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hi - there’s no fast way overland, and SJPP is a small town isolated in the mountains, so overland trip will likely be 24 hours of slow train/multiple bus connections. Couple of suggestions though -
1) try ending your flight in Lisbon or Porto. You can walk from either city to Santiago (both...
Hello - I don’t bother bringing a towel. I bring a face cloth (called a flannel in England) and dry myself off with that. A T-shirt wrapped around my head to dry hair, and I could easily use T-shirt to dry off too, making the face cloth unneeded. In albergues, you’re not walking around in a...
Hello - permethrin is very effective and considered a necessity by World Health Org, many armies treat all fabrics with it etc. You spray it on your sleeping bag and backpack (inside and out, I suggest) before leaving home. Generally very safe to humans but read warnings if you have a cat. Keep...
With 5 weeks to go, you still have time to geartest your clothes, so my top suggestion is to start with what you have in your closet and wear on all training walks, wearing your loaded pack. Often you will think a top works well until you wear the pack for 10km and realize a seam is chafing you...
Try out different types enroute, is my best suggestion. I surprisingly liked cafe solos the best, even though I’m not an espresso person at home. Good luck and have a nice walk
Hello - go to a purpose-built lingerie store (not a fashion store like Victoria’s Secret), get fitted and buy what you need. They will have options for you. Good luck and have a nice walk
Hello - you won’t need a hairdryer but I do have a suggestion that might help. Set aside 50€ and when you arrive at Pamplona after a few days, either use it to buy a hairdryer and other items you missed not having for 4-5 days since SJPP - or use it to fill a box with the hairdryer/other...
Hi - few thoughts. I start late Aug on 4th camino, and although I’ve loved my 20 ounce sleeping bag in past Sept caminos, got a $25 polyester sleep sack with full zip for this year. Bag will likely be far too warm, yes - if you get cold late Sept/Oct, just buy a bag, they can be found cheaply in...
Hi - heading for my 6th camino and have found Madrid to be best point of entry to camino. MAD is cheaper than CDG generally (although if you get cheap flight/train combo from CDG that’s also a good option), 4-5 hours bus to Pamplona than 90 bus to SJPP. No hassle, many others doing the same...
Ha ha sorry to laugh, but competed on your back is a good image :) ask in a pharmacy for diaper rash cream (often mostly zinc), show the pharmacist your rash, he/she can definitely help. And switch your shirt once it’s soaked through, the friction from moisture is a problem. Might also want to...
Hi Trevor - some ideas for you. Definitely book your first night in advance, so even if you are late, your room is ready. Finding hotels on the Camino Frances will not be a problem from April-Oct, there are plenty - but they tend to close around winter holidays and are in high demand in summer...
Hi there - you will need to go through Passport Control in Madrid, as you were on a domestic flight between Santiago and Madrid, and now are leaving the country. But you won’t collect your bag in Madrid. If your flight from Madrid is non-stop to Chicago, you will pick up your bag in Chicago and...
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