Advice of how to do Camino De Santiago (for my circumstances)

[Rasamala33]

Hello! I am a solo traveler from Australia. I would like to do the Camino De Santiago trail from the 19th of August August departing Madrid on the 17th of September 2017.
Ideally, I would like to complete the 800km on bike (as long as I don't get injured) and was hoping that there was somewhere I can keep my big backpack, as I will have been traveling for 3 months prior.
If I can find a bike, I would cycle roughly 27km a day, which I think would be okay, but is this unrealistic?
I am not cycling professional but I am physically fit: I do kickboxing 3-5 times a week and I usually run and cycle on alternate dates. I need to look after my knees as they are not fantastic, hence wanting to cycle instead of walking with a big back pack.
I would really appreciate some advice from others about where to go from here. I researched a cycle tour company which wanted to charge me $6000 for the month, not including all meals, which frankly, I think is way to overpriced.
I speak intermediate Spanish too. Thank you for your help everyone.
Kind regards,

RaRa

 

[dougfitz]

If you are living in a capital city, I suggest finding when one of the local friends groups meets and getting to their meetings. There are also many Australians who have cycled on this forum who are always willing to help.

On the luggage question, Casa Ivar has a luggage service. It is advertised in the header section of forum pages.

 

[mspath]

In addition to the helpful tips offered by Dougfitz be sure to scan the wealth of biking info and links in this forum topic--
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/forums/biking-the-camino.24/

 

[Bradypus]

If I can find a bike, I would cycle roughly 27km a day, which I think would be okay, but is this unrealistic?

You do not say which Camino you plan to ride so I'm assuming you mean the Camino Frances. Unlike you I am an overweight and unfit 54 year old man. Last year I averaged about 28km per day along the way while walking. Every cyclist I encountered was moving a great deal faster than me. I would imagine that on a bike you might cover far greater distances with ease. To average 27km should be no problem at all.

 

[Jenny267]

RaRa as suggested check out the biking link in this forum, a wealth of information. As you've said you are fairly fit 27km a day is not unrealistic, indeed you'll need to do more than that per day to complete the 800km in your time frame. Do you have a bike at the moment?
To hire bikes have a look at bicigrino and Cycling-rentals, both offer Camino packages. Both ship the bike to your start point and pick up from your end point, within Spain. You would need to book in advance.
I am cycling the Frances in September from Pamplona, 16 days, 2 moderately fit, soon to be very fit women in our 50's!
It's very doable

 

[trecile]

I averaged 25 km walking the Camino. You should be able to cycle double that distance every day.

There's an entire section of this forum devoted to biking on the Camino. You should check it out https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/forums/biking-the-camino.24/

 

[good_old_shoes]

Cycling 30-40km/day should be doable, even for someone not well trained. Maybe more on the flat meseta, less when there's mountains.

And definitely NO need to spend thousands of dollars on a tour company or a professional bike. Many spanish people do parts of the camino on cheap decathlon bikes with their kids. In Leon I met a guy who switched from walking to cycling because of an injury – he just bought a used bike on the way. I bet you could buy a bike in Pamplona, for example.

Just a few days ago I found a very nice website for planning a long distance bike tour (not camino specific) that also includes info for people who do not want to spend a fortune on bike and additional gear : http://tomsbiketrip.com/planning-a-bike-tour/ (hope it's ok to include the link, if not, please remove).

Happy planning and buen Camino!


(To add one thing: If you don't do more than 30kms/day on average, you'll have roughly the same rhythm as the walking pilgrims, and it will be more likely for you to become part of a 'camino family'. Many of the bike-pilgrims I met had the problem that they were faster than the walking pilgrims, but slower than those bikers who did the camino more as a sports-challenge than a pilgrimage, which made it difficult for them to make friends on the way. That might be something to consider while planning daily stages, depending on how important the social aspect of the Camino is to you)

 

[SYates]

... I would cycle roughly 27km a day, which I think would be okay, but is this unrealistic?...

I have the suspicion that you haven't done any cycling before, haven't you? 27km on a bike can be done in 1 or 2 hours depending on the terrain. Also, you can pack light, use luggage transport/send stuff ahead to @ivar and walk the Camino, if you wish to walk it, without the need of a bike. So, if you want to have a leisurely bike pilgrimage 50-60km sounds good if you have not any major health problems. Walking, if an, for you, optimised backpack, would allow for ~25km/day.

