First timer - One week to walk the Camino

[SpeedSistah]

Hi fellow walkers...I am new to this forum, from Ottawa Canada. It's great to have all this information at my fingertips! My plan is to start my Camino adventure with a one week walk and wondered how I could return from Estella if my starting point is Saint-Jean-PIied-de-Port? My flights, from and to Ottawa, are likely out of Toulouse. Thank you.

 

[SabsP]

Hi fellow walkers...I am new to this forum, from Ottawa Canada. It's great to have all this information at my fingertips! My plan is to start my Camino adventure with a one week walk and wondered how I could return from Estella if my starting point is Saint-Jean-PIied-de-Port? My flights, from and to Ottawa, are likely out of Toulouse. Thank you.

Hello and welcome here.

You might find this tool informative.

Rome2rio: discover how to get anywhere

Discover how to get anywhere by searching plane, train, bus, car and ferry routes

www.rome2rio.com

 

[henrythedog]

Hi fellow walkers...I am new to this forum, from Ottawa Canada. It's great to have all this information at my fingertips! My plan is to start my Camino adventure with a one week walk and wondered how I could return from Estella if my starting point is Saint-Jean-PIied-de-Port? My flights, from and to Ottawa, are likely out of Toulouse. Thank you.

Do you just want to walk for a week on the Camino Frances (bearing mind that St Jean is a totally arbitrary start point) with a view to eventually doing what you might think is a ‘complete’ Camino; or is this a one-off?

Are you committed to your flights without knowing how they might fit in with your aspiration? (Actually not a bad place to land) p

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Oh dear, I hope you intend to come back and continue your camino as time allows. A week is just enough to get you in the swing of things!

 

[SpeedSistah]

Hello and welcome here.

You might find this tool informative.

Rome2rio: discover how to get anywhere

Discover how to get anywhere by searching plane, train, bus, car and ferry routes

www.rome2rio.com

Oh, this is so helpful, thank you Sabine!

 

[SpeedSistah]

Do you just want to walk for a week on the Camino Frances (bearing mind that St Jean is a totally arbitrary start point) with a view to eventually doing what you might think is a ‘complete’ Camino; or is this a one-off?

Are you committed to your flights without knowing how they might fit in with your aspiration? (Actually not a bad place to land) p

Yes, I am starting with a one-week walk and hope to eventually completed the Camino. Would you recommend a different starting point? I have seen SJPDP suggested but am open to starting elsewhere. Given it's my first walk, I would like it to be manageable and of course scenic. I'm not necessarily committed to my flights. Thanks for any advice!

 

[SpeedSistah]

Oh dear, I hope you intend to come back and continue your camino as time allows. A week is just enough to get you in the swing of things!

Oh, yes, I do intend to return. This is just the beginning...

 

[pa’delante]

I am currently on the Camino Portuguese via the coast and it seems manageable on a week depending on where you start. You can fly to Porlto in Portugal and take a bus to the point where you think you can amante a weeks of walk. Buen Camino- however and wherever you make it happen!

 

[Corned Beef]

how I could return from Estella if my starting point is Saint-Jean-PIied-de-Port?

This is a common short route. At Estella you take the bus to Logrono and connect with Bilbao (train/bus) or Madrid (train/bus/fly).

In order to fly Rome2Rio suggests you have to go to Pamplona to do this. There is an airport at Logrono though the connections may be limited.

 

[Pilgrino21]

Hi fellow walkers...I am new to this forum, from Ottawa Canada. It's great to have all this information at my fingertips! My plan is to start my Camino adventure with a one week walk and wondered how I could return from Estella if my starting point is Saint-Jean-PIied-de-Port? My flights, from and to Ottawa, are likely out of Toulouse. Thank you.

Any particular reason for picking Estella as your end point (if I understand it correctly)? As someone who broke up my first CF in stages with the intention to come back and finish it, maybe pick a stop with enough connections so you can get to it by bus or taxi wherever you stopped.

I suggest this because we don't know if you prefer to break up the Pyrenees stage into two. Or how many kms you can handle or elevation walk etc. Plus I find if I had a specific stop it makes it easier but often times the Camino takes a life of its own. You might hit it off with folks and decide to stay elsewhere or walk farther. My strategy was to keep my end stage a mystery but keep your departure point as central as you can. May be Pamplona, Estella, or even Logroño. Make it so your first week is one you want to build on, not something you dread coming back to. Break up stages, stop in off-stage stops, and see how your body feels.

If you end up short (or past) your departure point, can always taxi your way to it. I had 3 weeks last winter to start with and I didn't know if I was going to end up in Leon, Sahagun or farther. I ended up in Astorga instead. Give yourself the best flexibility and likelihood of enjoyment. And what you're doing is typical with many Spaniards so you're in good company. Good luck and happy to help further.

