First timer! Ready for a journey!

[Jamie Tasker]

Hey fellow travelers... my name is James, I am a 25 year old American looking to travel the Way beginning late February or early March. I am currently in Paris with my wife for our anniversary and will be staying here after she goes to the US in January. My wife and I watched The Way movie several times and I have yearned to do the journey.

I know this forum has a lot of great tips and advice, but it is A LOT to sift through! Some of my questions are as followed:

1. Is the weather in Feb/March decent enough to do the Camino? Is this a busy time of year?
2. I plan to pack light and camp along the way. Is this smart? Do many people do this?
3. I no basically no French and little Spanish. How much will this affect me along the way?
4. Where is the best starting place? St. Jean?

I will have as much time as I need to do the Way and plan to do it without technology. Any help before I leave would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[dougfitz]

Jamie

Feb/March will be quiet, but if you are doing the Camino Frances, you are likely to meet other pilgrims, there just won't be that many.

I personally wouldn't plan to camp. Unless you have some experience camping in cold and possibly snow, it might be better to plan on using albergues etc. Some may be closed, but there are sufficient open to make that practical.

Having no Spanish will make it more difficult, but I wouldn't let that deter you. If you are leaving in late Feb, you have time to pick up some Spanish if you are prepared to apply yourself. There are a number of on-line lesson sites - google will find them for you.

Starting in St Jean is an option, but care is needed crossing the Pyrenees at that time of the year. Its pretty much your call, and you will find plenty of advice here about getting to whatever starting point you choose.

You say you want to do it without technology but also suggest that you will pack light. That seems inconsistent, unless you just mean you won't be walking with electronic devices and are not thinking of all the other materials technology you will be using.

 

[Jamie Tasker]

Doug - thanks for the quick feedback. I would rather do the trip later in the year but the fact that I am already in Europe now and have military obligations later next year necessitates that I go sooner rather than later.

And yes, I just meant that I want to do the trip without being glued to a cell phone or computer screen!

You mentioned it would be quiet... At what point in the year does the traffic begin to pick up?

Thanks!

Jamie

 

[dougfitz]

Doug - thanks for the quick feedback. I would rather do the trip later in the year but the fact that I am already in Europe now and have military obligations later next year necessitates that I go sooner rather than later.

And yes, I just meant that I want to do the trip without being glued to a cell phone or computer screen!

You mentioned it would be quiet... At what point in the year does the traffic begin to pick up?

Thanks!

Jamie

There will be an increase at Easter and then a gradual increase through spring and summer. I started in SJPP, and walked into Pamplona on Good Friday. It was pretty busy near the cathedral that night, and busy on the camino for the next few days. Some albergues were still closed, but not that many.

 

[Gil A]

Jamie, my wife and I are starting el Camino from Roncesvalles on March 6. We expect temperatures to drop on ocassion to zero Celsius and weexpect to find some snow. Also good chances of rain. No Pyrenees for us at that time. We have managed to bring the weight of our backpacks down to less than 7 kg for me and around 6 kg for her (without water or food). The backpacks are 40 litres and 35 litres.
We definitively are not camping. Alberges or country homes for us.
We will be going slow, planning for 40 to 45 days.
Hope to meet you somewhere along the trail.
Buen Camino!
Gil

 

[t2andreo]

Hey fellow travelers... my name is James, I am a 25 year old American looking to travel the Way beginning late February or early March. I am currently in Paris with my wife for our anniversary and will be staying here after she goes to the US in January. My wife and I watched The Way movie several times and I have yearned to do the journey.

I know this forum has a lot of great tips and advice, but it is A LOT to sift through! Some of my questions are as followed:

1. Is the weather in Feb/March decent enough to do the Camino? Is this a busy time of year?
2. I plan to pack light and camp along the way. Is this smart? Do many people do this?
3. I no basically no French and little Spanish. How much will this affect me along the way?
4. Where is the best starting place? St. Jean?

I will have as much time as I need to do the Way and plan to do it without technology. Any help before I leave would be greatly appreciated!!

Jamie: If you do not have all the gear for your Camino, get thee to thy nearest Decathlon or Adventure Sport store. Decathlon is literally a department store for ALL sports. They have like several aisles for all manner of hiking and camping equipment. Their house brand is Quechua. Moreover, while you can spend a lot more money, Decathlon provides good value for the money you spend. You can buy most world-known, popular named brands at Adventure Sport. However, it will cost more money. On the other hand, you are more likely to find an experienced hiker at A/S who can properly fit your boots and backpack. I recommend trying Decathlon first. Ask for help. Here are two useful phrases that will help:
Do you speak English? Parlez-vous anglais? OR (par-lay voo Ang-lay?)
Can you help me in English? Pouvez-vous m'aider en anglais? (Poo-vay vouo mad-aaay in Ang-lay?)

