First timer - Sarria to SDC May 2015

[BG_Eire]

Hi everyone - slightly bashful when reading about all of you accomplished hikers doing the whole route, but I'm starting off with the French Way this May to ease myself in! Irish female (29) travelling alone, really open to the social side of things during the days/evenings over food and wine, but ideally I am keen to have a private room at night and **whispers...** maybe even luggage transfers?? I have looked at the group bookings with different companies and alas my solo status goes against me with the single supplements and quotes are around 750 euro before flights & airport transfers...but maybe this is just my punishment for doing the Camino like a princess?! :-/ That includes private room each night (7 nights), breakfast, dinner, and luggage transfers. Any ideas/suggestions/recommendations? Thanks a mill in advance!

 

[NualaOC]

Hi,

A few ideas:

1. Invest in a guidebook, such as the John Brierley one or 'Walking the Camino' by Dintaman and Landis. This will give you an overview of your journey and an idea of all the places in between. Consider stopping at the 'in between' places, rather than doing the guidebook stages.

2. The guidebooks have a list of accommodations and they also show the albergues that have private rooms. You should be able to get a room in an albergue for about €35-40. Hotels are probably dearer, especially in Santiago. Albergues (particularly those with communal meals) are usually a lot more 'social' than hotels.

3. This section of the Camino will be busy - so consider booking ahead (the guidebooks have phone numbers). Booking.com is also worth checking out - it has a good range of accommodations for this stage of the Camino.

4. If you need luggage transfers, they are easily arranged at each hotel/albergue. I think it costs about €7 per bag.

You can definitely do this stage for less than the €750 that you have been quoted! Although a package can be a 'comfort' on your first Camino, you might find more interesting places to stay and eat as an independent traveller.

Good luck and Buen Camino.

Nuala

 

[wayfarer]

I would agree with Nuala on this BG. You can easily organise this yourself. Fly into Santiago, get the bus to Sarria, stay overnight in a Hostal (small hotel) or at one of the many albergues there and then just wing it or book ahead. It is a great experience and you will love it.
Buen Camino.

 

[scruffy1]

Easy-peasy. Don't even concern yourself. The only difficult bit to walk is that seemingly interminable stretch around the airport coming into Santiago! The main drag in Sarria is chockful of hostals/abergues/private rooms no problem there either. Exiting Sarria is not the most inspiring section but soon improves, likewise leaving Portomarin grin and bear it! Do use the luggage service if it will help, thats why its there! You will be given a little envelope to write the next stop, put your 6-7-8 euros in and walk trouble free-the service is reliable and trustworthy. The Camino is well marked by sign and people in this part but you should get a guide like Brierley's for lodging. Plenty of Irish on the Camino and you will often be asked from where you hail. Most people recognize most Irish people - the brogue gives it away before you can say Buen Camino - the proper answer is Limerick or Kilkenny or Cahir Daniel where you call home.

 

[SYates]

One more point to consider: Even when you let your luggage be transported between albergues, you still will have to carry things like food, water, first aid kit, rain/sun protection in a day back. So, in May, from Sarria to SDC, how much weight to carry would you actually save by having part of your equipment transported?
Also it really is an obstacle, like pre-booked tours, to your flexibility. You will have to go every day to a certain place and there is little room for spontaneous decisions.
Buen Camino! SY

 

[Al the optimist]

As above. You are open to the social side so you will soon make friends then. Don't book before you go as you may well decide where to stop based on these friends. Maybe you will meet someone to share a private room with, saving money.

 

[BG_Eire]

Thanks so much everyone - that's all great to hear! And good point about what I'll still be carrying day to day so will figure that out. Will get myself a guide and suss out the accommodation and probably book ahead, even just for Sarria & Santiago! Thanks again - really appreciate it!! )

 

[NualaOC]

Hi BG - I should have added that you can get your credencial from the Friends of St James before you leave home. Here's the link: http://www.caminosociety.ie
They also have a few information days in February and March.
Nuala

 

[jefferyonthecamino]

Hi everyone - slightly bashful when reading about all of you accomplished hikers doing the whole route, but I'm starting off with the French Way this May to ease myself in! Irish female (29) travelling alone, really open to the social side of things during the days/evenings over food and wine, but ideally I am keen to have a private room at night and **whispers...** maybe even luggage transfers?? I have looked at the group bookings with different companies and alas my solo status goes against me with the single supplements and quotes are around 750 euro before flights & airport transfers...but maybe this is just my punishment for doing the Camino like a princess?! :-/ That includes private room each night (7 nights), breakfast, dinner, and luggage transfers. Any ideas/suggestions/recommendations? Thanks a mill in advance!

