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Search 69,459 Camino Questions

Which cities to "skip"?

Dutch, no and not the Camino Czar either. I agree, but he implies that skipping Stage 19 is a good idea. You were there in 2013. Is it ugly?
Honestly, if your gonna skip the 'ugly' parts, you better buy a buspass.

King Brierley apparently told you that stage 19 is ugly enough to get his approval to skip, @newfydog says its magical. Who are you going to believe... Maybe its best to decide for yourself?

In my memory i would not skip it. I guess i did not find it ugly enough.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Once you opt for modern transportation the entire trip becomes a bit artificial. The option of hopping on a bus becomes part of the daily decision.

Just like to repeat the above post. Simpe but kinda true.

If 'ugly' is your criteria for bushopping, whats next....hungry? Ran out of Aquarius? Too hot, too cold? Same (Boring?) scenery for miles on end?

Ugly parts, boring parts ect become alot less ugly or even unnoticable if you walk with good company. I would suggest you try that. I know that probably made me not notice some less attractive parts of the camino as much.
 
Ugliness and beauty are such individual concepts...So subjective too. And one's mental state and general feeling of the day comes into the mix too.
I remember from my first Camino how I loved walking towards and stopping in Hontanas in the morning, having my first café con leche moment of the day and thought " well life does not get better ". Another time Hontanas was my stop for the day : I did not particularly liked the walk and I did not like the commercial feeling of Hontanas at that moment. Same I had with walking into Belorado.

And for me walking into Burgos on an Eastern Monday was magical : the deserted industrial zone with not much beauty to speak off but some nice truckstops on the way and lovely walkingcompany...
 
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... just keep walking. ... what makes it different to everything else in our lives, is its simplicity. A huge part of that is - no decisions. ... there is no such thing as a "full camino" - it is a meaningless concept. This obsession with starting at SJPDP is silly. If you go to Geneva you will see that the Camino starts there. Same with Paris. Or Madrid.

I quite agree. The Camino starts wherever you start. But wherever you do start, walk all the way to Santiago from there. Make it an uninterrupted experience, best without daily or even hourly postings on facebook. - A pilgrimage is a journey, especially a long one, of moral or spiritual significance. In the Middle Ages, theologians endorsed spiritual travel as a retreat from worldly concerns. They equated pilgrimage with the monastic way of life.
 
Once you opt for modern transportation the entire trip becomes a bit artificial. The option of hopping on a bus becomes part of the daily decision.
I have to agree this statement. The first time I went out to walk the Camino I had not planned, not prebooked, and had no idea there were buses and trains to "help" you fast-forward. It was lovely. On Camino 2 I walked with a person who prebooked, wanted to skip bits to be in Santiago on a specific date. Since then I plan more and whenever my feet hurt, or I feel a bit bored, I start looking for shortcuts, for fast-forwards, and it really spoils a Camino. I hope one day I am able to go back to a more "naive" way of doing the Camino. Perhaps this spring?
 
Didn't the mediaevals make use of horse / donkey / carts etc. where necessary?

I preferred to walk the whole way and am grateful that circumstances allowed me to but I'm not judging anyone who uses public transport at times when they need to or want to. If you can walk from Sarria to complete a recognised pilgrimage I can't really differentiate between that and someone who wants to start at SJPdP and use public transport at points where they need to.

Having said that, I'd rather miss the bigger cities than the meseta.
 
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Hi!
I am walking the Camino for the first time this year with my husband and another couple of friends. Unfortunately we will not have enough time to walk all the way as we need to get back to work..., but we will start it in St.Jean-Pied-de-Port and finish it Santiago de Compostela, so we will need to "skip" some places to be able do finish the walk in only 28 days! I would love your advice/expertise to help us to make the most of these days.

THE PLAN => We will start our journey in St.Jean-Pied-de-Port on the 18-April-2015 and will leave Santiago on the 15-May-2015 (so, only 28 days in total), but we would love to spend 3 days in Santiago to rest and to enjoy the place before we fly back to England, which gives us only 25 days to walk.

THE QUESTIONS => Which places should we "sacrifice"? I mean, were along the way we can catch a bus/taxi/train (?) to skip a few places and save time in the journey? Is it easy to do?

TRAVEL CONDITIONS (and health) :D => We are all in early 40's, non-smokers, good health and all in good shape but far from super-fit! :D so I imagine that our walking pace will be average...

Thank you in advance for any tips you guys can give us!
Well DON'T skip:
1. The climb out of Castrojeriz
2. The climb up O'Cebrerio
3. The climb up to and down from Cruz de Ferro
4. The last 110km from Sarria to Santiago
5. The climb up the steps into the Cathedral
☺️
 
I agree with MoniRose... It's more about what NOT to skip. Please don't skip Burgos or Leon.
 
