England -> Santiago 2016

[Mr.Oizo]

Hello all,

Dead-set on walking to Santiago from my house in England this spring/summer.

Preliminary plan is to walk to Portsmouth (approx. 50 miles) cross to St. Malo and take the coastal route (GR-34) to pick up the 'way of the capitals' via Nantes which picks up on the Tours way -> SJPDP. Departing from some time between Easter and the beginning of May, weather dependant. I'm in the very, very early stages of planning at the moment. Currently lacking in GPS data for the Clisson - St Jean d'Angély stretch. If anybody has the data for that I would be much obliged. To add, picking up the Tours Way (GR-655?) data from Peter Robins site (which is no longer serviced) a lot appears to be on road. They look 'country' from satellite in fairness but just wondered if that data-dump is the true GR-655 or if there is a preferable alternative route...?

My general plan of attack over the next couple of weeks is to build the relevant GPS file to start off with and plan my 'Étapes' from there... Buy relevant guidebooks etc. French limited but can understand/make myself understood comme ci comme ça in person. (I have a few months to work on it thankfully!) Very grateful to hear from anybody who has done this route or has any advice. Also, big thanks to this forum and the various societies websites which have really helped with my initial planning.

 

[wayfarer]

Welcome Mr.Oizo.
Happy planning and Buen Camino.

 

[Mr.Oizo]

Welcome Mr.Oizo.
Happy planning and Buen Camino.

Gracias! Is there any way to keep the alert function but disable email notification via the Cpanel? Can't find it and see you're a Mod....

 

[SYates]

Gracias! Is there any way to keep the alert function but disable email notification via the Cpanel? Can't find it and see you're a Mod....

Not a mod, but this is in your forum settings, have a look here https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/account/alert-preferences and also make sure to un-hook receive email notifications when posting a new thread.

Regarding your pilgrimage, have you read Pilgrim Snail by Ben Nimmo, he walked from Canterbury to Santiago - with a trombone busking for charity. Seems to be out of print at the moment but second hand copies are still floating around. Buen Camino, SY

 

[Mr.Oizo]

Not a mod, but this is in your forum settings, have a look here https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/account/alert-preferences and also make sure to un-hook receive email notifications when posting a new thread.

Regarding your pilgrimage, have you read Pilgrim Snail by Ben Nimmo, he walked from Canterbury to Santiago - with a trombone busking for charity. Seems to be out of print at the moment but second hand copies are still floating around. Buen Camino, SY

Gracias. Figured it out. Was in the general preference tab, but yeah --> un-hook receive e-mail notifications, as you said. Thanks. Without looking at it (since I know the SE England fairly well ) I'd wager he takes the North Downs Way (which Peter Robins does list as the 'Pilgrims Way') to Dover, across the Straights and onwards. Mine is a slightly different route (To Portsmouth --> overnight ferry to Brittany) since although the North Downs Way does pass ~10 miles from my house, I'm a good 100 miles short of Canterbury.... Let alone Dover!

Honestly, I've not read too much literature into this; but a 'pilgrimage' does seem fitting for my goals/motivation. The Appalachian Trial was something I've wanted to do for a long time, but with Visa and air-fare to consider and this being the opportune time -- I stumbled across the Caminos and all the dominos fell into place.. It's day and night to the Appalachian Trail in every respect apart from distance (and this is a good 1/3-1/2 shorter still!) But I can take it right from my front door.. And there's some history behind it. I am agnostic but there is absolutely a spiritual element to this endeavour. Best wishes. EDIT: Buen Camino!!

 

[giorgio]

Best thing to help you decide your itinerary in France would be imho to check the FFRP guides (FFRP stans for Federation Francaise de Randonnee Pedestre, the french association of hickers)
https://www.ffrandonnee.fr/
where you'll find some very detailed info about the paths in France and accomodation . This is the overall view of their network
http://www.ffrandonnee.fr/data/Boutiques/files/Carte-de-France-des-itineraires.pdf
You should also check the UK Confraternity of saint James for their guide of La Voie du Littoral (way along the french cost from Bordeaux to Biarritz)
Once in Biarritz/Bayonne no need for guides...just follow the pilgrims...

 

[NualaOC]

Buen Camino Mr. Oizo and welcome to the forum.

