Going guideless on the Le Puy?

[Cleenjones]

In 2022 I completed my first camino (CF), and now I’m hooked! I’m planning on walking from Le Puy en Velay to SJPP later this year (either May or September) and am wondering if anyone has experience navigating the Le Puy without a hard-cover guide. If so, in hind-site, would you do it again?

For those of you who recommend purchasing a guide - which one? I’ve been reading a lot about Miam Miam Dodo, but don’t want to lug 4 volumes around, as I understand the electronic version is no longer available.

Many thanks!

 

[EL LECHERO]

I'm walking the Le Puy in a couple of weeks. I've walked the Primitivo last year and the CF in 2016. Both without guidebooks. (because i forget them on the kitchen counter right before leaving for the airport) LOL
I did fine with those two. But this Camino the GR 65 I WILL bring my guide book mainly for the booking of the GITES which is somewhat of a requirement so that the GITE owners know how much food to cook etc. Otherwise I'd just wing it like the other ones......

 

[Cleenjones]

Have a wonderful Camino El LECHERO!
Curious - which Guide book are you taking with you on the Le Puy?

 

[amandurr]

How exciting! There are a few apps (Via Podiensis is one through wise pilgrim) that would probably serve your purpose! I found they didn't have every gite listed in MMDD but were decent enough.

There is also a FB Group (link here) that has lots of helpful info, but also an incredible spreadsheet Dave Whitson put together listing gites and other resources.

 

[Cleenjones]

Thank you!

 

[Antonius Vaessen]

In 2022 I completed my first camino (CF), and now I’m hooked! I’m planning on walking from Le Puy en Velay to SJPP later this year (either May or September) and am wondering if anyone has experience navigating the Le Puy without a hard-cover guide. If so, in hind-site, would you do it again?

For those of you who recommend purchasing a guide - which one? I’ve been reading a lot about Miam Miam Dodo, but don’t want to lug 4 volumes around, as I understand the electronic version is no longer available.

Many thanks!

I bought the Miam Miam Dodo books before I left and " studied" them in planning. During my walk I did not use them at all. The markings along the route were very clear and for extra information on and review of accomodations, possible problems you might encounter "en route" I found the Gronze website very convenient. After about 10 days I gave the Miam Muam Dodos away. (It's not that the Miam Miam Dodos are bad, they are quite good but they just offer much more information than I neede For instance the many maps are in itself very good and detailed but an indidividual map covers only a small terrain. In case of doubt I found it sometimes hard to find my actual position on them) They weigh about half a kilo. There used to be a Miam Miam Dodoapp, but I don't think it still is available. ( actual information expired after a year)6

 

[Mobilemejen]

How exciting! There are a few apps (Via Podiensis is one through wise pilgrim) that would probably serve your purpose! I found they didn't have every gite listed in MMDD but were decent enough.

There is also a FB Group (link here) that has lots of helpful info, but also an incredible spreadsheet Dave Whitson put together listing gites and other resources.

Please repost the link for the FB group. I am looking for inspiration, suggestions, wisdom.

I walked Le Puy in 18, after CF 17, and have done part or all of CF again several more times---foot issue cut one short. on the LP I remember not seeing anyone else walking for hours at a time---needing to carry food since towns are fewer, and missed open for lunch time a couple of times and even got to some on time and they were out of food! ---more Costco turkey jerky and local cheese to pack! and Water---pay attention to water availability.

 

[amandurr]

Please repost the link for the FB group. I am looking for inspiration, suggestions, wisdom.

I walked Le Puy in 18, after CF 17, and have done part or all of CF again several more times---foot issue cut one short. on the LP I remember not seeing anyone else walking for hours at a time---needing to carry food since towns are fewer, and missed open for lunch time a couple of times and even got to some on time and they were out of food! ---more Costco turkey jerky and local cheese to pack! and Water---pay attention to water availability.

