best time of year to walk the Frances route

[rosie m]

looking for advice. I am a first time Camino walker and want to do the entire Frances route. I can only get 4 weeks off from work, so hoping that will be enough time. Would like to know if last week of March through last week of April is a good time to go weather wise. Is there still snow in the Pyrenees? How long does it take to do the SJPdP to Roncesvalles part? What is your opinion on crossing the Pyrenees via the Roncesvalles Pass or taking the less challenging route via the town Valcarlos? Which route is better at the end of March? What about the rest of the Frances route? Are there many pilgrims during this time of year? What do you recommend to bring for clothes? Can you wash and hang dry clothes at the Albergues? What are the Albergues like, are they separate rooms or a bunch of beds in one big room? Are there bathrooms/showers in the Albergues? Do you need to call ahead to reserve a bed? Can you explain about mailing stuff to Santiago? Thank you for anyone taking the time to write. I appreciate all the advice I can get. God Bless.

 

[SabsP]

Hi Rosie and welcome here.

Alot of questions you have. This FAQ might give you a good impression about the Caminos and the Frances in particular.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/forums/frequently-asked-questions.16/

Enjoy the reading and the preparations.

 

[dougfitz]

looking for advice. I am a first time Camino walker and want to do the entire Frances route. I can only get 4 weeks off from work, so hoping that will be enough time. Would like to know if last week of March through last week of April is a good time to go weather wise. Is there still snow in the Pyrenees? How long does it take to do the SJPdP to Roncesvalles part? What is your opinion on crossing the Pyrenees via the Roncesvalles Pass or taking the less challenging route via the town Valcarlos? Which route is better at the end of March? What about the rest of the Frances route? Are there many pilgrims during this time of year? What do you recommend to bring for clothes? Can you wash and hang dry clothes at the Albergues? What are the Albergues like, are they separate rooms or a bunch of beds in one big room? Are there bathrooms/showers in the Albergues? Do you need to call ahead to reserve a bed? Can you explain about mailing stuff to Santiago? Thank you for anyone taking the time to write. I appreciate all the advice I can get. God Bless.

So many questions! For a quick and dirty take on them.
Weather in late March - my crystal ball isn't working. Try one of the climate sites to get a feel for what it has been like in the past.
Snow in the Pyrenees - possibly, but I walked the Valcarlos route at this time of year without seeing any snow
Transit time SJPP to Roncesvalles - how fit are you?
Taking the Napoleon Route - it is closed until the beginning of Apr, and might be closed after that depending on the weather conditions.
What about the rest of the Frances route? Not sure what you really want to know.
Are the other pilgrims? Yes
Clothes recommendations - find the search bar and look for packing lists - there is always plenty of discussion on this.
Washing etc. Yes
Albergues provide a range of accommodation from large to small dormitories and possibly private rooms.
Bathrooms etc - Yes!
Reservations - again, look for some of the recent discussions. Thoughts vary but not all places can be reserved.
Mailing forward - details at the top of the page - Services in Santiago by Ivar

Others will probably feed you a fish, and fill in the details. You might want to learn to fish and find your way around the forum a little bit as well to find out what you want to know. I would also suggest that if there is a Camino Association in your area, get in touch and attend their meetings.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Well, since you will start off at the end of March you don't need to worry about which route out is best as you will only be able to take the lower route, aka the Valcarlos route. This also means your concerns about snow are not as great as that route does not go as high in the mountains. It will also then take you 2 days to get to Roncesvalles, with one night in Valcarlos.

For stats on the number of people, have a look at the Pilgrim Office site:
https://oficinadelperegrino.com/estadisticas/

Albergue have dorms, some are ine huge dorm, others may have 4, 8, 12 bunk beds in various routes. Take a look at the Eroski site, or Gronze, and read about the different albergues, including when they open for the season and what amenities they offer. Each one is different.

http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/mobile/los-caminos-de-santiago/frances/

http://www.gronze.com/camino-frances

But they all have bathrooms with showers, sinks, etc... The Camino is not roughing it, it's more along the lines of summer camp or glamping.

In March and April you will not have to reserve.

 

[C clearly]

The best time of the year to walk the Camino Frances is the time that you have available. There is no universally accepted "best" time, but in my opinion, late March through April would be a very good choice.

Please understand that people might be reluctant to re-write essays on all of those topics on this one thread, so you should keep browsing the forum! You will quickly find answers (many conflicting ones, so you even have a choice) to all of your questions. If you have trouble on a particular issue, feel free to post that question.

 

[trecile]

Rosie, after reading your post on the other thread, I think that you are being pretty optimistic about being able to walk from SJPDP to Santiago when you only have 4 weeks off from work. Firstly, I don't know where you are from, but you will have at least two travel days. On the other thread you mentioned wanting to have a few days to spare. Unless you are very used to long distance walking, and can walk at least 30 km a day, every day you will not have any time to spare.
If your goal is to arrive in Santiago and you want to walk the Frances, perhaps you should start closer to Santiago, like Pamplona or Logroño. Alternatively, you can walk another route, like the Portuguese, which is shorter. It all depends on what you want to get out of the Camino.
As to all your other questions, you really need to read through the forum and other sources to answer many of those questions. There are also books on the subject, including[/U] by S. Yates, a regular here on the forum.

