

For me, just the idea of trying to hop on and off buses to get from SJPP to Santiago in 18 days is very stressful. Pick a reasonable starting point, get there, and start walking.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
I'm also curious to know what a travel company would do for you. Are you wanting to walk the Camino, or be a tourist dipping in and out of places?
That thread is worth looking at - there are lots of options mentioned there.
I would suggest starting at Leon, which is easy to get to, and walking to Santiago.
Tbh I’ve no idea what they could offer and I’m getting so many good ideas from this forum that it’s not really a need to do it that way . I think it was perhaps a “panic “ thought so I could take the stress out of it now my original plan has been turned on its head . What I see now is this is all part of adapting and part of the joy of planning it all. Starting from Leonnlooks a good plan. I will explore that option so thank you for that idea.
 
The Camino Frances is often considered to be the route from St Jean Pied de Port (SJPP) on the French side of the Pyrenees to Santiago. However, there is nothing official about this starting point. Many people start before or after. To qualify for a Compostela at the Cathedral in Santiago, you only need to have walked from Sarria to Santiago.

The nearest airport to SJPP is Biarritz. The nearest airport to Sarria is Santiago. For bus routes, you would need to search for whatever towns you want to connect by bus. The website Rome2Rio is a good place to start. You need to find a map with the route marked on it, and study it! We can't tell you all the combinations of walking and busing 800 km across Spain. :confused:


Take the stress away by deciding how many km you can comfortably walk in a day, multiply that by the number of days you have, and check the map to find an appropriate place to start. Leon might be a good place. Use Rome2Rio to figure out how to get to Leon. Then you can just start walking as you had planned to do in the first place. Leon to Santiago

For me, just the idea of trying to hop on and off buses to get from SJPP to Santiago in 18 days is very stressful. Pick a reasonable starting point, get there, and start walking.
Just reading your advice has taken the stress away. The thought of buses etc was not my idea of the Camino at all. Leon is
coming up as a good option for the time we have. I’m coming from the UK so should be easy enough to get to. Thanks for your positivity as I was a bit lost.
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
You might also consider walking the Portuguese Camino from Porto, then on to Finisterre and/or Muxía. Most pilgrims start the Portuguese Camino from Porto, so you will find yourself amongst people with the same starting point. You can then save the Francés for when you have time to walk a longer Camino.
 
Do yourself a favour and don't try to start farther away than Leon or Sahagun. Have some days to spare, maybe to spend a day in Leon, Astorga, and/or Santiago. If you get to Santiago too soon, you can always go on to Finisterre with the extra time, but it is nice not to be under time pressure.
Great advice, thank you. I want to take all in all I can on this journey so leaving time to do things is a very wise idea I had not really considered.
 
The first edition came out in 2003 and has become the go-to-guide for many pilgrims over the years. It is shipping with a Pilgrim Passport (Credential) from the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.
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I would echo what others have said here, a travel company isn't usually necessary. I know it provides a sense of security and takes the burden off your shoulders, but - for me at least - the planning, preparation and anticipation are part of the gift of the Camino.
As for where to begin walking:
First, it's important to determine how many walking days you have, taking into consideration travel days and a little time (a day or so) to get oriented and overcome any time differences between where you are traveling from and Spain. Second, decide whether it is important for you to conclude your Camino in Santiago, or if that matters. Then think about how many KM you may want to walk each day. I have found 25k to be a pretty reasonable number but you may prefer shorter or longer distances.
Let's say you have 14-15 walking days, that's probably enough time to walk from Leon to Santiago or from Ponferrada to Santiago and on to Finisterre.
Check out the Camino Planner feature at https://godesalco.com/plan to help you determine how many days you might need to walk the distances you feel you want to walk.
While it's tempting to leapfrog along the Camino, particularly over much of the Meseta, I think the experience of walking from point A to point B (Santiago) is much more rewarding. Then you can plan to return and to walk from SJPP to Leon the next time.
Finally, there are a great number of resources provided here on the forum and in the materials recommended here, so look around, do a little research enjoy your planning and preparations. Buen Camino!
This is so very helpful! Thank you .
 
You might also consider walking the Portuguese Camino from Porto, then on to Finisterre and/or Muxía. Most pilgrims start the Portuguese Camino from Porto, so you will find yourself amongst people with the same starting point. You can then save the Francés for when you have time to walk a longer Camino.
Now this is one thing I’d never even considered but will look into it now, thank you for the idea.
 
