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Search 69,459 Camino Questions

Camino as 17 with 18 year old friend.

Lyrxst

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino Frances (2021)
He y’all. I want to do the Camino Frances this summer after I graduate from Highschool. The problem is I am currently 17 and wouldn’t turn 18 until August. I plan on making the trip in June. Are there any issues that I would encounter or would traveling with my friend, who would be 18 by the time we would go, solve the issues that I could face, my main concern is lodging and am wondering what the rules would be for that. Any other tips regarding the issue of age would also be great! Thank you!
 
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New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
June? Pack light and have fun, but do remember the 'Sunscreen Song' - Pack your sunscreen right on top for easy access and just say yes to boots - "Be kind to your knees, you will miss them when they're gone" - I know I do.
 
Ah the next generation of Pilgrims! Hope things go as planned but be aware that, if everything has improved by then, there will be a LOT of people walking next year - those that "missed out" this year and those that planned to walk in 2021 anyway as it's a Holy Year.

Either way you need to consider booking ahead at least for the first and, probably, last sections. The first because everybody is bumbling about and getting into the rhythm and the end because there will always be an influx of new walkers at Sarria.

Do you speak any Spanish? If not then use the intervening months to learn some - you don't have to be fluent. As you're still at High School perhaps ask your teachers if they can recommend a course or see if you can join in a class.

As always there is a mine of, often conflicting, information here on the site:

Trail runners vs boots vs sandals
Sleeping bags vs quilts/throws
Hiking poles vs being hands free
Hi tech vs back to basics.

Use the search engine first and don't be afraid to ask questions - we were all green once upon a time.

Don't know if you're female, male or whatever but do look at packing lists targeted at whatever your status is - Christmas might be a good time to start writing out a list of what you need. Remember the wise traveller's maxim: allow for more money than you think you'll need and take less gear than you think you'll need. If you get the second part wrong then the first part will make things right.

Have you ever been to Europe before? My experience is that young Americans can be nonplussed by the differences. If you're staying in conventional refugios/albergues be aware that they're usually co-ed (not the bathrooms although toilets can be). Don't expect "comfort stops" at frequent intervals out in the countryside - get used to peeing in the woods. The Spanish tend to eat late at night and, although they make allowances for foreign pilgrims, you'll need to adjust your habits accordingly. Unlike the US it is legal for 18 year olds to consume alcohol in bars and restaurants - that doesn't mean you have to!

Get some practice walking in over varied terrain (dead flat to exhausting hills) so you know your limits in advance and don't try to be too ambitious especially for the earlier stages.

Above all have FUN. In the end it's just a walk; you start in France and keep going until you end in Santiago, but what a walk :)

Buen Camino!
 
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
He y’all. I want to do the Camino Frances this summer after I graduate from Highschool. The problem is I am currently 17 and wouldn’t turn 18 until August. I plan on making the trip in June. Are there any issues that I would encounter or would traveling with my friend, who would be 18 by the time we would go, solve the issues that I could face, my main concern is lodging and am wondering what the rules would be for that. Any other tips regarding the issue of age would also be great! Thank you!
First I would check with airlines and TSA because you don't want your trip ruined because you can't board plane.
 
Join the Camino Cleanup in May from Ponferrada to Sarria. Registration closes Mar 22.
Yes, DO check the migration aspect. Don't risk a bad, unsavory moment.
No problem if you live in EU, but it may be another story when you go through int'l migration in your country, or arriving in Spain.
As far as I know, the required age for registering at hotels in Spain is 16.
You can find of interest this previous thread.
Buen camino!
 
I met a couple of 16-year-olds from California in Puente la Reina on the CF, who were having a great time, and lots of unaccompanied teenagers from all over the place. You'll almost certainly meet others your own age.

Just remember - Europe is not like the US in many ways. Be polite, especially in interaction with the locals, and try to speak at least some elementary Spanish.

