Availability of buses for non-walker?

[Joanne P]

Hi Everyone

I'm doing the Camino Frances next year and have a friend who would like to join me for part (or possibly all) of the way ..... however she is not a walker (for various reasons) and would probably only be able to walk about 10km a day.

I'm wondering if we could manage this by having me head off solo each morning, while she takes her time having breakfast etc, then catches a bus to one of the villages around 10km from where I anticipate finishing that day so she can join me for those last kms.

I realise there is a chance our plans may go wrong some days, and we may miss each other (that's fine - we are both confident on our own - we will reconnect the following day).

My main concern is whether or not the buses run daily between the villages along the main route.

Would welcome your thoughts, especially those of you familiar with the bus services in Spain.
Thanks

 

[Anemone del Camino]

You won't be able to do this with buses, except here and there, but easily done with a taxi. They charge 1€ per km, maybe a bit more depending on inflation and what they can get away with. If you both have smart or cell phones, you'll be able to confirm each other's whereabouts.

 

[C clearly]

Someone else can give more specific advice on buses, but I would say that this would require some careful research and planning, and would be difficult to organize for everyday meetups. There is not a system of buses "between the villages along the main route." Taxis would be easier to arrange, but more expensive, of course.

You might be able to pick a small section where it is possible. Or your friend might take a bus to go several days ahead and wait somewhere while you catch up.

In any case, I would find it very distracting to have to make these arrangements on a daily basis, and balance the different needs (and moods) of 2 people. You don't know how either one of you will respond to the challenges of the Camino. A walker and a non-walker will be having very different experiences. I would do this only if I had a close loved one who really really wanted to experience the Camino and who couldn't do it without my help.

You say you are both confident on your own. Perhaps you could each be responsible for your own arrangements on a day-to-day basis, and just plan to meet up every week in a major town.

 

[Felipe]

The sections from Burgos to Sahagún and Villafranca del Bierzo to Samos could be difficult for your plans. Even getting taxis will not be easy in some places. There are many very little villages.
Buen camino!

 

[jsalt]

My main concern is whether or not the buses run daily between the villages along the main route.

No, they don’t. A nice idea but can’t really see this working. If there IS a bus it may only leave for the villages very early in the morning (for school children and workers) and return late in the afternoon.

A friend from home joined me on a camino once. It was a disaster. Unable to walk more than 10kms a day, she would bus ahead and then get bored stiff wandering around town waiting for me to catch up.

And then we would get bored stiff with each other’s company in the evenings as she wouldn’t stay in albergues.

It was only for 2 weeks, so we got over it, but it was long enough for her to decide that the camino wasn’t for her. You will (both) need a lot of patience and tolerance.

Having said all that, I expect others can relate happy stories of walking the camino with a non-walking companion. There are several threads on this forum about walking with a friend. Good luck, whatever you both decide to do; lots of time to think about it.
Jill

 

[Bradypus]

Another business opportunity for Jacotrans and Correos perhaps? - hang an address label and a few euros around the neck of a companion and have them collected and transported with the rest of the baggage each day

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Buses run on, or parallel to, the Camino for most of the way. There are a few stretches without bus service to smaller villages, but it is easy to plan around them.

In Google Maps mobile edition you will see bus stop icons along the roads. If you click on them, you get the bus route and time information. Do not rely on them completely; they are computer generated and do not show the actual progress of a particular bus. It is wise to be at the stop fifteen minutes before the scheduled time. There is an axiom in the bus business "Never leave early." The Spanish ignore it.

For transportation between major cities, use the ALSA website or the transportation information found linked to ayuntamiento sites.

I have walked every inch of the Camino, but I also have covered most of it by bus or taxi!! There are a few places like the Cruz de Ferro that you can reach only by taxi. When a taxi is necessary, I suggest you start the day with the taxi (or take it the night before). Taxis can be hard to find in the middle of a stage. Virtually any albergue or bar can summon a taxi, however.

If you seek advice on which sections to skip, I would say "none of them." However, when you have to, it is not difficult!

 

[nycwalking]

It is doable and can be a lot of fun. On my first camino I was 39 extremely fit and my couch potato mom was 70. She insisted upon walking with me, for my protection, (sigh), Roncesvalles to Santiago with her rolling backpack and all. The backpack was ditched first day near small brook. Her things parceled out amongst myself, and other pilgrims to be reunited with her in Larrasoana.

