Booking agency

[Lynbanana]

Kia ora, I have wanted to do the Camino for so long - now I’m 63 and finally doing it on my own - well doing the last 100km (Sarria to Santiago) in July when we are over that side of the world visiting a new grandchild. While I would love to do the walk independently, I manage an old back injury and need my bag to be transported along the way. I would love advice which booking agency is best Camino Ways or Santiago Ways or another? Thank you

 

[C clearly]

Welcome to the forum! A tag "travel-agencies/groups" has been added to the top of this thread under the title. If you click on that tag, you will find other threads on that topic. Perhaps by reading through those threads you'll get an idea of what questions to ask each agency as you compare them. After all, different people will have different preferences.

 

[dbier]

I booked my husband and myself in 2021 with CaminoWays and liked them. I had printed directions to each stopping point which I needed,. for some reason my phone connected to Orange when I landed, and I had cell service but no cell data for the trip.

 

[David Tallan]

While I would love to do the walk independently, I manage an old back injury and need my bag to be transported along the way. I would love advice which booking agency is best Camino Ways or Santiago Ways or another? Thank you

If you want to use a booking agency like Camino Ways or Santiago Ways or another, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. But it sounds like you would prefer to be more independent. So I'll just point out that you don't necessarily need to use a full booking agency in order to have your bag transported. You can use a bag transport like Jacotrans and be otherwise independent, if that is your preference. Of course, it is entirely up to you. But it sounds like you are under the impression that a booking agency is the only way to get your bag transported.

 

[Lynbanana]

Thank y

If you want to use a booking agency like Camino Ways or Santiago Ways or another, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. But it sounds like you would prefer to be more independent. So I'll just point out that you don't necessarily need to use a full booking agency in order to have your bag transported. You can use a bag transport like Jacotrans and be otherwise independent, if that is your preference. Of course, it is entirely up to you. But it sounds like you are under the impression that a booking agency is the only way to get your bag transported.

Thank you - this is a big help I will be starting around 7 July - do you think I could just book the first three nights accommodation then book as I go - or would everything be full up? I really appreciate you getting back to me - thanks again

 

[Lynbanana]

Welcome to the forum! A tag "travel-agencies/groups" has been added to the top of this thread under the title. If you click on that tag, you will find other threads on that topic. Perhaps by reading through those threads you'll get an idea of what questions to ask each agency as you compare them. After all, different people will have different preferences.

thank you

 

[Corned Beef]

do you think I could just book the first three nights accommodation then book as I go

A good idea. CW and SW are no different from any other booking agency. They simply specialise in one area.

I used CW on my first Camino - the first 100K from Saint Jean as I wasn't sure about Napoleon route despite my hillwalking experience. It was a good decision as my Camino "family" on that trip (it was a guided trip) were great fun. After that it was self-booking - direct or using one of the apps.

On a more recent one, the Norte, I used CW for part of the route through the busy part as the accommodation was reportedly scarce. It was self-guided. It was the wrong choice as there was no Camino family and you were on a timetable to get to your booked accommodation.

So by all means, for a bit of certainty, use them to support you in a new environment but after that join a Camino "family".

 

[Lynbanana]

Just a bit worried I will be caught out with all accommodation full if I go on my own. Just doing Sarria to Santiago but mid July busiest time. Like the idea of being independent but need to get bag transferred for me. Thank you

 

[Corned Beef]

but need to get bag transferred for me

CW use Correos and charge a handling fee. You can do it yourself as Correos are very efficient being the national postal service. So that's one saving you can make if you need to.

Rucksack transfer on the Camino de Santiago

Correos transfers your rucksack, suitcase or luggage along the Camino de Santiago stage by stage

www.elcaminoconcorreos.com

Secondly, some of the accommodation doesn't do food and if you turn up having booked an evening meal, you'll be given a voucher to go to a local restaurant (not of your choice) to have a meal you might not want. A second saving to be made.

Third saving is breakfast as it is usually served later than most pilgrims want so you pay for something you'll not take.

So if accommodation is the issue, and it was for me on the Norte, then book it accommodation only and sort your meals and transfer if you want to save some money. If peace of mind is more important, then can fault their service.

 

[Lynbanana]

So I would still be able to get accommodation if I didn’t book weeks ahead, even though I am doing one of the busiest sections of the Camino in mid July? I really appreciate your advice

 

[David Tallan]

Thank y

Thank you - this is a big help I will be starting around 7 July - do you think I could just book the first three nights accommodation then book as I go - or would everything be full up? I really appreciate you getting back to me - thanks again

I don't think that is a problem. My son and I started just about that time in 2016. We booked the first couple of nights of accommodations in advanced and nothing else until we were in Galicia when we started to book as we went. So if you were to book as you go for the whole route, that would be more than we did.

The one thing to watch out for is that the San Fermines may be running in Pamplona at that time eating up a lot if the accommodations. We stopped in Trinidad de Arres, about 5 km before Pamplona, because I was worried it would be full up (and because, due to a lack of training, I wanted shorter says to ease us into our Camino).

 

[C clearly]

Just a bit worried I will be caught out with all accommodation full if I go on my own.

There is another option - You can book the whole trip on your own, if you are concerned. Doing that does not mean you must use a travel/tour agency. It is easy to get backpack transfer, and book online.

 

[trecile]

For Sarria to Santiago in July I'd be inclined to book everything ahead, provided that you have a very good idea of how far you can walk every day.

There are lots of good tools that you can use to identify where to book. First and foremost familiarize yourself with Gronze, which lists all of the accomodations along the Camino. It's only in Spanish, but if you use the Chrome browser it will automatically translate to English or the language of your choice.

Camino Francés | Gronze.com

El Camino Francés es el Camino de Santiago en el que confluyen la mayoría de las vías medievales de peregrinación europeas, siendo por tanto el camino de mayor relevancia histórica y el más seguido por los peregrinos. Su punto de inicio, hoy en día, tanto puede considerarse Roncesvalles como...

www.gronze.com

A good site for planning stages is Godesalco.

Planificador - Camino de Santiago - Godesalco.com

Perfiles altitudinales, planificación de etapas y archivos GPS para el Camino de Santiago.

godesalco.com

 

[henrythedog]

Kia ora, I have wanted to do the Camino for so long - now I’m 63 and finally doing it on my own - well doing the last 100km (Sarria to Santiago) in July when we are over that side of the world visiting a new grandchild. While I would love to do the walk independently, I manage an old back injury and need my bag to be transported along the way. I would love advice which booking agency is best Camino Ways or Santiago Ways or another? Thank you

Given that mid-July’s a fixed time for you, I’d suggest:

It’ll probably be fine without booking; July’s busy but (IIRC) not the busiest time of the year. (However, I avoid May to mid September because I can) if that adds an unnecessary degree of concern, you can easily do it yourself. Take it step by step, using something like Gronze to get contact details. Everywhere that will be open in July is now - or soon will be -open; and they will respond.

You’re only booking a handful of nights accommodation. Don’t think there’s some Camino magic going on!

Once that’s sorted, using Correos for bag transport is very easy. Try to figure it out for yourself, there is a version of their site in English, they have an excellent reputation, but if you struggle post again.

If you don’t want go participate in the process and just walk a package tour, both of the companies you mention are reputable.