4 weeks to walk the Camino...

[Tash2018]

Hi all!

I have been lucky enough to secure 4 weeks leave from work from mid May this year to walk the Camino -Yay!

I was hoping to get people’s thoughts and experiences with having this type of timeframe available, and whether people would recommend starting in ST Jean Pied de Port and then skipping parts of the Camino (except the last 100kms of course), or just starting further along the Camino.

Alternatively, any suggestions for parts that you would definitely not skip?!

Thanks in advance!

 

[Tincatinker]

@Tash2018, welcome to the forum.

Is that 28 days walking or 28 days to get somewhere, walk, and get home again?
Do you want the cathartic arrival in Santiago or can you park that for another time?
Starting in a little town in France is not compulsory, nor is the Camino Frances.
Where you are travelling from and to to get back home can eat significant time out of your break so look at your options before you commit.

24 days of walking means you could start in maybe Pamplona and sprint, or Burgos and have time to smell the roses: and spend some time in Santiago.

I would never 'skip'(unless I really had to), but thats just me. I love contiguous journeys. Though, these days if I ever did 'skip' it would be that last 100k of the Frances

Buen camino and happy planning

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Logrono is easy to get to, and a good starting place that is further than Burgos, but not as far as Pamplona.

 

[MilerMilo]

If I were in your shoes, I would start closer so I didn't have to skip. One of the main things I enjoyed was getting to know people along the way as you see the same faces most days because you're all moving at roughly the same pace. Going for a while, then taking a bus further along, would interrupt that part of the experience.

Also, as @Tincatinker suggested, perhaps consider an alternate route that would allow you that start-to-finish feeling, if that's important to you.

 

[Tash2018]

@Tash2018, welcome to the forum.

Is that 28 days walking or 28 days to get somewhere, walk, and get home again?
Do you want the cathartic arrival in Santiago or can you park that for another time?
Starting in a little town in France is not compulsory, nor is the Camino Frances.
Where you are travelling from and to to get back home can eat significant time out of your break so look at your options before you commit.

24 days of walking means you could start in maybe Pamplona and sprint, or Burgos and have time to smell the roses: and spend some time in Santiago.

I would never 'skip'(unless I really had to), but thats just me. I love contiguous journeys. Though, these days if I ever did 'skip' it would be that last 100k of the Frances

Buen camino and happy planning

Thank you for this information! I’m flying from Australia so I lose a total of 4 days in travel really... so 24-25 days is a better representation of the time that I have available. I like the idea of the continuous journey as well but I was torn between that and feeling like I’d enjoy starting at SJPDP...

Maybe I’ll just have to plan to do the Camino multiple times to do both (now wouldn’t that be a shame )

 

[Tash2018]

Logrono is easy to get to, and a good starting place that is further than Burgos, but not as far as Pamplona.

Thanks Falcon269!

Seeing that the journey from Australia is going to take long enough anyway, this makes sense,

 

[Tash2018]

If I were in your shoes, I would start closer so I didn't have to skip. One of the main things I enjoyed was getting to know people along the way as you see the same faces most days because you're all moving at roughly the same pace. Going for a while, then taking a bus further along, would interrupt that part of the experience.

Also, as @Tincatinker suggested, perhaps consider an alternate route that would allow you that start-to-finish feeling, if that's important to you.

Thanks! Missing out on creating friendships along the way had crossed my mind. I’m not entirely wed to the idea of start-to-finish so starting at another point sounds like the way to go. I originally discussed having 6 weeks off work to walk the Camino so I had it in my mind to do start to finish. But when that changed to 4 weeks (which I am still eternally grateful for!!) I just wasn’t sure of how I should change my plans.

 

[MichelleElynHogan]

Another option is.....if 40km per day is doable, the whole route can be done in 3 weeks. It takes a plan and still a bit of room for error. There is at least one book out there authored by a fellow who did it and what it took.