The whole route is from your doorstep, very few have done that! Walking from The Pyrenees is not the Camino as understood for 1000 years. Walking from Sarria is great, one of my favourite parts. Group bookings cost, they have their upsides tjough. You san probably go comfortable organising yourself, have a look around this site fir related topics. Jacotans organises cheap luggage transfers. Booking.com covers most hotels and hostels on the Camino. Most private albergues accept bookings, I would book in advance if indulging, and I LOVE to indulge on the Camino

Buen Camino!

 

[Cailin O Eire]

Hi BG
Myself and a cousin booked flights Christmas 2014 to fly Dublin Santiago during Easter. That was the extinct of our planning ahead. Got to Dublin and the plan was go outside the airport in Santiago and catch a bus to Sarria. Our plan changed when we met other camino people on the flight and ended up sharing a taxi with them! I have spoke to many whose plans didn't work out as planned but only better the camino seems to work that way.
On arrival in Sarria we wandered into a stone building on a narrow paved street and asked for accomodation we were put in a dorm with 3 Irish school teachers and 8 student males from a boarding school in Dublin. In all honesty they were the best find such gentlemen and we had friends for the week in all of them crossing paths along the way walking with the teachers sometimes walking with the students sometimes walking alone sometimes walking with others. The choice is your own to do it in Soltitude or embrace the many new people you could meet.
On Day 1 we set off from Sarria arriving in Potomarin, we carried our back packs 50l ( what was I thinking re that large a bag) it was Easter week we were aiming to be in Santiago for Holy Thursday evening so the route was very busy and Easter last year on the camino in Galicia was beautiful sun shining lots of sun cream needed for my fair freckly skin!! On arrival in PotoMarin we worked our way up to the square knocking at doors and everyplace was seeming to be full, knocked on another door full but they rang someone and we got a room in a house shared bath lovely place for €10 each. We paid €8 for the hostel on the previous night.
Likewise on the following day it was same situation in Palad De Rei maybe our slow pace in walking meant we were too late to get a hostel and as a result ended up getting a private room in a house again with a shared bathroom this time €15 each. On that night my companions feet were ginormous with swelling and blisters and trying to get shoes back on was not an option. Her feet was all that didn't enjoy the camino, physically and emotionally it was where she wanted to be and wanted to go on so we bought Sandals men's sandals I might add and a bag of cotton wool and she ploughed on for the rest of the week, with the swelling and the blisters.
Because her feet were so bad we made a decision to loose our large back packs and just carry the 15l front part of the sac, my back was in bits so I chose to loose the bag also, let it behind If it's holding you back is my motto, always find a way to plough on! This meant we needed to start booking ahead because we needed to send our bags somewhere. Spoke to a lovely Spanish lady outside an albergue who arranged everything for us in Pala De Rei although we had not expected her to, organised our bags, we dropped them at a cafe in the morning with a sticker on them (the bags were not alone must have been 30 other bags waiting for pick up) for €3 to go to the next town and we set off on foot. Again they had booked us into a private room with own bath this time 20 each, and we asked the people whom met us on arrival to ring ahead and book us into some place the next day and where to leave our bags in the morning, in this case we were able to leave them at the facility the taxi did a pick up there.
Each night we had pilgrim meals for about €10 that is a 3 course meal and you will be shocked at how much food and how nice for €10.
I really would go and go with the flow re accomodation meals getting bag from a to b it will all work out and it won't be extortionately priced at €750. I hardly spent 200 in the week and that was with luxury as a treat in Samtiago!! Flights were 190 about dearer than the average as it was Easter.
I'm returning this year and am bringing a 25l back pack so I can carry my stuff, I want the option of stopping wherever I like, sending the bags on restricts you that way, you could pass through a quaint little hamlet and want to stay, but you can't because your bag is 10km away!! It's a personal choice but the freedom you give yourself by carrying the bag is empowering, I realised that when I gave up the bag!!! I've just booked the flights Dublin Biarritz again in Christmas, and I know it will work out when I get there.
Have a wonderful Camino
Rita