Woops on the link! It might be more straightforward to just look it up on FB, here's the name: GR65 Via Podiensis : walking the Le Puy route in France

 

[Former member 104756]

@Cleenjones I will be walking the Le Puy Way for thé second time later this year. I recently bought an electronic version of the Cicerone guidebook, published in late 2022 and written by Dave Whitson, aka @Dave I’ve downloaded it to the Kindle app on my phone and iPad. It provides a wealth of information at your fingertips without carrying a hard copy book.

Via Podiensis GR65 pilgrim walking guidebook - trek the

Guidebook to walking the 735km Via Podiensis (GR65) pilgrim route from Le Puy-en-Velay to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. Includes Célé Valley and Rocamadour…

www.cicerone.co.uk

 

[John Gilliland]

The Miam miam Dodo ebooks are available:

Collection E-Books Miam Miam Dodo

Découvrez la version numérique de nos guides Miam Miam Dodo

www.levieuxcrayon.com

 

[Cleenjones]

@Cleenjones I will be walking the Le Puy Way for thé second time later this year. I recently bought an electronic version of the Cicerone guidebook, published in late 2022 and written by Dave Whitson, aka @Dave I’ve downloaded it to the Kindle app on my phone and iPad. It provides a wealth of information at your fingertips without carrying a hard copy book.

Via Podiensis GR65 pilgrim walking guidebook - trek the

Guidebook to walking the 735km Via Podiensis (GR65) pilgrim route from Le Puy-en-Velay to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. Includes Célé Valley and Rocamadour…

www.cicerone.co.uk

Thank you for the recommendation! This forum is amazing.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I used "The Lightfoot Guide to the Via Podiensis" by Angelyn Meya in 2018 and it was very helpful as it had many gites listed along the way; giving many options, prices and other details. I took screenshots on my phone of all the necessary pages, which worked well and then deleted them each day as we walked. I am not sure if there is a newer updated version. I have also used a Cicerone guide on the Norte by Dave Whitson Caminos and it was very good as well.

 

[Camineiro]

A kind of online Miam Miam Dodo for the GR65/Voie de Puy is found on this website.
One can zoom into the map and klick the symbols (accommodation).
The site seems to have underwent a makeover.

 

[CTLawGal]

Le Puy is on my list! Very helpful information about needing to be prepared to carry food. Thinking of starting it from Geneva, which would probably be 9 weeks I think. Curious whether people feel this route is best in the spring (would March be too early to start?) or the fall (start September, finish November)? Also whether it feels safe for a woman to walk alone?

 

[lt56ny]

I walked with just an almost useless Michelin guide and no telephone in 2015. I wish I had a better guide for places to stay and knowing what villages had services. I went a few days without eating from breakfast to arriving in the Gite. GIte owners called ahead to make reservations for me. It was a little stressful at times. Both Wise Pilgrim and Buen Camino apps have guides with GPS. I do not believe Buen Camino has any gites listed. There is also Gronze.com which is free that has a large number of accommodations as well as mileage and elevation maps.

 

[thomryng]

I'm also in the process of doing my research for walking the Via Podiensis (in 2024), and so far the best guide I've found is the Cicerone guide by @Dave.

https://www.amazon.com/Camino-Santiago-Podiensis-Pyrenees-GR65/dp/178631102X/?tag=casaivar02-20

https://www.cicerone.co.uk/camino-de-santiago-via-podiensis

While it appears that you could walk with just a link to Gronze on your phone, I personally appreciate the little historical and cultural tidbits that help me understand what I'm seeing - not to mention alternate routes, walking directions (useful if you can't find a sign), and maps.

 

[BillW]

FWIW... The advent of GPS apps has made the turn-by-turn instructions in guidebooks pretty obsolete. I carried Miam Do Do and Cicerone books, but never used them for wayfinding. I just used the signs and a mapping app.

