4-5 days in April, where would you walk?

[legless]

Hello!

My dad wants to join me for 4-5 days on my Camino, I'm trying to convince him that I'd really love to end the camino with him, but which section on the Frances would you choose and why?

 

[David]

Hi Legless! - what do you mean when you say "I'm trying to convince him that I'd really love to end the Camino with him"? That you want to enter Santiago with him or that you want to end your Camino with him when his 4-5 days walking with you is over? If it is the first, well, 4 days before Santiago then, but if you finish too - well, where do you want to end your Camino?

If the latter I would say you could meet him at Burgos. You could both have the first day sightseeing then walk out and on to Fromista.

I say Burgos-Fromista as both have a railway station - as well as inter-city buses.

After Burgos one goes up onto the Meseta and it is quite beautiful - in April it will be green as the wheat hasn't turned golden yet - a lovely walk, with tiny old dusty towns and villages - lovely!

 

[legless]

What do you mean when you say "I'm trying to convince him that I'd really love to end the Camino with him"? That you want to enter Santiago with him or that you want to end your Camino with him when his 4-5 days walking with you is over? If it is the first, well, 4 days before Santiago then, but if you finish too - well, where do you want to end your Camino?

If the latter I would say meet him at Burgos. You could both have the first day sightseeing then walk out and on to Fromista.

I say Burgos-Fromista as both have a railway station - as well as inter-city buses.

After Burgos one goes up onto the Meseta and it is quite beautiful - in April it will be green as the wheat hasn't turned golden yet - a lovely walk, with tiny old dusty towns and villages - lovely!

Well, he thinks he'd be imposing if he rocked up for the last 100km, but I'd be very happy to end my Camino with him. I just want him to have a lovely time.

Thank you, that sounds like a good route for him Burgos-Fromista, as a first timer I have no idea.

 

[David]

AAww .. what a good Dad - "imposing" hahaha

 

[henrythedog]

Walk into a big town to get a sense of ‘arriving’. I’d suggest Burgos or Leon.

 

[David]

True - a big town/city arrival has a good feeling. But if Legless can't persuade Dad to join for the last 100kms ... getting to the beginning of the five days has to be easy for Dad too - so could also be 5 days Logrono to Burgos. Both transport hubs, both great towns (cities) ... or 4 days Pamplona to Logrono ... 5 days Leon to Ponferrada ....

 

[Felipe]

Roncesvalles to Estella. Five days, and it has it all: starting in a monastery high in the mountains, Basque food in Zubiri, the tradition of vibrant Pamplona, picturesque Puente la Reina, wonderful old buildings of Estella, which is quite well comunicated to Pamplona, Logroño or San Sebastian (by way of La Estellesa buses).
Buen camino!

 

[Isca-camigo]

Sarria to SDC is cool, he can finish your camino with you, meet your camino family and make friends of his own with the other newbies, he can also enjoy Santiago and get his own compostela. Sarria has train links to Madrid, and there is frequent buses fro Santiago airport. Its not too hard as a starting place and you will hopefully be in the zone by then and any physical and mental difficulties you have experienced will have long gone, so you can offer him the delux version of you.

 

[trecile]

I think that it would be easiest if you start together, while both of you are "newbies." It will be great for you both to experience the wonder and excitement of the beginning of the Camino. Plus much easier to arrange than if you decide to meet up somewhere before you know what your walking pace is.

 

[jpflavin1]

This is actually a tough question. There could be difficulty in connecting with you and then leaving without you. (Trains, buses, planes, taxi's etc.)

Therefore, imo, it should be the beginning or the end. You will be traveling together at least one leg of your journey.

Not knowing for sure where you are starting, I will assume SJPdP. This day being the toughest might not be the best choice and Spring weather in the mountains.

With those assumptions in mind, I recommend Sarria to Santiago.

Best of luck

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Initially I was in agreement with the others recommending Sarria but that would fix you to a deadline that might result in you having to skip some stages or forcing your pace and risking blisters or worse. Or if you are ahead of schedule then you might have to wait around for your Dad.

I would need more information. If your Dad has the flexibility of a couple of extra days then Sarria would be my choice and he could arrive a day or two before schedule, explore Sarria and be the expert on Sarria by the time you get there. Then you could demonstrate your expertise as you walk to Santiago.

If he is on a tight schedule then the start would be great. If he is reasonably fit then start together from St. Jean otherwise start together or meet him in Roncesvalles or Pamplona.

PS. How neat to have the opportunity to walk with your Dad. I would have loved to walk with my Dad (or Mum).

I am still trying to convince my daughters to take time off work and walk with me.

 

[Kanga]

If it were my Dad I could not imagine anything more wondrous than walking together into Santiago de Compostela, but I also know that by then you will be extremely fit, and he will not! Added to that, it is always a bit tricky to meet someone mid camino. The logistics of being in the right place at the right time. I've done it a few times and it usually means staying a couple of days in one place, or having to bus ahead. So there is sense in starting together, especially if you take your time, make the stages quite short, and don't push him too hard. You can regard it as "training" to get yourself ready for the long walk ahead.

Whatever you decide, if it were me I would make our relationship and the enjoyment of being together the focus. There is plenty of time when you are not together for you to "fly free".

 

[Lance Chambers]

Hello!

My dad wants to join me for 4-5 days on my Camino, I'm trying to convince him that I'd really love to end the camino with him, but which section on the Frances would you choose and why?

Maybe start in Sarria and walk to Santiago de Compo. A nice 5 day walk.

 

[Damian27]

My vote is with Burgos. By then your body would have endured the beginning and you should have a good idea when you will get there. He can walk with you for those 4-5 days after which is very nice country as others mentioned. Buen Camino!

