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A very beginner's question

carol0454

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
(2016)
A friend & I are planning a trip in 2017 & could use some advice. We'll have between 7-12 days. We're both late 50's but in pretty good shape. We'd like to have our luggage transferred. From what I can gather it seems like early fall is the best time to go.

What would be the best leg to go? We're not worried about covering large distances & are very interested in the culture.

Thanks for any suggestions!
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
First question: Is it important for you to arrive in Santiago this time or not? That kind of determines our answers a bit ;-) Buen Camino, SY
 
No, we don't care where we end. I understand the French part is beautiful but fairly crowded. But, if that seems to be best for newbies, we're up for it. Thanks!
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

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With the French part you mean the ways in France, if that the Le Puy way from Le Puy en Velay to Concques or a bit further would fit your bill perfectly. Bon Chemin, SY
 
A friend & I are planning a trip in 2017 & could use some advice. We'll have between 7-12 days. We're both late 50's but in pretty good shape. We'd like to have our luggage transferred. From what I can gather it seems like early fall is the best time to go.

What would be the best leg to go? We're not worried about covering large distances & are very interested in the culture.

Thanks for any suggestions!
French Camino. Starting in O Cebreiro, Ponferrada or Astorga. Lots of companies transfer luggage on that route (eg. xacotrans)
Buen Camino
 
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If you are interested in walking the Camino Frances (which is in Spain), and since getting to Santiago is not important, I would suggest you start in Saint-Jean Pied de Port (in France) and walk to Burgos. It's my favourite part of the Frances as you cross the Pyrenees, visit the mythical SJPP, visit the equally mythical Roncesvalles, then have a chance to detour to visit the Eunate church, spend an evening in Pamplona, hike up the Monte del Perdon, cross the famous Puente la Reina bridge, visit Spain's wine capital ( and super known for its tapas) Logrono, spend a night at the San Juan de Ortega monstery (must be done at least once in a lifetime) and end in Burgos. This is done in 12 days.

If you only have 7 days, start in Pamplona, walk to Santo Domingo de la Calzada, then bus/taxi back to Logrono where there are lots of options to get to an airport.

Sheesh... makes me want to walk this again. ;0). Lots of culture, architecture, history, and good food!
 
BTW, Carol, a newbie tip: you posted in thread about places to eat and atay at. So more people can answer your question about the Camino Frances, posting on that sub-forum will get you more reponses.

But I am the first to say how confusing I first found it when wanting to post correctly ;0).
 
I have moved the thread to the Camino Frances forum.
Anemone's suggestion above that you will receive more suggestions (and opinions)
then in the original location. A redirect was left in original forum.

I assume by "French part" you may have meant the Camino Frances.

You have already received some very good suggestions.

You can decide about the "luggage" (pack?) transfer at a later time after you have set a route and place.

Welcome to the forum.
Buen Camino
 
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Hi Carol
I would go with Anemone suggestion - Saint Jean Pied de Port and walk to Burgos. It took us 12 days. However if you only have 7 days, I would still start in Saint Jean, you just can’t miss crossing the Pyrenees. We went from St Jean to Roncevalles the first day, however a lot of people overnight in Orisson. We had our luggage transferred each day and booked our accommodation ahead with booking.com. At the time we were both 63 and 65!
It will be a wonderful experience and early Autumn is ideal!
 
Yup! Anemone's got it nailed. Start at the beginning of the French Route. Burgos is doable in 10 days. Burgos also has decent bus and rail connections to travel home from.

You might plan to spent one additional day in Pamplona, especially if you are Hemingway fans. You DO know that he wrote his trilogy of books on the Spanish Civil War while living in the tiny village of Burgette (or was it Espinal?), just east of Pamplona. In particular, he loved the trout fishing there.

Similarly, at the end of your walk, in Burgos, plan to spend one additional day there as well. It is a VERY historic city, very key to Spanish history, and El Cid is buried there (the Charlton Heston movie).

More importantly, once you do this first segment, we guarantee that you will want to do more in future. So, starting at St. Jean Pied de Port and ending at Burgos positions you perfectly to return to Burgo the next time to continue on from there, in the direction of Santiago. Many Europeans accomplish their Camino Frances by breaking it into manageable segments that they return to accomplish each year, until they finish it. As they typically have shorter distances to travel this makes sense.

Since there is no time limit on completing a Camino, in terms of qualifying for a Compostela, and to preserve your entitlement to one, eventually, I recommend you obtain at least one sello / stamp per day starting in St. Jean Pied de Port and continuing until you end at Burgos, or wherever. The sellos should be dated.

All that is required to qualify for a Compostela at present is that you walk AT LEAST the final 100 kilometers of any approved route, AND demonstrate continuous progress in the correct direction. That it might talk you several years to accomplish this is of no consequence to the folks in the Pilgrim Office.

So, let's say for example that you split this up into three of four segments and took as many years to finish. You could still amble into the Pilgrim Office and obtain both the Compostela, provided you walked at least from Sarria continuously, AND the optional Certificate of Distance traveled showing that you walked from St. Jean Pied de Port, 775 kilometers away. The certificate is worthy of framing.

I hope this helps.
 
Transport luggage-passengers.
From airports to SJPP
Luggage from SJPP to Roncevalles
A friend & I are planning a trip in 2017 & could use some advice. We'll have between 7-12 days. We're both late 50's but in pretty good shape. We'd like to have our luggage transferred. From what I can gather it seems like early fall is the best time to go.

What would be the best leg to go? We're not worried about covering large distances & are very interested in the culture.

Thanks for any suggestions!
I started from Ponferrada it is beautiful place and finished in Santiago
 
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Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-
I loved the SJPP part to Pamplona to Estella too, but if I only had a week I loved Galicia more. There are a few more walkers on the final 100k of the Camino, but it is a beautful area and not as demanding physically as walking over the Pyrennes. If you have 7 days, that would allow you to go from Sarria to Santiago easily. If you are not in great shape, you don't have to worry about how much you have to walk each day and there are good places to stay all along the route. If you have more time, you can walk to Finisterra or Muxia and if time is limited once you get there, take the daily bus back to Santiago afterwards. If you like seeing all the people, and are a people watcher, that is a good route. You still have time for reflection, but you are never lonely. But if you like hiking more by yourself, the SJDP start is probably the best. Only thing I would recommend is that you stay on one route and not try to skip ahead, because then you lose the people that you have been seeing and talking to on the route, and that is one of the best things on the Camino I think. But you really can't go wrong whatever you choose.
 
As I haven't yet walked prior to Leon, I can't comment up to that point. But I loved the walk from Ponferrada to SDC especially taking the Samos detour. It was the most memorable part of my walk. Beautiful and peaceful. Buen Camino.
 

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