Checklist to get me to the starting line...

Hi Darren, that is an awfully big question and you might like to try and refine it a bit. Type "Packing List" into the search facility and you'll find some pretty good suggestions, and some lively disagreements too. Use the search facility also to access opinion on any Camino related topic and quite a few other topics as well. And feel free to ask in the Forum. Lots of members will try to answer.

Here I my suggestions, in no particular order, for things you might find useful to do before you take those first steps:-

Take some practice hikes in the boots / shoes / sandals &c that you intend to wear on the Camino.

Pack the kit you intend to carry into the rucksack you intend to use and take some more practice hikes.

Read up on the history of the Camino, of the great cities and other cultural sites you will pass, and of Spain if that sort of thing interests you.

Learn a little Spanish: the common courtesies, some menu stuff and how to ask for and understand directions will help.

Get your credencial, you can order one here from Ivar.

Choose your guide book / App and familiarise yourself with its foibles.

Decide on your starting point.

Start.

And Buen Camino

Time of year and route will affect packing list too. These are exciting times.

Buen Camino!

You have come to the right place. This Forum is a goldmine of information.
Decide which Camino you want to walk and what time of year. Then you can look up your questions in FAQ and if you still are in need of advice, please do not hesitate to post your question here.
The planning of a Camino is so exiting, figuring out the possibilities, what to do, what to bring, where to go. You have something good waiting for you!
Buen Camino

Thanks for the reminder! I was trying to think of things beyond the obvious (what to pack) and just realized that my flight leaves in 21 hours and I still need to print my tickets, call my credit card company to warn them I'll be using the card abroad, set up automatic payments for the bills that will come while I'm walking...

code_monkey_001 said:

Thanks for the reminder! I was trying to think of things beyond the obvious (what to pack) and just realized that my flight leaves in 21 hours and I still need to print my tickets, call my credit card company to warn them I'll be using the card abroad, set up automatic payments for the bills that will come while I'm walking...

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Make sure you have your passport and it is current .

Where to start?

Decide on route and time of the year to start.
Get credencial and booking of first, max second, night on the way to reduce stress.
Plan travel to the way as stress free as possible.
Keep back pack weight as low as possible.
Set one foot after the other.
Enjoy every step, even if it is in freezing rain.
Buen Camino! SY