 

[rosie m]

Doug! My man! Thanks so much for the reply and taking the time. I appreciate your wonderful advice and will most definitely surf the forum more as often as I can. (I work too many hours in the week and only have time to check out the forum on weekends. I am not in the states and serving a tour overseas). Thanks so much

 

[rosie m]

The best time of the year to walk the Camino Frances is the time that you have available. There is no universally accepted "best" time, but in my opinion, late March through April would be a very good choice.

Please understand that people might be reluctant to re-write essays on all of those topics on this one thread, so you should keep browsing the forum! You will quickly find answers (many conflicting ones, so you even have a choice) to all of your questions. If you have trouble on a particular issue, feel free to post that question.

 

[rosie m]

Excellent advice Ms. C ...thanks so much for taking the time to post. I will surf the forum more. I am so happy that this forum even exists! It is a true dictionary of answers to everything you can possibly wonder about regarding walking the various Camino routes. God Bless you always and thank you

 

[rosie m]

Hi

Hi Rosie and welcome here.

Alot of questions you have. This FAQ might give you a good impression about the Caminos and the Frances in particular.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/forums/frequently-asked-questions.16/

Enjoy the reading and the preparations.

Sabine. Thank you for the reply. I have been on the site you recommended and learned a lot of great information. thank you so much! Have a wonderful day

 

[rosie m]

Rosie, after reading your post on the other thread, I think that you are being pretty optimistic about being able to walk from SJPDP to Santiago when you only have 4 weeks off from work. Firstly, I don't know where you are from, but you will have at least two travel days. On the other thread you mentioned wanting to have a few days to spare. Unless you are very used to long distance walking, and can walk at least 30 km a day, every day you will not have any time to spare.
If your goal is to arrive in Santiago and you want to walk the Frances, perhaps you should start closer to Santiago, like Pamplona or Logroño. Alternatively, you can walk another route, like the Portuguese, which is shorter. It all depends on what you want to get out of the Camino.
As to all your other questions, you really need to read through the forum and other sources to answer many of those questions. There are also books on the subject, including[/U] by S. Yates, a regular here on the forum.

Excellent advice. Thanks so much. I am starting at SJPdP and walking to Santiago dC and hope to walk everyday beginning at 5am and walking till dusk or later. Hopefully I will make my goal. Thanks for the tip on the book...I have already bought a few, but had not heard of this one. I'll get this one too. Thank you friend.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Excellent advice. Thanks so much. I am starting at SJPdP and walking to Santiago dC and hope to walk everyday beginning at 5am and walking till dusk or later. Hopefully I will make my goal. Thanks for the tip on the book...I have already bought a few, but had not heard of this one. I'll get this one too. Thank you friend.

Rosie, walking from dawn to dusk may be an issue: it will be dark at 5 am and difficult to see arrows. Also, not only will you wake others as you prepare to leave, but some albergues actually have departure hours, oftem around 6:30.

 

[jpflavin1]

looking for advice. I am a first time Camino walker and want to do the entire Frances route. I can only get 4 weeks off from work, so hoping that will be enough time. Would like to know if last week of March through last week of April is a good time to go weather wise. Is there still snow in the Pyrenees? How long does it take to do the SJPdP to Roncesvalles part? What is your opinion on crossing the Pyrenees via the Roncesvalles Pass or taking the less challenging route via the town Valcarlos? Which route is better at the end of March? What about the rest of the Frances route? Are there many pilgrims during this time of year? What do you recommend to bring for clothes? Can you wash and hang dry clothes at the Albergues? What are the Albergues like, are they separate rooms or a bunch of beds in one big room? Are there bathrooms/showers in the Albergues? Do you need to call ahead to reserve a bed? Can you explain about mailing stuff to Santiago? Thank you for anyone taking the time to write. I appreciate all the advice I can get. God Bless.

Rosiem:

The best time to walk the Camino is whenever you can get the time off to do it.

That said, I have done all my walks in the Spring time. Weather can not be predicted. Twice I walked through the pass on March 23 (2010,2011) and there was no snow. Lately there has been lots of snow and the pass is not open until April 1st (and after that weather dependent) because of some poor decisions made by past Peregrino's. I would estimate 6-9 hours to walk from SJPdP to Roncesvalles on Napoleon route. I have never walked the Valcarlos route but am considering that route this year.

Valcarlos is your only option in March. There will be plenty of other Pilgrims. There are plenty of recommended packing lists in the forum but I recommend you bring with you whatever makes you feel comfortable. Whatever list you come up with you will probably pack too much. The difficulty of the route is that most people are not accustomed to walking a half marathon four 4 to 5 weeks every day. It takes about a week for your body to get into Camino walking shape, imo.

