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  1. Northern Laurie

    Low Cost Camino Norte Please Help

    I should warn you that not many albergues I stayed at included meals. Others may have had a different experience. The albergues that did have meals almost always had a vegetarian option: vegetarian options in restaurants were more challenging but still doable. The biggest challenge I had was...
  2. Northern Laurie

    Low Cost Camino Norte Please Help

    I walked the Norte last year and stayed at albergues for about 75% if the time. There are different systems in each province so I found a lot of variability in cost and services along the way. In Basque region, many of the donativos were temporary facilities in schools and other community...
  3. Northern Laurie

    Stage 31 - Comino Del Norte

    I stayed at Roxica. It is a very small albergue and they do take reservations. I would recommend you make them. Very nice hosts and provided a home cooked meal. That leaves a nice short day to sobrado dos monxes. The monastery is closed in the afternoon-you can choose to arrive early and...
  4. Northern Laurie

    Advice for walking the Camino del Norte

    I met lots of single language speakers along the way... we all lost weight but I am pretty sure it wasn't because we were going hungry ;) The nice thing about Basque Country, is the tendency to discover beautiful and delicious savory bites arrayed on counter tops. Smile & point. Just be...
  5. Northern Laurie

    Advice for walking the Camino del Norte

    I had the same concerns about Pasaia! I was lucky, I left Irun at 8am, arrived at Pasaia at 2:00pm and stayed sitting there until the hospitalera arrived at 4pm. She was very sweet and had a tough role. She sat with all the yound people waiting and suggested they might have an easier time...
  6. Northern Laurie

    Advice for walking the Camino del Norte

    Sunrise came later and later during my departure time became quite late.(typically between 8am and 8:30-any earlier and it was really dark) There was one day I finished at 6pm, more often would stop walking around 4pm. A few days my body was screaming for rest and I stopped at noon. I walked...
  7. Northern Laurie

    Advice for walking the Camino del Norte

    @Victoria Young I just finished the Norte. I did it August 27 to October 10. I can't compare to the Camino Frances, but I will say that it is beautiful, and entirely possible to have a deep spiritual experience. The people who seemed to be discontent with their experience were regularly...
  8. Northern Laurie

    Second Camino - del Norte in late May

    I stayed in the pilgrims hostel in Irun, and then went only as far as Passajes on day one. From what another couple told me, they would often pitch a tent on the albergue grounds or church grounds, and use the albergue facilities either for free or for a few euros. This won't likely work in...
  9. Northern Laurie

    Camino Del Norte

    @wisepilgrim this may be the case now - but the wrong turn we took happened in October 2017. I did find the map in question. Unlike other splits, the sign posts on the right hand side of the road did not show two arrows, so I didn't realize that I'd walked past a split, and I didn't see the...
  10. Northern Laurie

    Camino Del Norte

    I should add that imho Irun to larabetzu (spelling???) was the most spectacular-possibly because it was early on and I was still in the honeymoon phase :) if there is such a thing
  11. Northern Laurie

    Camino Del Norte

    It’s a mixture every day, including some 1100 year old flagstone. (Which is amazing, but hard to walk on and slippery when wet. ). A lot of small, narrow and steep concrete lanes mixed with stretches of other surfaces. Very minimal actual asphalt-but that’s because there is lots of concrete...
  12. Northern Laurie

    Norte with kids

    @Joe Query There are lots of paved surfaces along the Norte, but the route from Irun to Bilbao has many very steep, paved slopes. I don't know the actual measurements, but something in excess of 23%. There are a couple of days that would have very long walking days (Deba to Markina come to...
  13. Northern Laurie

    Doing Norte route - hopefully Spring or Autumn 2018 - but getting freaked out by weather...

    @LeelooLizzie the split is very clearly marked, complete with a character called Faustino (I think) at a fork in the road. You’d only miss it if engrossed in deep and profound conversation! I have a picture, but sadly keep getting errors and can’t share here
  14. Northern Laurie

    Picos de Europa - Is it connected to the del Norte?

    I have to admit, walking along the base of the Picos, and after doing the stretch from Irun to Bilbao, I was awfully glad I didn't have to go up and over them... That being said, the Camino del Norte will try to lure you with "short cuts". Don't take them unless you are exhausted. The long...
  15. Northern Laurie

    Picos de Europa - Is it connected to the del Norte?

    I had exactly the same reaction :)
  16. Northern Laurie

    Bilbao to Santiago

    @Ui Goirmshleahaigh I took almost two weeks to go from Irun to Bilbao. Before I left, I could comfortably walk 10km on relatively level roads, and walk 15km with a rest along the way. I could only do about 6km going uphill before my hip and feet started really hurting. I did not train...
  17. Northern Laurie

    Public transport on Camino del Norte

    @pelerine , did you take the alternate route from Irun? I don’t remember steep drop offs, but I was daydreaming for part of the day! The descent into Passaia was eye opening , I didn’t think cars could drive on roads that steep! Until I saw one. I stayed in Passaia-I wouldn’t have made it to...
  18. Northern Laurie

    Public transport on Camino del Norte

    Deba to Markina was definitely the most difficult day early on. There aren't many (any?) options to break it into two stages. Total distance is 24km, with a climb to 300m, descent to 100m, and then another climb to 500m. Then, just when you are ready to plop over on the side of the road, a...
  19. Northern Laurie

    Blankets in albergues

    I just finished the Norte, and in general the albergue had a blanket whenever I was cold (sometimes I had to ask). That being said, I would take a light weight down blanket the next time I do a Camino. As Kanga pointed out, sometimes the blankets were icky. And in some albergues, you might...
  20. Northern Laurie

    Camino Del Norte

    In general, the Camino del Norte is easy to navigate, with lots of Coastal walking already included. Navigating towns are always a bit tricky because you need to learn whatever that town's strategy is for signage, and sometimes it is not consistent one place to another. I can only remember two...

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