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Good point!I would try to avoid Pamplona on a weekend so starting on a Monday might be good?
Hopefully I never get to that stage of detailed planning…Pamplona had half price pinchos / tapas on thursday
It will be a struggle for sure to pace myself those first few days and you are quite right that I won’t be used to it. Your point is well taken.Hola @JustJack,
Whilst I can understand you wish to "maximise" your time on camino, you are crossing 8/9/10/11 time zones. Now I do not know how you handle jet lag but imho it will affect your day one performance, especially if you are intending to walk the Napoleon Route and hoping to be in Pamplona (in say 3 or 4 days).
I am not an over experienced pilgrim - 2 Frances. But I offer the advice that regardless of what training you do before the Camino it still takes you 3 or 4 days to get what I call "Camino Fit". You are getting used to walking with 8/10kg (22lbs) on your back for 15/20km (10 miles); sleeping in different beds etc.
So whats my recommedation? Well yes any day is good but maybe give yourself a full days rest before starting. Buen Camino
It is always useful to pay attention to public holidays. In 2023, Ascension falls on Thursday 18 May. Ascension is always on a Thursday and nearly always in May. It means a long weekend for many and more travel than usual. Ascension is not a public holiday in Spain but it is in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Sweden - a major customers group of the Pilgrims Office in SJPP.This would be mid-May 2023
Forgive me if you are well aware of traveling east to Europe, but the time zone changes can be exhausting. The first section leaving SJPdP is a small challenge if you are not quite yet warmed up to walking hills with a pack. Millions have made the walk so it’s certainly doable. The point is you might want to plan a day of recovery before beginning and Sunday is a beautiful day to lay around most anywhere in France or Spain. Whatever day you choose to begin don’t make it miserable.In order to maximize my allotted time away from work, I'm thinking of flying Vancouver to Paris on a Saturday. That would get me to Paris on Sunday, and depending on which airline I could hopefully catch a flight or train to SJPdP the same day.
So if I left Vancouver on Saturday I would likely be in SJPdP on Sunday, and start walking on Monday.
Question: looking at the first few days walking to Pamplona, are there any advantages/disadvantages to departing on Monday versus Sunday or Tuesday? Or any other day really? Is SJPdP or any other places between there and Pamplona best avoided on certain days of the week?
It probably makes little to no difference exactly what day of the week I start walking, but I don't know what I don't know, and it doesn't hurt to ask. So I'm asking - does it make any difference whatsoever what day of the week I begin walking? This would be mid-May 2023. (Yes I'm getting into all the minutia when there's still a year to go, but now that I'm starting my One-Year-Countdown I'm digging into all the little bits and pieces...)
Aqui no tapas en Pamplona. En Madrid, Del Sol. No tapas en PamplonaPamplona had half price pinchos / tapas on thursday
Consider staying at Orison or Boarda for your first part day or if you have to go day 1 to Roncesvalles send your bag ahead to help you get Camino fit.It will be a struggle for sure to pace myself those first few days and you are quite right that I won’t be used to it. Your point is well taken.
The very best day to start is one with and 'a' in it!!!!In order to maximize my allotted time away from work, I'm thinking of flying Vancouver to Paris on a Saturday. That would get me to Paris on Sunday, and depending on which airline I could hopefully catch a flight or train to SJPdP the same day.
So if I left Vancouver on Saturday I would likely be in SJPdP on Sunday, and start walking on Monday.
Question: looking at the first few days walking to Pamplona, are there any advantages/disadvantages to departing on Monday versus Sunday or Tuesday? Or any other day really? Is SJPdP or any other places between there and Pamplona best avoided on certain days of the week?
It probably makes little to no difference exactly what day of the week I start walking, but I don't know what I don't know, and it doesn't hurt to ask. So I'm asking - does it make any difference whatsoever what day of the week I begin walking? This would be mid-May 2023. (Yes I'm getting into all the minutia when there's still a year to go, but now that I'm starting my One-Year-Countdown I'm digging into all the little bits and pieces...)
Many thanks for the heads up on this. I did google national holidays in Spain, but as you've noted this one didn't show up as it's not a holiday in Spain. Hopefully as long as I leave SJPDP before Thursday I will hopefully avoid the potential surge of pilgrims.It is always useful to pay attention to public holidays. In 2023, Ascension falls on Thursday 18 May. Ascension is always on a Thursday and nearly always in May. It means a long weekend for many and more travel than usual. Ascension is not a public holiday in Spain but it is in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Sweden - a major customers group of the Pilgrims Office in SJPP.
And for those planning for 2024: May 1 is on a Wednesday and Ascension on 9 May. An attractive combination that is a guarantee for pilgrim pandemonium on the SJPP to Pamplona section during early May.
Yikes, I can't say that I'm walking 18k/day with a pack (or without one for that matter). I consider myself in reasonable shape, but I do indeed need to do some training.I too came from western Canada to the Camino. I started from a small Gulf Island while a train strike was starting in France. It took me 4 days to get to the “start line” in SJPdP! Despite having a strong running, gym, walking base for years before going, and walking about 18k/day with full pack for a few months prior to going, it was no picnic. If I could give you one small piece of advice, it would be this: DO NOT RUSH THE START.
VERY good advice!I too came from western Canada to the Camino. I started from a small Gulf Island while a train strike was starting in France. It took me 4 days to get to the “start line” in SJPdP! Despite having a strong running, gym, walking base for years before going, and walking about 18k/day with full pack for a few months prior to going, it was no picnic. If I could give you one small piece of advice, it would be this: DO NOT RUSH THE START.
100% Agree with this comment. Loved Pamplona but had little sleep while I was thereI would try to avoid Pamplona on a weekend so starting on a Monday might be good?
Now he tells mePamplona had half price pinchos / tapas on thursday
In order to maximize my allotted time away from work, I'm thinking of flying Vancouver to Paris on a Saturday. That would get me to Paris on Sunday, and depending on which airline I could hopefully catch a flight or train to SJPdP the same day.
So if I left Vancouver on Saturday I would likely be in SJPdP on Sunday, and start walking on Monday.
Question: looking at the first few days walking to Pamplona, are there any advantages/disadvantages to departing on Monday versus Sunday or Tuesday? Or any other day really? Is SJPdP or any other places between there and Pamplona best avoided on certain days of the week?
It probably makes little to no difference exactly what day of the week I start walking, but I don't know what I don't know, and it doesn't hurt to ask. So I'm asking - does it make any difference whatsoever what day of the week I begin walking? This would be mid-May 2023. (Yes I'm getting into all the minutia when there's still a year to go, but now that I'm starting my One-Year-Countdown I'm digging into all the little bits and pieces...)
I’m looking to start early May and I saw your mentioning of the pandemonium of starting in early MayIt is always useful to pay attention to public holidays. In 2023, Ascension falls on Thursday 18 May. Ascension is always on a Thursday and nearly always in May. It means a long weekend for many and more travel than usual. Ascension is not a public holiday in Spain but it is in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Sweden - a major customers group of the Pilgrims Office in SJPP.
And for those planning for 2024: May 1 is on a Wednesday and Ascension on 9 May. An attractive combination that is a guarantee for pilgrim pandemonium on the SJPP to Pamplona section during early May.
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