 

[Tincatinker]

Hi fellow walkers...I am new to this forum, from Ottawa Canada. It's great to have all this information at my fingertips! My plan is to start my Camino adventure with a one week walk and wondered how I could return from Estella if my starting point is Saint-Jean-PIied-de-Port? My flights, from and to Ottawa, are likely out of Toulouse. Thank you.

Hi and welcome to the forum.

A couple of questions. If you are hoping / planning to walk for a week how long have you got for your trip? The logistics of getting to and from points along the Camino Frances can be sublime but can be a travellers night-mare.

If you are committed to the Frances but not St Jean then a flight into Madrid and train or bus to Pamplona gives you access to the Camino and an enjoyable weeks walking to, say, Santo Domingo de la Calzada whence a bus to Burgos and train to Madrid becomes an easy start to your homeward journey. There are direct buses too.
https://www.gronze.com/camino-frances is your friend for stage information, accommodation and more. Its in Spanish but Google Chrome, or likely your favourite browser, will translate.

Happy planning

 

[Jaujauzimbo]

Hello, This is such a great idea !
For lack of time (work-wise) I will be walking in July for a week, 16th - 25th July 2022 with 3 high school friends. (That was a loooonnng time ago ).
It is the first time for all of us on the Camino so I feel it is a pity to start "at the end" of the camino, but I'm not sure I could have convinced the group to do one full camino.
We'll be doing the Ponte de Lima to SDC. I have 101 questions of course but here is an simple introduction. I'm so very much looking forward to this experience.

 

[SpeedSistah]

I am currently on the Camino Portuguese via the coast and it seems manageable on a week depending on where you start. You can fly to Porlto in Portugal and take a bus to the point where you think you can amante a weeks of walk. Buen Camino- however and wherever you make it happen!

Thank you for sharing your journey and suggestions. Buen Camino to you as well.

 

[SpeedSistah]

This is a common short route. At Estella you take the bus to Logrono and connect with Bilbao (train/bus) or Madrid (train/bus/fly).

In order to fly Rome2Rio suggests you have to go to Pamplona to do this. There is an airport at Logrono though the connections may be limited.

Thank you. I'll check these connections

 

[SpeedSistah]

Any particular reason for picking Estella as your end point (if I understand it correctly)? As someone who broke up my first CF in stages with the intention to come back and finish it, maybe pick a stop with enough connections so you can get to it by bus or taxi wherever you stopped.

I suggest this because we don't know if you prefer to break up the Pyrenees stage into two. Or how many kms you can handle or elevation walk etc. Plus I find if I had a specific stop it makes it easier but often times the Camino takes a life of its own. You might hit it off with folks and decide to stay elsewhere or walk farther. My strategy was to keep my end stage a mystery but keep your departure point as central as you can. May be Pamplona, Estella, or even Logroño. Make it so your first week is one you want to build on, not something you dread coming back to. Break up stages, stop in off-stage stops, and see how your body feels.

If you end up short (or past) your departure point, can always taxi your way to it. I had 3 weeks last winter to start with and I didn't know if I was going to end up in Leon, Sahagun or farther. I ended up in Astorga instead. Give yourself the best flexibility and likelihood of enjoyment. And what you're doing is typical with many Spaniards so you're in good company. Good luck and happy to help further.

Thanks for your reply and suggestions. I'm not set on a start or end point, and will be looking into all the suggested possibilities. Could you suggest a 'better' time of year to walk? I am thinking of either late September/early October or wait til spring '23, late April/early May.

 

[Pilgrino21]

Thanks for your reply and suggestions. I'm not set on a start or end point, and will be looking into all the suggested possibilities. Could you suggest a 'better' time of year to walk? I am thinking of either late September/early October or wait til spring '23, late April/early May.

I think the season is quite subjective of course. It depends on your availability because one adjusts to the season they pick, not the other way around. I heard that late September to mid-October is ideal because it's after the peak season, a bit cooler, but accommodations are still available.

My experience from last year was that many albergues start to shut down around mid-October before the winter season (starting in November). I started last Nov 12. Mind you last year was still full of restrictions; this time could be busy later than normal because of increased demand and a Holy Year. Weather will be a big factor no matter the season. I returned this May hoping it'd be similar to November and felt more like summer.

Next spring if you wait is to reverse the trend. Winter season continues till early April and more albergues are starting to open up. Gets busy closer to Holy Week.

I heard from someone that you only get to walk your first Camino (or first walk into Santiago) once. So I think you should decide which end matters more to you. Many first timers can fit a walk from Sarria to Santiago in a week. But if you intend to come back and do the rest, then where you start matters. The rest will take care of itself. And you have plenty of helpful people here to help you.