Albergues do have a sink to wash clothes and clothes lines to hang them. Some have a centrifugal to aid drying process and today some even have W@D's. Most albergues are group rooms though some have private rooms. There are bathrooms and showers. You can only reserve rooms at private albergues, pensions, hotels, as most community Albergues are first come first serve.

All of you questions have answers here on the forum. You can use the search bar to find individual threads.

Hope this helps.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[jpflavin1]

Excellent advice. Thanks so much. I am starting at SJPdP and walking to Santiago dC and hope to walk everyday beginning at 5am and walking till dusk or later. Hopefully I will make my goal. Thanks for the tip on the book...I have already bought a few, but had not heard of this one. I'll get this one too. Thank you friend.

Rosiem:

Leaving at 5:00 am is unnecessary and will alienate you with some of your fellow Peregrino's. You can easily walk 30-35 km's per day starting at 7 and walking till 4, imo. This will allow you to walk in daylight hours.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[Marmalade]

Excellent advice. Thanks so much. I am starting at SJPdP and walking to Santiago dC and hope to walk everyday beginning at 5am and walking till dusk or later. Hopefully I will make my goal. Thanks for the tip on the book...I have already bought a few, but had not heard of this one. I'll get this one too. Thank you friend.

5.00 am till dusk, good luck with that!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

5.00 am till dusk, good luck with that!

Well, she's walking in March and April, so dusk is not at 10:30 pm, but 2 hours of walking in the dark in the morning ....: talk about looking for excuses to get lost and miss the beauty of the Camino.

These are the times for Burgos: http://www.gaisma.com/en/location/burgos.html

 

[dougfitz]

I am starting at SJPdP and walking to Santiago dC and hope to walk everyday beginning at 5am and walking till dusk or later.

You have already heard the objections to this. Civil twilight at SJPP at the end of Mar won't start until about 0720, and will end in the evening at around 2100. At the end of Apr in Santiago, civil twilight starts around 0700 in the morning and ends around 2245 in the evening. Starting at 0500 will mean walking for a couple of hours with artificial light in the morning, and walking through to dusk will risk not getting into an albergue if they are where you were intending to stay.

Leave aside the anti-social nature of preparing to leave from an albergue when most people still want to be sleeping, you will not have time for even a simple daily routine in the evening - bathing and laundry, eating, maintaining a journal and contact with the 'outside world', etc. Of course, if you maintain such a routine, you will leave behind the many people whose day you have ruined, including the hospitalero you disrupted in their own evening routine who was up at 0530 or 0600 to start their day, and inflict yourself on a new group of pilgrims, etc each evening and morning.

I really don't care whether or not you take time to explore the towns, marvel at the countryside, etc, but I do think that other pilgrims, hospitaleros, etc deserve some consideration.

 

[C clearly]

I am starting at SJPdP and walking to Santiago dC and hope to walk everyday beginning at 5am and walking till dusk or later.

Have you tried this at home?

 

[Marmalade]

Well, she's walking in March and April, so dusk is not at 10:30 pm, but 2 hours of walking in the dark in the morning ....: talk about looking for excuses to get lost and miss the beauty of the Camino.

These are the times for Burgos: http://www.gaisma.com/en/location/burgos.html

17.5 hours of walking in a day?

 

[Anemone del Camino]

17.5 hours of walking in a day?

Marmelade, I don't understand your post.

The OP said she wants to walk from 5 am until dusk. In April that does mean 8pm, or 15 hours. Not my cup of tea.

It could have been worse had she decided to walk in mid-summer when I am snoring away in my bunkbed by the time goes down around 10pm. Not for me.

Add to that that the sun will get up around 7 am, so she will walk for 2 hours, in total darkness. Again, not my cup of tea.

Perhaps people do not realose that Spain has cheated the time zones and is on a more easternly zone rather than the one it should be in. This was done by Franco to allign Spain on/with Germany. This explains why Spaniards eat so late in the evening and why when crossing the border from Portugal into Spain you change hours.

 

[Marmalade]

15 hours is still to much walking in one day, relax it's the journey not the destination!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

15 hours is still to much walking in one day, relax it's the journey not the destination!

Of course it is. But it could be worse. I was being fascicious.

 

[dougfitz]

The OP said she wants to walk from 5 am until dusk. In April that does mean 8pm, or 15 hours. Not my cup of tea.

@Anemone del Camino, I am not sure where you are getting your astronomical data, but at SJPP on 30 Mar, the sun will not have even set at 2000. Dusk (astronomical twilight) will start around 2130 and end shortly after 2200. In Santiago at the end of April, astronomical twilight will be from around 2245 to a bit before 2330.

So if @rosie m is being literal in her suggestion that she will be walking from 0500 to after dusk, she would be walking from 16.5 to 18.5 hours each day. I cannot see that happening, but it is what she has said she intends to do.