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Do you know for sure how far you can/want to walk each day? Do you mind paying a huge premium to have someone else do what you can easily do via booking.com?Hello, I am interested in having an agency book all my accommodations along the way for my first Camino Frances Sept. 2020. Traveling from the USA, Washington DC area. Thanks for your experience, JoAnna
Yep. ExactlyDo you know for sure how far you can/want to walk each day? Do you mind paying a huge premium to have someone else do what you can easily do via booking.com?
Most people on this forum arrange their own accommodations as they go. This gives you greater flexibility on your Camino.
It's not that it's not cool, I just think that it's an unnecessary expense, and that having all of your accommodations pre-booked can lock you into stages that you may not want to do.Apparently it is not cool to use a travel agent,
Apparently it is not cool to use a travel agent,
. . . but if you do not have much time available to source information, learn about the places you're going and what the accommodations will be like, etc. a specialized travel agent can make the whole process easy and relaxing.
You are absolutely correct. There is definitely no coolness in using a travel agent for the camino. But here is a secret... the Camino no longer has any coolness score at all! The Cool Kids cite the 500,000 uncool walkers, many of whom are aging boomers. For cool people with excess money, Antarctica might be a better choice, although it has probably lost its cool creds too.Apparently it is not cool to use a travel agent,
It may have lost its creds but even with global warming it will be a few years yet before it loses its cool.For cool people with excess money, Antarctica might be a better choice, although it has probably lost its cool creds too.
Hello, I am interested in having an agency book all my accommodations along the way for my first Camino Frances Sept. 2020. Traveling from the USA, Washington DC area. Thanks for your experience, JoAnna
Of course you are right in this but.....It would be nice if Joanna would have made it clear why she makes this choice. She could have done this in a second post, seeing the direction the discussion was taking. Of course people start guessing about her motives and wish to point out the obvious disadvantages of arranging a camino beforehand. ( Presuming she is a "newbie" who is not aware of these possible disadvantages) Asking this question in this forum where the great majority of people arrange things from day to day will result in this kind of answers. It is up to Joanna to make up her mind. It would be nice to hear what choice she will make. To her concrete question she has received some concrete advices, a.o. others from you.To answer the question, I use www.walkthecamino.com. Smart people, who tailor the walk to your individual goals and requirements, tend to put you up in very cost effective but great accommodations, and provide 24 hour support if needed.
Please, please, please stop giving an opinion as to whether you think a travel agent is correct. I think the question would have been asked differently if she wanted opinions rather than simple company recommendations. Is a travel agent necessary, no. But that's not for anyone here to decide.
Whether you want to book ahead to avoid worrying about where you're going to lay your head or prefer to wing it and enjoy the freedom that detachment from rigidity provides is a choice which we all can make.
Our individual circumstances are not automatically true for the rest of the known world.
Thank you for answering her question. She asked for recommendations not opinions.I can recommend a number of them:
Camino Ways
Santiago Ways
Ultreya Tours
EATourSpecialist
Mystic Tours
All have satisfied American and are local experts here in Spain.
Of course you are right in this but.....It would be nice if Joanna would have made it clear why she makes this choice. She could have done this in a second post, seeing the direction the discussion was taking. Of course people start guessing about her motives and wish to point out the obvious disadvantages of arranging a camino beforehand. ( Presuming she is a "newbie" who is not aware of these possible disadvantages) Asking this question in this forum where the great majority of people arrange things from day to day will result in this kind of answers. It is up to Joanna to make up her mind. It would be nice to hear what choice she will make. To her concrete question she has received some concrete advices, a.o. others from you.
Finally someone could answer a first-timer question.I can recommend a number of them:
Camino Ways
Santiago Ways
Ultreya Tours
EATourSpecialist
Mystic Tours
All have American clients and are local experts here in Spain.
Thank you Laurie. That's what I had in mind when I made my posts - that perhaps @JoAnna Farrell wasn't aware that it's very simple to book accommodations oneself, as it wasn't something that I knew when I first got interested in doing the Camino. If I hadn't found the encouragement and support of this forum I may have gone with a tour company, and spent a lot more money.I totally agree that we should generally answer questions, not debate their underlying premises. But with this particular question about tour companies, especially if you are from the US, I think it is totally reasonable to think that maybe the OP hasn't even considered the possibility of walking without having an agency arrange it all for her. Any time I am asked about my caminos, one of the questions inevitably is -- Who did you go with? This question is not asking me who my walking buddy is, it is asking me what travel company I used. For many people in the US, it would no more occur to them to strike out on their own to Europe than to go to the moon. So I think it is totally fair to to give additional information that shows that there are many alternatives to the tour company route.
