21 days to do it all

[ElisaA]

Hello,
I've dreamt of walking the Camino for a very long time but with two dogs it's hard to afford being away more than three weeks. I know this will be my one and only opportunity to do the Camino so I'd love to do it all, even if that means catching a bus/bike/train in addition to walking. So with travel included I'd say I really only have 19 days to do the Camino. I'd also like to make it to the ocean. Can anyone recommend a travel agency that can help me plan this once in a lifetime trip without breaking the bank? Thank you for any and all advice.
Oh yes, I'm looking to walk in Spring of 2020 or Fall, September 2020.

 

[EricBerg]

Hello,
I've dreamt of walking the Camino for a very long time but with two dogs it's hard to afford being away more than three weeks. I know this will be my one and only opportunity to do the Camino so I'd love to do it all, even if that means catching a bus/bike/train in addition to walking. So with travel included I'd say I really only have 19 days to do the Camino. I'd also like to make it to the ocean. Can anyone recommend a travel agency that can help me plan this once in a lifetime trip without breaking the bank? Thank you for any and all advice.
Oh yes, I'm looking to walk in Spring of 2020 or Fall, September 2020.

Why do you think you need a travel agent? You know the length of the Camino and your ability to walk. You can therefore work out how far to walk each day. You are thinking of about 40k or 26 miles a day. That's a bit too far for me. There are plenty of places to stay and you do not need a travel agent to book them. Buen Camino

 

[ElisaA]

Thank you EricBerg. For me, personally, even with training I think 26 miles a day would be too much. I'd like to limit my walking mileage to 15 miles a day with an occasional rest day in the mix. Buon Camino.

 

[Jan_D]

Hi Elisa,

You definitely DO NOT need a travel agency! Most pilgrims walk around 20-25km per day (less if they have any health or joint issues). So just calculate back from Finisterre the distance you think you can do (times by 19 days) and start walking from that point. There's no need to reserve anything, you just stay in a pilgrim hostel (aka an "albergue de peregrino") which costs €6-12. With meals, etc, you should be fine with a budget of around €30 per day.
Every year over half a million pilgrims walk the Camino, so you'll have lots of company!
Just get yourself a guidebook or app - or look at this website for some free info (it's in Spanish but you can get an idea of the stages and the accommodation available).

It really is the easiest thing ever! x

 

[trecile]

Hello,
I've dreamt of walking the Camino for a very long time but with two dogs it's hard to afford being away more than three weeks. I know this will be my one and only opportunity to do the Camino so I'd love to do it all, even if that means catching a bus/bike/train in addition to walking. So with travel included I'd say I really only have 19 days to do the Camino. I'd also like to make it to the ocean. Can anyone recommend a travel agency that can help me plan this once in a lifetime trip without breaking the bank? Thank you for any and all advice.
Oh yes, I'm looking to walk in Spring of 2020 or Fall, September 2020.

You don't need a travel agency. Just figure out your starting point and go. The biggest decisions involve what to taje with you. When you say "do it all" what do you mean? There is no entire Camino per se, except starting from your own front door. I'd figure out how far back from Santiago, or Finisterre if you want to walk to the sea, you need to be to finish and start there. I know that lots of people skip sections, but I like the continuity of a continuous walk. León would make a good starting point for 19 days including Finisterre and/or Muxia.

 

[EricBerg]

Hi Elisa,

You definitely DO NOT need a travel agency! Most pilgrims walk around 20-25km per day (less if they have any health or joint issues). So just calculate back from Finisterre the distance you think you can do (times by 19 days) and start walking from that point. There's no need to reserve anything, you just stay in a pilgrim hostel (aka an "albergue de peregrino") which costs €6-12. With meals, etc, you should be fine with a budget of around €30 per day.
Every year over half a million pilgrims walk the Camino, so you'll have lots of company!
Just get yourself a guidebook or app - or look at this website for some free info (it's in Spanish but you can get an idea of the stages and the accommodation available).

It really is the easiest thing ever! x

I agree wholeheartedly in your reply.

 

[ElisaA]

Thank you Jan_D. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I'd like to see it all. Given the time constraints do you think I can figure out bus/bike/walk with walking 20-25 km per day? Also, factor in the language barrier so figuring out rail systems and bus systems is a bit intimidating for me.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

Hello,
I've dreamt of walking the Camino for a very long time but with two dogs it's hard to afford being away more than three weeks. I know this will be my one and only opportunity to do the Camino so I'd love to do it all, even if that means catching a bus/bike/train in addition to walking. So with travel included I'd say I really only have 19 days to do the Camino. I'd also like to make it to the ocean. Can anyone recommend a travel agency that can help me plan this once in a lifetime trip without breaking the bank? Thank you for any and all advice.
Oh yes, I'm looking to walk in Spring of 2020 or Fall, September 2020.