Where I found guides most useful was to plan out my next day. It's nice to see the upcoming terrain, variant options, historical sites and where food/drink are available. That said, I bet you could do that by just logging onto sites like Gronze from your gite or using the electronic versions.

 

[jumada]

I walked Le Puy to St Jean last Sept/Oct. The GR65 markings are excellent for following the route without a guidebook, but you need to be aware that there are many GR routes that criss-cross each other so only follow the red/white blaze for the GR65.
There are GPS tracks available online - check out Efren's Youtube videos

.
FB has an excellent group for planning questions, plus a listing of most of the gites and services along the way - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ViaPodiensis. The online guide is updated yearly by group moderator, Rob Forrester and can be downloaded. The gite links are active. As mentioned earlier, Miam Miam Dodo and Gronze are also great for planning and finding accommodation which needs to be reserved a few days in advance because of meal prep. If needed at the last minute, the Cathedral in Le Puy sells a Michelin map guide which I saw many people using. It's a great walk. Bon chemin!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I love Efren's videos and try to watch them all as he releases them, as I am a subscriber.

 

[thomryng]

FWIW... The advent of GPS apps has made the turn-by-turn instructions in guidebooks pretty obsolete. I carried Miam Do Do and Cicerone books, but never used them for wayfinding. I just used the signs and a mapping app.

Fair enough - though personally I prefer a book to a phone for several reasons: you don't need to recharge a book, and in my experience GPS apps really burn through the battery. And the books seem to do better when I drop them.

 

[patriciafross]

I walked from Le Puy to Cahors last year in September with my husband and he kept going on to Santiago. The Miam Miam Dodo book came in handy. I am going back this September to walk from Cahors to Pamplona and I will take the guide.

 

[patriciafross]

Le Puy is on my list! Very helpful information about needing to be prepared to carry food. Thinking of starting it from Geneva, which would probably be 9 weeks I think. Curious whether people feel this route is best in the spring (would March be too early to start?) or the fall (start September, finish November)? Also whether it feels safe for a woman to walk alone?

We walked from Le Puy last September and met many women who were walking it alone ( that said, you always make friends so you are never really alone). I am walking from Cahors to Pamplona alone this September and I don’t have any worries.

 

[BlackRocker57]

A kind of online Miam Miam Dodo for the GR65/Voie de Puy is found on this website.
One can zoom into the map and klick the symbols (accommodation).
The site seems to have underwent a makeover.

this is their companion website!

 

[BlackRocker57]

How exciting! There are a few apps (Via Podiensis is one through wise pilgrim) that would probably serve your purpose! I found they didn't have every gite listed in MMDD but were decent enough.

There is also a FB Group (link here) that has lots of helpful info, but also an incredible spreadsheet Dave Whitson put together listing gites and other resources.

In fact, Dave Whitson’s super spreadsheet is available in this forum ... try a search and I will try to post a link

 

[BlackRocker57]

I walked with just an almost useless Michelin guide and no telephone in 2015. I wish I had a better guide for places to stay and knowing what villages had services. I went a few days without eating from breakfast to arriving in the Gite. GIte owners called ahead to make reservations for me. It was a little stressful at times. Both Wise Pilgrim and Buen Camino apps have guides with GPS. I do not believe Buen Camino has any gites listed. There is also Gronze.com which is free that has a large number of accommodations as well as mileage and elevation maps.

totally useless imho and now well out-of-date ... Michelin is after all a tyre company

 

[BlackRocker57]

Woops on the link! It might be more straightforward to just look it up on FB, here's the name: GR65 Via Podiensis : walking the Le Puy route in France

It may be possible to link to the group here : <https://m.facebook.com/groups/10818...74F6C2It4dGoNqp7QIZ179vHDk7k&paipv=0&refid=18>

If you decide to join please don’t forget to answer the new member questions ...

