Camino from Madrid via Via de la Plata

[Tui]

Hi. Long time lurker and first time poster so please be patient. We walked the Camino Francés in 2015 and are looking to walk from Madrid to Santiago via the VDLP next year. We were originally looking at walking the whole of the VDLP but coming from New Zealand this adds a lot of time away from work to the overall trip. We have therefore been tentatively looking at walking the Madrid route up as far as somewhere like Valladolid and then cutting across west and joining the VDLP at maybe Zamora and then continuing on that can is route to Santiago along the Sanabrés. My questions are:

1. Is there a better place to make the east-west crossing?
2. How long is this likely to take assuming a reasonable level of fitness and no rest days (we can add the rest days in ourself)?
3. It looks like the section that crosses from the Madrid route to the VDLP is around 100km. Has anyone had any experience of the type of accomodation available on this section of ‘off piste’ Camino?

Thanks in advance for any advice or information.

Donna

 

[Prentiss Riddle]

Interesting question! Someone with actual knowledge should answer, but to clarify, you already know that the only existing Camino route connecting the CdM and the VdlP is the Francés, so you’ll be going without pilgrim infrastructure.

As a start, Google Maps can construct routes based entirely on road walking and says that such a route from Valladolid to Zamora would amount to ~100 km and take 20 walking hours. That’s at a steady 5 km/hour and assumes no detours to off-route towns or to bypass dangerous highway sections. Towns look fairly plentiful but no telling how many have shops or bars.

I’m sure that people with local knowledge could improve greatly on Google. I’d love to hear stories about how local committees establish new Camino routes.

Now let’s hope for responses from people who know what they’re talking about!

 

[Tui]

Thanks so much for your reply and take on board your comments. We’re trying to make the best of the time that we have available as we don’t know when we’ll be on that side of the world again!

 

[OzAnnie]

Hi. Long time lurker and first time poster so please be patient. We walked the Camino Francés in 2015 and are looking to walk from Madrid to Santiago via the VDLP next year. We were originally looking at walking the whole of the VDLP but coming from New Zealand this adds a lot of time away from work to the overall trip. We have therefore been tentatively looking at walking the Madrid route up as far as somewhere like Valladolid and then cutting across west and joining the VDLP at maybe Zamora and then continuing on that can is route to Santiago along the Sanabrés. My questions are:

1. Is there a better place to make the east-west crossing?
2. How long is this likely to take assuming a reasonable level of fitness and no rest days (we can add the rest days in ourself)?
3. It looks like the section that crosses from the Madrid route to the VDLP is around 100km. Has anyone had any experience of the type of accomodation available on this section of ‘off piste’ Camino?

Thanks in advance for any advice or information.

Donna

Hi Donna
I haven’t ‘jumped’ from CdeM to Vdlp either but do recall seeing posts by people contemplating it or having done it.
You can use the ‘search’ function to locate thread or I think @KinkyOne is possibly one of the forum members who have more details.

Good luck with plans and Buen Camino.
Annie

 

[Tui]

Thanks Annie we’ll have a search and see what we find.

Donna