 

[Former member 49149]

Hi, Tash2018. Don’t skip, except for joy. If you can foresee a future with time for a second ‘leg’, start as you had originally planned and go as far as you can. Buen camino.

 

[Tim Floyd]

I agree with those suggesting starting further along rather than skipping. Unless you have your heart set on some of the early sites like SJPP, crossing the Napoleon, Pamplona (which I loved) or Alto del Perdon, etc. Then making some jumps is the only way in that amount of time. Logrono is a good suggestion and it should be doable. If you are going to take jumps to experience the best of the whole thing, there are some sections that are weaker than others (let the trolling begin), but I would still say start at a place where you can do it reasonably and enjoyably.

 

[AlwynWellington]

@Tash2018 , congratulations and yes you have 24 days or less on the way of Saint James.

You have said nothing about your preparation or fitness levels. So I presume mind and body are attuned for walking 30 km or so day after day.

I come a litte further east (across the ditch) and so take time to encounter things along the way while still keeping to average in excess of 30 km per day.

I would recommend the Camino Frances as having a high level of facilities.

If walking in Spain and arrival at Santiago de Compostella (SdC) is important I strongly suggest starting at Burgos (taking a half day to visit the lower floors at least of the Museum of Human Evolution - closed on Mondays)

This is about 500 km and will give you some slack for bad weather, time for other distractions (for me Leon and Astorga) and time to encounter SdC itself.

On the other hand, if walking in Europe towards SdC is something you might consider, I would suggest starting at Le Puy-en-Velay. 20 plus days would get you a substantial way towards Saint-Jean-pied-de-port. The next 20 plus days I would suggest restarting from your last finish point with a target of Leon. The third part is about 14 days into SdC. Doing a long journey in segments is very European and is achieved by using one or two weeks annual leave each year until finished.

Kia kaha (take care, be strong, get going)

 

[Purky]

Another option is.....if 40km per day is doable, the whole route can be done in 3 weeks.

The Frances took me 23 days and it is not that big a deal. I only had two 40+ km days but also three days under 30 km. Just don't panic about the bed race and walk a steady 8 hours a day. Plenty of time for leisurly breaks, chatting with your fellow pilgrims and the smelling of roses.

 

[Robo]

The Frances took me 23 days and it is not that big a deal. I only had two 40+ km days but also three days under 30 km. Just don't panic about the bed race and walk a steady 8 hours a day. Plenty of time for leisurly breaks, chatting with your fellow pilgrims and the smelling of roses.

I can honestly say that would have killed me

 

[NualaOC]

The Frances took me 23 days and it is not that big a deal. I only had two 40+ km days but also three days under 30 km. Just don't panic about the bed race and walk a steady 8 hours a day. Plenty of time for leisurly breaks, chatting with your fellow pilgrims and the smelling of roses.

I adopted a similar walking rhythm on the Camino del Norte last year. It suited me perfectly, especially with a menu del dia at lunchtime! The only downside was finding the time to do laundry and other routine tasks. I'm not sure I could do a summer Camino Frances in that way (hot afternoons, bed races etc.), but I'd love to try it sometime in the off-season.

Going back to @Tash2018's question and time constraints - returning to work immediately after your Camino could be a huge shock to the system (there are lots of threads here about that!). You might want to take this into account when planning your route and your return date.

Happy planning and Buen Camino!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

The Frances took me 23 days and it is not that big a deal. I only had two 40+ km days but also three days under 30 km. Just don't panic about the bed race and walk a steady 8 hours a day. Plenty of time for leisurly breaks, chatting with your fellow pilgrims and the smelling of roses.

I did it in 22...

 

[Purky]

I can honestly say that would have killed me

Sadly not all of us are able to walk longer daily distances. Ailments, physical limitations or injuries can of course restrict you. But I also think that the inability to walk 30+ km days (or more) is very often due to just believing you can't do it. Self fulfilling prophecy.

It is surprising how far you can go if you (always gently!) push yourself a bit further, or forget you are walking serious miles during animated conversation. I've met some nice people on the way and had long and interesting talks while walking. We were always surprised at the end of the day how far we had walked, almost unnoticed.