 

[BlackRocker57]

In 2022 I completed my first camino (CF), and now I’m hooked! I’m planning on walking from Le Puy en Velay to SJPP later this year (either May or September) and am wondering if anyone has experience navigating the Le Puy without a hard-cover guide. If so, in hind-site, would you do it again?

For those of you who recommend purchasing a guide - which one? I’ve been reading a lot about Miam Miam Dodo, but don’t want to lug 4 volumes around, as I understand the electronic version is no longer available.

Many thanks!

Three volumes only for the Le Puy route and all are available as electronic / digital versions from the publishers website : le Vieux Crayon

 

[BlackRocker57]

Please repost the link for the FB group. I am looking for inspiration, suggestions, wisdom.

I walked Le Puy in 18, after CF 17, and have done part or all of CF again several more times---foot issue cut one short. on the LP I remember not seeing anyone else walking for hours at a time---needing to carry food since towns are fewer, and missed open for lunch time a couple of times and even got to some on time and they were out of food! ---more Costco turkey jerky and local cheese to pack! and Water---pay attention to water availability.

You will find the group here : <https://m.facebook.com/groups/10818...74F6C2It4dGoNqp7QIZ179vHDk7k&paipv=0&refid=18>

 

[BlackRocker57]

How exciting! There are a few apps (Via Podiensis is one through wise pilgrim) that would probably serve your purpose! I found they didn't have every gite listed in MMDD but were decent enough.

There is also a FB Group (link here) that has lots of helpful info, but also an incredible spreadsheet Dave Whitson put together listing gites and other resources.

of the few apps available specifically for the Voie du Puy, the best is Wise Pilgrim

 

[BlackRocker57]

Thank you for the recommendation! This forum is amazing.

Good morning / evening @Cleenjones ... if you decide to join the GR65 Via Podiensis FB group, can you please answer the new member questions ... if you have already put in a request, can you please return to our main FB page where it should say «request pending» or sumsuch and tap on the link to answer the new member questions ...

 

[SueV]

In 2022 I completed my first camino (CF), and now I’m hooked! I’m planning on walking from Le Puy en Velay to SJPP later this year (either May or September) and am wondering if anyone has experience navigating the Le Puy without a hard-cover guide. If so, in hind-site, would you do it again?

For those of you who recommend purchasing a guide - which one? I’ve been reading a lot about Miam Miam Dodo, but don’t want to lug 4 volumes around, as I understand the electronic version is no longer available.

Many thanks!

Hi I walked the Le Puy route last year, returning this year. The Miam Miam Dodo for gîtes, otherwise way markers are excellent. Fellow Pelerins and gîte owners were very helpful. Bon Chemin.

 

[MurrayBruceStewart]

In 2022 I completed my first camino (CF), and now I’m hooked! I’m planning on walking from Le Puy en Velay to SJPP later this year (either May or September) and am wondering if anyone has experience navigating the Le Puy without a hard-cover guide. If so, in hind-site, would you do it again?

For those of you who recommend purchasing a guide - which one? I’ve been reading a lot about Miam Miam Dodo, but don’t want to lug 4 volumes around, as I understand the electronic version is no longer available.

Many thanks!

Hi, I have done this route twice and loved it. Much better scenery than the Spanish part, not a procession but enough people to chat to. Most of it is well-signposted, but there is one early stage (maybe the second or third) which climbs to around 1300 metres and I encountered snow in April - not recommended. The Cicerone Guide to the GR65 from Le Puy to St Jean is quite compact and will get you there. There is a French series called the Topoguides, which are good with good maps but you need to speak French and I think there are three volumes required to get you to the Pyrenees. I am too old to talk about Apps and stuff. There are dormitory-style places, small hotels, but not the massive infrastructure there is on the Spanish Camino Frances. If I was doing it again - I hope I will - I would start mid-May or early September.

 

[Chizuru]

Le Puy is on my list! Very helpful information about needing to be prepared to carry food. Thinking of starting it from Geneva, which would probably be 9 weeks I think. Curious whether people feel this route is best in the spring (would March be too early to start?) or the fall (start September, finish November)? Also whether it feels safe for a woman to walk alone?

