Approximate Proportions of Route on Roads?

[Houlet]

I am in the early stages of planning the Camino Frances next year and am looking for advice from those who have completed this pilgrimage in the past.

I prefer walking in the hills and countryside and have completed many of the long distance paths in the UK.

My objective is to minimise the percentage of time/distance walking on tarmac or at least on busy roads. I realise that the route will take me through towns as well as cities where tarmac and traffic cannot be avoided. It's really the

Can anyone give me advice on the best "rural" route, and the approximate proportions walked on tracks, roads, traffic etc..

Muchas Gracias

 

[KinkyOne]

Hi, Houlet!

If you prefer walking in the hills you'll like some of the stages from Pyrenees to Burgos and the stages in the last third of CF from Astorga to SdC.

As I remember most of the non-tarmac paths/tracks/sendas are on the Meseta from Burgos to Leon, but the Meseta is very flat!

According to John Brierley's guidebook there are approximately 65,4% of paths/tracks/sendas, 23,8% quiet roads and 10,8% of main roads on the whole lenght of CF. Of course that also depends on the detours/desvios you take. But I think there are at least unavoidable 30% of tarmac or even concrete surfaces.

There are some long stretches of "rural" routes, but they are all inevitable interspersed with some tarmac. As the longest I remember 17km long stretch on light gravel road after Carrion de los Condes without any tarmac for example.

Ultreia!

 

[Houlet]

K1, Thanks for the feedback, thats exactly what I needed.

I probably will buy the Brearley book but at the moment I'm trying to decide which is best as I will only carry one with me.

 

[KinkyOne]

Before purchasing the Brierley maybe first take a look at these two sites, they're both in Spanish, but you'll get by. They both have many up-to-date information on albergues, have maps and profiles, guide text etc.:
http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/
http://www.gronze.com/

B.

 

[whariwharangi]

Nearly all of the route is on improved surfaces. Tarmac and concrete as pointed out make up at least 25%. The rest is metalled at least once in its history and some is old Roman road. Very little is on foot paths. A notable exception is coming down from Cruz de Ferro where the road switchbacks have been circumvented with shortcuts consisting of washed out boulders where dirt is long since eroded. You could drive an SUV car on it.

There are a couple of places that allow a choice of routes but they rarely diverge for more than 10 km.

One such place is Burgos. Go the airport route and when you get to the main road continue on to the river. The walk along the river is probably the most pleasant of three possible routes.

 

[dalston999]

I too much prefer walking on footpaths and was very disappointed at the amount of roads or very hard graded tracks along the Frances. Having said that, it was still an amazing experience.

If you want to walk on more rural tracks, maybe consider doing the GR 65 Chemin from Le Puy en Velay, the Chemin d'Arles or any of the other GR routes in France. You won't end up in Santiago obviously, but you will have beautiful walking. I have done both of these routes and can highly recommend them.

 

[Houlet]

Thanks to both W &D.

The Burgos/River route seems a good choice, and the French alternatives are a strong possibility for another day.

Next year though I'm committed to the CdS.

 

[mralisn]

Hello,

I'm a bit pressed for time at the moment, but I wanted to offer another guide option. I have used twice on CF and once on Camino Norte. I'll use the next time I return as well.

From the Confraternity of St. James. Small, pamphlet-like, simple, updated every year, easily supplemented with other information gathered along the way, proceeds to the confraternity. Received all 3 from London to California in less than a week.

Click on "enter bookstore":

http://www.csj.org.uk/bookshop.htm

 

[Houlet]

Hello,

I'm a bit pressed for time at the moment, but I wanted to offer another guide option. I have used twice on CF and once on Camino Norte. I'll use the next time I return as well.

From the Confraternity of St. James. Small, pamphlet-like, simple, updated every year, easily supplemented with other information gathered along the way, proceeds to the confraternity. Received all 3 from London to California in less than a week.

Click on "enter bookstore":

http://www.csj.org.uk/bookshop.htm

Thank you for your help, and of course being in the UK I should get this more quickly.