El Camino with my children, ages 9 and 14

[Jonathan Blum]

We are planning to walk El Camino Frances June - July 2017.
Any suggestions from anyone who has done this with their children?
Can't wait!

 

[domigee]

We walked the CF in Jul/Aug 2013 with my friend's nephew, who celebrated his 12th birthday in Ponferrada
It went very well! He loved collecting as many sellos as possible and frankly was such a joy to be with, I remember that Camino very fondly
You're very lucky and so are your children!
As for suggestions, his uncle was very strict and insisted on a siesta after walking and also drinking lots of water ... I remember because he used to invariably complain to me

 

[Kiwi-family]

Yep! Just do it!!
And you've got plenty of time up your sleeve to search this forum for posts on walking with children. There are lots (I know, I've written on lots of them!)
The 14 year old won't really seem like a child - it's the younger one everyone will think is the star;-)

 

[bunnymac]

We are planning to walk El Camino Frances June - July 2017.
Any suggestions from anyone who has done this with their children?
Can't wait!

I walked this year with my two daughters (12 & 14 see photo). I would suggest giving yourselves one 'rest day' per week. Also I would recommend alternating long and short days walking. Something I completely overlooked was that one of my daughters only weighs a little over 40kgs the other a little over 50kgs. This meant that a pack of 10% of their body weight did not amount to a great deal. The result was that I ended up carrying a pack of 9kgs, I weigh 65kgs so it was pretty heavy. In order to combat this, from Villafranca de Bierzo we bought a cheap holdall and sent on our sleeping bags, towels and toiletries to our next stop. This way we only paid for one bag transport as opposed to transport for three bags. The disadvantage of this is that we were committed to a destination each day. As we were a month into the walk by the time we did this, we had a pretty good idea of how far we felt we could walk on a given day and planned accordingly.
All that said, it was an incredible experience. Some people walk their way along the camino - we laughed our way along (with a few tears).
If you have any other specific questions, please feel free to PM me.

 

[Pingüigrino]

Please read this blog. I meet them years ago, that was a lovely family.

http://www.girlsontheway.com/

 

[Jonathan Blum]

We are planning to walk El Camino Frances June - July 2017.
Any suggestions from anyone who has done this with their children?
Can't wait!

Thanks so far for all the good advice! What was your pace with the kids??

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

One French family I ran into a couple of times purposely booked private rooms in albergues or a room in a pension because they liked knowing where the family was stopping, and felt it let the children be children as much as they wanted once the day's journey was over...but I think other forum members stayed in albergues (general group rooms)...might depend on how the children feel about sharing a room with strangers (some young teens are really shy).

 

[MTtoCamino]

Yes I also never saw families stay at alburgues, I think it is a good idea they don't, as most of us have had experienced the occasional angry or a few with addiction self recovery. I know this will stir the pot a bit. I will just clarify to say that 99% are the kindest people. Yet I did encounter 2 in my journey I would never want children to have to witness. I am a very protective grandfather.
Keith

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

I think if you want to stay in general (group) albergue rooms, try to use smaller private or parochial albergues that have on-site hospitaleros. The most times I saw something that I wouldn't want children to see involved really drunk pilgrims acting out in municipal albergues without an in-house host. Less strangers in the room, and someone there to enforce good behavior if necessary, helps decrease the odds that someone scares the little ones. But again, I am almost positive there have been posts from families that took children into general (group) albergue rooms with no problem. Just another thing to consider, not saying it can't be done.

edit: also, once you are paying for three beds, you will be about at the price (or over) for a private room in an albergue, or a room in a pension...perhaps another reason the French family made their choice but they didn't mention cost.

 

[bunnymac]

Thanks so far for all the good advice! What was your pace with the kids??

We covered between 3 and 4 kms/hour. This included all rest & meal stops. We generally began walking at around 8am and finished anytime between 2pm and 4pm. If you're travelling in June/July, you'll be able to leave earlier as it will be bright. We only walked on one day before daybreak and really didn't enjoy our first hour of walking in the dark at all. Others prefer to leave by 6am and cover some ground before daybreak
Also, in respect of the albergues, we stayed mainly in albergues but had a couple of hotel breaks. With one exception we had no unpleasant experiences with our accommodation. I can let you know the name of the town and albergue by PM if you wish.

 

[Kanga]

@Kiwi-family (Rachael), with her husband and eight (yes!) children have walked the Camino, going back to when the youngest child was six (I think) - and last year walked over 1000 km with the four youngest children. They stayed in albergues. Rachael - correct any mistakes here, please, and we need a book from you!

You can search Rachael's posts, or go to her blog .

 

[Angel-hart]

My girlfriend and I have had an idea to take one grandchild at a time on the Camino. Our experiences and talking with people who had done similar is: 12 year olds yes they can process the ups and downs of hiking(weather, boredom, etc,). The 9 year old is still a child. When kids go into shutdown for whatever reasons they just want to stop, and change things? Being with a parent is probably different. We met a grandparent from Ireland who had to stop the walk get the one younger grandchild back to the parents and then come back with the older one and continue.