We were to have walked it from mid-March to mid-April 2020. Covid killed that dream but I am quite pleased as we followed the weather that we would have had and it rained and snowed heavily for much of that time. I also found that it was essential to pre-book the whole route as there was very little accommodation open until post- Easter and I didn't want to arrive cold, wet and exhausted only to find the only 'open' gite for many towns around was not going to be open because they didn't know that we were coming! We are now poised to fly to Le Puy on 17th April so will hopefully miss the snow. We have pre-booked the whole way which proved to be good as we still had a bit of difficulty in finding open accommodations in some sections, especially the Cele variation.

 

[CTLawGal]

We were to have walked it from mid-March to mid-April 2020. Covid killed that dream but I am quite pleased as we followed the weather that we would have had and it rained and snowed heavily for much of that time. I also found that it was essential to pre-book the whole route as there was very little accommodation open until post- Easter and I didn't want to arrive cold, wet and exhausted only to find the only 'open' gite for many towns around was not going to be open because they didn't know that we were coming! We are now poised to fly to Le Puy on 17th April so will hopefully miss the snow. We have pre-booked the whole way which proved to be good as we still had a bit of difficulty in finding open accommodations in some sections, especially the Cele variation.

Thanks! Super helpful! Buen Camino!

 

[jouffroy47]

In 2022 I completed my first camino (CF), and now I’m hooked! I’m planning on walking from Le Puy en Velay to SJPP later this year (either May or September) and am wondering if anyone has experience navigating the Le Puy without a hard-cover guide. If so, in hind-site, would you do it again?

For those of you who recommend purchasing a guide - which one? I’ve been reading a lot about Miam Miam Dodo, but don’t want to lug 4 volumes around, as I understand the electronic version is no longer available.

Many thanks!

The trail is very well marked and, although I ended up picking up a discarded early edition of the Miam Miam Dodo along the way, you don't need the book for that purpose. It is best for lodging options. The MMDD, while no longer available in it's electronic version, is, however, available as an eBook. If you just want a little map book by stages with elevation charts, there is a very slim Michelin Guide that you may be able to find, although it is out of print, the #161 Chemins de Compostelle.--Le Puy en Velay... Topoguides also available in heavy glossy paper, have great maps, but are in French only. On the other hand, for planning accommodations, I have found Gronze.com very helpful. If you use Chrome as a browser it is viewable in English.

 

[Vagabonder]

I walked my first Camino in France, le Chemin du Puy. I really knew nothing about it and had only booked for Le Puy. Our hostess there told me that I should call the gîte a day ahead to reserve, so I always did. I had no guidebook but had found out about gronze and that was all I needed. I did go to the Office de Tourisme and was given a small booklet that listed places to stay other than what gronze had.
Times have changed—I start from Le Puy in April and just finished reserving all along the way. Several gîtes were already full, even for mid-May (and several never responded) so I often didn’t get my first choice/place we’d liked before, but we’ll enjoy new experiences.

 

[mrosenlof]

walking VP right now. I'm in cahors. the route is marked very well, except maybe not through the larger towns. The wise pilgrim "podiensis" app is great for location and confirming I'm on the path if I havent seen the red and white blaze for a while. 4g cell coverage has been good along the trail.

you need a list of gites or other lodging directory for booking ahead. its common to boo’ at least a day or two in advance. many gites aren't that close to a grocer.

Im using miam miam dodo as my directory. its maps are a bonus.

 

[Cleenjones]

Many thanks! How have you found the walking so far? I understand it is more demanding than the CF…

 

[mrosenlof]

I have not walked CF, so can't compare. Not speaking good French, it's a bit isolated, lots of time for thinking. Can be a bit of a mental challenge. I have been physically challenged for some bits, but the difficult terrain is some relatively short steep climbs, not hours and hours of hard work.