In Burgete store owner called taxi for her. We met at albergue in Larrasoana where she was also reunited with her possessions. Next day, this was blazing hot August on a Sunday, we headed out to Pamplona. On other side of highway, an elderly Spanish man picnicking with his family spotted my mom struggling in the fierce heat. He followed us, knocked on nearest door, commissioned owner to drive my mom to Trinidad de Arre. Upon my arrival in Trinidad, we ate, she took taxi to Pamplona and I walked there meeting at pre-arranged hotel. From then on she took bus from point-to-point daily until Castrojeriz. In Castrojeriz the bus that dropped her off at 6pm, on following day, she'd catch at 6pm to get to next town.

We then decided she would bus to larger towns and cities and await me there. Everytime we would seperate she would find lodging, call albergue in our Lozano guidebook, tell hospitaleros where she was staying they'd relay message and I'd walk to hotel. Because, she did possess a pilgrim's passport, she would sleep in albergues from time to time. One time in Santo Domingo de Calzada she found me on main street. I had booked two beds in an albergue she booked two in another.

We had a spectacular wholly unplanned and unprepared for pilgrimage. And, upon reflection a miraculous camino. That was in August-to-September 2001. Spain was still on the peseta, costs were very low. This was before everyone had cell phones. Now, with cell phones and present-day CF infrastructure you two can easily work out logistics. Buen camino.

 

[nycwalking]

Was just on FB. Someone said there is an app in Spain called: bla bla car. App hooks up people who have an empty seat in their vehicle. Possible alternative to taxis, buses, and trains.

 

[Kitsambler]

...On my first camino I was 39 extremely fit and my couch potato mom was 70. ...

This sounds like a marvelous - even legendary - journey for you both! Kudos for persisting, and enjoying the journey that actually materialized, rather than the one that was planned. (Would make a great movie, doncha think?)

 

[nycwalking]

This sounds like a marvelous - even legendary - journey for you both! Kudos for persisting, and enjoying the journey that actually materialized, rather than the one that was planned. (Would make a great movie, doncha think?)

Televangelist on religious network just said there is a movie within in you.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Was just on FB. Someone said there is an app called: bla bla car. App hooks up people who have an empty seat in their vehicle. Possible alternative to taxis, buses, and trains.

It is not of a lot of use in Spain. You can find large city to large city rides, but it has never had a ride nearby the Camino to another spot further down the Camino. It mostly is for a weekend ride or a daily commute.

There is Uber only in Madrid. Uber just pulled out of Denmark.

 

[Felipe]

In my experience, transportation in Spain is not easy when villages or medium cities are concerned. Travelling as a tourist interested in not so known churches and monuments, I discovered that I had to be careful to ask beforehand when the last bus was leaving, or risk being stranded without reserved lodging. Frequently, there were just two runs per day, even in quite large places and sites of touristic interest.
It is possible, but requires a careful planning an be well organized.
As for taxis, I remember that once I asked in a bar, because I wanted to visit the ruins of a castle in a near hill, and the owner actually had to call to the home of the taxi driver.
I suppose the local population don't move too much, or they use cars.

 

[IngridF]

It is doable and can be a lot of fun. On my first camino I was 39 extremely fit and my couch potato mom was 70. She insisted upon walking with me, for my protection, (sigh), Roncesvalles to Santiago with her rolling backpack and all. The backpack was ditched first day near small brook. Her things parceled out amongst myself, and other pilgrims to be reunited with her in Larrasoana.

In Burgete store owner called taxi for her. We met at albergue in Larrasoana where she was also reunited with her possessions. Next day, this was blazing hot August on a Sunday, we headed out to Pamplona. On other side of highway, an elderly Spanish man picnicking with his family spotted my mom struggling in the fierce heat. He followed us, knocked on nearest door, commissioned owner to drive my mom to Trinidad de Arre. Upon my arrival in Trinidad, we ate, she took taxi to Pamplona and I walked there meeting at pre-arranged hotel. From then on she took bus from point-to-point daily until Castrojeriz. In Castrojeriz the bus that dropped her off at 6pm, on following day, she'd catch at 6pm to get to next town.