Hello, Elisa, and a warm welcome to the Forum Below is a link which also may be of help as you begin.

American Pilgrims on Camino's FAQs about a camino pilgrimage

I believe that with your stated need to conserve your budget, that you have plenty of time to do your own preparation and planning for a successful Camino. In fact, that is one of the primary reasons for this Forum, to help you and others like you who are new to Camino with the information needed for your planning. This Forum is a huge data base of information, with a lot of great Forum members who are happy to help point you in the right direction.

You can do everything a travel agency can do, and for far less money. You will also be further ahead with a better personal plan and the flexibility to change and adapt your plan as YOUR needs might evolve and change.

The good news is, you are in a forum with a wonderful group of people. Most are here to help people like you to achieve their pilgrimage goals.

My suggestion to start is this:

1. Take a deep breath. Write down in large letters the reasons why you want to go on Camino. Place that piece of paper where you can see it every day. That way, if anxieties and fears threaten to overwhelm you as you plan, you can just breath, read what you have written, and focus on those reasons until the negative stuff fades.
2. Make a list of questions and concerns that you have.
3. Go to the Search Engine at the top of the Forum pages.
4. Enter the words or phrase that you want more information about. You will get a huge amount of information to explore.
5. If you find that you need help with anything, post a new thread so that your question or concern can be readily seen. If you post a question within someone else's thread, you won't receive as big of a response.
6. Remember that perfect timing as it relates to how you feel, scheduling, and day to day life issues, seldom align themselves perfectly. If one waits for such to occur, doing something like a pilgrimage will always be in danger of taking a back seat while you wait for that perfect alignment to happen.

 

[Jan_D]

Thank you Jan_D. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I'd like to see it all. Given the time constraints do you think I can figure out bus/bike/walk with walking 20-25 km per day? Also, factor in the language barrier so figuring out rail systems and bus systems is a bit intimidating for me.

As trecile says, not sure what "all" means. To qualify for the Compostela you just need to do the last 100km. There are many Camino paths, which are like the tributaries of a river ending in Santiago de Compostela. A lot of people start at Saint Jean Pied de Port in France, but this is a more recent tradition - in the past people simply walked from their own homes!

If you wanted to start in Saint Jean Pied de Port: the walk to Finisterre from here normally takes over a month. So you'd have to skip at least 10 stages to make it within your time frame! For me personally, experiencing it "all" is more about the continuity and the community that develops through walking continuously. But many people do skip stages, it's perfectly normal, and there are good transport links all along the Camino if you decide this is what you want to do.

 

[ElisaA]

Thank you. Great advice.

 

[Tincatinker]

Hi @ElisaA, welcome to the forum. As you will have noticed there isn't much enthusiasm for travel Agencies on this forum. Most members can follow the yellow arrows and find a bed without paying extra to some one else to tell them to follow the yellow-arrows and which Albergue to stay in.

If you've been thinking about camino for a long time and done a bit of research you will know there is no such "all" of it to see. There are dozens of routes from all over Europe and within Spain, some shorter, some longer; some challenging, some well supported with comfortable infrastructure.

If you would like to walk through Santiago and to the sundering sea and in around 19 days including rest-days then look at walking the Camino Frances from Ponferrada or even Leon; the Portuguese from Porto, the Primitivo from Oviedo.

And if you are walking instead of trying to skip and jump bits you won't need to worry about Bus & Train timetables

Happy planning

 

[Deleted member 67185]

As trecile says, not sure what "all" means. To qualify for the Compostela you just need to do the last 100km. There are many Camino paths, which are like the tributaries of a river ending in Santiago de Compostela. A lot of people start at Saint Jean Pied de Port in France, but this is a more recent tradition - in the past people simply walked from their own homes!

If you wanted to start in Saint Jean Pied de Port: the walk to Finisterre from here normally takes over a month. So you'd have to skip at least 10 stages to make it within your time frame! For me personally, experiencing it "all" is more about the continuity and the community that develops through walking continuously. But many people do skip stages, it's perfectly normal, and there are good transport links all along the Camino if you decide this is what you want to do.

I agree completely with this post. One thing that the OP mentioned was riding a bicycle for portions of the Camino. Although I prefer walking, I can see how riding a bike from Burgos to Leon would cut down the number of days it would take to reach Santiago de Compostela from St Jean Pied de Port.

 

[ElisaA]

Thank you.

 

[trecile]

There are many Camino paths, which are like the tributaries of a river ending in Santiago de Compostela.

It would take a lifetime to see it "all".