 

[Smash123]

Walked Le Puy to SJPdP from April 3 to May 9 this year. It was AMAZING. I didn't use a guide, but had the Wise Pilgrim Via Podiensis App, AllTrails for nav, and discovered a great network early on "Les Haltes vers Compostelle" https://www.haltesverscompostelle.eu/ . They publish a one page pamphlet with their members' info. It was always my first go-to, because with one exception, the gites were great. I also found a two-page list of gites that was posted in several gites along the way, finally someone gave me their copy of the Michelin guide to the Podiensis, and with all the discussion on the Chemin regarding distance, the Michelin seemed to have the most accurate distances. Many people used Gronze, but I had no problem finding gites with the resources I already had. I usually booked the night before or the day of, and only twice was told they were full.

I met some unilingual anglophones, and those with outgoing personalities and a "CAN DO" linguistic attitude did not seem to lack for company. Personally, I would not have found the experience as enriching as I did without a decent ability in French. There were some who made little effort to speak the language, and I felt they ended up asking a lot from their hosts (some asking for booking help while dinner prep was underway). As for snow - in April, it's not uncommon on the Aubrac plateau. We missed it by a few days, and some who left the week after us had to use transport to get around the plateau. I trained in snow so was prepared for it, and personally would have preferred it to the mud - doesn't stick to the shoes. . . Most gites on the Podiensis are open Apr-Oct.

Bon Chemin

 

[Smash123]

BTW, the Michelin is only about 0.5 cm thick. I don't know if it's the one people are calling "useless" since it only lists a few actual gites, and mostly gives you a good idea of your next step in terms of what's available ahead in terms of services, and how much elevation you can expect. Here is a sample page:

 

[jouffroy47]

Many thanks! How have you found the walking so far? I understand it is more demanding than the CF…

Only the first portion is really physically challenging--say from Le Puy-en-Velay to Conques--after that it flattens out a bit. So say 1/4 of the route. Once you hit the Landes department in the south it is completely flat until you get to the Pyrenees

 

[Smash123]

Only the first portion is really physically challenging--say from Le Puy-en-Velay to Conques--after that it flattens out a bit. So say 1/4 of the route. Once you hit the Landes department in the south it is completely flat until you get to the Pyrenees

It’s so funny you say that. « C’est tout plat » became a bit of a joke amongst the folks I passed. Because it was never flat, but you would hear that all the time. So, to set expectations, I would say there are hills and challenging bits all along with the hardest and hilliest being in the first week and the last day (if you cross to Roncesvalles)

 

[Former member 104756]

discovered a great network early on "Les Haltes vers Compostelle" https://www.haltesverscompostelle.eu/ . They publish a one page pamphlet with their members' info

Great that you mentioned this Sheila. It’s a wonderful resource for many of the Chemins in France

 

[BlackRocker57]

I'm also in the process of doing my research for walking the Via Podiensis (in 2024), and so far the best guide I've found is the Cicerone guide by @Dave.

https://www.amazon.com/Camino-Santiago-Podiensis-Pyrenees-GR65/dp/178631102X/?tag=casaivar02-20

https://www.cicerone.co.uk/camino-de-santiago-via-podiensis

While it appears that you could walk with just a link to Gronze on your phone, I personally appreciate the little historical and cultural tidbits that help me understand what I'm seeing - not to mention alternate routes, walking directions (useful if you can't find a sign), and maps.

is excellent ... a new [second] edition will be published this year with updated information ... I guess that you already know that the author is a contributor here on this forum so you can ask any questions of him that you may have

 

[BlackRocker57]

Walked Le Puy to SJPdP from April 3 to May 9 this year. It was AMAZING. I didn't use a guide, but had the Wise Pilgrim Via Podiensis App, AllTrails for nav, and discovered a great network early on "Les Haltes vers Compostelle" https://www.haltesverscompostelle.eu/ . They publish a one page pamphlet with their members' info. It was always my first go-to, because with one exception, the gites were great. I also found a two-page list of gites that was posted in several gites along the way, finally someone gave me their copy of the Michelin guide to the Podiensis, and with all the discussion on the Chemin regarding distance, the Michelin seemed to have the most accurate distances. Many people used Gronze, but I had no problem finding gites with the resources I already had. I usually booked the night before or the day of, and only twice was told they were full.

