Frances to Sanabres

[Keikochan]

Thinking of starting in early June, I'd like to cross the Pyrenees this time from SJPP to Roncesvalles where I started my first Camino 10 years ago. Then I want to switch to Sanabres after walking Frances for a few weeks to follow my precious memories of the first Camino. Is there any transportation somewhere near Leon to somewhere after Samora? I have only 6 weeks in all including Barcelona ->Pamplona ->SJPP. Do you think I'm wanting too much? I checked major bus companies such as ALSA but can't find anything. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Also, is June good season in terms of weather and congestion on CF?

 

[Bradypus]

You could take an ALSA bus from Leon to Benavente. Then a local bus from there to Puebla de Sanabria.

 

[Robo]

One option might be to go from Leon to Zamora.
Then you have 2 days walk North from Zamora before branching West at Granja on the Sanbres.
Zamora is worth seeing. Some will say the day heading North out of Zamora is not nice as it's alongside a highway. It's mostly some distance from the highway and a really good track.

You could get off the bus at Benavente, but then you'd need to track back to Granja (walk or taxi) to join the start of the Sanabres. though I think you could get a bus from Benavente to Puebla de Sanabria.

It all really depends on how much time you have. (are you are a bit limited I see)
And where you want to 'start' the Sanabres.

If it was me? and looking for something new?

I'd consider staying on the Frances to Astorga.
Then heading South (the wrong way) on the VdlP to Granja. (some great walking!)
Then head West on the Sanabres.

If time is limited, and you have walked the Frances before anyway,
Jump forward by train from Burgos to Astorga, or Fromista to Astorga or from Sahagun to Astoga etc etc.

Lots of options on Rome2Rio.
Between that and Gronze (which is what I just did) you should come up with a plan that suits you.

A lot of the path between Astorga and Granja is on the Via Verde, an old railway line.

 

[Keikochan]

Thank you two for your quick reply. (Actually, quicker than it took for me to post the question!)
I didn't know there are such a lot of options. Now it'll be much fun to consider my route. Is 3 weeks enough to walk Sanabres? I'm a slow walker and can't keep walking more than 25km per day (better less than 20km).

 

[Robo]

Thank you two for your quick reply. (Actually, quicker than it took for me to post the question!)
I didn't know there are such a lot of options. Now it'll be much fun to consider my route. Is 3 weeks enough to walk Sanabres? I'm a slow walker and can't keep walking more than 25km per day (better less than 20km).

Three weeks?
20 kms x 21 = 420 kms.
Maybe throw in a rest day just in case.
So pick somewhere to start that is about 400 kms from Santaigo on the Sanabres

Looks like Granja
(and you still have a couple of days spare)

 

[Bradypus]

So pick somewhere to start that is about 400 kms from Santaigo on the Sanabres

About 421km from Zamora to Santiago. So more or less anywhere after that.
The Godesalco planner is a useful tool to quickly check distances between towns and villages on the route. I find it handy for planning daily stages.

Planificador - Vía de la Plata - Godesalco.com

Perfiles altitudinales, planificación de etapas y archivos GPS para la Vía de la Plata.

godesalco.com

 

[Antonius Vaessen]

I walked the CF to Burgos, then the crowds got too much for me and I took a bus to Zamora and walked from there. You would not walk the meseta then and save some days and can walk easily from Zamora to Santiago If you like the meseta this will not be an option. But the walk out of Zamora resembles the Meseta I think ( but I did not walk the meseta myself)

 

[camino07]

In 2013 I took a bus from Burgos to Zamora to walk the Sanabrese after walking the Aragones and a bit of the Frances.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Is 3 weeks enough to walk Sanabres?

The other day @peregrina2000 posted a map with distances. This includes various routes from the Francés to the Sanabres in case you want to walk them instead of bus.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/a-route-like-the-vdlp.84747/#post-1214064

 

[geraldkelly]

There are buses from Leon to Beneventa, from there you can get a bus which will drop you in Granja de Moreuela or a different one to Puebla de Sanabria. I can't remember the name of the bus company but these are local buses so fairly frequent and you buy the ticket from the driver.

 

[Bradypus]

I can't remember the name of the bus company but these are local buses so fairly frequent and you buy the ticket from the driver.

autobuses y taxis julio fernandez

autobuses y taxis julio fernandez

autocaresjfernandez.com

 

[Quietways]

...or cheap bus from Burgos to Zamora. Then short local from Zamora to Granja to start your Sanabres.

The Frances crowds were just a bit too intense this April, so did the above to walk the peaceful Sanabres instead.

 

[Keikochan]

Thank you so much for all the information you gave about the buses. I feel quite at ease to know there are so many ways to go. I guess I'll just start Frances, see how I can proceed (surely slower than 10 years ago), weather (hope not raining hard as last summer) and how congested, and decide at which city to leave Frances. I hope I can find the convenient buses, though walking all the way through sounds very attractive. Are the bus terminals in the big cities like Burgos or Leon mostly close to the cities? Taking buses has never come to my mind, and never thought of looking for one. I'm getting really excited planning.

 

[MARSKA]

You could take an ALSA bus from Leon to Benavente. Then a local bus from there to Puebla de Sanabria.

Question- how do you locate the "local" buses?

 

[Bradypus]

Question- how do you locate the "local" buses?

Link for the timetable and bus company details in post #11 above

 

[geraldkelly]

In June the Camino Frances before Sarria won't be busy. I've walked parts of it the last 3 summers and I was often struck by how quite it was. The busy periods now are after Easter and September.

 

[Antonius Vaessen]

Question- how do you locate the "local" buses?

Most of the time there is a busstation