Take the bus from Burgos to Leon,missing the meseta.

Try not to do this - you'll miss so much if you do. Not from the "scenic" perspective, perhaps (although that is down to personal choice) but because it is an integral part of the journey that should be experienced - if only for a day or two.

We found it one of the most contemplative sections of our trip.
 
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.
Just start in Pamplona and walk

Although it goes against the "completist" in me (wanting and having found a way to do SJPdP to Santiago with the time constraints I have), the more I think about this, the more I think I agree with Rebekah.

One of the key features of the Camino, whether done as a pilgrimage or as a walk, is in the continuous nature of the route. As a pilgrimage, the reasons for doing so are clear. As a walk, well the day-after-day move west and the discipline of doing so - day-in, day-out, come rain or shine - are part of the attraction. And, let face it, if you want a wilderness walk with beautiful scenery at every turn (like the Tour du Mont Blanc, or the Everest Base Camp trek, etc) the Camino is not that walk.

What it is, though, is "warts and all", which means adopting a different frame of mind, finding out about the country in all it's guises and learning about your own inner self. And whatever your reason for starting, you will certainly know more about yourself by the end. :D
 
Take the bus from Burgos to Leon,missing the meseta.
At least sample the Meseta. It is a deceptively beautiful and intriguing region.
My advice would be to play it by ear - skip ahead when you need to. Aches and pains, bad weather, tummy upsets - reasons will occur.
 
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.
A good list. Sad that the last 100km is a 'must do section' because there are big sections where I would take the ladder up to the next part of the board.
 
Honestly, if your gonna skip the 'ugly' parts, you better buy a buspass.

King Brierley apparently told you that stage 19 is ugly enough to get his approval to skip, @newfydog says its magical. Who are you going to believe... Maybe its best to decide for yourself?

In my memory i would not skip it. I guess i did not find it ugly enough.
"King Brierley"....ha ha ha:D
good one
 
Didn't the mediaevals make use of horse / donkey / carts etc. where necessary?

I preferred to walk the whole way and am grateful that circumstances allowed me to but I'm not judging anyone who uses public transport at times when they need to or want to. If you can walk from Sarria to complete a recognised pilgrimage I can't really differentiate between that and someone who wants to start at SJPdP and use public transport at points where they need to.

Having said that, I'd rather miss the bigger cities than the meseta.
True.
They would have jumped in the back of a pickup truck if it existed back then.
Pilgrims walked and suffered not out of choice. That's why I find it to be almost comical whenever I hear the notion that suffering or being miserable is part of a "true" Camino experience. ha ha
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
Once you opt for modern transportation the entire trip becomes a bit artificial. The option of hopping on a bus becomes part of the daily decision.

It has now become a big part of the pre-Camino decision on the forum.
We also now see thead after thread asking "what to miss?" ....and encouraging others to use pack transport and buses/transport on a regular basis...without a physical reason for simply not walking.
Times have changed and (In my opinion) not for the better.

Our fellow pilgrim newfydog has described the new attitude very simply.
 
It has now become a big part of the pre-Camino decision on the forum.
We also now see thead after thread asking "what to miss?" ....and encouraging others to use pack transport and buses/transport on a regular basis...without a physical reason for simply not walking.
Times have changed and (In my opinion) not for the better.

Our fellow pilgrim newfydog has described the new attitude very simply.
I agree with you @newfydog and @grayland.
The times have changed and not for the better.
Me and my Camino friends do not plan to skip anything - we do plan to experience it all.
The good days and bad days, rain, mud, snow, industrial suburbs, walking on Tarmac, cities and villages, highways, closed albergues, dirty albergues (we clean them before we leave them :) ).
 
We also now see thead after thread asking "what to miss?" ....and encouraging others to use pack transport and buses/transport on a regular basis...without a physical reason for simply not walking.
Times have changed and (In my opinion) not for the better.

Times will always change, and unless we want to suspend the Camino (and most other things) in time and create a museum or theme park, they always will. I, too, would agree change is not always for the best (although often it is) but if you stand there Canute-like trying to stem the tide you will just look daft when your feet are wet through.

My own preference would be to do it all in the traditional way, no excuses. But I also appreciate that not everyone is the same, and there may be many reasons why people might want to undertake a pilgrimage for their own reasons and in their own way.

Instead of getting sniffy about the subject, we should be trying to explain to well-intentioned newcomers why the traditional way is the best way and allow them to reach their own (hopefully enlightened) decision.

To be honest, the trait of elitism that occasionally rears its head on this forum can be a little nauseating, and should be above us.

Teach and inform, rather than belittle and lecture.
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
Transport luggage-passengers.
From airports to SJPP
Luggage from SJPP to Roncevalles
Times will always change, and unless we want to suspend the Camino (and most other things) in time and create a museum or theme park, they always will. I, too, would agree change is not always for the best (although often it is) but if you stand there Canute-like trying to stem the tide you will just look daft when your feet are wet through.

