August with children

[pvh]

Hello to all,
Firstly thanks to everyone on this forum for all the info and inspiration that I've already gained by reading through the amazing wealth of posts so far.
We are a family of 4, 2 adults and 2 children (10 and 12) attempting our first Camino this summer. We are tied to school holidays/work etc and only have 8 or 9 days including all travel to and fro. Therefore, after much reading, are cautiously committing to walking from Sarria to Santiago. Are we mad because of the heat and will the crowds on this section make accommodation a nightmare? On the latter point, might we be better trying to find private albergues or casas rural that we could bookin advance and at least all be able to guarantee to sleep together, and might this be not much more than municipal albergues?
We are practicing christians and want to make this pilgrimage for spiritual purposes and to give our children a taste of adventure, however, funds are a bit tight, so can't afford to stay in hotels everynight.
Any advice would be most appreciated, particularly from anyone who's done something similar.

Many many thanks in advance and buen Camino,

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Don't be mad, if there is such mahem on this stretch at this time, it's because, after all it is doable. Just prebook your beds in one of the MANY albergues that accept reservations, look up Red de Albergues. Or else just wing it, and be willing to sleep whereever an albergue can fit you. It's only a few days after all (since 8-9 days including to and from is very little time - assuming from your post you are coming from the US).

 

[pvh]

Many thanks for the speedy reply. We're actually coming from the UK but I imagine it'll take 1 whole day to get to Sarria, via Santiago airport and bus etc, then leaving another day at the end in Santiago, we would have 6-7 days walking the 113 km. Ideally we'd love to take our time and allow time for breaks for the children, and it would be great to just be able to find an albergue when we felt like stopping, but really don't want to get involved in a bed race each day as that really is not our idea of fun, so I suppose booking ahead is the only answer?
How far in advance would you suggest we make bookings, eg the night before or a couple of months in advance?
Thanks you again,
Pvh

 

[NualaOC]

If I were travelling with kids in August, I would definitely book ahead. That way, you can take as many breaks as you need without worrying about bed availability. Also, your kids are old enough to be actively involved in the planning, so it could be fun for them to study the guidebook/maps and plot a rough itinerary. Booking.com has a lot of options for the Sarria to Santiago stretch and it allows you to cancel rooms if needed (although check the notice periods for each property - it's typically 1 or 2, but it can be as many as 7 days). Gronze.com is also a great resource.

Personally, I would book at least some of the rooms/beds before leaving home - but others will no doubt have different views.

Buen Camino to you and your family!

 

[camino07]

Hi, Our family consisting of myself,son and two grandsons 11 and 8 yrs are walking from Sarria in June.
We plan to take 6 days and I have booked accom. for the first 4 in private albergues and one pension.We will wing it from there.
1 Sarria to Portomarin
2 Portomarin to Eirexe
3 Eirexe to Melide
4Melide to Arzua
5Arzua to Arca
6 Arca to Santiago (May stay last night in Monte de Gozo)
Hope this helps
Heather

 

[jefferyonthecamino]

The bad news is that there will be a lot more pilgrims on the Camino in August and you will probably be more relaxed booking ahead in the smaller albergues, many may even offer private family rooms. The good news is that your kids will probably run into other kids their ages, which will definitely make their Camino more enjoyable.

As for the municipal albergues, it is not unusual to see dozens of pilgrims patiently waiting on the ground (in the sun) for the place to open; hardly the way I would want to spend my siesta time . On that note, even if we all are heartwarming pilgrims, I personally, would have second thoughts about sleeping my young ones in a 50 bunk bed shared hall.

Best of luck and Buen Camino!

 

[jefferyonthecamino]

Hi, Our family consisting of myself,son and two grandsons 11 and 8 yrs are walking from Sarria in June.
We plan to take 6 days and I have booked accom. for the first 4 in private albergues and one pension.We will wing it from there.
1 Sarria to Portomarin
2 Portomarin to Eirexe
3 Eirexe to Melide
4Melide to Arzua
5Arzua to Arca
6 Arca to Santiago (May stay last night in Monte de Gozo)
Hope this helps
Heather

What a great plan!
And I hope you don't mind me suggesting that you avoid Monte de Gozo's barracks like the plague. 15 minutes more will take you into town, closer to the dathedral and most likely to affordable much nicer places!
Buen Camino

 

[camino07]

Thank you Jeffrey,it depends on how long the boys can walk but probably better options than Monte de Gozo.