We saw a couple of 7-10 year olds walking with a parent or parents and were doing fine. I don't know if they met there goals or not. The idea one person has of walking longer and shorter days is good, not being bound to a finite destination, and taking breaks is very sound advice.

Rob

 

[Mark Lee]

Yes I also never saw families stay at alburgues, I think it is a good idea they don't, as most of us have had experienced the occasional angry or a few with addiction self recovery. I know this will stir the pot a bit. I will just clarify to say that 99% are the kindest people. Yet I did encounter 2 in my journey I would never want children to have to witness. I am a very protective grandfather.
Keith

Yeah, a few times I saw pilgrims behaving badly in albergues, doing things I wouldn't want a young child to see.
I would say if possible if one were to walk the Camino with younger children, try to stay in the albergues where you can secure a separate room of beds for your crew.

 

[Melensdad]

We are planning to walk El Camino Frances June - July 2017.
Any suggestions from anyone who has done this with their children?
Can't wait!

My wife an I took our 15 year old God daughter for part of the Camino. Wife & I walked from SJPP but our 21 year old daughter and 15yo God daughter met up with us in Barbarelo, a few miles west of Sarria. They met up with us in Mid-July of this year.

Your kids need to understand what is expected of them.

1- we tried to prepare her in advance for the amount of walking per day
2- her parents walked with her for a few weeks, building up from 2 miles to 7 miles. She basically stopped walking at the end of May when school finals started
3- she essentially refused to continue walking after school ended, so she didn't do any practice walking for the month of June or the first half of July
4- she never understood/realized/comprehended that she would be walking 6 to 8 hours (including lunch breaks, rest stops) every day, day after day after day
5- she didn't understand/realize/comprehend that walking at home on flat Indiana sidewalks is very different than walking on uneven rock paths
6- my family (wife, daughter & myself) has previously done cross country hikes and US national trail hikes and we tried to convey to our God daughter & her family what was to be expected of her. Up at 5:30-6am, starting 30 to 60 minutes after wake up (depending upon if we ate breakfast on the trail or before starting for the day)
7- we found out that she is an over-self-confident child, she is an entitled child

So I would suggest that you get your kids to understand the daily rigors of this walk. Its not a hard hike, but it does wear on you with the repetitive daily grind. There are hills everywhere, virtually every day.

As my wife and I were already in Europe we had no idea that our God daughter stopped her practice walks.

The first day we met up with them we planned a "jet lag" day and didn't walk. The 2nd day we got her up at 6am, walked from our hotel (Casa Barbarelo) backwards on the trail into Sarria to get her used to walking. Had breakfast, took her to a hiking store for some hiking poles, then back to Barbadelo ... she was worn out. We chalked that up to jet lag. We were wrong. It got worse. She thought that walking 5 to 7 miles on flat Indiana sidewalks was all she needed to do to prepare for this journey. She was sadly mistaken.

So my advice to you is make sure your children understand fully what is expected of them.


IN ADDITION TO UNDERSTANDING THE RIGORS OF WALKING ... make sure your children are not picky eaters. In some of the smaller villages they will need to eat what they are served. They will not see a McDonalds. They will not find fast food anywhere. Some of the food is really good, some fairly bad or just bland.

This can be an amazing experience for them or an awful one.


ALL THAT SAID we walked almost daily with 2 grandfathers (in their early 70's) and their 2 grandsons (one was 13 the other was 15) and those kids were enjoying the experience. They were a pleasure to walk with and each carried 45 liter packs that weighed about 20# (9kg). Both were cub/boy scouts, both had hiked before. Both were going home to hike at the Filament Boy Scout Camp with 45# (20kg)/60+ liter packs containing food/tents/sleeping bags, etc so the Camino was essentially a long, but easy practice hike for them.

 

[domigee]

What was your pace with the kids??

It took 32 days from StJpdeP to SdC but he was a fairly athletic 11 year-old (I thought). You'll have to go at the younger one's pace...

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

2 grandsons (one was 13 the other was 15) and those kids were enjoying the experience. They were a pleasure to walk with

The two little French children I mentioned were tiny balls of blonde energy, especially the little girl, and could literally run circles around their parents. While they were the only ones I saw in albergues I saw many (usually teenagers) on the road and everyone seemed to be having a good time. There is no energy-builder like the laughter of children (unless they are running you over on their bike while laughing...but that earned a swift reprimand from their chaperone).

 

[Kiwi-family]

Maybe we were lucky, maybe I have a high tolerance for (others' - not my kids') bad behaviour. It's true we were couch surfing somewhere when our kids were 3-14 years and a guy came in drunk and threw up all over one of our sleeping bags. At the same place we had to clear the kitchen every time we wanted to cook and then once we'd made food half a dozen people would materialize!
As a family we still talk about this place. It's been a valuable learning opportunity.
On our Caminos we have stayed almost exclusively in albergues. There were some annoying people. There was the 30-something lass who couldn't cook and asked our 84-year-old Grandpa to put the sheet on her bed (yes, really). There was only one concerning incident - a guy managed to bash into the ladies' shower (despite a locked door) while I was in there. Once is a mistake, when he appeared again two minutes later I was suspicious. I informed the two other girls who were walking alone and had a chat with my kids about what to do in that situation or if someone "got disoriented and accidentally got into the wrong bunk" - and then we all put in an extra long day to drop the creep.
Mostly, though, people were great. And my kids are used to sharing a room (we have four in each room at home!!) so they did better than some adults!