It's an adventure, not an endurance test, but Saint Jean pied de port to Santiago de Compostela is 780 km/485 miles, and you will actually walk further than that what with detours to accommodation, sights etc., so you will need to be able to walk at least 10 miles a day, preferably a bit more, in comfort, so sort your gear out before you go. Above all, have fun!
 
A slightly different perspective… if this is 100% a religious camino then cool, follow the good advice within the forum, travel light, etc.

If this is a 33% religious, 33% hiking/adventure, 33% travel/visiting Europe type trip then I would think carefully about hiking for a month in fairly obscure part of Europe. If you do it for a week and don’t like it, give yourselves permission to do something else. I’ve met youngsters complaining that almost everyone on the camino is suffering from one of the 3Ds – death, divorce, depression and it’s boring and wished they had chosen to go backpacking round the big cities and just walked the end instead. I would also take clothes that make you feel good so that if you want to stop and party in Pamplona you don’t have to do it in hiking shorts and a wicking t-shirt. If you're female, a light strappy dress might be a good investment if you want to take a break and do a bit of tourism!
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
First thing that came to mind is;
Where are you starting your trip? In U.S.A. or any other country currently banned from entry into Europe that requires a 14 day quarantine? This would be my first consideration since it would cost you time and extra money to sit idle awaiting clearance. Other than that many others hit the most concerning issues you will face. Good luck !
 
He y’all. I want to do the Camino Frances this summer after I graduate from Highschool. The problem is I am currently 17 and wouldn’t turn 18 until August. I plan on making the trip in June. Are there any issues that I would encounter or would traveling with my friend, who would be 18 by the time we would go, solve the issues that I could face, my main concern is lodging and am wondering what the rules would be for that. Any other tips regarding the issue of age would also be great! Thank you!
Please don't be offended by this. Be sure of your reasons for walking a pilgrimage. While on the "Way," be respectful of other pilgrims and their needs. I have done 4 Caminos. Many pilgrims do so for the meditative experience of walking miles each day, many for religious purposes, healing from a loss, etc. I have observed groups if young people that while on the "Way," be very loud and boisterous or play music on Boom Boxes, 2017, for example. Save your energy for communing and partying in the evening. You will find many who share your excitement in those hours. Honor the rules of the albergues, however.
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
Just remember - Europe is not like the US in many ways. Be polite, especially in interaction with the locals, and try to speak at least some elementary Spanish.
That's good advice for travel in the US too.

There is a lot of good advice above. I don't think anyone has mentioned:

Communications - Make a plan and share it with your folks at home. Perhaps they'll want you to call home every so often when you have WiFi access, perhaps you'll get a SIM when you arrive in Spain and share the number so that they can reach you, and perhaps you'll upload a photo or two to instagram every day so that they know you're doing fine.

Travel insurance - Get a travel insurance policy that will cover the entire duration of your trip. The policy that you need is not so much to cover your property (since you should not be carrying valuables), but to cover any healthcare / evacuation to your home country in the event of some mishap.

Money - You'll want to carry a cash card that doesn't cost you money every time you use an ATM or a foreign currency transaction. I don't know what account to recommend to a young person. Do some homework to identify a bank account that you can open (probably co-signed by a parent or guardian) and that won't charge you for ATM withdrawals in Europe. Make sure your folks know how they're going to top up your account in case you need them to when you're on the Camino.
My immediate thought was to get an N26 account in Europe and a Revolut account for your folks in the USA (low cost transfers to the European account). But I don't know if that will work for you.

Documents - Your passport, of course ... Scan a copy and upload it to cloud storage or an email account.
Look into rail passes and bus discount passes for young people, in case you want to jump on a long distance bus or train at some point in your journey.
Consider getting a notarized copy of travel authorization from your parent or guardian, which you need if you decide to enter Portugal, for example,. (For Spain it is not a requirement). Take a look at the relevant information for countries that you might visit:

External speakers - Get a really powerful battery powered speaker that you can attach to your backpack. There's nothing worse than being a few hundred meters ahead of a walker whose music you can't hear properly.

Have fun!
 

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