First time Camino

[PaulineRoozen]

Hey everyone!
My name is Pauline and I'm from the Netherlands. I'm planning to walk from Haarlem (Netherlands) to Santiago in aprox. 4 months next year July-Oct. I've been doing some research, but I also have a lot of questions. This forum has been very helpfull already.
I was wondering:
- If there are any guidebooks recommended for the Caminos in France and The Camino del Norte/Primitivo.
- Any routes I definetly shouldn't do by myself
- Are there a lot of additional costs focused on the bus/train or any other transport. I'm trying to do everything by foot when possible
- Any tips or advice for newbies

Thank you very much!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Check the Outdoor guides in German. They cover everything!! Bon chemin, then buen camino.

 

[Kanga]

Welcome to the forum @PaulineRoozen! Sounds like a wonderful undertaking. The guide we used for the Camino del Norte is this one: https://www.santiagodecompostela.me...thern-caminos-guide-with-free-camino-passport

I don't think there is one guide for all the caminos in France, you probably need to decide which one you will walk and look for the specific guide available for that one. Plenty of information about the different French ways here: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/#routes-in-france.52

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

Hi Pauline and welcome.

There is a member from Breda named
Purky he walked from Breda to Santiago.

Mabey you can send him a PM and ask how he walked.
Just an idea.

Wish you well,Peter.

 

[Purky]

Hey Pauline, welcome and congrats on taking the decision to walk from Haarlem to Santiago. I wish I could do it all over again, to be honest... I started further south (from Breda, as @Peter already mentioned) and used the following guides:

Via Brabantica, Breda to Geldenaken (Jodoigne) in Belgium. Made by the Flemish Association of SdC, and I bought it online at the Dutch Association of Saint James.

In Geldenaken I switched to the Via Monastica and followed it to Rocroi, just over the Belgian/French border. Same story for the guide as described above.

From Rocroi I took the Via Campaniensis to Vezelay, through the Champagne-Ardenne region of France. I bought the (translated in Dutch!) guide from the Association Randonneurs et Pelerins 51 online. I met some people from RP51 in the cathedral in Reims, a very dedicated and knowledgeable bunch.

From Vezelay on, the start of the Via Lemovicensis, I used the Vézelay guide published by the Dutch Association of Saint James (which is also available in English and updated as of january 2017). Note that there are two guides: one with the variant Nevers and the other with the route through Bourges. They update it every year, so you might want to wait for the new 2018 version.

Since you plan to walk the Norte/Primitivo, you'll have to look into that yourself, because the Vezelay route ends in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and I walked the Frances. Plenty of guides (and threads on this forum), so that won't be a problem. All the guides I used brought me safely to SJPdP, so thoroughly recommended.

I consider every route doable for both men and women who walk solo. Just take sensible precautions as you would in daily life, and maybe browse through the Personal Safety section of this forum for hints and tips.

As for additional costs for transportation, there aren't any. You can walk it every step of the way. Budget-wise, I got by on €30,- a day, which is easy in Spain but slightly more difficult before that. Bring a lightweight tent, I used that a lot for added freedom and saving money.

If you have more questions, don't hesitate to PM me. (Click on my username or avatar on the left and select "start a conversation" on the pop-up). And when you pass through Breda next year, consider yourself invited: shower, hot meal and small guest room are available in our house.

Happy planning and buen camino!

 

[possie]

Hey everyone!
My name is Pauline and I'm from the Netherlands. I'm planning to walk from Haarlem (Netherlands) to Santiago in aprox. 4 months next year July-Oct. I've been doing some research, but I also have a lot of questions. This forum has been very helpfull already.
I was wondering:
- If there are any guidebooks recommended for the Caminos in France and The Camino del Norte/Primitivo.
- Any routes I definetly shouldn't do by myself
- Are there a lot of additional costs focused on the bus/train or any other transport. I'm trying to do everything by foot when possible
- Any tips or advice for newbies

Thank you very much!

 

[PaulineRoozen]

Hi Pauline and welcome.

There is a member from Breda named
Purky he walked from Breda to Santiago.

Mabey you can send him a PM and ask how he walked.
Just an idea.

Wish you well,Peter.

Thank you Peter!

 

[PaulineRoozen]

Hey Pauline, welcome and congrats on taking the decision to walk from Haarlem to Santiago. I wish I could do it all over again, to be honest... I started further south (from Breda, as @Peter already mentioned) and used the following guides:

Via Brabantica, Breda to Geldenaken (Jodoigne) in Belgium. Made by the Flemish Association of SdC, and I bought it online at the Dutch Association of Saint James.

In Geldenaken I switched to the Via Monastica and followed it to Rocroi, just over the Belgian/French border. Same story for the guide as described above.

From Rocroi I took the Via Campaniensis to Vezelay, through the Champagne-Ardenne region of France. I bought the (translated in Dutch!) guide from the Association Randonneurs et Pelerins 51 online. I met some people from RP51 in the cathedral in Reims, a very dedicated and knowledgeable bunch.

From Vezelay on, the start of the Via Lemovicensis, I used the Vézelay guide published by the Dutch Association of Saint James (which is also available in English and updated as of january 2017). Note that there are two guides: one with the variant Nevers and the other with the route through Bourges. They update it every year, so you might want to wait for the new 2018 version.

Since you plan to walk the Norte/Primitivo, you'll have to look into that yourself, because the Vezelay route ends in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and I walked the Frances. Plenty of guides (and threads on this forum), so that won't be a problem. All the guides I used brought me safely to SJPdP, so thoroughly recommended.

I consider every route doable for both men and women who walk solo. Just take sensible precautions as you would in daily life, and maybe browse through the Personal Safety section of this forum for hints and tips.

As for additional costs for transportation, there aren't any. You can walk it every step of the way. Budget-wise, I got by on €30,- a day, which is easy in Spain but slightly more difficult before that. Bring a lightweight tent, I used that a lot for added freedom and saving money.

If you have more questions, don't hesitate to PM me. (Click on my username or avatar on the left and select "start a conversation" on the pop-up). And when you pass through Breda next year, consider yourself invited: shower, hot meal and small guest room are available in our house.

Happy planning and buen camino!

Thank you very much! This is a very big help! I'll definitely send you a message when I have some more questions!!

 

[SYates]

Here is a great, interactive overview of "all" Caminos in Europe http://www.jakobswege-europa.de/wege/ Hope that helps and Buen Camino, SY