 

[clearskiescamino]

@BG_Eire
Absolutely agree with everyone above.
Great advice about www.caminosociety.ie also..you should try and get to one of their events.

Otherwise, you should really organise this by yourself. Flights are easy to book, and there are plenty of albergues.
And once you return back home, be prepared for going back in 2016

 

[terillp]

Hi everyone - slightly bashful when reading about all of you accomplished hikers doing the whole route, but I'm starting off with the French Way this May to ease myself in! Irish female (29) travelling alone, really open to the social side of things during the days/evenings over food and wine, but ideally I am keen to have a private room at night and **whispers...** maybe even luggage transfers?? I have looked at the group bookings with different companies and alas my solo status goes against me with the single supplements and quotes are around 750 euro before flights & airport transfers...but maybe this is just my punishment for doing the Camino like a princess?! :-/ That includes private room each night (7 nights), breakfast, dinner, and luggage transfers. Any ideas/suggestions/recommendations? Thanks a mill in advance!

It's nice to red about another solo female traveler around my age! I'm doing the walk from Sarria to Santiago in July. Like you, I researched different tour groups but decided to go it alone. So far I have my plane ticket and first night booked in a private room for $32 a night. Since writing the above post, were you able to reserve rooms for the rest of your trip?

 

[7wood]

You can get camino apps for your phone.

 

[Determined lass]

First of all, best of luck! I started with Sarria to Santiago a few years ago when I was 28, solo and I'm female and irish too!
I think you'd regret going with a company, as it is so much cheaper organising it yourself and part of the joy of the camino is the freedom to stop when you want.
I am open to different opinions on this but if you're into the social side (as most of us are!), it might be an idea to stay in private/ public albergues, as this gives you more of a chance to interact with other pilgrims, instead of private rooms where fewer people stay.
I'm not sporty, but Sarria to Santiago is not tough if you have any sort of base fitness and a decent part of shoes.
You never never know - you might end up, like me, doing the rest of the French camino and then the northern camino as well!
Buen Camino!

 

[Karen Flannery]

First of all, best of luck! I started with Sarria to Santiago a few years ago when I was 28, solo and I'm female and irish too!
I think you'd regret going with a company, as it is so much cheaper organising it yourself and part of the joy of the camino is the freedom to stop when you want.
I am open to different opinions on this but if you're into the social side (as most of us are!), it might be an idea to stay in private/ public albergues, as this gives you more of a chance to interact with other pilgrims, instead of private rooms where fewer people stay.
I'm not sporty, but Sarria to Santiago is not tough if you have any sort of base fitness and a decent part of shoes.
You never never know - you might end up, like me, doing the rest of the French camino and then the northern camino as well!
Buen Camino!

Hi Determined Lass! I would really like to hear about your experience on the camino a little more - i start my first trip next week really looking forward to the time out though still have a lot of planning to complete! I am going alone and carrying my bag , I intend to stay in the albergues and keep the cost as low as possible - would be very grateful to hear any of your tips / hints

 

[Karen Flannery]

Hi everyone - slightly bashful when reading about all of you accomplished hikers doing the whole route, but I'm starting off with the French Way this May to ease myself in! Irish female (29) travelling alone, really open to the social side of things during the days/evenings over food and wine, but ideally I am keen to have a private room at night and **whispers...** maybe even luggage transfers?? I have looked at the group bookings with different companies and alas my solo status goes against me with the single supplements and quotes are around 750 euro before flights & airport transfers...but maybe this is just my punishment for doing the Camino like a princess?! :-/ That includes private room each night (7 nights), breakfast, dinner, and luggage transfers. Any ideas/suggestions/recommendations? Thanks a mill in advance!