This one particular topic seems to always get people's feathers ruffled when forum members politely suggest that there are other ways to walk the camino -- ways that are less constraining, less expensive, and more self-affirming, at least in their opinion and experience. But I do this all the time on other threads -- someone asks about trains from Leon to Oviedo to transition from the Frances to the Primitivo, for instance. My response is inevitably going to be, do you know you can walk the Camino Salvador from Leon to Oviedo? I am not answering the OP's question, but I am just trying to broaden the discussion. And lots of people had no idea and wind up being diehard Salvador aficionados.
And another thing to keep in mind is that these threads are there as resources for lots of people, not just the OP, and the more newbies that see and hear that there is a much broader range of options that they may have not considered, the better, IMO.
Buen camino, Laurie
Thank you, Laurie! Having done my first Camino using an agency that screwed up so badly I cannot turn my myself away from a question like this without warning about possible complications!I totally agree that we should generally answer questions, not debate their underlying premises. But with this particular question about tour companies, especially if you are from the US, I think it is totally reasonable to think that maybe the OP hasn't even considered the possibility of walking without having an agency arrange it all for her. Any time I am asked about my caminos, one of the questions inevitably is -- Who did you go with? This question is not asking me who my walking buddy is, it is asking me what travel company I used. For many people in the US, it would no more occur to them to strike out on their own to Europe than to go to the moon. So I think it is totally fair to to give additional information that shows that there are many alternatives to the tour company route.
Hello, I am interested in having an agency book all my accommodations along the way for my first Camino Frances Sept. 2020. Traveling from the USA, Washington DC area. Thanks for your experience, JoAnna
"What if I get lost or sick or injured?"Hello everybody! Thank you for all the responses. It was my first time posting a question and I am surprised at all of the helpful information I received back. Everybody touched on a few of my concerns. I asked for travel agencies because I am a solo traveler going to a foreign country by myself. I am excited about the trip for one minute and then wake up at 2 am afraid. Mostly with the lingering questions of what if I get lost sick or injured. I am uncertain and I am looking for some feeling of safety. I do fear being tied down to a schedule and I fear that I might not have a place to stay. Anyway, I do appreciate the travel agency suggestions and I also appreciated the additional information that was shared because it gave me some hope and actually eased my mind. Thank you! JoAnna
Hi, and welcome to the forum! Where do you plan to start walking, and how much time do you have? That will make a difference in the advice we can offer. Have you booked your flights? If not, do you have flexibility in the dates - for example, late September or early September?Hello, I am interested in having an agency book all my accommodations along the way for my first Camino Frances Sept. 2020. Traveling from the USA, Washington DC area.
Thanks for this wonderfull post, it sums up my feelings in this matter very well and draws attention to other aspects then read in other posts and to the character of this forumI totally agree that we should generally answer questions, not debate their underlying premises. But with this particular question about tour companies, especially if you are from the US, I think it is totally reasonable to think that maybe the OP hasn't even considered the possibility of walking without having an agency arrange it all for her. Any time I am asked about my caminos, one of the questions inevitably is -- Who did you go with? This question is not asking me who my walking buddy is, it is asking me what travel company I used. For many people in the US, it would no more occur to them to strike out on their own to Europe than to go to the moon. So I think it is totally fair to to give additional information that shows that there are many alternatives to the tour company route.
This one particular topic seems to always get people's feathers ruffled when forum members politely suggest that there are other ways to walk the camino -- ways that are less constraining, less expensive, and more self-affirming, at least in their opinion and experience. But I do this all the time on other threads -- someone asks about trains from Leon to Oviedo to transition from the Frances to the Primitivo, for instance. My response is inevitably going to be, do you know you can walk the Camino Salvador from Leon to Oviedo? I am not answering the OP's question, but I am just trying to broaden the discussion. And lots of people had no idea and wind up being diehard Salvador aficionados.
And another thing to keep in mind is that these threads are there as resources for lots of people, not just the OP, and the more newbies that see and hear that there is a much broader range of options that they may have not considered, the better, IMO.
