Don't want to be so schedule confined but...

[Margaret of Jordan]

Hello from Jordan! Planning to walk 7 days worth of French Camino June 9 - 16 with my sister and niece. We'd love to wander and stay wherever/whenever the spirit moves us. But, I'd also like to know there will be a decent bed allowing for a good night's sleep, and we don't want to rush to get it. We tend to lallygag. Will there be enough accommodations along the way which do not require reservations in advance? Should I book one level just above the hostels or the typical ones to guarantee a good night's rest? Lastly, are there stops within the "estpas" that we may spontaneously stay at, or are these the only villages we will pass?

 

[Margaret of Jordan]

Hello from Jordan! Planning to walk 7 days worth of French Camino June 9 - 16 with my sister and niece. We'd love to wander and stay wherever/whenever the spirit moves us. But, I'd also like to know there will be a decent bed allowing for a good night's sleep, and we don't want to rush to get it. We tend to lallygag. Will there be enough accommodations along the way which do not require reservations in advance? Should I book one level just above the hostels or the typical ones to guarantee a good night's rest? Lastly, are there stops within the "estpas" that we may spontaneously stay at, or are these the only villages we will pass?

Forgot to mention, or ask: we're thinking the last 7 days ending in Santiago would be the most fun, but open to suggestions. Which now brings about more questions: flying into Madrid. Where should we start and how best to get there? I assume you cannot plan to start walking until the next morning.

 

[Ungawawa]

I can tell you now the last seven days *wont* be the most fun! They'll be overcrowded, booked-out hell. A satellite view of that section in June will look like an unbroken procession of ants, no joke.

Why don't you do Leon to Sarria instead? Or Pamplona to Burgos? Or Burgos to Sahagun? It would help to pick a starting point that's easily reached from Madrid (train/bus), if you've got such a short time.

 

[Margaret of Jordan]

Oh My Heavens! This is exactly the kind of guidance I'm looking for! I really don't care we start or where we end. All we are bound to is our flight into Madrid and our 7 days. At the conclusion we need to get down to Nerja (Malaga region). I had heard the end is the best. Certainly don't want to do it with these kinds of crowds. Go on...

 

[Ungawawa]

The earlier in the Camino you are the lighter the crowds. Why don't you take the train direct to Pamplona - 3 hrs - and start there instead? Book a hotel there for the evening and play it by ear for the rest of the time. Walk as far as you can towards Burgos. You likely won't make it all the way, but on your last day you can get a taxi/bus the last few miles to Burgos and then travel using fast train due south to Nerja.

You'll have much lighter crowds, the scenery between Pamplona and Burgos is very lovely. You'll get to see a couple of cities plus one Camino landmark - the Alto de Perdon, as well as the very pretty and interesting town of Estella, which has some great buildings and galleries.

 

[SYates]

If you don't need to finish in Santiago this year or if you are open to walk another Camino then the Frances, the world is your Oyster ;-) You could, for example:

Start in Saint Jean Pied de Port or Roncesvalles, walk until you run out of time and then take a bus/tren to Nerja. And come back another year to continue your pilgrimage.

You could walk some of the lesser frequented "last 100km" like on the Camino Ingles, Camino Portugues or Camino Sanabres. None of them will be quiet, but certainly quieter than Sarria > Santiago.

Buen Camino, SY

 

[trecile]

I can tell you now the last seven days *wont* be the most fun!

This is definitely a matter of opinion and attitude. I didn't find the last week better or worse - just different. I enjoyed the energy that the fresh faced pilgrims on the last 100 km brought. The school groups singing along the way brought a smile. And there were plenty of times that I was walking completely alone too. It may be necessary to book ahead more often during this stage of the Camino, but if you avoid the most popular stopping points you shouldn't have a problem.

 

[Margaret of Jordan]

The earlier in the Camino you are the lighter the crowds. Why don't you take the train direct to Pamplona - 3 hrs - and start there instead? Book a hotel there for the evening and play it by ear for the rest of the time. Walk as far as you can towards Burgos. You likely won't make it all the way, but on your last day you can get a taxi/bus the last few miles to Burgos and then travel using fast train due south to Nerja.