 

[RJM]

Skip the travel agencies and tour planners.
Buy yourself a good guidebook. The Brierley or Wise are both good. You can order one from here.
Get the guidebook and plan out your Camino. Start in Saint Jean or Pamplona and leapfrog as needed to fit your time constraints. It is an easy trip to plan and the guidebooks help tremendously as well as give you information on the various places along the Way.
Do not over complicate it. No need to.
Happy planning.

 

[nickymd1]

Hey Elisa,

Again, welcome to the Forum. Others have said it: no travel agent needed. You can easily fly into Madrid/Barcelona and fly out of A Coruña/Madrid/Porto for any route and bus tickets to your start can be bought online ahead of time if necessary. I'm assuming you are trying to tell us that you want to do the Frances from SJdP - which honestly would be a really, really big ask on your timetable. You could try busing the section into Burgos and then renting a bike to cut the days in the Meseta in half but honestly, the only person you'll be cheating is yourself. You don't just want to see it all (you can watch a movie for that!); I think, like most people, you probably want to experience it all. And that doesn't require starting in France!

I have 21 days (+a travel day on each end) in a few weeks time to walk and I also want to end up at the sea. For me, the ocean has always been the finishing point and Finisterra has become my favourite place in the world. I'm preparing myself to walk a few long stages and having no completely 0 days. My 'rest days' are just shorter days and I'll be starting in Burgos. Should I need to, I have made peace with taking the bus to Muxia from Santiago and just walking one final day to Finisterra from there. I would second the recommendation to start in Burgos if you're ok with taking the bus from SdC to the ocean, or León if you want to walk through SdC to the coast.

Please also consider shorter Caminos - the Ingles, Primitivo or Portugues from Porto!! And don't stress about it too much - your best-laid plans WILL go awry; so plan for the best and let yourself be a little flexible.

Also, guidebooks are used by many but don't discount a guide app. There are a few really great ones available (in English) and they won't cost you any extra weight if you're already carrying a phone.

Buen Camino!

 

[trecile]

I also want to point out that if you skip ahead you won't see or do it "all".

For me personally, experiencing it "all" is more about the continuity and the community that develops through walking continuously.

Many first timers don't understand that often community is often the best part of the Camino.

 

[twh]

You don't just want to see it all (you can watch a movie for that!); I think, like most people, you probably want to experience it all. Please also consider shorter Caminos - the Ingles, Primitivo or Portugues from Porto!!

nickymd1 says it best re: "experience it all" and that's what happens between any Starting point and any Ending point. When your camino is over, the essence you take back home will have little to do with how many miles you walked, where you started or where you ended, the cost of the trip or the weather you endured. The essence will be about the people you meet and your inner journey during 19 days of removing yourself from your regular life where there is little opportunity to explore that inner journey. I agree with those who suggest maintaining continuity, plan to start walking from point A and plan to walk all the way to your end point. There is something special you will miss if you lose touch with all the people you started with by jumping ahead with taxis, busses etc... If your schedule is too ambitious you will be stressed trying to keep it and that will distract greatly from the full experience. 15 miles per day is a good pace that will allow you to stop and enjoy each thing of beauty you come across. It will allow you time for multiple stops each day at inviting Bars, restaurants, kiosks to experience a new drink or food and interact with more people...locals and pilgrims. Consider planning your trip walking days at something less than the days you have to walk. Having an extra day or two out of 19 will give you even more mental freedom during your camino. There is no such thing as "seeing/experiencing/doing it all" for any of us so let go of that whole concept.
Have a great experience, Buen Camino if you're traveling west or Bom Caminho if you are traveling north.

 

[Chris Gi]

Hello,
I've dreamt of walking the Camino for a very long time but with two dogs it's hard to afford being away more than three weeks. I know this will be my one and only opportunity to do the Camino so I'd love to do it all, even if that means catching a bus/bike/train in addition to walking. So with travel included I'd say I really only have 19 days to do the Camino. I'd also like to make it to the ocean. Can anyone recommend a travel agency that can help me plan this once in a lifetime trip without breaking the bank? Thank you for any and all advice.
Oh yes, I'm looking to walk in Spring of 2020 or Fall, September 2020.

Our little group of 4 had just over 2 weeks and we managed to get from Pamplona to Finisterre by way of Santiago using a combination of primarily walking but also a train ride, a couple of bus trips, the occasional taxi and one horseback ride up O Cebrerio. Of course we did not qualify for our Compostela as we did not actually walk the final 100 kilometers. I will do that next year. But it can be done and you have to ignore the folks who tell you that you are cheating yourself. To each his/her own Camino - not everyone can afford the luxury of taking a couple of months to do this completely on foot.
Enjoy and Buen Camino.