 

[pvh]

Thanks for all the advice and also that plan from camino07 looks very similar to the one we're thinking about and good to know about that albergue to avoid. Any other advice about anywhere that anyone doesn't think would be suitable for us would be much appreciated, we are all relatively easy going but all advice is very gratefully received.
Thanks again and buen camino

 

[3walkingtoSantiago]

Since you asked, I will give my opinion: I wouldn't do it. I may be biased because I didn't enjoy that stretch, but the crowds, etc., were not much fun. There are more scenic, less hectic stretches. We did the camino over 3 summers, starting in SJPD when my kid was 11. I enjoyed the 2nd stretch (Logrono to Sahagun) the most. The cathedral in Burgos is amazing, and there are lots of spiritual opportunities along that stretch. Staying at the donativos in Granon and Tosantos were incredibly meaningful to my son (12 at the time), who loved helping with communal meals, getting to know the monk who was staying at Granon, singing in the choir loft, going up to the cave chapel at Tosantos, and more.

It is hot, even for us, coming from the Middle East - we stay inside in the air con all the time here! Be prepared with plenty of water and be ready for lots of breaks. Whatever you decide, enjoy, and buen camino!

 

[pvh]

Than you for the advice 3walkingtosantiago and I realise that we probably are not choosing the most interesting section but we thought we'd do this and if the children are then up for it start next year in St Jean and do it in stages after that.
When you say crowds are we talking relatively to the rest of the route or is it genuinely difficult to walk comfortably because of the amount of people?
Sorry if it's a silly question but I would really like to know what to expect.

Also could anyone tell me, if we do stay in private albergues do you need your own sleep sack and towel or is that provided?

thank you all again

 

[mspath]

...

Also could anyone tell me, if we do stay in private albergues do you need your own sleep sack and towel or is that provided?

thank you all again

Private albergues also require you to provide either a sleeping bag or bag liner and your own towel. Many pilgrims use lightweight quick drying sports towels.

Buen camino!

 

[Kiwi-family]

If you find you want/need to stop in Monte de Gozo, don't worry! I've never heard anything good about the place, but my own experience was not bad. The atmosphere when we were there was awesome - everyone was on the cusp of finishing and full of excitement - it was a big party (and actually I'm not really the partying sort, but it was great). It was another unique camino night for us....and then we returned the next couple of nights the first time we walked as it was the cheapest option and we were saving every penny possible.
By the way, fifteen minutes to the cathedral would either be very fast or there's a route I don't know about.

 

[Alan Pearce]

If you find you want/need to stop in Monte de Gozo, don't worry! I've never heard anything good about the place, but my own experience was not bad. The atmosphere when we were there was awesome - everyone was on the cusp of finishing and full of excitement - it was a big party (and actually I'm not really the partying sort, but it was great). It was another unique camino night for us....and then we returned the next couple of nights the first time we walked as it was the cheapest option and we were saving every penny possible.
By the way, fifteen minutes to the cathedral would either be very fast or there's a route I don't know about.

I endorse every thing Kiwi-family has to say about Monte de Gozo. I enjoyed my stay there very much, and it was wonderful to sleep in a room with only 4 double bunks - as a result all 4 in our party were able to share the night together in relative privacy. And 15 minutes to the cathedral?- I know you get fitter as you walk along the camino, but not THAT fit.

 

[3walkingtoSantiago]

You will need your own sleep sack and towel in private albergues, definitely. Only hotels or hostales typically provide those. Also remember that many albergues have private rooms. We often got a private room - usually with 4 beds, sometimes with our own bathroom, even!

As far as crowds, it is definitely busier after Sarria, but it's not like you're in the middle of Times Square. One of the worst days for me was leaving Portomarin, where we DIDN'T get coffee before leaving (long story) and walked what seemed like forever before we found a place to stop. It was actually crowded on the path that morning and I was not feeling the love. It got better as people spread out some. We stopped early that day in a TINY place and got up and walked in the dark the next morning.

I suggest definitely booking rooms ahead, not pushing too hard, and starting early (difficult with kids, or with my kid, anyway). To book ahead, just ask the hospitalero to call ahead for you. You may have to stop and call to confirm if you are going to be late. We called 3 times one day, I forget where it was - we got the last 3 bunks in a big albergue - it was one of the worst nights - people up late, drunk, talking (loudly), playing with their phones, just generally being twits. That was the last night we stayed in an albergue, now that I think about it.

Edit to correct auto-correct!

