• Get your Camino Frances Guidebook here.
  • For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here.
    (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation)
  • ⚠️ Emergency contact in Spain - Dial 112 and AlertCops app. More on this here.

Search 69,459 Camino Questions

Different data, how long is the CF?

Botaivica

Active Member
Time of past OR future Camino
May - July 2016
SJPP - Santiago - Finisterra
May 2017
Caminho do Tejo
June 2017
Fatima - Santiago
Hi All.

looking for information about CF I encountered on two different dates.
Length of CF, length between Albergues, length between town a different.

I used:

http://caminoteca.com/attachments/article/123/Albergues_Camino_Francés_2015.pdf

and

http://www.urcamino.com/camino-frances/route

For example, the first city after SJPP, Honto, on first link is 5,6 km and in second 4,9 km.

Caminoteca say it is approximately 790km, and Urcamino giving precisely 818.2 km. It is almost 30km differences, day or two more on the Camino, more money, more time ...........

Which information is correct?
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
Hi All.

looking for information about CF I encountered on two different dates.
Length of CF, length between Albergues, length between town a different.

I used:

http://caminoteca.com/attachments/article/123/Albergues_Camino_Francés_2015.pdf

and

http://www.urcamino.com/camino-frances/route

For example, the first city after SJPP, Honto, on first link is 5,6 km and in second 4,9 km.

Caminoteca say it is approximately 790km, and Urcamino giving precisely 818.2 km. It is almost 30km differences, day or two more on the Camino, more money, more time ...........

Which information is correct?

I am positive that the new detour through Villalbilla (after Burgos) adds at least one extra kilometre to the day. There are many alternative routes along the camino, so it depends which one you take, for example, will you walk via Villadangos, or will you walk via Villar de Mazarife? Do you include the fabulous path through the forests to Samos, or take the shorter route via San Xil? Jill
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Which information is correct?

Probably both of them. As jsalt said, it depends on the variants you take and the variants considered on whatever webs you read. For example, the variant through Samos is taking into account on the Caminoteca web to get the total of kms while on the urcamino web is just quoted but not taked into account (i.e.: they quote the kms of the shorter route through San Xil and just quote the route through Samos without giving indication of the kms it means).
 
Hi All.

looking for information about CF I encountered on two different dates.
Length of CF, length between Albergues, length between town a different.

I used:

http://caminoteca.com/attachments/article/123/Albergues_Camino_Francés_2015.pdf

and

http://www.urcamino.com/camino-frances/route

For example, the first city after SJPP, Honto, on first link is 5,6 km and in second 4,9 km.

Caminoteca say it is approximately 790km, and Urcamino giving precisely 818.2 km. It is almost 30km differences, day or two more on the Camino, more money, more time ...........

Which information is correct?
Hi, according to the pilgrims office in Santiago the distance from SJPdP to Santiago is 775 km. Take your pick.
Wish you well and a Buen Camino, Peter.
 
I am positive that the new detour through Villalbilla (after Burgos) adds at least one extra kilometre to the day. There are many alternative routes along the camino, so it depends which one you take, for example, will you walk via Villadangos, or will you walk via Villar de Mazarife? Do you include the fabulous path through the forests to Samos, or take the shorter route via San Xil? Jill
Hi jsalt,
I know that. For that reason I do not understand Urcamino precisely 818.2 km. If I saw good, there are six alternative routes with varying longways.
But as I stated for Honto, varying lengths is between neighboring towns, regardless of the alternatives.

This can result with that: I have plan for today walk on 25km but I must walk 30km. Perhaps late in Albergues, where I will sleep that night, where to eat ...............
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
The best way I have of giving a visual is look in the bierly book & you will see the various options of different legs
 
Hi, according to the pilgrims office in Santiago the distance from SJPdP to Santiago is 775 km. Take your pick.
Wish you well and a Buen Camino, Peter.

Hi Peter,
well, we have 818,2, then approximately 790km, and now 775km. More less and less;)
 
Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-
I'd go with 800 km ... a nice round number.

I get 596.39 using straight line on google earth. So thats the minimum distance; you can't get shorter than a straight line. (I'm not sure if Google earth gives great circle distance or if its based on flat earth assumptions)

There is no way to figure it out exactly. If you use map coordinates you fail to account for slope. Some measures may account for slope according to point to point elevation difference and disregarding the effect of up and down in between. etc.

