Cycling From Pamplona To Santiago In 7 Days

[Mithun]

Hi
Me and a friend of mine plan on cycling the camino frances this July, from Pamplona to Santiago in a maximum of 7 days, so around 100km a day. We plan to fly to Biarittz and then a bus to Pamplona.
Does any one have an itinerary or breakdown of stages for each of the 7 days, highlighting any parts that are particularly difficult on bike.
Thanks

 

[Mithun]

Also one other point I forgot to add was peoples experiences of getting a pilgrims passport, where and how get I these and how essential are they?

 

[CyberMette]

Also one other point I forgot to add was peoples experiences of getting a pilgrims passport, where and how get I these and how essential are they?

The pilgrims passport is very essentiel.
Without Them you Can not stay at The albergues and you do not get a credential In The end.
You are going to have two stamps everyday. The stamps you Can get everywhere.... bars, shops, albergues etc. on The Way...

Biking 100 km a Day is a lot. Its often mountains or bad roads.
Especially The Road up to O Cebreiro.
Look here for The elevations: www.mundicamino.com
There, you Can also see The stages, and albergues etc.

Also, because you are Biking, you are often last In Line to The beds. If its full (and They are In july) They Will ask you to bike to The next albergue or The next or The next...

Buen Camino

 

[Saint Mike II]

Hola - welcome to the Forum, although if you plan to cycle The Way in 7 days I doubt we will call you pilgrims. A Pilgrim Passport (also known as a Credencial) is necessary if you intend to stay in the Pilgrim Albergues. You should be able to get a passport in Pamplona - either at the Cathedral Office; Tourist Office or larger Albergues (someone will correct this!?). As pilgrims walk around 20/25 km each day your 100km per day is not really covered by the popular Pilgrim Guide Books. The Michelin Camino de Santiago guide is probably the best for cyclist as it list the road route numbers; shows motorways-autoroutes; major other roads and all the little side rural roads.
What type of bike are you riding? Most of the Camino can be cycled by a moutain or hybrid bike with the wide off-road tyres. If you are using the road tyres (say less than 20 mm) then I strongly suggest you stick to the roads. (I rode this route on my mountain bike in 2015 and even I round places I could not ride - or should not have tried to ride!!). Places that come to mind include the Alto de Perdon (the big hill west of Pamplona); the mountains/big hills between Villafrance Montes de Oca and Burgos is another. If it has not rained then your 20mm tyres should handle the gravel roads of the meseta (Burgos to Leon). Leon to Rabanal & Ponferrada is probably a personal choice but I would again strongly recommend the road (especially Rabanal to Ponferrada). From Ponferrada to Santiago its probably the road - especially if you intend to maintain your 100 km schedule. Have a look at the section "Biking the Camino" for more information. Buen Camino!!

 

[Cambridge Pilgrim]

If you're young, fit and used to a few hills then 7 days is achievable and you will be no less a pilgrim than anyone else.

We did it in 11 days but were not so young.

Up to O'Cebreiro is the toughest part but then we missed (somehow) the pointer to the cycling route.

Make hay whilst the sun shines across the Meseta where you will cover the most ground.

Private albergues won't turn you away for being on a bike.

Good luck!

 

[Stev0]

Yes good luck in July Guys, I'm attempting the same but starting from SJPD , I leave London tomorrow night to arrive via train /ferry/train in Bayonne 15:30 Friday.(My biggest challenge I think maybe getting from Gare du nord to Gare du Montparnasse in under 50mins to change trains) All good I should be on El Camino by Saturday. I wish I could do more time etc but its all down to the weather and other factors. I am caring my camping equip as I prefer to camp if possible, but again its down to the weather. I take note of the advice given to you by Saint Mike thanks to his experience as it will come in handy for me no doubt, anyway I will update on my return, buen camino

 

[Older Guy]

I took a lot longer. I have biked several times the Seattle to Portland 205 mile, 2-day bike ride. You can do the Camino is 7 days---maybe.

I wouldn't recommend it, the typical time most folks take by bike is about 2 weeks, and I took more. Most treat the Camino as a pilgrimage and not an endurance athletic event. That means spending time in Cathedrals along the way, taking in tourist sites and spending time talking to others at lunch, dinner and mid-day breaks. If you only have a week, start closer to Santiago, would be my recommendation, say Leon.

There are 3 things you should think about and have contingency plans for.

(1) sickness, accidents, equipment breakdown, and/or overuse injury from so many days in a row of hard riding.

(2) There will likely be some rain, and that can slow you down a lot.

(3) Getting lost. When I biked, while the Camino was reasonably well marked outside of major towns, approaching and leaving major towns was often a problem as the walking route and the bike route were different and some roads, bikes are not allowed on and the roads aren't as well marked as the trails.

One or two bad days and your 7 day, 100 km/day plan can be toast. But that is your choice.