Good luck with your planning and please let us know how everything goes!

 

[purplesage]

Jolly good show !! I live near Brighton and your post has got me thinking. Make it from home to Ferrol?? OMG.. how exciting. Buen Camino and do keep us posted

 

[Tia Valeria]

Home to Ferrol - then the Inglés?
Brittany Ferries go Portsmouth to Bilbao (difficult arrival area for foot passengers) and Portsmouth to Santander, where you are right in town, and both start you on the Norte.

 

[Introibo]

Top Effort. Buen Camino

 

[Castilian]

Currently lacking in GPS data for the Clisson - St Jean d'Angély stretch.

FWIW, that's the Chemin Vendéen. The Association Vendéenne des Pélegrins (Pilgrims Association of Vendée) has a guide about the route (www.vendeecompostelle.org/blg/wp/category/leguide). I don't know if it includes GPS tracks but you can look for that info.

 

[Mr.Oizo]

FWIW, that's the Chemin Vendéen. The Association Vendéenne des Pélegrins (Pilgrims Association of Vendée) has a guide about the route (www.vendeecompostelle.org/blg/wp/category/leguide). I don't know if it includes GPS tracks but you can look for that info.

Thanks. Yeah I found that -- I actually emailed the president already to see if GPS data exists (albeit in broken French & using google translate.) Hopefully I hear something back. Otherwise can likely plot it myself using their guide..

 

[Waka]

Good luck with the planning. What an adventure, please keep us up to date with progress.

 

[Theo]

Hi Oizo,

With members of the Vendée St James association I'm working to update the Vendée stages description from an obsolete guide book ...

Because I didn't find GPS files for these stages I drew the stages routes on maps to get the GPS files ; you'll find attached a zip file with 8 html files to see the stages maps which will be updated during the next weeks. The files names will stay the same ones. On the right bottom of the maps there is a link to download the GPS file of the stage.

From St-Malo to Mont-St-Michel, where the "Voie des Capitales" starts, you can follow the route available also in the zip file.

For the stages from Mont-St-Michel to Clisson, the maps with the GPS files are available on this page :
http://www.compostelle-bretagne.fr/index.php/guide-et-chemin/voie-des-capitales
Click on the celtic logo to display the maps.

(For all the maps, click on the logo "Openrunner" above the OSM maps to see the routes on French IGN maps !)

On this web page, you have also the description of every stage you can Google translate.

A portal to find all the St James associations web sites from Brittany to the Pyrénées :
http://portail.arc.atlantic.free.fr/#

Théo

 

[Bradypus]

Lots of useful information above. Each to their own but I prefer a low-tech approach. A couple of years ago I walked from Swansea to Portsmouth using a combination of minor roads, the Wales Coast Path and the Kennet and Avon Canal towpath. Then I took a ferry to St Malo, followed river and canal paths most of the way to St Nazaire, coastal paths and minor roads south to Royan, ferry across the Gironde, and then the Voie Littoral to Bayonne. The final two days following the River Nive towpath and back roads to St Jean. Almost all navigation done with pages cut from a road atlas, backed up with screenshots of Ordnance Survey maps (UK) and IGN maps (France) on a smartphone for town plans and a few tricky junctions. Having the safety net of gps mapping and internet access on the phone is a great confidence booster though! However you do it - have a great experience!

 

[StewartJ]

Lots of useful information above. Each to their own but I prefer a low-tech approach. A couple of years ago I walked from Swansea to Portsmouth using a combination of minor roads, the Wales Coast Path and the Kennet and Avon Canal towpath. Then I took a ferry to St Malo, followed river and canal paths most of the way to St Nazaire, coastal paths and minor roads south to Royan, ferry across the Gironde, and then the Voie Littoral to Bayonne. The final two days following the River Nive towpath and back roads to St Jean. Almost all navigation done with pages cut from a road atlas, backed up with screenshots of Ordnance Survey maps (UK) and IGN maps (France) on a smartphone for town plans and a few tricky junctions. Having the safety net of gps mapping and internet access on the phone is a great confidence booster though! However you do it - have a great experience!

I have been looking at routes from Wolverhampton to Santiago for next year. This post is a great piece of advice. Thank you!