Buen Camino, SY

 

[Rasamala33]

RaRa as suggested check out the biking link in this forum, a wealth of information. As you've said you are fairly fit 27km a day is not unrealistic, indeed you'll need to do more than that per day to complete the 800km in your time frame. Do you have a bike at the moment?
To hire bikes have a look at bicigrino and Cycling-rentals, both offer Camino packages. Both ship the bike to your start point and pick up from your end point, within Spain. You would need to book in advance.
I am cycling the Frances in September from Pamplona, 16 days, 2 moderately fit, soon to be very fit women in our 50's!
It's very doable

Thank you Jenny. I am starting the hike in Portugal as that is where I was told to start and then end in Madrid, does that sounds right? Which course should I follow? Will it be 800 km?

 

[Mark T17]

Hi RaRa, I'm hoping to do the Camino Frances in September on a bike which is about 800km over 2 weeks and the most popular Camino route for walkers and bikers. Not sure about the Portugal Camino, probably depends on where you start. If you are first timers like Jenny and I, the Frances seems easier with all the accommodation and support on route. There is also a wealth of info on this site, plenty of guide books and established tracks on the French way. I'm a runner and never really cycled much, but my plan is to do a minimum of 2 stages (50km) per day in the hills and 3 stages (70km) on the flats (see the stage maps on this site). Most of what I've read says a budget of between 30 - 50 euro's per day is about right plus bike hire, also most people seem do the Frances route first from St Jean in France to Santiago in Spain, then do the Portugal route for their second camino a couple of years later.

Happy to keep the Aussie conversations going for September !

 

[Rasamala33]

Hi RaRa, I'm hoping to do the Camino Frances in September on a bike which is about 800km over 2 weeks and the most popular Camino route for walkers and bikers. Not sure about the Portugal Camino, probably depends on where you start. If you are first timers like Jenny and I, the Frances seems easier with all the accommodation and support on route. There is also a wealth of info on this site, plenty of guide books and established tracks on the French way. I'm a runner and never really cycled much, but my plan is to do a minimum of 2 stages (50km) per day in the hills and 3 stages (70km) on the flats (see the stage maps on this site). Most of what I've read says a budget of between 30 - 50 euro's per day is about right plus bike hire, also most people seem do the Frances route first from St Jean in France to Santiago in Spain, then do the Portugal route for their second camino a couple of years later.

Happy to keep the Aussie conversations going for September !

Thanks so much Mark. Are you organising to hire a bike in advance and having your luggage picked up? Is anyone here doing the route that starts in Portugal?

 

[jsalt]

I am starting the hike in Portugal as that is where I was told to start and then end in Madrid, does that sounds right? Which course should I follow? Will it be 800 km?

Hi RaRa, this is a little confusing. There is no 800km camino trail from Portugal to Madrid. The caminos end in Santiago. There is the popular Camino Francés which is about 800kms from St Jean Pied de Port (or Roncesvalles) to Santiago. And there is the increasingly popular Camino Portugués which is about 600kms from Lisbon to Santiago. You can walk or cycle both. As you have time, you could walk either of them, starting anywhere along the route. You can easily mail a lot of your gear to Ivar (see link on this forum), so that you have a lot less to carry on your walk.
Jill

 

[GettingThere]

Thank you Jenny. I am starting the hike in Portugal as that is where I was told to start and then end in Madrid, does that sounds right? Which course should I follow? Will it be 800 km?

Hi RaRa
The Camino de Santiago has many different routes, all of them heading towards or ending in Santiago de Compostela. Not Madrid. There is a route through Portugal to Santiago. Many people travel to Madrid after finishing a Camino route in order to fly home, but a bike trip from Portugal to Madrid would not be on the Camino. The best thing for you to do if you're interested in the Camino would be to look at a map of the different routes to get an idea of the options. Mundicamino.com has a good one. Then to find out more about the route that interests you, personally I would read a guide book - John Brierley has written one for the Portuguese Camino and another for the popular Camino Francés, both regularly updated.

Good luck and Buen Camino!

 

[jsalt]

Here are the most popular routes:

 

[Mark T17]

Thanks so much Mark. Are you organising to hire a bike in advance and having your luggage picked up? Is anyone here doing the route that starts in Portugal?

Hi RaRa,

Good advice above and see my recent thread in biking the Camino on this site where Jenny and others have discussed bike hire, etc. We're all biking in September starting either in St Jean or Pamplona and ending up in Santiago. At this stage bicigrino seems like the best bike hire website for me, but I haven't booked anything yet. I'll probably be using Ivar's luggage transfer for my extra bag. It might sound pathetic, but the movie The Way with Martin Sheen and Emilo Esteves was my motivation for doing the Camino. I would encourage you to watch it on Netflix and I'm almost certain you will be jumping at the chance to start in St Jean.