You'll have much lighter crowds, the scenery between Pamplona and Burgos is very lovely. You'll get to see a couple of cities plus one Camino landmark - the Alto de Perdon, as well as the very pretty and interesting town of Estella, which has some great buildings and galleries.

 

[Margaret of Jordan]

Both good advice. Things to note: we are all three VERY social. For us it's all about staying culturally enriched through the eyes of others and their stories. Sure we like to see stuff too. It will be about the food and the laughs for us. We range in age 26 to 56 and are all in moderate to decent shape.
Now what do you think?
Oh, we also like to keep it cheap. But a good nights sleep is a priority.

 

[Ungawawa]

Both good advice. Things to note: we are all three VERY social. For us it's all about staying culturally enriched through the eyes of others and their stories. Sure we like to see stuff too. It will be about the food and the laughs for us. We range in age 26 to 56 and are all in moderate to decent shape.
Now what do you think?

I still think what I said originally. More people on the trail doesn't mean more social potential. In my experience it means less, as it erodes at the pilgrim community feeling. On that last stretch you won't be greeting all pilgrims you meet with "Buen Camino" because you'd be saying it non-stop.

Add into the mix the fact that you're only around for a week and that getting to and back from Galicia will take the best part of a day, I don't see the point in spending that time on a bus when you could be hiking the earlier parts of the trail.

 

[Ungawawa]

...Though if you want a big party atmosphere and don't mind crowds perhaps the final 100k would be for you

 

[Anniesantiago]

If you are flying into Madrid, why not do the first week of the Madrid route?
You can walk directly from Madrid or take a train up to the 2nd or 3d stage.
It's a wonderful route.

 

[Margaret of Jordan]

I thought for the first walk, (and perhaps the only for some time), the French way would be the best way. We would like a portion that includes quaint villages. Unfortunately, planning this route with a future one in our thoughts is not possible.

I still think what I said originally. More people on the trail doesn't mean more social potential. In my experience it means less, as it erodes at the pilgrim community feeling. On that last stretch you won't be greeting all pilgrims you meet with "Buen Camino" because you'd be saying it non-stop.

Add into the mix the fact that you're only around for a week and that getting to and back from Galicia will take the best part of a day, I don't see the point in spending that time on a bus when you could be hiking the earlier parts of the trail.

Confused about this: "getting to and back from Galicia"

 

[Mournes]

Hi Margaret,you can walk the last 100 kms from Sarria to Santiago and you will be eligible for the compostela.It will be busy as OPs have said.It would be advisable to book ahead .Search Camino Frances on the Gronze web site .It lists all the stages from Sarria and accommodation.You cannot reserve ahead for municipale albergues .Gronze lists private albergues,hostals and hotels .
For your journey to Nerja,Vueling have inexpensive flights to Málaga from Santiago
or you can take a train.Rome2rio lists these options with links to airlines,trains and buses.

 

[Margaret of Jordan]

Do I need a Camino passport? And do I need to complete the compostella for any reason?

 

[trecile]

Do I need a Camino passport? And do I need to complete the compostella for any reason?

If you want to stay in albergues you will need a pilgrim passport (credencial). There's no requirement that you get a Compostela.

 

[Margaret of Jordan]

If you want to stay in albergues you will need a pilgrim passport (credencial). There's no requirement that you get a Compostela.

Ohhh ok good. And I can get one at only certain starting points? Or I need to get ahead of time?

 

[Mournes]

Ohhh ok good. And I can get one at only certain starting points? Or I need to get ahead of time?

Margaret,I am sure that you can buy a pilgrim passport in Sarria .Just ask in the albergue or hostal you choose to stay in.If you want a compostela ,you must have 2 stamps per day on your pilgrim passport.You can get these stamps almost anywhere along the camino.There are lots of albergues bars and cafes..

