Cycling the Camino with Children

[Ciaran Kissane]

Hi

I am planing a cycling trip on the route from Lisbon in August. There will be five of us, two adults and three children 9,8 and 6,. Our current plan is to the the stages between azambuja and golega - and the stages between Ponte Di lima and Santiago.

Are these routes ok for mountain bikes and for children

Any advice on pre booking accomodation

Any advice at all - this is our first trip on the camino

We plan to fill in the gaps by train

Thanks

Ciaran

 

[Diogo92]

Hi

I am planing a cycling trip on the route from Lisbon in August. There will be five of us, two adults and three children 9,8 and 6,. Our current plan is to the the stages between azambuja and golega - and the stages between Ponte Di lima and Santiago.

Are these routes ok for mountain bikes and for children

Any advice on pre booking accomodation

Any advice at all - this is our first trip on the camino

We plan to fill in the gaps by train

Thanks

Ciaran

Hello Ciaran, and welcome to the forum-


The only problem that I’m seeing about taking your children with you it’s the heat. August can be very harsh in Portugal, and you can find temperatures of 35ºC or plus. So bear that in mind please.

The worst stage that you will probably have difficulties, it’s after Ponte de Lima. You’ll have to search this forum well, because there are two ways out of the town: one for pilgrims and cyclists, and other only for cyclists. The one which is communal for both, you have to go up a mountain with the bike on your back. It’s a near 500m ascent, with a huge inclination degree. If it’s hard for us who do it walking, I can’t imagine for the people who do it with their bikes on their back!

About the accommodation, it will depend where will you stay (cities), and if you don’t mind to sleep in Albergues. The Portuguese Caminho it’s the second most walked Caminho, and you will find a lot of people in August doing it, especially after Valença do Minho/Tui, the last 115/120km from Santiago.

If you can post your plan (km per day, where are you going to stop, etc, etc), that would be great for us to help you.

Best Regards
Diogo

 

[scruffy1]

Hello Ciaran Greetings from Jerusalem!
You are going to love Portugal, the Portuguese people (the warmest and most welcomoing in all Europe), and Potruguese food and wine (try it all!)! Your plan sounds good - the stretch between Azambuja and Golega is largely rural and easily pedaled. Tomar is a lovely lovely town and do go visit the Convent of the Order on Christ on the hill above there, even the kids will like it there! From Tomar you are also an easy ride off route to Fátima- don't even consider to ride over on the 13th of the month when the roads will be packed with buses cars walkers and yes some cyclists-its a day of pilgrimage. Now for the bad news, with apologies to Diogo who has already heard this. The roads in Portugal have little shoulder and often no more then a "V" shaped rain culvert not something I would want my kids to ride alsngside-secondly, the drivers in Portugal are among the very worst in all Europe. Rules of the road are at best a reccomendation and they seem easily distracted when behind the wheel. My recommendation-at all times-always- wear reflective vests when riding, lead rider should have some sort of flag plus a whistle at the vanguard, whoever brings up the the rear, an even larger flag or something reflective, flopping in the breeze, attracting attention plus a light for early/late hours and cloudy weather. Don't miss Coimbra a lovely university town! Consider a mnother morning off-route to Bom Jesus(!) is located on a hill just outside of Braga a short bus ride from Barcelos on the Camino - do try and go there too. Bom Caminho! and remember the m's in Coimbra and in both Bom phrases are not pronounced! Good luck understanding spoken Portuguese-sounds like Russian spoken with a Hispanic accent-you can usually read the important bits due to simularities to other "Romance" languages, any Latin you may remember, and a bit of intuition! Road markings are also in two languages so you will be fine there. Bom Caminho!

 

[sillydoll]

* The Family Adventure Project.
One of the blogs is about a family who did the Camino on tandem bikes with trailers.
pedallingpilgrims.blogspot.com/2008/08/set-in-stone.html
Contact: mail@familyonabike.org

* After a week’s training and a fitness test during the Easter holiday in April 2005, eight-year-old Camille started her pilgrimage to Compostela by walking the 65 km from Puy en Velay to Saint Roch. terragalice.blog4ever. com/blog/lirarticle-45469-167723.html

* Pint-sized pilgrims on the Camino. www.soultravelers3.com/

* This Kiwi Family walked with 8 children, ranging between 6 and 16.
http://blogs.bootsnall.com/kiwifamily/

* www.girlsontheway.com 10 and 8 year-old sisters blog about their Camino

* http://caminowithkids.wordpress.com/ - 3 adults and 3 kids

 

[The Gilldaleys]

Hi

I am planing a cycling trip on the route from Lisbon in August. There will be five of us, two adults and three children 9,8 and 6,. Our current plan is to the the stages between azambuja and golega - and the stages between Ponte Di lima and Santiago.

Are these routes ok for mountain bikes and for children

Any advice on pre booking accomodation

Any advice at all - this is our first trip on the camino

We plan to fill in the gaps by train

Thanks

Ciaran

Hi We are planning to cycle the route Frances inJuly/ August 2015 starting inPontefrada, pausing in Santiago then continueing to finisterre. Our kids are 13, 11, 8 and 6. this will be our first camino too. Maybe we will bump into you guys. From the Gilldaleys

 

[Camembert]

Hi

I am planing a cycling trip on the route from Lisbon in August. There will be five of us, two adults and three children 9,8 and 6,. Our current plan is to the the stages between azambuja and golega - and the stages between Ponte Di lima and Santiago.

Are these routes ok for mountain bikes and for children

Any advice on pre booking accomodation

Any advice at all - this is our first trip on the camino

We plan to fill in the gaps by train

Thanks

Ciaran

My wife and I walked the route from Lisbon to Santiago and specially the narrow road from Santarèm to Golegâ is busy with fast driving traffic while you will cycle on the hardshoulder.
Further on in Spain you will face very steep hills downwards .

I would advice not to do this with young children.

But this is my opinion. Las spring I drove with my car from Santiago to Portugal and there visited except for the southern part almost the entire country and now and then this was quite a challenge. !