Camino App

[leraene]

Hello all, I'm attempting my first Camino this coming July (Camino Frances), and am really excited about it! Was wondering if you would be able to recommend any decent Camino app that you've come across that provides write-ups on places we pass that don't necessarily need data/wifi connection? Oh, and also, if there's any app that shows mass timings at the respective stops?

Thank you so much!

 

[mspath]

Hello all, I'm attempting my first Camino this coming July (Camino Frances), and am really excited about it! Was wondering if you would be able to recommend any decent Camino app that you've come across that provides write-ups on places we pass that don't necessarily need data/wifi connection? Oh, and also, if there's any app that shows mass timings at the respective stops?

Thank you so much!

See this map for masses on the caminos. Also check out the links/tips in this helpful forum thread. https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/daily-mass-on-the-camino.46837/

Good luck and Buen camino!

 

[PFarnsworth]

Hello Ieraene!

I will start my first Camino on June 27 (Camino Frances) in SJPP and have been "playing with" several apps in preparation. The one I like most so far is the TrailSmart app. It has maps you can download and use off-line and your phone GPS will show you where you are. It also has a compass feature that will supposedly point you back to the trail at the nearest location from where you are! It seems to have a good listing of albergues and places to eat with phone numbers and links to email or web pages, as well as good general information. We'll see how well it actually works on the Camino soon. I was having problems with one of the web links for one of the albergues I was looking into and sent an email to the maker of the app (they make that VERY easy) and I had an email reply from them within minutes. They noted the problem I was having and asked several questions to find the problem. (Turns out the "problem" was not as bad as I thought.) Very impressed with this app so far! (I think I had to pay a couple of dollars to download the off-line map portion of this app, but it seems well worth a couple of dollars to be able to use the map function off-line while walking.)

The other app I like is Camino Frances Premium (I think I had to pay something like $1.99). It works in several different languages and seems to be pretty good.

Lots of people say to not worry about guidebooks or apps and just let the Camino show you the way and let it provide as you go. I can see a certain wisdom in that once you get on the Way and get a little experience, but it's good to know you have some good reference material for those times you need it, especially before starting when nerves are a little on edge. Hope my two cents-worth of insight helps!

Buen Camino!

 

[Deleted member 67185]

Hello Ieraene!

I will start my first Camino on June 27 (Camino Frances) in SJPP and have been "playing with" several apps in preparation. The one I like most so far is the TrailSmart app. It has maps you can download and use off-line and your phone GPS will show you where you are. It also has a compass feature that will supposedly point you back to the trail at the nearest location from where you are! It seems to have a good listing of albergues and places to eat with phone numbers and links to email or web pages, as well as good general information. We'll see how well it actually works on the Camino soon. I was having problems with one of the web links for one of the albergues I was looking into and sent an email to the maker of the app (they make that VERY easy) and I had an email reply from them within minutes. They noted the problem I was having and asked several questions to find the problem. (Turns out the "problem" was not as bad as I thought.) Very impressed with this app so far! (I think I had to pay a couple of dollars to download the off-line map portion of this app, but it seems well worth a couple of dollars to be able to use the map function off-line while walking.)

The other app I like is Camino Frances Premium (I think I had to pay something like $1.99). It works in several different languages and seems to be pretty good.

Lots of people say to not worry about guidebooks or apps and just let the Camino show you the way and let it provide as you go. I can see a certain wisdom in that once you get on the Way and get a little experience, but it's good to know you have some good reference material for those times you need it, especially before starting when nerves are a little on edge. Hope my two cents-worth of insight helps!

Buen Camino!

On Camino Frances, an app to find your way while walking Camino is simply not needed. Even during my first steps on my pilgrimage, it was obvious that getting lost is not much of an issue. Way markers -- like the yellow arrows -- are abundant. Other pilgrims are commonplace. And friendly Spanish folks are quite quick to let you know that you are walking the wrong way.... even if you are intending to walk the wrong way in order to visit a shop or bar. In fact, the biggest misstep to following the waymarkers might be if one is so preoccupied with consulting an app, that they miss the waymarkers.

However, in the larger cities, I found that Google Maps offline worked exceedingly well at keeping me well oriented.

 

[David Tallan]

On Camino Frances, an app to find your way while walking Camino is simply not needed. Even during my first steps on my pilgrimage, it was obvious that getting lost is not much of an issue. Way markers -- like the yellow arrows -- are abundant. Other pilgrims are commonplace. And friendly Spanish folks are quite quick to let you know that you are walking the wrong way.... even if you are intending to walk the wrong way in order to visit a shop or bar. In fact, the biggest misstep to following the waymarkers might be if one is so preoccupied with consulting an app, that they miss the waymarkers.

That is generally the case but there are exceptions. When I last walked the Camino Frances in 2016, there were a couple of times that we managed to wander off the path and, since they were before Sarria, there were not always other pilgrims around. I remember one time when we were a kliometer or two off the path and we did see other pilgrims - they were just as lost as we were and happy that I had an app that we all could use to find our way back to the Camino.

I also distinctly remember a section between Riego de Ambros and Molinaseca where the trail markers were extremely infrequent (or hidden from us somehow) and the branch frequently seemed to fork into parallel paths. We were really worried about getting lost and were happy to have an app that showed we were more or less on the Camino heading in more or less the right direction.

We didn't use the app in an ongoing fashion when we were walking, though. Just occasionally when we were worried about being lost or wanted a quick check on how far we had walked of the day's distance, and generally paused while we were doing so. So I don't think it was that likely to make us miss any waymarkers.

Certainly many thousands (or hundreds of thousands) successfully walk the Camino de Santiago each year without an app, so I would hardly say it is necessary. But if you are carrying an iPhone or Android phone with you anyways, you may very well find an app worth the few dollars you spend on it.

No app is going to be perfectly accurate, either. Neither will a guidebook or website. Personally, I took several apps as well as e-book versions of guidebooks and website bookmarks so I could cross-check them against each other to reduce the likelihood of errors impacting my Camino (although I wasn't able to eliminate that, either).

 

[Thomas1962]

Have a look at this resource.