 

[JulieandPeter]

I have to agree with H Richards that post Sarria walk is very different from the rest of the walk. However, the time of year plays a big part in how crowded that portion is. We loved it in mid-May, but in late June, it felt a bit like a circus and very hurried. IMHO Pamplona would be a great starting point with only seven days.

 

[JohnMcM]

Hello from Jordan! Planning to walk 7 days worth of French Camino June 9 - 16 with my sister and niece. We'd love to wander and stay wherever/whenever the spirit moves us. But, I'd also like to know there will be a decent bed allowing for a good night's sleep, and we don't want to rush to get it. We tend to lallygag. Will there be enough accommodations along the way which do not require reservations in advance? Should I book one level just above the hostels or the typical ones to guarantee a good night's rest? Lastly, are there stops within the "estpas" that we may spontaneously stay at, or are these the only villages we will pass?

Wow! Margaret there is so much to offer in answer to your question(s).

If I may, I'll offer these options,,,,,, assuming you are talking about the Camno Frances.

1. Dependent upon your flexibility (all 3 of you), you may want to consider walking the Burgos to Leon section (The Meseta), a beautiful walk.

2. The last 100km+ from Sarria to SDC is a party if that's what you need.

3. Not on the route you want to use,,,,,,,,,,, From Ferrol (up at the top of the map), you can walk the Camino Ingles. Not as busy as the other routes (normally), but with stunning scenery.

There are bucket loads of 7 day options all over all the Camino routes and specially the CaminoFrances. Maybe you and your two friends can tell each other what you want, search this forum, and with luck find the happy mix you will find on a Camino route.

Buen (finding what you need) Camino

 

[jadab]

hello everyone,
me and a friend both of us ladies are planning a 10 days walk with 2 days each to spend arriving in Porto and last 2 days in Santiago in next week mid May. I am wondering which costal lines that we should start walking and then perhaps taking a train at some parts so that we can reach Santiago, we are not planing to stay in hostels so not going to have pilgrims stamps and not sure if we should book some hotels before hand or go with the flow.....
any suggestions would be kindly appreciated.

 

[Margaret of Jordan]

Wow! Margaret there is so much to offer in answer to your question(s).

If I may, I'll offer these options,,,,,, assuming you are talking about the Camno Frances.

1. Dependent upon your flexibility (all 3 of you), you may want to consider walking the Burgos to Leon section (The Meseta), a beautiful walk.

2. The last 100km+ from Sarria to SDC is a party if that's what you need.

3. Not on the route you want to use,,,,,,,,,,, From Ferrol (up at the top of the map), you can walk the Camino Ingles. Not as busy as the other routes (normally), but with stunning scenery.

There are bucket loads of 7 day options all over all the Camino routes and specially the CaminoFrances. Maybe you and your two friends can tell each other what you want, search this forum, and with luck find the happy mix you will find on a Camino route.

Buen (finding what you need) Camino

Thanks so much, John. I seem to be doing all the planning, which is fine. My sister and her daughter will go along happily with anything. I think we'd like to skip the end party scene. We'd like cute but also meeting a lot of good folks, but also getting good sleep. We also need to consider time and money to get from Madrid to starting point, and from end point to Nerja. That was somewhat of an attractive factor about finishing in Santiago. Flights to Malaga are cheap.
Do I need to reserve accommodations in advance? I thought early June, like we are planning, will not be the busiest time yet.

 

[JulieandPeter]

I like this link for planning. https://godesalco.com/plan/frances You can select a start point and an end point based on how many kilometers per day you anticipate walking. Once you submit your start and stop points, you can choose where you think you might stop. The app shows you what accommodations are available. After that click submit again and it will output a profile map and an itinerary among other helpful tools. I attached an example using Pamplona as a start point and Longrono as an end point. We walked in June last year, we stayed mostly in private rooms, and we booked ahead, but it wasn't necessary until after Sarria. Our traveling companion did not book ahead at all and had no problems.