Add to that the effect of continents shifting and grass growing ... so its not possible to replicate one measurement even using the same standard assumptions.
 
Join our full-service guided tour and let us convert you into a Pampered Pilgrim!
I'd go with 800 km ... a nice round number.

I get 596.39 using straight line on google earth. So thats the minimum distance; you can't get shorter than a straight line. (I'm not sure if Google earth gives great circle distance or if its based on flat earth assumptions)

There is no way to figure it out exactly. If you use map coordinates you fail to account for slope. Some measures may account for slope according to point to point elevation difference and disregarding the effect of up and down in between. etc.

Add to that the effect of continents shifting and grass growing ... so its not possible to replicate one measurement even using the same standard assumptions.
I think there are some folks walking that have an app that tracks the distance they walk using either a GPs or there phone can't remember which, another good example how distances would be different for each person. I may walk to more beer dispensing establishments than say mountaingoat1999 who simply drinks tea, but you get the idea. But your strait line theory is worth a discussion over a pint. :)
 
Regardless of actual distance - last 3k of each day takes 5times longer than first 3k of the day. As a result Brierly ALWAYS seems wrong . Just one more thing we can sit around and complain about - bonding time to be sure!
 
Hi All.

looking for information about CF I encountered on two different dates.
Length of CF, length between Albergues, length between town a different.

I used:

http://caminoteca.com/attachments/article/123/Albergues_Camino_Francés_2015.pdf

and

http://www.urcamino.com/camino-frances/route

For example, the first city after SJPP, Honto, on first link is 5,6 km and in second 4,9 km.

Caminoteca say it is approximately 790km, and Urcamino giving precisely 818.2 km. It is almost 30km differences, day or two more on the Camino, more money, more time ...........

Which information is correct?

'How long is a piece of string?' comes to mind.

Seriously though, the only way to know the distance which you walked is to have used some type of GPS tracking for the entire route. Understand your frustration but the Camino is an inexact science in many ways so would recommend that you allow +/- an extra few days costings. Always pays to allow for unforeseen events or detours.

Work out your costings on the greater distance i.e. ~800kms to Santiago just to be sure.

Good luck with your planning and Buen Camino!
 
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
I use a simple 800 km as the distance. There is not a number that is exact and it is a mystery why the various sources continue to publish what appear to be exact numbers. The confusion is caused by the conflicts. Where did the Pilgrim Office (as an example) get the numbers they use? Always much lower than other sources.

On the other hand...you will run into distance signs along the way that conflict with each other. Many times I have seen a sign with a number and then walk several kms and see another with a higher number. Very discouraging when you are tired.:(
 
when someone have 65+ he looks a little different ;)
If 500 meters a day, here and there, is going to make a difference I would think about the Camino twice I'm afraid.

On the CF you have some 410 albergues to pick from according to Eroski, and 775km, so the total distance being plus or minus 0.5% really won't make a difference. And there are so many other factors that will affect the distance you are able to walk in a day: how agile you are on slippery rock, rain, cold, heat exhaustion, tendinitis, a cold you may catch, people you walk with, the number of coffees you will want to drink on this particular morning.

I'm afraid you will be disapointed if you expect to fit the Camino is precise little boxes.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
…it's not too short and it's not too long in fact (whatever it is and however many detours you take or not) generally it's just right……..
 
As others have said, there are so many variants involved that it's impossible to pin it down to an exact number, especially since the different guidebooks often use different start and end points for each stage. Theoretically, assuming starting at St Jean and ending at Santiago, the total distance is all that matters. But even that can vary due to the alternate routes within stages, etc. I usually just round it off to 800km when I talk about it, but perhaps a more precise -- but still not exact -- way would be to simply add the distances stated in the major guidebooks and take the average. In actuality, a difference of 10 or 15 km is really not noticeable when you're walking +/- 800 km, although as stated, that can mean an extra (or lesser) day to the overall journey. However, I would suggest that if you are cutting your schedule that close, you'll be thinking about the schedule as you walk when you should be walking with an open mind to the world around you. Give yourself an extra few days, and take whatever comes your way as your Camino gift.
 
'How long is a piece of string?' comes to mind.

Seriously though, the only way to know the distance which you walked is to have used some type of GPS tracking for the entire route. Understand your frustration but the Camino is an inexact science in many ways so would recommend that you allow +/- an extra few days costings. Always pays to allow for unforeseen events or detours.

