Frances or Portugués?

[JeanneB]

Some advice please. My bag has been packed for 2 years waiting for me to get my plane ticket. 2020 is the year to do this.
Advice needed. I walked from SJPP to Leon in 2006. Stopping there Was planned by the group I was with. I’ve always wanted to make it to Santiago.
I’m dithering on whether to walk the Camino Frances or Camino Portugues. It would be in September 2020.
I would be grateful for suggestions regarding which route to take??
thank you
J

 

[trecile]

Some advice please. My bag has been packed for 2 years waiting for me to get my plane ticket. 2020 is the year to do this.
Advice needed. I walked from SJPP to Leon in 2006. Stopping there Was planned by the group I was with. I’ve always wanted to make it to Santiago.
I’m dithering on whether to walk the Camino Frances or Camino Portuguese. It would be in September 2020.
I would be grateful for suggestions regarding which route to take??
thank you
J

If you do the Francés are you planning to start in León or SJPdP?
I would vote for finishing the Francés.

 

[RJM]

Definitely walk the Frances.

 

[Togabogie]

Do the frances to finish it !! Unless the portuguese one is calling you for personal or geographical reasons!

 

[Anamya]

I love the Portugues, but Leon to Santiago is a great walk, so another vote for that route

 

[CdnDreamer]

I think finishing the Frances would be best. But what is your reason for wanting to walk the Portuguese?

 

[JeanneB]

Some advice please. My bag has been packed for 2 years waiting for me to get my plane ticket. 2020 is the year to do this.
Advice needed. I walked from SJPP to Leon in 2006. Stopping there Was planned by the group I was with. I’ve always wanted to make it to Santiago.
I’m dithering on whether to walk the Camino Frances or Camino Portuguese. It would be in September 2020.
I would be grateful for suggestions regarding which route to take??
thank you
J

Thanks for the quick responses. I was going to start at the beginning in SJPP to get the benefit of the whole experience.
The draw to Portugal - never been there and would like to see it.

 

[JMac56]

Hi JeanneB,
In 2017 I walked from Porto to SdC - Muxia - Fisterra. Then, after a week in London visiting my son, I returned and walked from Leon to SdC. It was a wonderful combination! And I'm sure you will never regret completing the CF. Just a thought.
Buen Camino.

 

[Tincatinker]

Just a thought: but if you have your old credencial from 2006 with a last stamp in Leon then you could start again from there. Just get a stamp to show your re-start date. There is no need, no celestial or secular reason, to start again from StJpdP. Camino benefits come in a variety of package sizes.

That said, Portugal is a great country and well worth visiting. And your journey to Santiago can start from wherever you wish and follow any road you wander (pace the Pilgrims Office)

 

[trecile]

You could do both!

Finish your Camino Francés from León to Santiago, then take the bus to Porto and walk to Santiago.

 

[Hurry Krishna]

Some advice please. My bag has been packed for 2 years waiting for me to get my plane ticket. 2020 is the year to do this.
Advice needed. I walked from SJPP to Leon in 2006. Stopping there Was planned by the group I was with. I’ve always wanted to make it to Santiago.
I’m dithering on whether to walk the Camino Frances or Camino Portugues. It would be in September 2020.
I would be grateful for suggestions regarding which route to take??
thank you
J

Definitely France for me.

 

[surya8]

I was going to start at the beginning in SJPP to get the benefit of the whole experience.
The draw to Portugal - never been there and would like to see it.

Well, if you want the whole experience then the whole Portuguese way takes 3-4 weeks, the original route starts from Lisbon, is well marked, all the infrastructure is there, especially abundant after Porto, the route is busy in season and Sept is definitely high season there. The stretch between Lisbon and Porto is less crowded, there is a different Camino feel there, slightly off the beaten track, less touristic, plenty of nice small towns to explore on the way, great people, good food, international pilgrim mix, possible to walk only speaking English as many Portuguese are fluent in it. This way you could see different sides of the country, especially if you switch from the Central way to the Coastal after Porto. I walked different Caminos in Portugal in all the different seasons and hope to keep coming for more as the country is amazing! If you research the topic you'll find out there is more then Camino from Porto there. Finishing the Frances now is reasonable but your heart decides in the end Bom Caminho!

 

[David Tallan]

Call me another vote for finishing the Frances. You can start at Leon (especially if you still have your credencial as Tincatinker says). You will still have the "complete experience" and have walked the entire route (people may differ one where they think the route starts for the "entire route", or even if there is such a starting place, but there is a fair amount of consensus on where it ends. ).

Don't get me wrong, Portugal and the Camino Portugues is nice. But I would want to finish what I had started and there are also so very nice bits between Leon and SdC on the Frances.

 

[JeanneB]

Many thanks for all the replies and suggestions.
It’s clear that Frances is #1 option, starting at Leon. Sadly I’ve lost my credentials (it’s been 15 years and several moves) although I still have my shell.
again - thank you!

 

[Harland2019]

Whilst I have only walked the CF the thing that I really enjoyed, having started in SJPdP, is the companionship that you build up over the full route that you may not if walking the last 200 miles. Even though I didn't speak their language on most occasions but the pleasure of seeing someone most days or after a few days made the walk/pilgrimage for me. It may be just a shout from a café/bar at the end of the day to join them for a "beverage" or just a handshake of welcome - so for me I would start at SJPdP to enjoy the comradeship experience that you build up if you have the time.

 

[CdnDreamer]

I agree that you do make great friends walking from SJPdP, but last year I started walking from the train station in Leon and met a woman at the first albergue outside of Leon. She had also started walking from the train station that day, and we had been walking about a half hour apart. We ended up having dinner together and walking almost the whole route together to Santiago. We also joined a group that had started in SJPdP and spent lots of the time walking with them. So maybe I was lucky, but I met up with lots of people on the Frances, even though I started in Leon. So if you only have the time to start in Leon, stay open, chat with people, and you can make friends.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I'd finish the Frances

 

[snowwhite1962]

I just finished the Portuguese in October (from Porto only). While I enjoyed it, I would say Frances.

 

[Helen O'Shaughnessy]

My advice would be, to get a new Credential and walk from Leon. Complete you French Camino and hop on a bus to Porto and walk from there.
You’ll find the French Camino busy compared to years ago !
And the Portuguese has its own charms. I loved Porto, and the tiles and cobbles.
Buen Camino or Bom Camino ! Have fun

 

[David Tallan]

And the Portuguese has its own charms. I loved Porto, and the tiles and cobbles.
Buen Camino or Bom Camino ! Have fun

I loved the tiles. The cobblestones, however, while charming to the tourist were not as charming to the pilgrim. ;-)

 

[Lona]

Thanks for the quick responses. I was going to start at the beginning in SJPP to get the benefit of the whole experience.
The draw to Portugal - never been there and would like to see it.

My friend and I are planning our Porto Camino for mid September. Maybe see you there. And let’s share our plan.

 

[Sue127]

Whilst I have only walked the CF the thing that I really enjoyed, having started in SJPdP, is the companionship that you build up over the full route that you may not if walking the last 200 miles. Even though I didn't speak their language on most occasions but the pleasure of seeing someone most days or after a few days made the walk/pilgrimage for me. It may be just a shout from a café/bar at the end of the day to join them for a "beverage" or just a handshake of welcome - so for me I would start at SJPdP to enjoy the comradeship experience that you build up if you have the time.

This is something I'm looking forward to - first Camino next September!