As for pace, our comfortable average these days (youngest is 10) is about 5km/hr including photo stops and rest breaks. Faster on the flat. When Grandpa was with us for two weeks on the via de la Plata we had to drop to under 4km/hr and we had our first grizzled about boredom - it took so long to arrive! We explained to the kids what was happening and they were gracious (mostly).
Daily distance: anything from 5km to 42. Know YOUR limits.
Walk at home beforehand!

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

There was only one concerning incident - a guy managed to bash into the ladies' shower (despite a locked door)

two episodes like that, and one where a drunk tried twice to climb into my (top) bunk were the things I'd seen and worried about...it sounds like you handled them all well, and then some.
your children are extremely lucky.

 

[gollygolly]

Have not walked the CF with my daughter, but walked with her on the Camino Ingles when she was 8 and a couple of months, the Camino Primitivo when she was 9 and a few months, the Camino Sanabres from Zamora when she was 10 and a few months, the Camino San Salvador when she was approaching 11 years of age and the Camino de Invierno when she was 11 and a couple of months. We nearly always stayed in albergues where they exist (Camino de Invierno presents few opportunities to stay in albergues), and the albergue experience is for us part of the overall Camino experience. She has, IMHO, matured tremendously from the experiences that she has had in each of these Caminos, and I can assert confidently that she has loved each of them, even if the going was on occasions very tough - be it the heat and distances on the Camino Sanabres or the deep snow we waded through on the Camino San Salvador. We have met tremendous people, locals as well as other peregrinos, and would not hesitate to suggest that there is a rich and uplifting experience for both you as well as the children.

I write this as a preamble to suggesting that perhaps you look at alternative routes to the Camino Francais, which is not the only Camino, and to even consider the Camino San Salvador, which is as beautiful and uplifting an experience as can be found, with the tremendous Cathedral at Leon at the beginning and the stunning Cathedral at Oviedo to complete.

Bon Camino

 

[REV]

My wife (age 70), our two adult children, and our two grandchildren (then 9 yrs, 2 mos, and 8 yrs, 10 mos) walked 120 miles on the Camino Frances (from Ponferrada) while I was walking alone from Roncesvalles. They stayed in the allergies. The grandchildren loved the Camino, and they have been talking about wanting to do the Camino again. (I have enclosed a pix of their arrival.)

On the Camino Ingles, I met a nurse walking with 5 children, 3 of her own (one with Down's Syndrome) and two of their friends. They stayed in the albergues. (I have enclosed a pix of them upon arrival.)

Naturally, children, their physical condition and attitudes will vary. I believe that generating the pre-trip excitement and mental "buy in" are important. Allowing sufficient time for an easy pace should be also considered.

 

[REV]

Albergues ... not allergies. Sometimes I hate auto-correction.

 

[Melensdad]

Albergues ... not allergies. Sometimes I hate auto-correction.

That's OK, I am pretty sure the auto-correct hates everyone equally

 

[SYates]

To turn off auto-correct:

Right click in any text field (like the reply field here on the forum) and look for "Spelling and Grammar" and un-hook "correct spelling automatically".

The labels might be different in different browsers btw.

Buen Camino, SY

 

[Martin.P]

Photo from July this year after completing Camino Finisterre with 12 & 9 year olds - an unforgettable experience I would recommend to any family.

 

[rebeccaryall]

We are planning to walk El Camino Frances June - July 2017.
Any suggestions from anyone who has done this with their children?
Can't wait!

hi jonathon

• i walked the frances last year (april/may) with my two daughters aged 9 and 13 (this one turned 14 on the way). we walked all the way to fisterra with 5 rest days (including 2 in santiago) and 2 taxis (illness). we averaged about 20km per day. we never had any trouble staying in albergues, and generally only ordered 2 meals between the three of us. we cooked for ourselves wherever possible, and always carried a packed lunch - eggs, bread, nuts, oranges and chocolate. we had a wonderful time. it was so great for us as a family. we had another 6 weeks in europe after we finished walking, and we all of us missed the routine and camaraderie of simply walking the way. i can highly recommend doing this with your kids and am really happy to have further contact with you - or my kids and your kids? - to answer any of your questions.

 

[Jonathan Blum]

To all: We are doing it! Been walking for 1 week...SJPP to Lorca. It's been hot. Two days of 98° f +. Took time in Zubiri to play in the river and two days in Pamplona.
The boys are doing well...getting into the routine...15k a day seems to work, but expect to do more when it's flat.
Staying in Orisson was great...good way to define their expectations.
Trail mix, fruit, snacks very important.
Have stayed at municipal hostels and private alburgues...no problems. Of course, the private are nicer and have learned the opportunity to meet people is easier in them. Quality over quantity.
Also, have been staying either 1 village before or after "the guide book." Its been very pleasant.
The kids appear to be maturing in front of my eyes.
Buen Camino