Work out your costings on the greater distance i.e. ~800kms to Santiago just to be sure.

Good luck with your planning and Buen Camino!
Wokabaut_Meri, thank you for your good wishes :)
If 500 meters a day, here and there, is going to make a difference I would think about the Camino twice I'm afraid.

On the CF you have some 410 albergues to pick from according to Eroski, and 775km, so the total distance being plus or minus 0.5% really won't make a difference. And there are so many other factors that will affect the distance you are able to walk in a day: how agile you are on slippery rock, rain, cold, heat exhaustion, tendinitis, a cold you may catch, people you walk with, the number of coffees you will want to drink on this particular morning.

I'm afraid you will be disapointed if you expect to fit the Camino is precise little boxes.
Do not be afraid Anemone del Camino,
nothing make me disappointed, I am happy, I dance, I singing :cool:
But everything around Camino is now for me. And if I ask something unusual please do not be surprised. :)
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
If it worries you so much, you should treat yourself to a copy of the John Brierley guide or maps - he gives a true distance of 798km from SJPP to SdC and each of the suggested daily segments is then broken down into typically six or eight smaller distances - and from my experience of walking the Camino Frances Ieven these smaller distances correlated well with the time it took me to walker tgere intermediates distances

He also adjusts the daily distances to allow for any climbing involved as well as splitting the distances into paths, quiet roads and main roads - anyone who has gone to this much trouble deserves to be trusted in my opinion
 
Hi All.

looking for information about CF I encountered on two different dates.
Length of CF, length between Albergues, length between town a different.

I used:

http://caminoteca.com/attachments/article/123/Albergues_Camino_Francés_2015.pdf

and

http://www.urcamino.com/camino-frances/route

For example, the first city after SJPP, Honto, on first link is 5,6 km and in second 4,9 km.

Caminoteca say it is approximately 790km, and Urcamino giving precisely 818.2 km. It is almost 30km differences, day or two more on the Camino, more money, more time ...........

Which information is correct?
We started to walk September 20 in SJPP and keep looking different signs about the distances to Santiago. After a while, we learned not to care about them and just keep walking and enjoying what the Camino brings. Everyday we are getting close to Santiago and that is very excited!
Buen Camino!
 
If it worries you so much, you should treat yourself to a copy of the John Brierley guide or maps - he gives a true distance of 798km from SJPP to SdC and each of the suggested daily segments is then broken down into typically six or eight smaller distances - and from my experience of walking the Camino Frances Ieven these smaller distances correlated well with the time it took me to walker tgere intermediates distances

He also adjusts the daily distances to allow for any climbing involved as well as splitting the distances into paths, quiet roads and main roads - anyone who has gone to this much trouble deseordingsrves to be trusted in my opinion
I agree that Brierley has most "correct" distances compared to my Endomondo GPS track recordings. I'm sure that's because his distances are measured from "Albergue" to "Iglesia" etc. and not from Burgos to Hontanas. On some Caminos I got even 25% longer mileage than those in sources and I wondered why a lot. Then I tried to remember distances from end-of-the-village sign to the entrance into next village and there you go... exactly the discrepancy between my GPS track and stated mileage. Some villages (not to mention bigger towns) can be up to 3kms long but we're not Supermen to fly those 3kms, we walk them :) And on a Camino which is 800kms or more in lenght there you can have A LOT of those villages and towns.
Nevertheless, I don't care very much about that it's just that on some less walked, less populated and therefore quite solitary Caminos you could have problems with planning and especially with water shortage in higher temperatures... Because of this I found incorrect mileage very irresponsible to publish anywhere, either on the web or in published guidebook.
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
I agree that Brierley has most "correct" distances compared to my Endomondo GPS track recordings. I'm sure that's because his distances are measured from "Albergue" to "Iglesia" etc. and not from Burgos to Hontanas. On some Caminos I got even 25% longer mileage than those in sources and I wondered why a lot. Then I tried to remember distances from end-of-the-village sign to the entrance into next village and there you go... exactly the discrepancy between my GPS track and stated mileage. Some villages (not to mention bigger towns) can be up to 3kms long but we're not Supermen to fly those 3kms, we walk them :) And on a Camino which is 800kms or more in lenght there you can have A LOT of those villages and towns.
Nevertheless, I don't care very much about that it's just that on some less walked, less populated and therefore quite solitary Caminos you could have problems with planning and especially with water shortage in higher temperatures... Because of this I found incorrect mileage very irresponsible to publish anywhere, either on the web or in published guidebook.
I did the Camino in 2011 with my partner and we've just finished it again a few days ago, with a group. Some in the group used GPS / iPhones etc and commented that the daily measurements provided by guides were quite often less than the iPhone. And then sometimes accomodation is around the block from the Camino. I agree that if an extra 500 metres or 2 kms is going to influence your Camino, then you need to plan for that, but in our recent Camino, my partner did it as a charity fundraiser for Younger Onset Dementia as he was diagnosed with it in his 50's and in that case, some people donated money according to the kilometres that he walked. So we rounded it.
 