 

[Mournes]

Statistics,for April,from the Pilgrim's Office
in Santiago show that more than 22,000 pilgrims arrived in Santiago.It is for you to decide ,in previous posts ,OP's have advised you that the last 100 kms attracts a lot of pilgrims.You either book ahead or take your chances.

 

[Margaret of Jordan]

I like this link for planning. https://godesalco.com/plan/frances You can select a start point and an end point based on how many kilometers per day you anticipate walking. Once you submit your start and stop points, you can choose where you think you might stop. The app shows you what accommodations are available. After that click submit again and it will output a profile map and an itinerary among other helpful tools. I attached an example using Pamplona as a start point and Longrono as an end point. We walked in June last year, we stayed mostly in private rooms, and we booked ahead, but it wasn't necessary until after Sarria. Our traveling companion did not book ahead at all and had no problems. View attachment 42246View attachment 42247

Love it! Thanks so much! I'm on it.

 

[JulieandPeter]

hello everyone,
me and a friend both of us ladies are planning a 10 days walk with 2 days each to spend arriving in Porto and last 2 days in Santiago in next week mid May. I am wondering which costal lines that we should start walking and then perhaps taking a train at some parts so that we can reach Santiago, we are not planing to stay in hostels so not going to have pilgrims stamps and not sure if we should book some hotels before hand or go with the flow.....
any suggestions would be kindly appreciated.

Hi Jadab,
Maybe one of the threads in the Camino Portugues section of this forum would answer your questions:
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/forums/camino-portugues.13/

 

[JohnMcM]

Thanks so much, John. I seem to be doing all the planning, which is fine. My sister and her daughter will go along happily with anything. I think we'd like to skip the end party scene. We'd like cute but also meeting a lot of good folks, but also getting good sleep. We also need to consider time and money to get from Madrid to starting point, and from end point to Nerja. That was somewhat of an attractive factor about finishing in Santiago. Flights to Malaga are cheap.
Do I need to reserve accommodations in advance? I thought early June, like we are planning, will not be the busiest time yet.

Ok my dear planning person,

Think upon this, it is terribly difficult to try and second guess where will be busy when on the Camino routes.

Consider this Margaret, you sound fairly relaxed about the whole thing, so,,,,,,,,,,,,
perhaps you could have a chat with your sister and her daughter and agree that for just this week, you can all take a leap of faith in each other, pick a start point to suit your needs, get there and take it from there.

For what it's worth, many would envy the flexibility you have,

Buen (go with you heart) Camino

 

[Margaret of Jordan]

Ok my dear planning person,

Think upon this, it is terribly difficult to try and second guess where will be busy when on the Camino routes.

Consider this Margaret, you sound fairly relaxed about the whole thing, so,,,,,,,,,,,,
perhaps you could have a chat with your sister and her daughter and agree that for just this week, you can all take a leap of faith in each other, pick a start point to suit your needs, get there and take it from there.

For what it's worth, many would envy the flexibility you have,

Buen (go with you heart) Camino

And it is our preference to do it this way. Goes without asking them. Just making sure IT IS possible.

 

[kelleymac]

I have to agree with H Richards that post Sarria walk is very different from the rest of the walk. However, the time of year plays a big part in how crowded that portion is. We loved it in mid-May, but in late June, it felt a bit like a circus and very hurried. IMHO Pamplona would be a great starting point with only seven days.
View attachment 42243

I agree. This is a beautiful part of the camino-- there are hills and towns-- There is good wine, and beautiful views. We especially loved Viana and Najera. -it won't be so crowded as Sarria-Santiago-- And there is more of a tourist feel to the walk after Sarria that I would avoid if you only have a week.

 

[Ungawawa]

And it is our preference to do it this way. Goes without asking them. Just making sure IT IS possible.

Yes, perfectly possible and you will have no troubles, if last year's June was anything to go by. If you're going to arrive late in Pamplona it might be preferable to have booked a room for that night instead of hunting around for albergues. Albergues will all close by 10pm, and stop taking in people an hour or two before that. Hotels will be open later.