Tbh I’ve no idea what they could offer and I’m getting so many good ideas from this forum that it’s not really a need to do it that way . I think it was perhaps a “panic “ thought so I could take the stress out of it now my original plan has been turned on its head . What I see now is this is all part of adapting and part of the joy of planning it all. Starting from Leonnlooks a good plan. I will explore that option so thank you for that idea.
Assuming you don't want to do sightseeing in Madrid, getting to Leon is super easy.
You simply fly in, and take an Alsa bus to Leon - their depot is in the airport. Super simple.
Leon is a nice city, with an outstanding beautiful cathedral - I love those windows.
There is a good selection of accommodation in Leon, and a benefit of starting there is that the first two days of walking are pretty flat as you get into your Camino stride.
And on day 3 you'll get into Astorga - one of my favourite Camino towns.
(As it is also a tourist town, it's a good idea to book ahead there)
Booking.com is easy, but you can also get a guidebook (Many use a Brierley), which lists some of the accommodation, and you can phone ahead (or ask your hospitalera).
There are also many favourite albergues listed here on the forum.
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
Assuming you don't want to do sightseeing in Madrid, getting to Leon is super easy.
You simply fly in, and take an Alsa bus to Leon - their depot is in the airport. Super simple.
Leon is a nice city, with an outstanding beautiful cathedral - I love those windows.
There is a good selection of accommodation in Leon, and a benefit of starting there is that the first two days of walking are pretty flat as you get into your Camino stride.
And on day 3 you'll get into Astorga - one of my favourite Camino towns.
(As it is also a tourist town, it's a good idea to book ahead there)
Booking.com is easy, but you can also get a guidebook (Many use a Brierley), which lists some of the accommodation, and you can phone ahead (or ask your hospitalera).
There are also many favourite albergues listed here on the forum.
I think Leon will be our starting point. I’ve had so many recommends to do it from here. Thank you for the detailed info re the buses and accom. I will get the Brieley guide as my friend has waltzed off with it. I have another one but preferred that. I feel a lot more confident now to do this without a travel company so thanks to all who contributed 🙂
 
I was planning a 6 week walk on the Frances route but plans have had to change as my original walking buddy has backed out. I have a new pilgrim to walk with but less time .
I wonder if we could do the whole walk in up 2-3 weeks using a travel company? Any recommendations on who to use would be really helpful?
If we can’t do the whole walk, is there any recommendation where to start that we could do in 2-3 weeks?
My origional plan was arrange it all but with time restrictions , I think using a company would be the better option. Any recommendations or advice would be really welcome . I will be 67 and my walking buddy will be 35 when we do it. I am fit and healthy. Many thanks.
Why would you ever think of using a company to plan your Camino? Very, very expensive. I have twice walked the Camino without any external help.
If you have only 2-3 weeks, start further down the Camino and enjoy the excitement of what each day brings. To me, that us what the Camino us all about. Good luck.
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
I was planning a 6 week walk on the Frances route but plans have had to change as my original walking buddy has backed out. I have a new pilgrim to walk with but less time .
I wonder if we could do the whole walk in up 2-3 weeks using a travel company? Any recommendations on who to use would be really helpful?
Just an idea, but why don't you stick to the 6 weeks, if you've got the time and your new pilgrim friend will join you whenever it is feasible and you'll walk for instance from Leon together to SdC?
 
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I like Sugargypsies idea. If you still have the time, you could start in St. Jean (France) or Roncesvalles (Spain) and walk all the way from the french-spanish border to Santiago. You could meet up with your walking buddy in Leon and walk together from there. That way you'd habe both, a "complete" camino and walking time with a friend. Maybe that is not possible, but if, you might want to consider it.
 
Why would you ever think of using a company to plan your Camino? Very, very expensive. I have twice walked the Camino without any external help.
If you have only 2-3 weeks, start further down the Camino and enjoy the excitement of what each day brings. To me, that us what the Camino us all about. Good luck.
I totally agree and didn’t want to and wont. I had it all planned ( not booked) so got thrown in to a panic and abandoned the idea till another friend said she could do 18-20’days … so new plans are now unfolding . Leon is the fave starting point. The joy for me was the unknown ans the adventure of every day unfolding.
I just wanted to check out the best ways to do the Camino with limited time. Many thanks for your thoughts .
 
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Have you considered the CAMINO INGLES from Ferrol it is 118 km to Santiago. The landscape is hilly and all my overnight accommodation in May 2018 were in albergue's. Although I had a map / route I just followed the waymarking which is generally good. My first Albergue de Neda is a nice steady trek, which is advisable. The Albergue Miño is a extremely nice.
If your trip is 2/3 weeks then you could also trek the Santiago to Finisterre and Muxía camino and be certified again.
 
Any recommendations or advice would be really welcome

My suggestion is to start where you originally planned to start with your original walking buddy. By the time your new walking buddy has to go home you’ll both have made lots of new friends. You can then continue on with your camino family and walk the “whole” camino as you originally wanted to do. Have fun planning!
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Sugargypsy has a great idea! I second it! Try finding another walking buddy for the first weeks, and walk the entire way! How fortunate to get 2 buddies, either way😊

I find planning your own Camino helps you familiarize yourself with each city you’ll stop at along the way, maybe find the Cathedral/church in relation to where you’re staying if you want to stop. If you plan on staying at the municipal albergues, the Camino itself has done a lot of the work for you, but a guidebook or a smartphone app could give you a great sense of security. They typically list the municipal albergues, private albergues, hotels, relative cost etc, plus some history of the towns in relation to the Camino.

There’s a lot of stops along the way, so I can understand if it seems overwhelming to plan! It seems to me that’s the main convenience the travel companies offer, planning your stays, & maybe some meals for you. Another convenience you’ll see them list is transporting your luggage or pack from town to town. However, this is also a service offered on it’s own along the way if you find you’d rather not have your pack for a day for whatever reason. And, I think I saw most towns offering this during the busy season.

If you find that again, for whatever reason you need a bus, the bigger cities will have busses daily going somewhere, there’s usually one main autobus location easy to find. The smaller towns might not run as frequently so keep that in mind, but that’s also something you can arrange kind of on shorter notice. The sites Turga & Anamiri mentioned are very helpful and I ended up using both on both my Caminos. My first time, I personally was nervous getting from the airport to my starting location, having never been overseas alone, but there was nothing for me to be worried about! I wish you all the best on your Camino! Buen Camino!
 

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