@Botaivica , then just keep dncing, not wondering about stats and distances. Just this weekend there was a discusion on the age of the oldes pilgrims, and 90+ was the range. You are super young, enjoy it! A step at a time.
 
All these different figures make me wonder about the correctness of the famous "Santiago de Compostela 790kms" sign as you leave Ronscevalles. All too complicated for me I'm afraid and I certainly don't understand why the Pilgrim's Office in SJPDP would be quoting 775kms to SDC if in fact the Ronscevalles sign (790km) is correct. But does it really matter? I think I'll go along quite happily with the "about 800km" calculation. Put simply it's a long way whichever calculation you use.
 
Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-
It doesn't matter how long it is,just do it.
 
All these different figures make me wonder about the correctness of the famous "Santiago de Compostela 790kms" sign as you leave Ronscevalles. All too complicated for me I'm afraid and I certainly don't understand why the Pilgrim's Office in SJPDP would be quoting 775kms to SDC if in fact the Ronscevalles sign (790km) is correct. But does it really matter? I think I'll go along quite happily with the "about 800km" calculation. Put simply it's a long way whichever calculation you use.

Believe that this is the driving distance by road. On the way to Roncesvalles from Orisson is the stone marker showing 765 kms to Santiago near the Fountain de Roland.
 
Does it really matter? SJPP is where it is. SdC is where it is. Don't think of it as walking 800km or whatever just think of that day's walk and enjoy it the uttermost
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
Does it really matter? SJPP is where it is. SdC is where it is. Don't think of it as walking 800km or whatever just think of that day's walk and enjoy it the uttermost
That's not what is concernant the OP, it's the daily planning to make it to Santiago in perfect timing.
 
"Caminoteca say it is approximately 790km, and Urcamino giving precisely 818.2 km. It is almost 30km differences, day or two more on the Camino, more money, more time ...........

Which information is correct?"


Just saying . . .
 
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.
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
"Caminoteca say it is approximately 790km, and Urcamino giving precisely 818.2 km. It is almost 30km differences, day or two more on the Camino, more money, more time ...........

Which information is correct?"


Just saying . . .

Well then that could be part of the problem. 30km is not a day or two for some people it is just over half a day.
 
I don't know but it's like daylight savings fading the furniture; the track is definitely longer after a vino with lunch.

...or shorter with good company...
 

Most read last week in this forum

My name is Henrik and I will be coming down to SJPdP from Sweden on March 26 and start walking on March 27. I don't really have any experience and I'm not the best at planning and I'm a little...
When I hiked the Frances Route this happened. I was hiking in the afternoon just east of Arzua. I was reserved a bed at an albergue in Arzua, so I had already hiked all the way from San Xulien...
I am finalizing my packing list for Frances, and do not want to over pack. (I am 71) I will be starting at SJPdP on April 25th to Roncesvalles and forward. I was hoping on some advise as to...
First marker starting from Albergue Monasterio de la Magdalena in Sarria (113.460 km) Start: 2023.9.29 07:22 Arrival: 2023.9.30 13:18 walking time : 26 hours 47 minutes rest time : 3 hours 8...
A local Navarra website has posted a set of photos showing today's snowfall in the area around Roncesvalles. About 15cm of snow fell this morning surprising pilgrims on the way...
Hi! I’m a first time pilgrim. Is it possible to take a taxi from Astorga to Foncebadon? Thanks, Felicia

❓How to ask a question

How to post a new question on the Camino Forum.

Forum Rules

Forum Rules

Camino Updates on YouTube

Camino Conversations

Most downloaded Resources

This site is run by Ivar at

in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon
Official Camino Passport (Credential) | 2024 Camino Guides
Back
Top