So I don't think it would have killed you. Made you grumpy, I'll buy that...

 

[Jo Jo]

My advice, is just to start at SJPP. Time will tell if you need to skip ahead. Our first Camino Frances (bad blisters took about 30 days (and a 50km bus ride to get better shoes). Our second, 24.

Note: there are some sections you can plan on skipping just on general principles. Personally, I think urban walking is only for those who feel a need to subject themselves to a serious penitence. That is not my theology, and we always take the bus from Mules into Leon, then the city bus back out Virgen del Camino. That avoid a lot of urban walking. After making this mistake the first time, the second time we take a taxi from Molina Seca to Cacabellos, thereby skipping Ponferrada and a real urban mess (gang tags everywhere, etc). If you are not going to walk the high route after Villafrance de Bierzo (SIC, sorry--village just before you hit the uphill into Galicia), take a taxi from there to Los Herrerrios (where the CF turns off from the busy road, sometimes with no guardrail). Note, Pamplona is a nice walk; no need to skip. The same for Burgos IF you take river route (which is just lovely--ignore the guide books warning about it being isolated. That was not our experience at all). Also, personally I would not skip the mesta. For me, that is where the spiritual miracles happened on both walks. Feel free to ignore all of this advice. Just walk. The Camino will guide you.

As for long days, its best if you just ignore the numbers of kms. Purky is right--unless you have serious injuries (and it happened on our first CF with the blisters), one of my lessons on the Camino was letting go of numbers (kms walked, bank account balance, weight of the pack, etc.). Just walk.

Buen Camino,
Jo Jo

 

[Robo]

I did it in 22...

Nutters..........all of you

 

[Robo]

Sadly not all of us are able to walk longer daily distances. Ailments, physical limitations or injuries can of course restrict you. But I also think that the inability to walk 30+ km days (or more) is very often due to just believing you can't do it. Self fulfilling prophecy.

It is surprising how far you can go if you (always gently!) push yourself a bit further, or forget you are walking serious miles during animated conversation. I've met some nice people on the way and had long and interesting talks while walking. We were always surprised at the end of the day how far we had walked, almost unnoticed.

So I don't think it would have killed you. Made you grumpy, I'll buy that...

I know my limitations
25 kms is my preferred daily maximum.
by 28-30 I start to develop severe achilles pain.
by 32-34 kms I can barely walk.

2-3 days in a row of over 28 kms often requires physio treatment.
2-3 days in a row of 32+ kms starts to lead to injury that can potentially end my Camino.

40 kms +. Would probably end my Camino............

Some of us do indeed have physical limitations

Our daily average this year will be 20 kms

For me it's all about the journey anyway, so why rush it?

 

[trecile]

I'm with those who say to start at Logroño, and walk continuously to Santiago. If you get there quicker than planned you can continue on to Finisterre or Muxia, which I think is a nice way to end. Many people arrive in Santiago with a "what do I do now?" feeling, and walking to Finisterre can help.

 

[Boog237]

You might consider a "hop scotch" camino. One could start in SJPP to enjoy the truly spectacular walk across the Pyrenees, walk on to Logroño, then jump ahead via bus to Burgos then continue on to Santiago skipping various stages by bus to shave a few days walking. But . . . one significant downside to this approach is missing out on the moving community aspect of the Camino, for me, the very best part.

Be well

 

[pobrien]

I would agree with many of the posts- don't skip but rather start a little further along ( e.g. Logrono) Part of the experience is meeting and travelling with the other peregrinos. If you are "racing" along you will have little time to interact with them.
Paul

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

How about St. Jean to Leon? The Brierley guidebook suggests 20 days. That gives you sightseeing days in Pamplona, Burgos and Leon or others of your choice. If you are a bit faster then you can have some time in Madrid or Paris or elsewhere. Leon is big enough to have good transportation for leaving and then for returning to at some future time.