 

[twh]

I've dreamt of walking the Camino for a very long time
but hard to afford being away more than three weeks.
I know this will be my one and only opportunity to do the Camino

There is not just one RIGHT way to do YOUR Camino, but there are preferred ways each of us would like to do our Camino. We all have to plan our trips around the constraints of Time, Money and Health. If the cost of two additional weeks of dog sitting is keeping you from doing your preferred trip I urge you to delay your trip until you have saved that extra sum of money to cover that cost. Then do YOUR “one and only opportunity” the way you dreamt of doing it.

If your principal motivation for doing a Camino is to see the tangibles…particular sites, churches, bridges, landscapes, restaurants, cities, etc… and you want to see as many of these things on your list as possible then I agree it is best to combine some walking with taxi’s, busses and trains. A tour package might be best for you but I agree with the consensus here that it is an unnecessary expense and it locks you in to a schedule that cannot be modified. You will sleep, eat, start and stop on their schedule and if finances are a concern, accommodations and meals will be much more expensive than planning travel, accommodations and meals on your own. Download the app – Rome2rio on your phone and you can easily make travel arrangements while walking your Camino. Play with it on your home computer so you can experience just how easy it is to use before you go. This will help eliminate your worries about making your own travel plans in a foreign country while on the go. Keep in mind this type of trip is somewhat self selecting in terms of the kind of people it attracts…helpful, kind, open, adventurous, religious, diverse, multi-lingual…the point being just about anyone you ask for help will be happy to share their knowledge, will probably speak english and will be delighted to help you solve any problems.

The tangible highlights are easy to identify and plan your travel around. Of course you and 95% of the people planning their first camino have some sense of the intangibles that people experience on the camino but it’s much harder to put a value on them before you go and they are actually elusive if you actively try to find them. You cannot plan this part of your trip. But you can do things that will facilitate these intangible experiences. One part is just having an open mind, living in the moment, being open to every new person and experience, eliminating expectations for the day/week/trip. Another way is to have that continuity of the longer through walk. The longer walk, especially the meseta, helps provide a meditative state of mind. The longer walk yields an enhanced sense of group with all the positives and none of the negatives. You get this feeling of belonging with the continuity of this loose or tight group you start with and then interact with along the way. You can float in and out of the groups seamlessly, with no explanations or justifications, it feels natural and normal in this context. All of this gets deeper and better with time on the trail. It can and does still happen on a shorter camino but I think you get the chance to experience more of it if you have the luxury of more time and more continuity. So if that is something that ranks as a high value experience, there are things you can do to improve your chances of experiencing it. If doing the Frances, a first night in Orisson sets up this dynamic beautifully. You get to see first hand the possibilities and then carry that forward to every experience that follows.

 

[trecile]

The tangible highlights are easy to identify and plan your travel around. Of course you and 95% of the people planning their first camino have some sense of the intangibles that people experience on the camino but it’s much harder to put a value on them before you go and they are actually elusive if you actively try to find them. You cannot plan this part of your trip. But you can do things that will facilitate these intangible experiences. One part is just having an open mind, living in the moment, being open to every new person and experience, eliminating expectations for the day/week/trip. Another way is to have that continuity of the longer through walk. The longer walk, especially the meseta, helps provide a meditative state of mind. The longer walk yields an enhanced sense of group with all the positives and none of the negatives. You get this feeling of belonging with the continuity of this loose or tight group you start with and then interact with along the way. You can float in and out of the groups seamlessly, with no explanations or justifications, it feels natural and normal in this context. All of this gets deeper and better with time on the trail.

What a perfect description of the indescribable.

 

[AlwynWellington]

an extra day or two out of 19 will give you even more [peace of mind] during your camino.

One aspect of having peace of mind, in my view, is to be physically fit to complete around 25 km a day a day, day after day.

And in my experience, peace of mind is helped by connectiing with other walkers whenever the opportunity presents. This might be when walking or at meal stops and in the albergue.

I agree with the trend of responses so far and agee with a start from Leon, Astorga or Ponferrda. Each is easily accessible by public transport from most major airports.

If you are keen to have the whole experience you may care to reconsider your time frame. With 16 plus walk days a year you would get a nicely rounded pilgrimage by starting much further east. My suggestion is Le Puy (two hours by train from Lyon, second largest city in France). Sections could be:
year 1 - Le Puy to Moissac
year 2 - Moissac to Saint Jean
year 3 - Saint Jean to Burgos
year 4 - Burgos to Ponferrada
year 5 - Ponferrada to Finisterre

And of course, these sections do not need to be done in that order.

Whatever you decide, kia kaha (take care, be srong, get going).