We then decided she would bus to larger towns and cities and await me there. Everytime we would seperate she would find lodging, call albergue in our Lozano guidebook, tell hospitaleros where she was staying they'd relay message and I'd walk to hotel. Because, she did possess a pilgrim's passport, she would sleep in albergues from time to time. One time in Santo Domingo de Calzada she found me on main street. I had booked two beds in an albergue she booked two in another.

We had a spectacular wholly unplanned and unprepared for pilgrimage. And, upon reflection a miraculous camino. That was in August-to-September 2001. Spain was still on the peseta, costs were very low. This was before everyone had cell phones. Now, with cell phones and present-day CF infrastructure you two can easily work out logistics. Buen camino.

Love this story... your mom sounds like one heck of an adventurous spirit.

 

[grayland]

We found that buses (as @falcon269 posted) do follow most of the CF.
My wife had some serious feet and leg problems and it was fairly easy for her to bus ahead and meet me each day for the week or so it was necessary.
She needed to use it a few other times as well.

I used the Alsa app ( or other bus company) to see schedules. Pretty easy and straight forward. We also would ask hospitaleros and shop owners for advice on the local bus service.
A taxi was necessary a few times.
The plan of the OP is doable and actually adds to the adventure if approached that way.

 

[C clearly]

The plan of the OP is doable and actually adds to the adventure if approached that way.

I agree, in spite of my cautionary comments in my post above. The OP just needs to decide if they are a suitable match for such an adventure, and realize that this will define her Camino.

 

[nycwalking]

Love this story... your mom sounds like one heck of an adventurous spirit.

She most certainly does have spirit. She has been on Camel in Egypt, China's Great Wall, Israel, and on, and on. Love her.

 

[Giopomerol]

The Camino is very unpredictable. Despite all your careful planning of where to meet the next day etc. it will not always happen, blisters etc. etc. Also bus services in some of the towns run very early in the day or at really odd times. My advice is to link up at major towns - at least your friend will not get bored waiting for you in a small hamlet where there is no hope of getting proper food etc. Also have you thought about accommodation. Your friend may not ( read that as will not) be able to join you in the same abode if she doesn't have a proper 'pilgrims' passport. I understand she will walk 10 kilometers a day etc. But I do know some 'abodes' scrutinize passports. I'm not sure why and I'm not sure if this is an issue but I thought it should be mentioned.

 

[tominrm]

A new business for Jacotrans? Ha Ha, this reminds me of the article I read the last Sunday in the Chicago Tribune. It is amazing what people would ship, especially through the mail. : (one of) 10 Things You Might Not Know About the Cabinet.

The post office held Cabinet status from 1829 to 1971. One of Postmaster General Will Hays' easiest decisions came in 1914 when he banned the shipping of people through the mail. He acted after the parents of 5-year-old May Pierstorff put 53 cents worth of stamps on her coat and arranged for her to ride 75 miles in a train's mail compartment from Grangeville to Lewiston, Idaho. The stamps cost much less than a train ticket would have. And because the girl was mail, a postal clerk in Lewiston was obligated to deliver her to her grandmother's door, which he did.

 

[SusanPaulus]

If possible...renting a car could be a good option. Also, would be a great deal for both of you if you shared a private room on your stays. Good luck and Buen Camino.

 

[Joanne P]

Another business opportunity for Jacotrans and Correos perhaps? - hang an address label and a few euros around the neck of a companion and have them collected and transported with the rest of the baggage each day

Great idea! LOL

 

[grayland]

Actually, I think I have heard that Jacotrans offerscthis service in some areas.

 

[Joanne P]

The Camino is very unpredictable. Despite all your careful planning of where to meet the next day etc. it will not always happen, blisters etc. etc. Also bus services in some of the towns run very early in the day or at really odd times. My advice is to link up at major towns - at least your friend will not get bored waiting for you in a small hamlet where there is no hope of getting proper food etc. Also have you thought about accommodation. Your friend may not ( read that as will not) be able to join you in the same abode if she doesn't have a proper 'pilgrims' passport. I understand she will walk 10 kilometers a day etc. But I do know some 'abodes' scrutinize passports. I'm not sure why and I'm not sure if this is an issue but I thought it should be mentioned.

Thank you - good point re my friend staying in Albergues - I haven't thought about the fact that she might not be able to.

