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Can anyone give me any advice on doing the Camino Frances with a two-year old.

lost pilgrim

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
2013, camino frances
2019, camino frances
My wife and I will be doing the Camino with our 2-year old daughter. Does anyone have advice they can share?
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
In 2017 I encountered a couple travelling with a child under 12 months. They had a road worthy baby carriage which was very waterproof. From what I remember they would either phone ahead inquiring about private or family rooms or on arrival they would ask about staying in private houses. I ran into them again around Astorga and as I understand it they reached Santiago a day or so behind me. So yes with the appropriate planning it can be done - although with a two year old you might need a large buggy for the child. Buen Camino.;)
 
I was looking for the youtube series from the couple who walked with a baby called Indigo.
But couldn't find them.
Maybe someone else has the link?
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Hola
I'd say with the right planning and determination it can be done. A lot of young families have been down the road before you, hopefully some of them will come and give you the advice you need. Like Saint Mike II I encountered a young couple with a young child fulfilling their dream and to my knowledge they made it successfully to SDC.
Enjoy the planning.
 
Two years old is a...well...that is...difficult age. They are very active, usually vocal, very curious, and Terrible Two's is not a myth. I don't think you can expect them to walk very far, or to sit politely in a carriage for very long, and while sitting in a back pack maybe fun - for a short while - probably not every day for a month. The logistics seem all but overwhelming, exposure to the elements a very real consideration, food(?). From the gut? You walked in 2013, the Camino is still here, and will still be here in another 5 years in another 10. Back burner time.
 
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In April of ‘17 I spent several days running across a 20’s German woman with a 2 yr old and a 4 yr old. She had all their gear, and sometimes the kids, in a wagon. On the hills other Pilgrims would help her push the wagon. Oh, and she was alone with the kids. What a feat.
 
At two years old, my boys would walk for a few miles with me, and then take a break in the stroller. We only walked about 2-5 miles at a time-- Two year olds have little legs but lots of energy, and the more they walk the stronger they get! Another idea, if you are equine inclined, is to walk some of the Chemin (Camino in France) with a donkey-- Then your two year old gets to have a furry friend to give him a lift. This is not so unusual there as it is in Spain. -- There are various threads on this-- lots negative, though I expect the negative ones are from people who don't know donkeys and think they're like small cars with no individuality. Here is one thread: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/traveling-with-a-donkey-in-france.40318/

And here is a very nice youtube video of a family walking le Chemin:
 
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I was looking for the youtube series from the couple who walked with a baby called Indigo.
But couldn't find them.
Maybe someone else has the link?
You are talking about the Irish vegetarian family, right? They've taken them down. :-(

There is a short video that was put up of someone walking the Camino Portugues with a toddler boy, who might be around the right age. I'll try and find it alter today and update this comment with a link, if no one posts one before that. Asking the same question in the comments there might get a good response.
 
In 2008 we met with Monika and her 2 year old Bartak who had walked from Poland. They crossed the Camino Frances in the winter and after Santiago walked on to Fatima. I was a bit concerened about Bartak as he had no playmates for months on end but this is an opinion...I have no expertise in this area - apart from parenting my own children
 
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I met a family this spring on the Frances with a 4 year old and a 6 month old. They mentioned a Facebook group for families on the Camino that they found helpful. They had a jogger stroller that carried their backpacks when the two boys didn't want to ride.
 
I met a coupele that retired to run an albergue on the Norte. They told me about doing the Camino Frances every two years or so starting when they first married and all the way through to the graduation of the youngest of 4 kids. A lot of km’s!

One of their strategies was to drive and walk. One parent walked while the other shuttled. The car was a station wagon so they lived out of it.

Might not be quite the Camino experience you are looking for, but a little creativity and a list of different resources for different situations might well carry you through!
 
In 2015 I met a young couple who walked from St Jean to Santiago with two young children, I would guess 2 yrs and 3 yrs old. The parents pulled a chariot ( that was the actual name on the carriage), and the children could get out and walk or get in when tired. They carried some toys with them and some of their belongings. I was pretty impressed as it looked to be completely watertight with clear plastic windows. It was amusing to see the boy had blue walking boots and the girl had pink. I am sure that a google search for 'Chariot' which is made in Europe would turn up the manufacturer. The family were French.
 
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Well, that's negative. I guess some people would give the same answer to the question - "any advice on having children?"!

I recall that when I first saw a post from @Kiwi-family about walking the Camino with family, many years ago, I was also very negative. But wow, did I feel a fool later.
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
I recall that when I first saw a post from @Kiwi-family about walking the Camino with family, many years ago, I was also very negative. But wow, did I feel a fool later.
So did I as I stood on the side of a path with a six year old stomping her foot and screaming about how unfair it was that I had squeezed the toothpaste onto her toothbrush three hours ago when she had wanted to do it - all with a steady stream of pilgrims walking by!
And a few days later I stood at the top of a hill waiting for Daddy who was taking his turn with the grumpy girl at the bottom of the hill (our strategy is to not force walking but to wait until they are ready to walk without fussing) - by that stage that steady stream of pilgrims knew us and I got an update from each one as they created the hill!
In those moments I wondered if all the naysayers had been right - but at the end of the day, a hissy fit in Spain is more fun than a hissy fit at home! No regrets, but more humility.
 
Not being negative. I just think children have the right to refuse being dragged half way across the country. As a two year old, they will not be able to protest!
 
Well, actually, two year olds are exceptionally good at protesting. But they will do that regardless of whether they are at home or in Spain.