Buen camino, Laurie
I totally agree that we should generally answer questions, not debate their underlying premises. But with this particular question about tour companies, especially if you are from the US, I think it is totally reasonable to think that maybe the OP hasn't even considered the possibility of walking without having an agency arrange it all for her. Any time I am asked about my caminos, one of the questions inevitably is -- Who did you go with? This question is not asking me who my walking buddy is, it is asking me what travel company I used. For many people in the US, it would no more occur to them to strike out on their own to Europe than to go to the moon. So I think it is totally fair to to give additional information that shows that there are many alternatives to the tour company route.
This one particular topic seems to always get people's feathers ruffled when forum members politely suggest that there are other ways to walk the camino -- ways that are less constraining, less expensive, and more self-affirming, at least in their opinion and experience. But I do this all the time on other threads -- someone asks about trains from Leon to Oviedo to transition from the Frances to the Primitivo, for instance. My response is inevitably going to be, do you know you can walk the Camino Salvador from Leon to Oviedo? I am not answering the OP's question, but I am just trying to broaden the discussion. And lots of people had no idea and wind up being diehard Salvador aficionados.
And another thing to keep in mind is that these threads are there as resources for lots of people, not just the OP, and the more newbies that see and hear that there is a much broader range of options that they may have not considered, the better, IMO.
Buen camino, Laurie
This one particular topic seems to always get people's feathers ruffled when forum members politely suggest that there are other ways to walk the camino
I'm so glad I found this post. It looks as though my friend is going to drop out of our Camino but it's important to me to go ahead with it. I would be terrified to do it alone (I know, I'm just not as brave as so many of you) and this is the exact type of thing I've been searching for. Thank you.Also, if you are on Facebook, there is a FB group called Camigas, just for women on the Camino. It's a great place for support, but I prefer this forum for nuts and bolts information.
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I used an agency on my first stint on the route as I was nervous about plotting the route and ensuring a certain level of accommodation and found Santiagoways very pleasant to deal with-this year I have prebooked everything myself which takes a little time but is worth it and also gives you more freedom in terms of distancesHello, I am interested in having an agency book all my accommodations along the way for my first Camino Frances Sept. 2020. Traveling from the USA, Washington DC area. Thanks for your experience, JoAnna
I SO agree with this and a couple of other answers to Joanna's question as it answers exactly what she is asking. We are all so fond of the saying, 'Its your Camino-do it your own way'. It is not up to any of us to try to force our own ideas of what is the best way to do the Camino....it is up to us, to actually answer the question she asked, not to question her 'motives'...that is not our role and is nothing to do with us......just saying here from my observation of so many of the responses.Thank you for answering her question. She asked for recommendations not opinions.
Hello, I am interested in having an agency book all my accommodations along the way for my first Camino Frances Sept. 2020. Traveling from the USA, Washington DC area. Thanks for your experience, JoAnna
October 2018 we walked the last 90 miles of the Camino Frances. We had Gary from Spanish Adventures make arrangements for us. He was very helpful arranging luggage transfers and accommodations. The costs were very reasonable. He suggested several detours to see religious or historical sites.Hello, I am interested in having an agency book all my accommodations along the way for my first Camino Frances Sept. 2020. Traveling from the USA, Washington DC area. Thanks for your experience, JoAnna
Thank youI can recommend a number of them:
Camino Ways
Santiago Ways
Ultreya Tours
EATourSpecialist
Mystic Tours
All have American clients and are local experts here in Spain.
Have you heard of Pilgrim?I can recommend a number of them:
Camino Ways
Santiago Ways
Ultreya Tours
EATourSpecialist
Mystic Tours
All have American clients and are local experts here in Spain.
I have heard of them, but haven't used them.Have you heard of Pilgrim?
Yes they're are a relatively new Galician one. Don't know anyone who have used them yet.Have you heard of Pilgrim?
I am using Juan for my 6th Camino starting on the Norte on the 17 May. He is excellent. I like to plan my camino all the way. Our local parish here in the UK always use him for up to 30 pilgrims each time. I highly recommend Juan.Juan gutierrez was referred to me from this forum , juanv@caminosyrutas.com
Juan just finished helping me personalize my Camino Frances trip in Sept. 2020. I am very happy with him!
Buen Camino!
JoAnna
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