 

[Joanne P]

If possible...renting a car could be a good option. Also, would be a great deal for both of you if you shared a private room on your stays. Good luck and Buen Camino.

Thanks, I hadn't thought of car rental ... for her! (I'm totally committed to walking every step )

 

[grayland]

Thank you - good point re my friend staying in Albergues - I haven't thought about the fact that she might not be able to.

Most private albergues are not too strict on this subject. If she is walking to her physical ability...most albergues will accept her anyway.
Just be sure she has a credential and uses it daily to collect sello. She will want it as a keepsake and need it for any albergues.

 

[Joanne P]

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to reply - all your thoughts are much appreciated.
I have some research and thinking to do ....

 

[Joanne P]

Buses run on, or parallel to, the Camino for most of the way. There are a few stretches without bus service to smaller villages, but it is easy to plan around them.

In Google Maps mobile edition you will see bus stop icons along the roads. If you click on them, you get the bus route and time information. Do not rely on them completely; they are computer generated and do not show the actual progress of a particular bus. It is wise to be at the stop fifteen minutes before the scheduled time. There is an axiom in the bus business "Never leave early." The Spanish ignore it.

For transportation between major cities, use the ALSA website or the transportation information found linked to ayuntamiento sites.

I have walked every inch of the Camino, but I also have covered most of it by bus or taxi!! There are a few places like the Cruz de Ferro that you can reach only by taxi. When a taxi is necessary, I suggest you start the day with the taxi (or take it the night before). Taxis can be hard to find in the middle of a stage. Virtually any albergue or bar can summon a taxi, however.

If you seek advice on which sections to skip, I would say "none of them." However, when you have to, it is not difficult!

Thank you, I will check out the Google Maps mobile edition, and ALSA.

 

[Joanne P]

It is doable and can be a lot of fun. On my first camino I was 39 extremely fit and my couch potato mom was 70. She insisted upon walking with me, for my protection, (sigh), Roncesvalles to Santiago with her rolling backpack and all. The backpack was ditched first day near small brook. Her things parceled out amongst myself, and other pilgrims to be reunited with her in Larrasoana.

In Burgete store owner called taxi for her. We met at albergue in Larrasoana where she was also reunited with her possessions. Next day, this was blazing hot August on a Sunday, we headed out to Pamplona. On other side of highway, an elderly Spanish man picnicking with his family spotted my mom struggling in the fierce heat. He followed us, knocked on nearest door, commissioned owner to drive my mom to Trinidad de Arre. Upon my arrival in Trinidad, we ate, she took taxi to Pamplona and I walked there meeting at pre-arranged hotel. From then on she took bus from point-to-point daily until Castrojeriz. In Castrojeriz the bus that dropped her off at 6pm, on following day, she'd catch at 6pm to get to next town.

We then decided she would bus to larger towns and cities and await me there. Everytime we would seperate she would find lodging, call albergue in our Lozano guidebook, tell hospitaleros where she was staying they'd relay message and I'd walk to hotel. Because, she did possess a pilgrim's passport, she would sleep in albergues from time to time. One time in Santo Domingo de Calzada she found me on main street. I had booked two beds in an albergue she booked two in another.

We had a spectacular wholly unplanned and unprepared for pilgrimage. And, upon reflection a miraculous camino. That was in August-to-September 2001. Spain was still on the peseta, costs were very low. This was before everyone had cell phones. Now, with cell phones and present-day CF infrastructure you two can easily work out logistics. Buen camino.

Sounds like a great adventure. Thanks for your input

 

[grayland]

The problem with the car rental is that it cuts off the spontaneity of opting to walk on those days she is up to it. She will be tied to the car....and the temptation on the really hot..wet...or just horrible days will be great if it is just waiting there in the morning.

 

[Joanne P]

I agree, in spite of my cautionary comments in my post above. The OP just needs to decide if they are a suitable match for such an adventure, and realize that this will define her Camino.

Yes, the OP is a match ... and up for any sort of adventure
Thanks for both postings/comments.

 

[Joanne P]

She most certainly does have spirit. She has been on Camel in Egypt, China's Great Wall, Israel, and on, and on. Love her.