My own preference would be to do it all in the traditional way, no excuses. But I also appreciate that not everyone is the same, and there may be many reasons why people might want to undertake a pilgrimage for their own reasons and in their own way.

Instead of getting sniffy about the subject, we should be trying to explain to well-intentioned newcomers why the traditional way is the best way and allow them to reach their own (hopefully enlightened) decision.

To be honest, the trait of elitism that occasionally rears its head on this forum can be a little nauseating, and should be above us.

Teach and inform, rather than belittle and lecture.

I assume that the dissenting opinions concerning arbitrary bus riding and pack transport should not be expressed?
We can get a bit too politically correct in the forum and attempt to censor those who do not express a strong "it is YOUR camino" attitude.

Traditional leaning Pilgrims are allowed to express opinions here as long as personal or demeaning remarks are not made.
The "trait of elitism" that is described is simply someone expressing an opinion that does not match one's own.

I see very little "belittle and lecture" in the posts above...except..
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
Traditional leaning Pilgrims are allowed to express opinions here as long as personal or demeaning remarks are not made.
The "trait of elitism" that is described is simply someone expressing an opinion that does not match one's own.

I see very little "belittle and lecture" in the posts above...except..

As I understood it, the forum allows anyone to express their opinion as long as forum rules are not broken. That includes opinions that are not necessarily traditional, whether we like them or not. And the "trait of elitism" that surfaces from time to time isn't "simply someone expressing an opinion that does not match one's own" - we can all agree to disagree - it's doing so in a way that hints at bullying.

In case you weren't sure, I was defending the position of the traditionalist approach but also conceding there may well be other completely valid points of view (views that may well not match my own) that might be legitimately expressed on here.

And yes, I noticed the little dig at my previous post. Quite unnecssary and a little rude, I thought, but perhaps that is acceptable for a traditional leaning pilgrim?
 
True.
They would have jumped in the back of a pickup truck if it existed back then.
Pilgrims walked and suffered not out of choice. That's why I find it to be almost comical whenever I hear the notion that suffering or being miserable is part of a "true" Camino experience. ha ha
I keep trying to hitch a ride on any farmers tractor. Hanging from the side or just relaxing in the back of his haywagon. How idyllic haha. Unsuccesfull up to now, but one day it WILL happen :)
Hitching a ride in a normal car i would not do. Way top easy. Where's the fun in that :D
 
True true, there is alot of judging on here. Bring a phone?...judge. Skip a part?...judge. Dont use albergues?...judge. Or even the, use a washing machine every (other) day?....judge! Do handwashing, think of mother nature.
And there is also the, bring a book for reading? Judge! Thou shall talk to thy fellow pilgrims Ect ect.....

Why put so much negative energy in how somebody else wants to do his/her camino? Why! Let them. Its not up to you to judge. Its up to them to enjoy their camino however they want, just like you decide how you will get the most out of yours.
 
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I keep trying to hitch a ride on any farmers tractor. Hanging from the side or just relaxing in the back of his haywagon. How idyllic haha. Unsuccesfull up to now, but one day it WILL happen :)
Hitching a ride in a normal car i would not do. Way top easy. Where's the fun in that :D
Oh yeah, I'd do that in a heartbeat. That would be cool.
 
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we do plan to experience it all.
The good days and bad days, rain, mud, snow, industrial suburbs, walking on Tarmac, cities and villages, highways, closed albergues, dirty albergues :) ).

Those bad days are important. They are what make the good days good. They give you something to laugh about afterwards. They put moderately bad days in perspective (this is nothing, you should have seen....)
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Hi!
I am walking the Camino for the first time this year with my husband and another couple of friends. Unfortunately we will not have enough time to walk all the way as we need to get back to work..., but we will start it in St.Jean-Pied-de-Port and finish it Santiago de Compostela, so we will need to "skip" some places to be able do finish the walk in only 28 days! I would love your advice/expertise to help us to make the most of these days.

THE PLAN => We will start our journey in St.Jean-Pied-de-Port on the 18-April-2015 and will leave Santiago on the 15-May-2015 (so, only 28 days in total), but we would love to spend 3 days in Santiago to rest and to enjoy the place before we fly back to England, which gives us only 25 days to walk.

THE QUESTIONS => Which places should we "sacrifice"? I mean, were along the way we can catch a bus/taxi/train (?) to skip a few places and save time in the journey? Is it easy to do?

TRAVEL CONDITIONS (and health) :D => We are all in early 40's, non-smokers, good health and all in good shape but far from super-fit! :D so I imagine that our walking pace will be average...

Thank you in advance for any tips you guys can give us!
My suggestion would be to skip work, not the Camino. The Camino is much more important than any work.
 

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