Hi BG what date in May are you starting your walk? i will be doing a similar route with the above so will update you on my return!

 

[clearskiescamino]

Loads of Irish here
If you are wandering through Burgos on or around the 6th of May, keep an eye out for me.

 

[Determined lass]

Hi Karen!
I'd a look at your other messages; just to get an idea of how long you were going for etc.! You are a lot more organised than I ever was!
You'll have a great time-don't over think it as I tended to do-it's just walking and occasional talking!
PACKING: I've always brought a casual-easy to wash/dry dress for evenings-also for when I reached Santiago. I brought a pair of sandals as well, that doubled as walking sandals and evening sandals if my shoes began to hurt. Definitely bring a sleeping bag-I've only walked during the summer and there were times when I would have preferred a sleeping bag to a sleeping bag liner. Your list seems pretty much perfect-I've only ever brought a 35 too. Maybe bring an extra pair of socks and liquid clothes wash-available in any outdoor shop-made washing so much easier as it suds up much easier in cold water. Then again, you could be adding extras forever and end up with a house on your back!
WALKING: I've yet to walk to Finesterre, so I cannot advise you there. I've walked from Ponferrada to Santiago via Samos-which is very doable in 10 days. I'm not sure how easy it is, to get to, from Santiago, as I took an overnight train from Barcelona (city hols with friends beforehand). Sarria to Santiago is also a very doable 5 days and to Finesterre another 3. There are so many ways to do the camino, but whatever you decide to do, I know you'll be happy with it.
Bring a light bag-which it looks like you're already doing. There is plenty of accommodation on the camino frances. It is the one thing I worry about before I go, as people say the camino is overcrowded and gets busier every year. However, I love the freedom of not booking and walking until I've had enough for that day. It always turned out fine.
EXPENDITURE: Daily spending roughly averaged out at 30e a day-coffee, medication, accommodation, food ( mixture of supermarket, cafe, communal meals, occasional menu de peregrino)
SAFETY: I've never felt really unsafe on the camino. There was just one time where I felt uncomfortable with a male pilgrim, so I hopped on a bus for 5km-met another female pilgrim on the bus who'd met him and had a similar story to me about him. There are usually so many people walking -you are never really alone!
Sorry for the long rambling reply. I'm probably repeating what many others have said before, but I hope it helps!
Pdf of stages:
http://www.aucoeurduchemin.org/userfiles/file/PDF/DOCUMENTS/PROFILS/profil_d_etapes_voir.pdf

 

[Determined lass]

Sorry-I also meant to say that the camino was/is a lovely experience. I met lovely people( vast, vast majority were lovely). However there were days when I wondered what I was doing walking day after day. Then something or someone would happen that made everything worthwhile-a few examples being a local person paying for my breakfast in Sarria, being brought to a local wine cellar to taste local wines, local man bringing us ( did not go on my own!) for tapas and wine in Pamplona and Burgos and insisting on paying for us And the simple every day pleasures of sitting around in the afternoon with a coffee/ glass of wine etc. and chatting-along with time to walk alone.

 

[Karen Flannery]