I love that she wanted to do the Camino to protect you ... bless our mothers)

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Actually, I think I have heard that Jacotrans offerscthis service in some areas.

They need a special permit to carry people and not just luggage but ....

 

[Joanne P]

The problem with the car rental is that it cuts off the spontaneity of opting to walk on those days she is up to it. She will be tied to the car....and the temptation on the really hot..wet...or just horrible days will be great if it is just waiting there in the morning.

Good point ... but I'm a stubborn ole gal .... I wont be getting in the rental car

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Pilgrim albergues are for pilgrims who are walking or biking, sometimes riding a horse. They are not intended for people driving cars or arriving on public transport, or who are "just not walkers." There are plenty of other options for these people to choose from.

 

[Jodean]

If she is still walking 10km per day, she is still a pilgrim if she says she is. Using public transportation does not take away from that.
I used buses, trains and taxis several times to arrive at the next town due to some medical issues. I was still a pilgrim, I still walked 400 km, I still stayed in albergues, and for the last 100 km, I spent 9 days doing this so that this last part was all walking.

One needn't be so judgemental about how people are doing their Camino to the best of their ability.

Perhaps the OP could do this last part, walking just 10km per day with her friend. Yes, it will take 10 days to walk 100 km, but they could spend the whole day together.

 

[Bradypus]

Actually, I think I have heard that Jacotrans offerscthis service in some areas.

I was joking of course but there is a germ of sense and history in the idea. The baggage transport companies run vehicles every day between albergues along the Camino Frances. Extending that service to also carrying a small number of passengers is a logical step. I had in mind the Postbus service which used to operate in Scotland in rural areas where mail was delivered in minibuses or large cars which also carried a few paying passengers. Sadly the service is now reduced to just one route. Personally as a dyed-in-the-wool walking fundamentalist I would rather saw my own legs off than use rucksack transport services or skip stages by taking a bus. But each to their own

 

[Kanga]

It used to be that the Credential carried instructions, including the information that it was intended for use by those pilgrims who will walk, go on horseback or cycle. The purpose of the Credential was twofold, admission to albergues along the way, and by the collection of stamps to evidence that the bearer had walked the last one hundred km to obtain the Compostela.

So, as the Credential was the document by which one obtained admission to the albergues, and the Credential was intended only for the use of those pilgrims who walk, go on horseback or cycle, that was also the intention of the albergues.

I assume that commercial albergues are free to do what they want. It was also always the case that Christian hospitaleros used their discretion, but the rules were pretty strictly applied. You had to plead illness or injury. I know the rule has fallen by the wayside (pun intended) but last time I was there, the CSJ albergue in Rabanal turned away someone who had arrived by taxi.

Without fishing out my most recent Credential I don't know if it still carries the same information, but it did in my old ones.

 

[Bradypus]

Without fishing out my most recent Credential I don't know if it still carries the same information, but it did in my old ones.

The Pilgrim Office website has a page about the Credencial which includes an English language version of the text: https://oficinadelperegrino.com/en/pilgrimage/the-credencial/

 

[wisepilgrim]

Anything is possible. A bit of planning will be helpful, but mostly you will have to just roll with it and be prepared for last minute changes. Flexibility is key here.

A few things that come to mind, some are repeated from above comments:
1. Local buses are not typically run by ALSA (which typically handle regional routes) but rather smaller bus companies. See #3 for more info, because ALSA is handy along some parts.
2. Local bus stops are not well marked. Knowing where to stand is critical to getting onto a bus with a picky driver.
3. Local buses typically connect small villages with nearby larger towns; they might drive along the camino for a considerable distance to do this or they might not.
4. Some stretches are more direct on foot, and a bus takes you well out of the way. The most notable example is west of Burgos, where from Tardajos to Frómista is going to be a challenge.
5. Blabla car won't get you far for these stretches, as a service if focuses on longer routes with more notice.
6. Local holidays, weekends, and Sundays all have different schedules. Learning to read them is a delight, waiting for a bus that isn't coming is also a delight. Flexibility is key, bring a snack.
7. Pro tip if you are using one of the transport apps/websites. If you can't find your destination city in the drop down list, put it into the origin city field instead. Then click the destination field for a list of towns where you could start the journey from, which might just be a village away.