 

[Rasamala33]

Thanks Mark and everyone for your wonderful advice. 'The Way' was also my inspiration! Has anyone here done the hike starting in Portugal (The Camino Portugués). My travel agent booked this in for me confirming that this was in fact the Camino De Santiago, which confused me as I thought it went through France. I'm hoping I can still access services and enjoy my route if I start in Portugal?

 

[SYates]

@Rasamala33 I would seriously consider to fire your travel agent and make your own decisions! If you have a look at the map above, you see that there isn't one but many Caminos de Santiago and not only in Spain/Portugal but all over Europe.

The Camino Francés takes it name from the Francs (tribes that lived on the other side of the Pyrenees, in nowadays France) and is the Camino shown in the movie The Way.

The Camino Portuguese is also well equipped and if you plan to take it I suggest you buy a guide book and familiarize yourself with the possible starting points and variants.

Buen Camino, SY

 

[jsalt]

Has anyone here done the hike starting in Portugal (The Camino Portugués). My travel agent booked this in for me confirming that this was in fact the Camino De Santiago, which confused me as I thought it went through France. I'm hoping I can still access services and enjoy my route if I start in Portugal?

Hi RaRa, what do you mean by “My travel agent booked this in for me”? Do you mean you have your flights booked? If so, which city are you flying into?

I would recommend the Camino Francés as a first camino. My first camino was from Lisbon to Santiago (The Camino Portugués) and I enjoyed it very much, but I set off as a long-distance walker, as that was all it was to me then: a long-distance walk. I was about 3 weeks in when it suddenly dawned on me that I wasn’t a hiker anymore but a pilgrim. It was quite a revelation. But, yes, you can access all the services and enjoy your route if you start in Portugal.
Jill

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Thank you Jenny. I am starting the hike in Portugal as that is where I was told to start and then end in Madrid, does that sounds right? Which course should I follow? Will it be 800 km?

This does not soumd right to me. There is no Camino that joins Madrid to Portugal. I would go back to your travel agent and ask for your money back.

Now, if you have a flight booked into Portugal and another leaving Madrid and must keep those, at least it's fairly easy to fly, train or bus within Spain/Portugal.

While there are those who do cycle along the Caminos in Portugal, it is far more common to do so along the Camino Frances. Bike rental with pick up in Portugal and drop off in Madrid may be an issue. The couple I met who did cycle in Portugal did so with their own bicycles.

Assuming you fly into Portugal, I would look for a flight to Pamplona where you could rent a bicycle and bike the Frances. Then drop off the bicycle in Santiago and take a bus, train or flight to Madrid.

As for daily distances, you will find that most cyclist do around 100km a day, so 27 will be morw than manageable. Do keep in mind that 27 km a day means you will arrive to your daily destinations very very early in the day and that many albergues give priority to walkers and make cyclists wait until well into the afternoon before giving them a bed. This may mean a lot of sitting around waiting to shower and get a bed. When there is a shortage of beds, cyclists are typically the ones who are told by hospitaleros to pedal to the next town as it is faster/easier for them than for walkers.

Take a look at this site: it gives you the typical etapas for cyclists on different Caminos, but in Spain only. http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/camino-en-bici/etapas/

Here is a link to a company that organises Porto to Santiago by bike. Price a lot lower than what you were looking at for sure! Look at it to get an idea of the daily stages it proposes. http://www.tee-travel.com/es/camino-portugues-en-bici-pazos-pousadas-y-hoteles-con-encanto

The Camino done in albergues and with eating out for three meals a day can cost you 30-35€. So 6000€ is astronomical for a month. They must have been having you sleep in fabtastic hotels for that price.

 

[Rasamala33]

Hello everyone,

Thank you again for all of your help. I am quitting my job to do solo travel in Europe for 4 and a half months, so this advice is very valuable to me!

I have new updates. My flights have now been changed so that I arrive in Bordeaux at 1905 on the 18/8 and then I will depart to go back to Madrid on the 17/9/.

Does anyone have the link of where I can book a train from Bordeaux to St Jean and then booking a train from Santiago to Madrid at the end of the trail?

By my calculations, this trail is 800km long, so if I spread this out over the 29 days, I will need to cover just over 27km a day.

I think I will do this by bike only to save my knees from injury as I need to look after them.


In terms of booking a rental bike, from this thread, here are the options I am listing:

-http://tomsbiketrip.com/planning-a-bike-tour/
- http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/camino-en-bici/etapas/

And for getting my luggage from one end to another:
-Casa Ivar

Does anyone have any suggestions of what I should pack in my backpack for the 29 days?

Thanks again everyone.

