Camino Francés starting in Chartres Cathedral?

sillydoll said:

The Confraternity of St James in London has a guide book called Paris to the Pyrenees that includes Chartres to Vouvray, then Voyray to Bordeaux and Bordeaux to Saint/Palais/Bibraltar and on to St Jean and then Roncesvalles.

The route is called the Via Turonensis (as it passes through Tours, itself a major place of pilgrimage with the shrine of the 4th century St Martin) and is ± 1 800 km to Santiago.
The route is relatively flat as it passes through the Loire valley, the Touraine, Poitou, Angoumois, Saintonge, Bordelais and the Landes where it meets with the other two routes from Le Puy and Vevey at Ostabat.

Much of the original route has become tarmac highway. Although various associations are working at creating safe paths and guides for pilgrims, it is still not a popular route due to the amount of road walking involved and way-marking is scarce in sections. Pilgrim accommodation is sparse until you reach the south.
http://www.amis-st-jacques-tours.org
pagesperso-orange.fr/viaturonensis

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Arn said:

Ana,

You indicated you have some time and the Paris (just move to Chartres) route is explained here:

http://www.csj.org.uk/route-paris.htm

Take a look at that resource, ask additional questions, then plan accordingly.

That said, if your true desire is to walk the Way to Santiago, may I suggest you fly into Paris, visit Chartres for a few days, then take the train to SJPDP. Check connections/fares here:

http://www.raileurope.com/us/rail/point ... 0&noLock=1

This will allow you to cover all the bases, with the least opportunity for hassles, or disappointment.

Buen Camino,

Arn

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sillydoll said:

Ana, a friend and I walked the Via Turonensis in 2004 and didn't know French either. But we got by with hand signals and the kindness of strangers.
For the first 900km there were very few pilgrim shelters so we stayed in cheap hotels, B&Bs and youth hostels.
If you don't have time to walk the whole way, you could still cover it as a road trip by hopping on local transport between the most important towns.
Start in Paris and visit some of the St Jacques sites before getting a bus or train to Chartres, spending a day or so there. From there you could get transport to Orleans then Amboise, Chatellerault, Poitiers, St Jean d'Angely, Saintes, Pons, Bordeaux and down to Saint Palais (great pilgrim museum here!)
We did a worthwhile side trip by train from Dax to Lourdes. On the way back the train stops at Peyrehorade and you can walk to Bidache from there. Then to Saint Palais, Ostabat and St Jean Pied de Port.
Once you cross over into Spain you can walk the Camino Frances all the way to Santiago.
buena suerte!

PS: My Spanish teacher in 2001 was from Colombia.

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