 

[MeandIan]

Thank you for this information! I’m flying from Australia so I lose a total of 4 days in travel really... so 24-25 days is a better representation of the time that I have available. I like the idea of the continuous journey as well but I was torn between that and feeling like I’d enjoy starting at SJPDP...

Maybe I’ll just have to plan to do the Camino multiple times to do both (now wouldn’t that be a shame )

Can’t you take a couple of siekies

 

[JP]

Including travel time, I had 26 days in May 2017. What I did is start walking in St-Jean Pied de Port and walked to Pamplona. In Pamplona I took the train to Sahagun and taxied back to Terradillos de los Templerios. I started walking again from there and walked the rest of the way to Santiago.

 

[Kanga]

@Tash2018 I'm with the other posters - don't skip. I'd also recommend the Camino Francés as a first. If your heart is set on St Jean Pied de Port - start there and walk as far as you can - and plan on coming back and resuming at some time in the future.

If you are goal oriented (and you know yourself best), then you will be determined to get to SDC and if the time is short you will finish up by catching a bus. That is just how it happens. To avoid that, I'd strongly suggest starting at Logroño or Burgos.

Those who do a contiguous journey always seem to "get" the Camino better than those who skip. I was only yesterday reading an account by someone who skipped and only walked the highlights, and that person could not understand the fuss. As far as they were concerned there are much better walks in other parts of the world (true, if what you are looking for is a beautiful walk).

 

[trecile]

@Tash2018 I'm with the other posters - don't skip. I'd also recommend the Camino Francés as a first. If your heart is set on St Jean Pied de Port - start there and walk as far as you can - and plan on coming back and resuming at some time in the future.

If you are goal oriented (and you know yourself best), then you will be determined to get to SDC and if the time is short you will finish up by catching a bus. That is just how it happens. To avoid that, I'd strongly suggest starting at Logroño or Burgos.

Those who do a contiguous journey always seem to "get" the Camino better than those who skip. I was only yesterday reading an account by someone who skipped and only walked the highlights, and that person could not understand the fuss. As far as they were concerned there are much better walks in other parts of the world (true, if what you are looking for is a beautiful walk).

I know what you mean. I'm hooked on the camaraderie - the shared experience with other pilgrims. I wouldn't even think of skipping the so called boring parts, because to me it's all part and parcel of the Camino experience. And thinking about it, if it were me, with limited time I would definitely start as close as I needed to Santiago so that I could finish there, or Finisterre or Muxia. I think that I'd feel like my journey was incomplete otherwise. But that's just me, everyone has their own way of doing things.

 

[RJM]

I would say just keep it simple and do either the start in Logrono option, or start in Saint Jean or Roncesvalles option and jump ahead when necessary to keep on a schedule to get to Santiago and then home.
I would say not to try to walk 40 km a day and do it in less than 4 weeks. Not the best advice, IMO. No need for braggadocio on a forum that is designed to help pilgrims.
A lot of pilgrims dig the whole "Camino family" bit, where you pretty much walk with the same group everyday, and it can be cool, but it is also very cool to constantly meet new pilgrims. If you leap-frog on the Camino you lose your group of friends. If you start in say Logrono, you pretty much stay with the same group.
I walked the Camino once and took extra days in Pamplona, Burgos and Carrion. Subsequently I had 3 Camino groups I befriended. I ended up meeting pretty much all of them in Santiago.
No bad choice no matter how you do it. After all, how bad can any choice you make be when on holiday in Spain.
cheers

 

[blueskywa]

I can honestly say that would have killed me

Me too Robo!!!!I'm a comfortable 15km (20km with a push and then my feet are screaming) a day person

 

[blueskywa]

Hi all!

I have been lucky enough to secure 4 weeks leave from work from mid May this year to walk the Camino -Yay!

I was hoping to get people’s thoughts and experiences with having this type of timeframe available, and whether people would recommend starting in ST Jean Pied de Port and then skipping parts of the Camino (except the last 100kms of course), or just starting further along the Camino.