Otherwise you will be fine playing it by ear. Just make sure you have the list of all albergues with you, which you can download from this forum.

 

[Ungawawa]

Confused about this: "getting to and back from Galicia"

The last 100k route is in Galicia. To reach there from Madrid will take the best part of a day.

 

[kdespot]

Margaret, with your easygoing approach you'll be just fine regardless of your choice of route. If you don't care about the Compostela, you're free of the need to do that overcrowded Sarria to Santiago leg. You'll have PLENTY of opportunities to socialize anywhere along the Camino in June. Lots of good ideas above. Starting in Pamplona is one. Be acquainted with how to reserve rooms in advance. You might like to make arrangements for the next night when you arrive at your destination each afternoon. ¡Buen Camino! It's a great experience.

 

[Margaret of Jordan]

Love it! All of it! Thank you, all of you. I want to just keep talking about it and dreaming. I love this part almost as much as the journey. Last questions will be --- thinking of just really nice running shoes/sneakers, no hiking shoes. I also want to get this bag:
TETON Sports Oasis 1200 3-Liter Hydration Backpack; Day Pack Perfect for Hiking, Cycling, Biking, Climbing, Hunting, Running, and Outdoor Activities; 3L...
Size:12 x 9.5-Inch
I know it's not big but I pack very light and really don't want to weigh myself down.

 

[Margaret of Jordan]

I can tell you now the last seven days *wont* be the most fun! They'll be overcrowded, booked-out hell. A satellite view of that section in June will look like an unbroken procession of ants, no joke.

Why don't you do Leon to Sarria instead? Or Pamplona to Burgos? Or Burgos to Sahagun? It would help to pick a starting point that's easily reached from Madrid (train/bus), if you've got such a short time.

Following up - what’s the weather like in these parts now?
And we have to get the passport at one of these starting places, right?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Following up - what’s the weather like in these parts now?
And we have to get the passport at one of these starting places, right?

The weather changes daily. It rained, then it stopped.

You can get a credencial at these starting places, and need it to stay in most albergues. You don't need it to stay in hoteles. You do need two sellos, stamps, per day in the last 100 km in order to qualify for a compostela.

 

[Margaret of Jordan]

The earlier in the Camino you are the lighter the crowds. Why don't you take the train direct to Pamplona - 3 hrs - and start there instead? Book a hotel there for the evening and play it by ear for the rest of the time. Walk as far as you can towards Burgos. You likely won't make it all the way, but on your last day you can get a taxi/bus the last few miles to Burgos and then travel using fast train due south to Nerja.

You'll have much lighter crowds, the scenery between Pamplona and Burgos is very lovely. You'll get to see a couple of cities plus one Camino landmark - the Alto de Perdon, as well as the very pretty and interesting town of Estella, which has some great buildings and galleries.

Hi H Richards. Me again. Starting Sunday and it would appear we're a bit too laid back. HA. Still deciding on starting point Pamplona or Burgos. Thinking Burgos b/c it's faster to reach from Madrid. With less than a week, which would you recommend for good villages since we won't get far - the first part of after Pamplona, or first part after Burgos? And how far will we really get in 6 days? I can't find the auberge list here to download. I saw the "favorite auberge" list here but it seems it was updated in 2011?

 

[Margaret of Jordan]

Starting Sunday and it would appear we're a bit too laid back. HA! Still deciding on starting point Pamplona or Burgos. Thinking Burgos b/c it's faster to reach from Madrid. With less than a week, which would you recommend for good villages since we won't get far - the first part of after Pamplona, or first part after Burgos? And how far will we really get in 6 days? I can't find the auberge list here to download. I saw the "favorite auberge" list here but it seems it was updated in 2011?

 

[C clearly]

Do you have a guide book? They have lots of helpful information and are organized for convenient reference. That might be better than random questions! Caminoteca in Pamplona would have them.

With 3 people and since you said a good night's sleep was important, you might be better to look for hostales (small hotels) rather than albergues.