Camino Frances

[Urban Trekker]

Planning to walk the French Camino in May-June of 2016. I'm going to start in Sain Jean Pied de Port and walk all the way to Santiago. Some of my children and a grandson want to accompany me but can only get a few weeks off. What would be a good starting/meet up point for someone that has 2 to 3 weeks vacation time. I average between 20 and 25 kilometers a day when I walk the Camino and at 65 can still walk them into the ground.

 

[tyrrek]

Hi Urban Trekker

If I understand your situation correctly your family will join you along the way and everyone end up in Santiago? If so, you'll probably all want to spend a couple of days together in Santiago at the end to celebrate and catch up with friends etc.

Allowing for this, Astorga would be good for someone with 2 weeks and Sahagun with 3 weeks. A more ambitious schedule would be Leon and Burgos respectively, but remember that as a group you're as fast as your slowest member, and an injury to one is an injury to all.

All of these cities are well connected by bus and train from Madrid.

Buen Camino!

 

[Al the optimist]

Would I be right in assuming they are coming from across the pond? Wherever they are coming from do consider travel times and any travel tiredness/jet-lag to any start point and from SDC. That will show you how many days are available to walk? Tyrrek's advice about a couple of days in SDC is sound and well worth considering. Do you yourself have unlimited time as I see that you know the Ingles and maybe you could join together for that after your Frances? Good luck with your planning.

 

[mikevasey]

La Virgen del Camino, its about 8km onwards from the center of Leon, it is a pilgrimage place in its own right and is around 310km to Santiago. I stayed in the parador in Leon and it seemed that there was a lot of Americans walking the Camino who were meeting families there, it would be easy to get the start either by bus or taxi. You could walk out there but would give them a first day of about 18 km and they would be avoiding all the city streets as an introduction.

 

[Al the optimist]

Mike's suggestion is worth thinking about. Travelling back down via Oviedo this August I caught a taxi from Leon coach station to La Virgen so I had time to enjoy the church there. I also received a nice blessing from the Swedish Priest. I enjoyed my decision and started the next day nice and fresh.

 

[Urban Trekker]

Would I be right in assuming they are coming from across the pond? Wherever they are coming from do consider travel times and any travel tiredness/jet-lag to any start point and from SDC. That will show you how many days are available to walk? Tyrrek's advice about a couple of days in SDC is sound and well worth considering. Do you yourself have unlimited time as I see that you know the Ingles and maybe you could join together for that after your Frances? Good luck with your planning.

Al, Thanks for the advice. Yes we live accross the pond, in fact we live by the other pond. I myself don't suffer jet lag going over the pond but comming back is another story. A few days to adjust and get some warm up trekking in is a good idea.

Happy Trails

 

[Urban Trekker]

Hi Urban Trekker

If I understand your situation correctly your family will join you along the way and everyone end up in Santiago? If so, you'll probably all want to spend a couple of days together in Santiago at the end to celebrate and catch up with friends etc.

Allowing for this, Astorga would be good for someone with 2 weeks and Sahagun with 3 weeks. A more ambitious schedule would be Leon and Burgos respectively, but remember that as a group you're as fast as your slowest member, and an injury to one is an injury to all.

All of these cities are well connected by bus and train from Madrid.

Buen Camino!

Yes that is the plan at this time. I have a friend who wants to take the Camino de Puy on bycicles then walk the French Caminos. I'm not familure with the French route and I'm searching for a good place to meet up and walk togeather to Santiago. Something between 150 to 200 kilometers.

Happy Trails

 

[Al the optimist]

Depends on where they fly to. If Madrid then Ponferrada at 208 might be a good place. RENFE has trains from Madrid to Ponferrada. If this where the case they could stay a night in Madrid to decompress, catch the 10:30 which gets to Ponferrada at 15:05. You could take a couple oif easy days to the foot of O'Cebriero (say Valcarce or Herrerias) to make that climb a little easier. That way they at least get to one of the Camino highlights. The Brierley guide suggest 9 days from Ponferrada to SDC.

 

[Urban Trekker]

Depends on where they fly to. If Madrid then Ponferrada at 208 might be a good place. RENFE has trains from Madrid to Ponferrada. If this where the case they could stay a night in Madrid to decompress, catch the 10:30 which gets to Ponferrada at 15:05. You could take a couple oif easy days to the foot of O'Cebriero (say Valcarce or Herrerias) to make that climb a little easier. That way they at least get to one of the Camino highlights. The Brierley guide suggest 9 days from Ponferrada to SDC.

Thank you Al. The ease of transportation would make Ponferrada the best choice for us.

Happy Trails