Hi Karen!
I'd a look at your other messages; just to get an idea of how long you were going for etc.! You are a lot more organised than I ever was!
You'll have a great time-don't over think it as I tended to do-it's just walking and occasional talking!
PACKING: I've always brought a casual-easy to wash/dry dress for evenings-also for when I reached Santiago. I brought a pair of sandals as well, that doubled as walking sandals and evening sandals if my shoes began to hurt. Definitely bring a sleeping bag-I've only walked during the summer and there were times when I would have preferred a sleeping bag to a sleeping bag liner. Your list seems pretty much perfect-I've only ever brought a 35 too. Maybe bring an extra pair of socks and liquid clothes wash-available in any outdoor shop-made washing so much easier as it suds up much easier in cold water. Then again, you could be adding extras forever and end up with a house on your back!
WALKING: I've yet to walk to Finesterre, so I cannot advise you there. I've walked from Ponferrada to Santiago via Samos-which is very doable in 10 days. I'm not sure how easy it is, to get to, from Santiago, as I took an overnight train from Barcelona (city hols with friends beforehand). Sarria to Santiago is also a very doable 5 days and to Finesterre another 3. There are so many ways to do the camino, but whatever you decide to do, I know you'll be happy with it.
Bring a light bag-which it looks like you're already doing. There is plenty of accommodation on the camino frances. It is the one thing I worry about before I go, as people say the camino is overcrowded and gets busier every year. However, I love the freedom of not booking and walking until I've had enough for that day. It always turned out fine.
EXPENDITURE: Daily spending roughly averaged out at 30e a day-coffee, medication, accommodation, food ( mixture of supermarket, cafe, communal meals, occasional menu de peregrino)
SAFETY: I've never felt really unsafe on the camino. There was just one time where I felt uncomfortable with a male pilgrim, so I hopped on a bus for 5km-met another female pilgrim on the bus who'd met him and had a similar story to me about him. There are usually so many people walking -you are never really alone!
Sorry for the long rambling reply. I'm probably repeating what many others have said before, but I hope it helps!
Pdf of stages:
http://www.aucoeurduchemin.org/userfiles/file/PDF/DOCUMENTS/PROFILS/profil_d_etapes_voir.pdf

Hi DL , Thank you for the above this is really useful information! to be honest i think i was prepared a few weeks ago - not so much now though :/ i cant fit all of my items into my bag!!! I best get looking for my dress for the evening time ( I hadn't considered that though good idea!) I will pick up some of the liquid wash also ( I am a terrible horrder so really trying to keep my bag as minimal as possible!)
Thank you again i am going to absorb this info and maybe come back with more questions if that's ok!

 

[Karen Flannery]

Sorry-I also meant to say that the camino was/is a lovely experience. I met lovely people( vast, vast majority were lovely). However there were days when I wondered what I was doing walking day after day. Then something or someone would happen that made everything worthwhile-a few examples being a local person paying for my breakfast in Sarria, being brought to a local wine cellar to taste local wines, local man bringing us ( did not go on my own!) for tapas and wine in Pamplona and Burgos and insisting on paying for us And the simple every day pleasures of sitting around in the afternoon with a coffee/ glass of wine etc. and chatting-along with time to walk alone.

arrrrwww this sounds lovely..I'm really looking forward to the experience now and finding it hard to believe that i will hopefully be waking up ready to start my camino this day next week!!!

 

[Determined lass]

Thanks Karen! Best of luck trying to pack everything. Ask away, if you have any more questions, but I'm sure you'll be fine!

 

[BG_Eire]

Hi Karen - sorry, I hadn't checked back in here in a while! I'm leaving on May 9th - tried booking accommodation ahead but lots of places were booked out. I'm recreating the route my sister did in 2009 from Sarria to Santiago so am limited to her stop-offs which also happen to be the most popular! Soooo I ended up booking through a group in Dublin Hadn't thought about the occasionally walking in sandals option - just have my trusty runners ready so far and flimsy Penneys sandals for the evenings! Must also get a light dress to throw in. Enjoy your Camino Karen - hope you have a ball!

 

[Karen Flannery]

Hi Karen - sorry, I hadn't checked back in here in a while! I'm leaving on May 9th - tried booking accommodation ahead but lots of places were booked out. I'm recreating the route my sister did in 2009 from Sarria to Santiago so am limited to her stop-offs which also happen to be the most popular! Soooo I ended up booking through a group in Dublin Hadn't thought about the occasionally walking in sandals option - just have my trusty runners ready so far and flimsy Penneys sandals for the evenings! Must also get a light dress to throw in. Enjoy your Camino Karen - hope you have a ball!

You are more prepared than I BG.. I only have my first evening reserved so far and i fly out on Thursday.. starting to panic a little now thinking i should really research the route a little more! i'm going to see about booking a few more places for accommodation just in case it's very busy, could anyone recommend a place to stay in Portomarin?

 

[mspath]

There are several pilgrim albergues both private and Xunta in Portomarin as well hotels. Check www.Gronze.com for a list of many.

Buen camino!