 

[pvh]

Thank you all again for this invaluable advice.
There is one thing that I do have to ask about and that's the dreaded bedbugs. I'm afraid my other half suffers from genuine OCD (with contamination fears) which is partly one of the reasons for us attempting the pilgrimage, however, unfortunately after reading some of the reports on here and other internet resources about the problems of bedbugs on this section of the Camino,and they are now beginning to have second thoughts about going!
It's not so much the issue of being bitten whilst there, it's the thought of bringing them home that's causing them anxiety, something which has been exacerbated by some of the posts and blogs about the measures that need to be taken with gear etc upon return home to UK, like leaving EVERYTHING in the garage in a plastic bag for a week etc, or just throwing everything away that can't be boil washed!
I need to be gently encouraging but also need some clear headed perspective here, so my questions are: does everyone who walks this last section of the Frances in summer take all these steps to prevent bringing the bugs home, is it really necessary to put EVERYTHING in a plastic bag in your garage for a week before boil washing etc, or is a little perspective needed here? You see we are planning to go on for afew days with friends in the south of Portugal after our Camino and all this might be a bit tricky to facilitate, (we'll also have some extra bags that we're hoping to leave at Ivar's and collect before going south, so would these also need that same treatment?)?
I realise that there are no definitive answers but I need to be able to try and reassure and encourage as well as be truthful as to the best way forward here. Many many thanks for any help in advance.
P

 

[camino07]

I can only give my experience. I have stopped reading anything on the forum about bedbugs because it raises my anxiety level.
In 7 and soon to be 8 caminos I have never seen or been bitten by the creatures(touch wood!) I take no precautions such as spraying my sleeping bag or clothes. Only on my one September Portuguese walk did we see that someone had drawn a picture of a bedbug on the previous day's book.
No one was bitten that night as far as I know ! Don't worry!

 

[3walkingtoSantiago]

We never saw a bedbug over 3 summers. Treated our sleep sacks the last year only (couldn't get the permethrin here, but that year we came from US, so were able to). No garbage bag de-con procedures, nada. You'll be fine. If you're not, you'll deal with it then. Buen camino!

 

[pvh]

Many thanks for the reassuring responses, we were almost thinking of not going until maybe my other half has a bit more control of their odd owing to some of the rather alarming reports on the interweb about the nature of the problem and what one must do to avoid them etc. Fortunately a bit of time and some calm and rational words have hopefully settled things down and allowed us to plan ahead, so again many thanks to all. Now just have to try and convince the children that walking 14 miles a day in summer is an attainable feat!

 

[pvh]

Right well we've booked the flights so I suppose our Camino actually starts now! We have 7 nights so hope to follow something close to camino07's route above which should be doable I hope.
I do have one further question to ask all you knowlegable people though:
We'll not arrive in Santiago until 8.50pm on a Tuesday so imagining we'll miss the last bus will probably go to Sarria on the Wednesday morning, probably arriving about 12.30pm if my reading of the bus timetables is correct. We don't want too daunting a 1st day and bearing in mind we won't be leaving sarria much before 1pm after we've got our credencia and sellos etc, would we be accused of "HERESY" if we took a taxi from Sarria to as near as possible to the 100km sign, saving us the 11km or so and meaning we would have a reasonably achievable walk to Portomarin, taking heat etc into account? I realise we could stop before, but it would also shorten the journey, just enough to make the rest of the itinerary possible.
Also if it's not even more sacrilegious to ask, does anyone have a notion of how much said taxi might cost?
Many thanks again in advance for all the invaluable help and encouragement everyone gives.
P

 

[Silverton]

Best wishes to you and your family, pvh. I would throw in another idea, for your first night, and also for staying in the environs of Santiago, if you don't choose Monte de Gozo. Residencia de Peregrinos San Lazáro is on your right, just after you walk beyond the first? roundabout into Santiago. (See their website or the All Albergues pdf) I have stayed several times, and consider it to be good value, very clean and spacious, with laundry facilities and a very good kitchen--and you can reserve ahead for busy August. The airport bus stops across the road, as does the number 6 bus into the city centre.

 

[Josephina81]

If you find you want/need to stop in Monte de Gozo, don't worry! I've never heard anything good about the place, but my own experience was not bad. The atmosphere when we were there was awesome - everyone was on the cusp of finishing and full of excitement - it was a big party (and actually I'm not really the partying sort, but it was great). It was another unique camino night for us....and then we returned the next couple of nights the first time we walked as it was the cheapest option and we were saving every penny possible.
By the way, fifteen minutes to the cathedral would either be very fast or there's a route I don't know about.

I'm glad to hear this. I'm taking my 10 yr old on Camino, and we had planned to stay here, and then do the remaining 5 kms the next day to arrive in SdC relatively refreshed and ready to experience it