The best place to find schedules are at your albergue/hotel, or online at the towns website if they have one. The google and the rome2rio type sites simply don't have the level of detail necessary. For example, if you wanted to get from Frómista to Carrion de los Condes (about 20km) google would be hopeless with public transport, and rome2rio would send you south to Palencia to get it done. But there IS a bus that goes between the two... once a day... and only if that day is Thursday.

Travel safe.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I'm sorry, but I still don't see the bus thing. I really would put this to the test before embarking on a flight to Spain and see which bus takes people froma Camino village 10km to a mid-etaps point in the middle of nowhere. It may happen here and there, but I am far from convinced.

As for being a pilgrim walking to her limitations and therefor having the right to all the priviledges that comes with that, I would argue that one would have to walk 10km and stay put, walk another 10km the next day, and another 10km the next day, and not just play catch-up. But that is whole other thread.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

I'm a hospitalero. If I see someone arrive in a car or bus, and I'm working at a donativo shelter, I will not let the person stay. Even if they walked 10 km. earlier in the day.
Unless it's low season and there's plenty of room, or the person is ill or injured or otherwise in really bad shape.
If you can afford to taxi around, you can probably afford to get a room.

 

[hel&scott]

I'm a hospitalero. If I see someone arrive in a car or bus, and I'm working at a donativo shelter, I will not let the person stay. Even if they walked 10 km. earlier in the day.
Unless it's low season and there's plenty of room, or the person is ill or injured or otherwise in really bad shape.
If you can afford to taxi around, you can probably afford to get a room.

Call call me a pedant but I thought albergue so were for pilgrims that plodded it out carrying their gear with them... I've been tempted to blow the whistle on more then a few dry clean travellers that turn up after the bus hits town and try to get a free bed. I know the Camino is the way you make it, and we all go our own way in the end, but it's good to see the hospitalero looking after weary walkers.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I've been tempted to blow the whistle on more then a few dry clean travellers that turn up after the bus hits town and try to get a free bed.

Yield to it!

 

[hel&scott]

Yield to it!

Yes I know, but it makes me feel smug and sanctimonious... stubborn and smelly I can handle.

 

[Jodean]

Wow, I am amazed at the comments lacking any sort of kindness and understanding on this thread.
So, even though I had already walked a couple hundred km, but when I was collapsing from pain in my side, carrying my own back pack and with 10-15km already walked that day, and my walking companions called a taxi for me to bring me to the next town, you would have refused to give me a bed?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

you would have refused to give me a bed?

or the person is ill or injured or otherwise in really bad shape.

In context.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

set aside your offence until you read to the end, please.
I am not lacking in kindness and compassion. I only have good boundaries. The last few years I've been manipulated by pain-wracked taxi riders who are miraculously healed and resurrected when a party starts. YOu only have to play me once.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I only have good boundaries.

True.

There is a sense I get that an injured or overmatched pilgrim still expects the albergue experience. Lacking is the perspective that there may be some point when one's expectations need to yield to the fact that a pilgrim has become a tourist pilgrim, and should start using hostales, hoteles, and casas rurales. There is no shame in changing plans, and the change can free up beds for pilgrims who are still struggling through the heat and fatigue while carrying their backpack. Honestly, they are not a lot more expensive than albergues, and they are much more comfortable if you are in pain -- things like chairs with backs, sofas, bathtubs, and quiet.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Wow, I am amazed at the comments lacking any sort of kindness and understanding on this thread.
So, even though I had already walked a couple hundred km, but when I was collapsing from pain in my side, carrying my own back pack and with 10-15km already walked that day, and my walking companions called a taxi for me to bring me to the next town, you would have refused to give me a bed?

Go back to read Rebekha's post: "unless the person is ill or injured or otherwise in really bad shape". No lack of kindness or understanding.

 

[Trojan Fred]

My wife injured her knee within hours after arriving in Pamplona and was unable to walk with us. Buses were very comfortable and economical, but not always available on some sections of the Camino. After a rather expensive taxi ride, she stated hitching a ride with one of the luggage transport companies each day. It was fairly cheap compared to the taxi (I think around $20 a day), but could take a while to get to her final destination because the transport vehicle had a regular route to follow.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

After a rather expensive taxi ride, she stated hitching a ride with one of the luggage transport companies each day. It was fairly cheap compared to the taxi (I think around $20 a day), but could take a while to get to her final destination because the transport vehicle had a regular route to follow.