Warm wishes,
RaRa

 

[Jenny267]

Hi RaRa
those are interesting websites that you've got there for information, but I can't see where they hire bikes. You could look at these sites for hiring

http://bicigrino.com/en/bicycle-rental

http://www.cycling-rentals.com/camino-touring-packs.html#.WNJPicsmKhA

There are a few packing lists on this site that will help you decide what to take in your bag with you, the idea is to take as little as possible. Say 2 sets of cycling clothes, something to keep you dry, something to keep you warm, sturdy shoes, something to wear after cycling, toiletries etc. as little as possible!
Cheers

 

[Rasamala33]

Thank you so much Jenny. I will look at those links.

Does anyone have the link for me to book a train from Bordeaux to st Jean and then From Santiago to Madrid at the end?

I realise it is too early to be able to book trains yet though.

Thanks again everyone.

Kind regards,
RaRa

 

[Rasamala33]

Also, I am assuming there are internet cafe's with wifi along the way? I am resigning from my job for this trip, so through the trail when I arrive at towns, I will need to be job searching!

Thanks again,
RaRa

 

[jsalt]

Does anyone have the link for me to book a train from Bordeaux to st Jean

Hi RaRa
You can book a train from Bordeaux to Bayonne:

https://www.rome2rio.com/s/Bordeaux/Bayonne-France

You cannot book the regional train from Bayonne to St Jean – you buy that ticket at the Bayonne station.
Jill

 

[jsalt]

Also, I am assuming there are internet cafe's with wifi along the way?

Internet cafés have all but disappeared. Almost every bar, restaurant, albergue and hotel now have free wifi.
Jill

 

[Rasamala33]

Thank you Jill. Do you know how long it takes to get from Bayonne to St Jean? I've looked on that transport website, thank you, it looks like it is too early now to book. Do you know how far in advance I can book? Thank you again.
Kind regards,
Rasa

 

[jsalt]

Hi Rasa, check out this website:
http://www.seat61.com/France-trains.htm
Jill

 

[Rasamala33]

Hi RaRa
those are interesting websites that you've got there for information, but I can't see where they hire bikes. You could look at these sites for hiring

http://bicigrino.com/en/bicycle-rental

http://www.cycling-rentals.com/camino-touring-packs.html#.WNJPicsmKhA

There are a few packing lists on this site that will help you decide what to take in your bag with you, the idea is to take as little as possible. Say 2 sets of cycling clothes, something to keep you dry, something to keep you warm, sturdy shoes, something to wear after cycling, toiletries etc. as little as possible!
Cheers

Hello Jenny, my Australian friend!

I've had a look at the Bicigrino website.

Do you know which bike company you are going with and who you are booking to transfer your luggage?

Am I okay to pick up my 'camino' passport at St Jean and then i get it stamped along the way? How do you 'prove' the distance that you have covered?

I'm thinking of hiring a bike for the 29 days, which will mean short rides each day-27km a day on average or having some 'rest/activity' days and cycling for longer on another days, and having my luggage picked up from one end and then retrieving it at the end of the trail.

I can just turn up at hostels in each town to check in can't I?

Thank you again.

Kind regards,
RaRa

 

[Kiwi-family]

If you are trying to protect your knees there is another option other than bike - carry a very light pack and walk with poles (preferably Pacerpoles, but any hiking poles will offer some assistance if used correctly). Starting in Roncesvalles would avoid the killer downhill. Or you could even walk the Baztan Camino from Bayonne - it ends at Pamplona where you join the Frances, and is more gentle (although not without a climb)
Do Google Pacerpoles!

 

[Jenny267]

RaRa I have booked my bike through Cycling-rentals. I think they deliver to Spain and Portugal only, not France ie SJPP.
They also offer baggage transfer from start to finish, not stage by stage.
Ivor also offers this service, you can read about it on this forum by doing a search.
As far as I know you can pick up your 'passport' in SJPP. Get it stamped every night and that will show how far you've cycled.
There is a lot of info on this forum about cycling and arlbergue accommodation, some say that cyclists have to wait until walkers are all in some don't, some can be booked ahead and some can't.
Cheers

 

[Rasamala33]

Thanks Jenny for all your responses, it's hard for me to make a decision about what to do. I know that 29 days is a long time to do the 800km on bike but I'm thinking that walking 27km a day even without a pack is a bit too tricky.....

 

[Rasamala33]

If you are trying to protect your knees there is another option other than bike - carry a very light pack and walk with poles (preferably Pacerpoles, but any hiking poles will offer some assistance if used correctly). Starting in Roncesvalles would avoid the killer downhill. Or you could even walk the Baztan Camino from Bayonne - it ends at Pamplona where you join the Frances, and is more gentle (although not without a climb)
Do Google Pacerpoles!