Alternatively, any suggestions for parts that you would definitely not skip?!

Thanks in advance!

Hi.. if you wanted to start in sjpdp and experience the entire Way to SdC, there is the option of riding bikes for a part of the way. My niece needed to do just that because of blisters for 4 or 5 days but others may be able to give some info on the easiest part. How I wished I had a bike at times when they whizzed past while I was slogging it out!!! Buen Camino, what a wonderful journey you will have

 

[Robo]

Hi.. if you wanted to start in sjpdp and experience the entire Way to SdC, there is the option of riding bikes for a part of the way. My niece needed to do just that because of blisters for 4 or 5 days but others may be able to give some info on the easiest part. How I wished I had a bike at times when they whizzed past while I was slogging it out!!! Buen Camino, what a wonderful journey you will have

We might try that option this year. Just to save our 'problem' feet a bit.
I reckon a couple of stages from Fromista maybe as far as Leon would be good.
Not the most scenic sections.............

 

[vegoodrich]

No need for braggadocio on a forum that is designed to help pilgrims.

I don't think it is 'braggadocio' to say what works for you Helping all pilgrims means some really can and want to do the camino at a quicker pace. It takes all different types of pilgrims to give advice Just as there is no minimum speed on walking, there is no maximum speed on walking. Everyone is different. More than once I was told I was "racing" and not going to have the "true" experience. I don't think this could be further from the truth.

To the OP: Depending on what you are used to walking, you may be surprised. I would see how far you get and then come back some other time to finish. I met a lot of people doing just that. The first few days from SJPdP were some of my favorites.

If you are interested in knowing how long it took me on my first and second camino just send me a message, if I mention it here I'll be accused of being unrealistic (it's happened before...)

 

[Purky]

I don't think it is 'braggadocio' to say what works for you Helping all pilgrims means some really can and want to do the camino at a quicker pace. It takes all different types of pilgrims to give advice Just as there is no minimum speed on walking, there is no maximum speed on walking. Everyone is different. More than once I was told I was "racing" and not going to have the "true" experience. I don't think this could be further from the truth.

To the OP: Depending on what you are used to walking, you may be surprised. I would see how far you get and then come back some other time to finish. I met a lot of people doing just that. The first few days from SJPdP were some of my favorites.

If you are interested in knowing how long it took me on my first and second camino just send me a message, if I mention it here I'll be accused of being unrealistic (it's happened before...)

Well spoken, thank you. Apart from the fact I like long walking days (not doing it for the 'braggadocio' either), it is also sort of necessary for me. I just need some distance to get in my groove and get my brain to shut up for a while.
As you said, it takes all different types, not just of pilgrims but also of motives. And as I've written somewhere else on this forum: there is no correlation between the fun to be had and the pace with which you walk a camino.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Nutters..........all of you

Agree!

 

[RJM]

Agree!

Ditto, although I did have a different word in mind.....

 

[Joziane]

Do you know your pace while training? What are you comfortable doing now? This would give you
an indication of sorts....to help with your plan.

 

[NanaEL]

Another option is.....if 40km per day is doable, the whole route can be done in 3 weeks. It takes a plan and still a bit of room for error. There is at least one book out there authored by a fellow who did it and what it took.

Wow! And I am planning on having at least 6 weeks (mind you, we will be 67 and 72 when we go) ... does 3 weeks allow you time to smell the flowers? Sounds like a race of some sort to me. Good luck whatever you do.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Sounds like a race of some sort to me.

It is never a race if you are not a contestant!

Who cares if it is a race for someone else???

 

[MichelleElynHogan]

I agree with many here, if it is a race, are you really a Pilgrim or a jockey, just riding yourself into the ground?

Personally, this old body will do 20 km, sometimes more in a day. But 40 km is neither possible or desired, for me.

Four weeks can be enough to complete the Camino Frances but I would recommend starting at either Logrono or Burgos. That would provide sufficient time to enjoy and complete.