A two year old lives in the moment. As long as "the moment" feels OK, then they are OK. And I can't see any insurmountable problems on the camino to keeping them feeling OK.

Parents generally put the needs of their children before themselves, and no reason to think the OP would do anything else. But that does not mean giving up on a dream. The two can be quite compatible. These days strollers and pushers are very good, and other physical issues like weather, food, sleep, and play, can be overcome with simple forethought and a bit of planning.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
I remember a documentary movie called Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago, where a young woman took her toddler son on camino, pushing him in a stroller with her brother to help. When he decided to go his own way she managed just fine. Good luck.
 
I was looking for the youtube series from the couple who walked with a baby called Indigo.
But couldn't find them.
Maybe someone else has the link?

I know the youtube series... I made some links but they go to empty youtube pages now... so I think they have deleted their videos on youtube.

Edit: They did not delete their videos, but marked them as private. Only their last video is still public:
 
Last edited:
The children that I saw on my Caminos were older than 2 years old. Young children can and do walk the Caminos. I am trying to remember how old the youngest child that I have seen on the Camino but I think he or she was at least 4 or 5 years old. One day I hope to walk with one of my grandchildren. I am used to babysit my grandchildren (yes yes I know that that is a bit unusual ) but I would not thinki of taking a 2 year old on a long Camino.
 
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... I am used to babysit my grandchildren (yes yes I know that that is a bit unusual ) but I would not thinki of taking a 2 year old on a long Camino.

The baby called Indigo in the youtube video was very small... it was still crawling, not walking.... and so it was carried by mum or dad all the time.

I remember one baby on my own camino that got fed by his parents.

So I think there is no age when babies are "too young".
But I think it can be rather difficult...
 
I think it depends on the child. I would never have taken either of my children, aged 2, on a camino, because neither of them responded well to being taken on a walk at home. At university, my daughter was a member of a group of very keen hikers. A decade on, most now have small children. One family could easily manage to walk the camino together - the daughter adores being out on a walk. She loved her child carrier when small, and now happily toddles as far as she is able. The other families are totally different - the children only tolerate a mile or two before they become fractious. So know what your toddler likes before you get too involved with the planning.
 
What an amazing experience to share with your child. If you can get a child carrier with a stroller attachment that would help as there are a lot of places you could push a stroller but others you would have to carry. Your rhythm of walking would be led by your child to a degree and your sleeping arrangements may be more private rooms. Plus bring some extra snacks and juice for thd babe.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
The first edition came out in 2003 and has become the go-to-guide for many pilgrims over the years. It is shipping with a Pilgrim Passport (Credential) from the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.
I’d be carrying water for a toddler rather than juice, but then my kids didn’t have any sugar apart from whole pieces of fruit and occasionally a thin spread of honey until they were 3 or 4. Even then, it was more about letting them fit in socially at other people’s places rather than from a conviction that sugar would be good for them.
But this is a Camino forum, not a parenting one (which I would avoid!)
 
I walked my first camino in 2010, with my sister & sister-in-law. We started out from Ponferrada with a strict time limit (due to work) of 10 days to reach SDC. On our first day, we walked past a young couple, pushing a toddler in a stroller. It was not a rugged stroller, just one of those cheap fold-up umbrella strollers you see everywhere. We tsk-tsk'd as we walked by: imagine! Aiming to travel 200 km with a toddler! In an UMBRELLA STROLLER!!!
However, when we reached SDC & were walking through the streets, recognizing & greeting fellow pilgrims we'd met along the way, we passed a group celebrating with that very same young family. The stroller looked considerably more beat-up but the family looked just fine.
 
I’d be carrying water for a toddler rather than juice, but then my kids didn’t have any sugar apart from whole pieces of fruit and occasionally a thin spread of honey until they were 3 or 4. Even then, it was more about letting them fit in socially at other people’s places rather than from a conviction that sugar would be good for them.
But this is a Camino forum, not a parenting one (which I would avoid!)
I agree that this is not a parenting forum. The need for proper hydration for the child and parents is very necessary and as much as I only drank water while walking I do miss that fresh squeezed orange juice with my Gin, best Screwdrivers ever in Spain, what a treat.
 
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€83,-
So did I as I stood on the side of a path with a six year old stomping her foot and screaming about how unfair it was that I had squeezed the toothpaste onto her toothbrush three hours ago when she had wanted to do it - all with a steady stream of pilgrims walking by!
And a few days later I stood at the top of a hill waiting for Daddy who was taking his turn with the grumpy girl at the bottom of the hill (our strategy is to not force walking but to wait until they are ready to walk without fussing) - by that stage that steady stream of pilgrims knew us and I got an update from each one as they created the hill!
In those moments I wondered if all the naysayers had been right - but at the end of the day, a hissy fit in Spain is more fun than a hissy fit at home! No regrets, but more humility.


Having had the joy of finally meeting ya'll (well...some of your lovely clan!) ... all I can say is it was worth the efforts on your part. The young one in question is now a lovely and very personable young lady that ANYONE would be proud to be able to call their own. In fact it's one of the things giving me courage to think about walking with my grands in a few years time.
 
I was looking for the youtube series from the couple who walked with a baby called Indigo.
But couldn't find them.
Maybe someone else has the link?

It’s under ‘beyourpotential’. That child Indigo has grown so much!
 
It’s under ‘beyourpotential’. That child Indigo has grown so much!
When I go there now, all that is viewable in their Camino playlist is their Camino FAQ. All of the videos from their camino have been marked "private" and are not viewable.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.

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