 

[legless]

Initially I was in agreement with the others recommending Sarria but that would fix you to a deadline that might result in you having to skip some stages or forcing your pace and risking blisters or worse. Or if you are ahead of schedule then you might have to wait around for your Dad.

I would need more information. If your Dad has the flexibility of a couple of extra days then Sarria would be my choice and he could arrive a day or two before schedule, explore Sarria and be the expert on Sarria by the time you get there. Then you could demonstrate your expertise as you walk to Santiago.

If he is on a tight schedule then the start would be great. If he is reasonably fit then start together from St. Jean otherwise start together or meet him in Roncesvalles or Pamplona.

PS. How neat to have the opportunity to walk with your Dad. I would have loved to walk with my Dad (or Mum).

I am still trying to convince my daughters to take time off work and walk with me.

Thank you for your reply, dad is reasonably fit, loves walking and misses mountains since moving back to a very flat part of the UK after living and working in Turkey for 15 years. He's retired and flexible in terms of timing and length of stay.

Whatever he decides I'm glad to have the chance to walk with him, it's a real privilege that a lot. of people don't get.

 

[legless]

Thank you everyone for your replies, I really appreciate them all, I've spent the weekend with dad (having our postponed-due-to-COVID family "Christmas") and left him with a guidebook and the ideas you've shared. Whatever he decides I'm really glad that he wants to join me for some of the Camino.

 

[legless]

Update! Dad has decided he'd like to join me in Sarria, I'm really happy as is he. Thank you all for your advice.

 

[Thornley]

1 Pamplona ......Puenta la Reina , 3 places to rest for snacks
2 Estella , a good town
3 Los Arcos , Pilgrims hub ........the square and pilgrims at night will love his company
4 Vianna , lovely town with a beautiful hotel for you to shout him.
5 Logrono , the 10km easy walk , have a yarn , get good accommodation and take him to the best tapas bars on the Camino.

Both towns easy to access and depart from.
Now that he has tasted the early stage he might then join you in Sarria after he has a holiday for a few weeks.
He's then had the best of both , the loneliness and hardship early , the clamour and glamour late.

 

[C clearly]

Dad has decided he'd like to join me in Sarria

I think that sounds like an excellent decision.

 

[VNwalking]

Dad has decided he'd like to join me in Sarria, I'm really happy as is he. Thank you all for your advice.

Coming late to the party, but here's another option, that would be more quiet:

Turn onto the Invierno at Ponferrada. Your Dad can meet you in Monforte de Lemos for the last 120 or so kms. It is a stunning walk - I think much more interesting and beautiful than that part of the Frances - and you will not be sharing the road with hundreds of your new best friends who start the walk in Sarria. Monforte is an amazing town, and from there the way goes through the Ribiera Sacra (old churches! Vistas!! Wine!), crosses the highest point in Galicia, and has one of the very nicest entries into Santiago.

Oh, and getting to Monforte is much easier than Sarria - a direct train from Santiago a number of times a day. It's a lively town with a parador in the castle at the top of the hill with a marvelous view, and many other options for places to stay. There's a wine museum, a train museum, and a museum of sacred art. Something for everyone! A wonderful place.

This camino has a dedicated fan club on the Forum, and @peregrina2000 has organized, written, and repeatedly updated a detailed guide.

There are also lots of threads here, starting with a recent planning thread, as well as many live accounts. Find them all here.
Brierley has a guide, too.

Buen camino, you two, wherever you end up walking!
Wonderful.

 

[legless]

Thank you I'll look at that!

 

[Anniesantiago]

Where are you flying in FROM?
Gosh, it takes me 2 days just to recover from the flight from the West Coast before I walk.
But in the end, I agree with your dad.
Sarria.

 

[Marbe2]

First, keep in mind that April 16th is Easter! Holy Week and a few days beyond will be mobbed from Sarria to SdC. Also May 1st is a holiday and falls on a weekend so many will be taking a 3 day weekend in larger towns/cities like Ponderrada. Avoid those dates for this last section, if he meets you in Sarria. Another option, which would be my first choice, might be for you to complete your camino on your own, and have him meet you in Sarria. American/Iberia have connecting flights which would make it convenient travel. Then either continue to the Ocean or do the English Camino. You can then fly home together?

 

[VNwalking]

and a few days beyond will be mobbed from Sarria

Even more reason to choose the Invierno.

 

[legless]

Coming late to the party, but here's another option, that would be more quiet:

Turn onto the Invierno at Ponferrada. Your Dad can meet you in Monforte de Lemos for the last 120 or so kms. It is a stunning walk - I think much more interesting and beautiful than that part of the Frances - and you will not be sharing the road with hundreds of your new best friends who start the walk in Sarria. Monforte is an amazing town, and from there the way goes through the Ribiera Sacra (old churches! Vistas!! Wine!), crosses the highest point in Galicia, and has one of the very nicest entries into Santiago.

Oh, and getting to Monforte is much easier than Sarria - a direct train from Santiago a number of times a day. It's a lively town with a parador in the castle at the top of the hill with a marvelous view, and many other options for places to stay. There's a wine museum, a train museum, and a museum of sacred art. Something for everyone! A wonderful place.

This camino has a dedicated fan club on the Forum, and @peregrina2000 has organized, written, and repeatedly updated a detailed guide.

There are also lots of threads here, starting with a recent planning thread, as well as many live accounts. Find them all here.
Brierley has a guide, too.

Buen camino, you two, wherever you end up walking!
Wonderful.

Thank you so much for this, I am now very much looking forward to a future Invierno camino, it looks incredible. I'll run your suggestion past dad.

 

[legless]

Where are you flying in FROM?
Gosh, it takes me 2 days just to recover from the flight from the West Coast before I walk.
But in the end, I agree with your dad.
Sarria.

Dad will be flying from the UK.