I would be very careful doing this as the molecheros are not licensed to drive people.

 

[Thornley]

set aside your offence until you read to the end, please.
I am not lacking in kindness and compassion. I only have good boundaries. The last few years I've been manipulated by pain-wracked taxi riders who are miraculously healed and resurrected when a party starts. YOu only have to play me once.

You are a hard woman Reb

 

[WalkingJane]

Hi Everyone

I'm doing the Camino Frances next year and have a friend who would like to join me for part (or possibly all) of the way ..... however she is not a walker (for various reasons) and would probably only be able to walk about 10km a day.

I'm wondering if we could manage this by having me head off solo each morning, while she takes her time having breakfast etc, then catches a bus to one of the villages around 10km from where I anticipate finishing that day so she can join me for those last kms.

I realise there is a chance our plans may go wrong some days, and we may miss each other (that's fine - we are both confident on our own - we will reconnect the following day).

My main concern is whether or not the buses run daily between the villages along the main route.

Would welcome your thoughts, especially those of you familiar with the bus services in Spain.
Thanks

Yes, this can be done. There are local buses. The do not always run alongside the Camino path, and you may not find every single village accessible just when you'd like, but it can be done. And, as noted in one of the comments, taxi fare is very reasonable and you may find people who would share a ride. It really helps to have a smidge of Spanish!

 

[WalkingJane]

P.S. There is no RULE that using a vehicle now and then is unacceptable. Yes, the Camino is meant to be walked and there is a power in that step by step by step activity that is difficult to express. But, maybe we could use the term "experiencing" the Camino to help ease the thinking that there is only one way.

 

[C clearly]

There is no RULE that using a vehicle now and then is unacceptable

There IS a rule if you want to get a compostela: you must walk the last 100 km into Santiago. That means no vehicle in the last 100 km.

 

[Joanne P]

Wow ... interesting that my post turned into a debate, largely about the use of Albergues.

Please know there is no intention that my friend would undeservedly reap the benefits of cheap accommodation, meals etc that are intended for pilgrims.
I was merely asking about the accessibility of bus transport for her.
We are in the early stages of finding out if it would be viable for her to join me in Spain, and how we might do that. We hadn't even thought about accommodation at the time of my post.
She would happily book alternative accommodation, and I doubt she will want a credential.

Again, thank you all for your thoughts, and in particular, all the useful information provided in regards to buses and taxis.

 

[Marbe2]

THere are several buses a day that stop in most of the major towns between Pamplona and Burgos, including. Punte La Reine, Estella, Los Arcos, Longrono, Najera, Santa Domingo De la Calzada, Belorado, Villa Franca Montes de Oca. Burgos. from some towns you can take the bus to Ibeas de Juarros, then switch bus to Burgos. Buses stops along the Camino towns between Burgos and Leon are not as consistent. Though you can get to some of the towns such as Castrojeriz, Fromista, and Carrion de Los Condes by bus. Jacotrans does offer a transfer service to various towns. There are buses between Molinesca and Ponferrada. There are also buses from Ponferrada and most of the major towns to Sarria. NOt all of them are with the same companies and sometimes there is not one bus a day. for example, there is an early bus that leaves Triacastela makes one stop in Samos and then arrives in Sarria. Some towns only run a bus twice a week between certain towns.
To check out destinations movelia.com, Romero rio.com. Also.com
Jacotrans does offer a transfer service but not sure it operates other than Sarria to Santiago route other than during high season. You could check with them. Many smaller towns have lists NGOs for taxi service. We did not use the buses, but I, being a planner, listed the options, just in case of an emergency. My sister who walks with me...but who is in great condition is 77! We like to be prepared. BTW There are also a few rail options (Renfe)

 

[Marbe2]

Auto correct sorry! Alsa.com, rometorio.com, Movelia.com
Many towns have listings posted for local taxi service.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Many towns have listings posted for local taxi service.

Any amd every bar has taxi phone numbers. But at 1€ or more a km. And then what do you do with yourself all day?

 

[WalkingJane]

There IS a rule if you want to get a compostela: you must walk the last 100 km into Santiago. That means no vehicle in the last 100 km.

Thanks for clarifying that for everyone.