Also, as I have commented and written extensively on gear and Camino related logistical and practical issues, consider searching on my posts ("t2andreo") using the search capability in the upper right-hand corner.

I say this because the two most important pieces of gear you will buy will be your boots / shoes and rucksack - in that order. I have written extensively about fitting backpacks and boots. As a rule of thumb, your boots /shoes should be AT LEAST one full size larger than your street size. You need to allow 1/2 size for the extra and thick socks you will wear, and another 1/2 size for swelling during the day. Read the posts. MY street shoes are size 11 US (45). My Keen Targhee II hiking boots are a size 13 US (47). I wore two pair of shocks and had ZERO blisters. But everyone's feet are different so read first, then shop.

Rucksack waist / hip belts MUST rest on the top of your hips - READ THE POSTS.

Getting from Paris to St; Jean is easy. Take the TGV from Gare Montparnasse to Bayonne and connect to the TER #62 train from Bayonne to St. Jean (also the end of the line).

I hope this helps.

 

[dougfitz]

Also, as I have commented and written extensively on gear and Camino related logistical and practical issues, consider searching on my posts using the search capability in the upper right-hand corner.

One of the great strengths of this forum is the diversity of perspectives that are available. Pilgrims who have walked different routes, in different seasons and different weather conditions bring their own understanding and experience to the advice they offer. Once newcomers realise that there is this variety, I think that they are more like likely to gain benefit from understanding that diversity than they are from listening to just one person's particular views.

I think it is better advice to understand that this forum gives access to a broad variety of advice than to listen solely to those that engage in this sort of shameless self promotion.

 

[t2andreo]

One of the great strengths of this forum is the diversity of perspectives that are available. Pilgrims who have walked different routes, in different seasons and different weather conditions bring their own understanding and experience to the advice they offer. Once newcomers realise that there is this variety, I think that they are more like likely to gain benefit from understanding that diversity than they are from listening to just one person's particular views.

I think it is better advice to understand that this forum gives access to a broad variety of advice than to listen solely to those that engage in this sort of shameless self promotion.

I do not disagree with you at all. Moreover, if I had any reason for "self promoting" I should (correctly) place my postings in the commercial Camino Resources conversation area. But, I seek no gain except to impart information that I have, to help guide anyone to a direct answer and further web-based sources.

It has been my experience on this forum that one can meander around the frequently overlapping and sometimes redundant postings without finding what one is actually looking for. When I am searching for information on the forum, I usually have to wander through multiple conversation threads before finding a few precious nuggets of useful information. That takes time and patience.

I might also add that, if one were to search for any particularly prolific writer's posts, like your's, one would also see the entire variety of posts on the same thread or conversation from other posters when they reach that search target. Respectfully, that could include you, me, or perhaps several dozen of the more prolific posters across this forum.

When I first became interested in doing a Camino a little over a year ago, this forum was THE place to come for virtually any information on any issue. While I learned and continue to learn more daily, the problem was, and will always continue to be FOCUS. The current searching function is not robust and responds best to unique "key words." The fastest "key word" is to use a user's name.

Far from self-promoting, and absent a really, really good indexing system, the only way to focus on the specific issue or concern is to get a lead on where to head to obtain the information you seek. I simply try to offer those leads...to try to point people in a direct route to the answers they seek. The alternative is to simply allow people to meander and hopefully find an answer. I always give credit to the others who provide opinions and offer suggestions. I seek to add value and to improve the forum user's value for the time invested.

Diversity of opinions is a good thing. However, when someone is seeking specific information, I try to offer that. It is just the way I am wired. I have no shame because I have done nothing to feel shame for, except to try to help pilgrims. If that is shameful, well then shame on me...I shall wear the badge proudly.

I wish you and yours a very Happy Christmas and a Happy, Safe and Healthy New Year.

 

[dougfitz]

@t2andreo thank you for your explanation. We will probably continue to differ on this. My view is that people ask questions rather than search the forum, and people with some advice to offer respond. You are right when you say that the search function is not ideal. I know I have (almost) given up on suggesting new members use it. If I know where there is good advice, and I have the time to search it out, I will point to that, otherwise it is as often just as quick to repeat the advice.

Regards, and all the very best for the festive season.

ps, I did like @Tia Valeria's response on another thread:

Probably similar to the advice given to me as a new mother (many years ago)
Listen to all the advice from everyone and then decide what is right for you and your (replace the word baby) time on the Camino

 

[t2andreo]

Doug: It's all good. We both want the same thing. We just have different ways of getting there.