Thank you Kiwi family, I'm thinking that 27km a day walking-even without a pack sounds pretty hard on the joints though no?

 

[trecile]

Thanks Jenny for all your responses, it's hard for me to make a decision about what to do. I know that 29 days is a long time to do the 800km on bike but I'm thinking that walking 27km a day even without a pack is a bit too tricky.....

Your know that it's not necessary to walk all the way from St Jean Pied de Port. You could always start closer to Santiago. Or you could even walk part of the way and cycle part way. You could probably rent a bike in Burgos and cycle the Meseta pretty quickly.

 

[Kanga]

Yes, that is a good suggestion (riding from Burgos to Leon). Or you might pick other sections to ride.

Have a look at this planning website which you might find helpful for distances http://www.godesalco.com/plan/frances

And this site has elevation maps for each stage, which you could also use to see where the flat sections lie - they would be the easiest to cycle.
https://www.gronze.com/camino-frances

 

[Kiwi-family]

Thank you Kiwi family, I'm thinking that 27km a day walking-even without a pack sounds pretty hard on the joints though no?

If you are doing kick-boxing 3-5 times a week and running or cycling on alternate days I suspect your body would withstand gentle walking (just don't race and consider poles). Maybe get out for some longer walks at the weekend before you go and see what you're comfortable with. My concern for you cycling when you are only wanting to cover 27km a day is that you will have arrived by 9 or 10am and will not be let into an albergue until 6pm (of course you could take private accommodation but even some of those will not be ready until 2pm). Then if the albergue fills up it is you - the cyclist - who will be asked to go on to the next town.
Also you will spend time sorting the bike instead of just hitting the ground and starting walking.
If you thought 27km was too far to walk each day, you could always start from Pamplona.
I would also suggest riding 35km before you go to see if you're comfortable with that - I have a knee condition that is exacerbated by cycling and I'd hate for you to discover your knees don't like the constant bending motion! For me, with my dicky knees, walking is the ONLY option (with Pacerpoles). It could be really beneficial for you to determine your capabilities a bit more before leaving (I don't see how someone who can do kickboxing couldn't walk the camino and I think you'd have a much nicer experience!)

 

[Rasamala33]

If you are doing kick-boxing 3-5 times a week and running or cycling on alternate days I suspect your body would withstand gentle walking (just don't race and consider poles). Maybe get out for some longer walks at the weekend before you go and see what you're comfortable with. My concern for you cycling when you are only wanting to cover 27km a day is that you will have arrived by 9 or 10am and will not be let into an albergue until 6pm (of course you could take private accommodation but even some of those will not be ready until 2pm). Then if the albergue fills up it is you - the cyclist - who will be asked to go on to the next town.
Also you will spend time sorting the bike instead of just hitting the ground and starting walking.
If you thought 27km was too far to walk each day, you could always start from Pamplona.
I would also suggest riding 35km before you go to see if you're comfortable with that - I have a knee condition that is exacerbated by cycling and I'd hate for you to discover your knees don't like the constant bending motion! For me, with my dicky knees, walking is the ONLY option (with Pacerpoles). It could be really beneficial for you to determine your capabilities a bit more before leaving (I don't see how someone who can do kickboxing couldn't walk the camino and I think you'd have a much nicer experience!)

Thanks so much guys. Kiwi family, upon your suggestions I'm thinking that a mix of walking and cycling is sounding good. I though that in order to say that you have 'officially' completed the camino de santiago' you need to do the 800km is that right?

It sounds like I need to book in advance to have my luggage picked up from one end to the other, but that I can organise bikes along the trek (that I don't have to organise bikes in advance). Is that right?

Is it too early for me to be booking trains to St Jean then back to Madrid at the end?

Thank you again everyone.

 

[Kiwi-family]

You need to do the final 100km on foot or 200km on a bike. That's all.
Having encouraged you to walk, now I'm going to suggest choosing either walking OR biking. Have you ever worn a backpack on a bike? Not comfy. You want either panniers on a bike or a backpack on your back!
I'm guessing when you try to actually find a bike to ride this bit here and that bit there that you're going to say it's all just too hard and you'll walk. It's not a bad idea ;-)
You can do it!

 

[Rasamala33]

Thanks for your encouragement Kiwi family! I think I will try and do whatever I can on foot-and at least the last 100km on foot or 200km by bike. I'll organise to get my luggage picked up in St Jean and will retrieve it in Santiago. It looks like I can probably book my trains and buses around June onwards.

Thank you again. ):