I met some unilingual anglophones, and those with outgoing personalities and a "CAN DO" linguistic attitude did not seem to lack for company. Personally, I would not have found the experience as enriching as I did without a decent ability in French. There were some who made little effort to speak the language, and I felt they ended up asking a lot from their hosts (some asking for booking help while dinner prep was underway). As for snow - in April, it's not uncommon on the Aubrac plateau. We missed it by a few days, and some who left the week after us had to use transport to get around the plateau. I trained in snow so was prepared for it, and personally would have preferred it to the mud - doesn't stick to the shoes. . . Most gites on the Podiensis are open Apr-Oct.

Bon Chemin

and what was the «one exception»?? Interested also to hear more about how you used the Wise Pilgrim app ... thanks in advance

 

[BlackRocker57]

I walked my first Camino in France, le Chemin du Puy. I really knew nothing about it and had only booked for Le Puy. Our hostess there told me that I should call the gîte a day ahead to reserve, so I always did. I had no guidebook but had found out about gronze and that was all I needed. I did go to the Office de Tourisme and was given a small booklet that listed places to stay other than what gronze had.
Times have changed—I start from Le Puy in April and just finished reserving all along the way. Several gîtes were already full, even for mid-May (and several never responded) so I often didn’t get my first choice/place we’d liked before, but we’ll enjoy new experiences.

Cher / chère @Vagabonder ... so, how did it go for you last year??

 

[SueV]

In 2022 I completed my first camino (CF), and now I’m hooked! I’m planning on walking from Le Puy en Velay to SJPP later this year (either May or September) and am wondering if anyone has experience navigating the Le Puy without a hard-cover guide. If so, in hind-site, would you do it again?

For those of you who recommend purchasing a guide - which one? I’ve been reading a lot about Miam Miam Dodo, but don’t want to lug 4 volumes around, as I understand the electronic version is no longer available.

Many thanks!

Hi, I’ve walked sections of the Le Puy, absolutely beautiful route and would recommend the Miam Miam Dodo, in French but easy to understand. Great info on gîtes and route, definitely worth carrying. Bon Chemin.

 

[Smash123]

and what was the «one exception»?? Interested also to hear more about how you used the Wise Pilgrim app ... thanks in advance

I just looked thru the HvC pamphlet and my credential, trying to remember what the exception was. I think I made an error, because I remember all the HvC gites very fondly.

When I walked a portion of the Via Podiensis in 2019, my friend and I just picked up a free pamphlet from the Amis de Saint Jacques office in Paris. I knew nothing of the path, but she had walked portions on several occasions (she lives in Paris). I think it was the place we stayed in Lauzerte (where I went again in 2023) that I was disappointed with and made an error thinking it was an HvC gite. It is not.

Anyway expectation when I set out from Le Puy was to grab a similar guide from the Amis de Saint Jacques office in Le Puy. But after 20 hours of travel, all I wanted was to sleep. Though I initially planned to spend an extra day in Le Puy, I met some people on arrival who were all leaving the next day and I got caught up in the excitement. My "guide" ended up being a small collection of pamphlets, word of mouth, the Wise Pilgrim and lists I found along the way. I booked each morning for that night, and I had heard of Gronze, but was never motivated to access it. As you likely know, chat around the dinner table includes everyone's plans for next and final destination (which is how I ended up in Roncesvalles, since it seemed to me that most people coming from NA stop in SJPdP, and most French end in Roncesvalles). Several times my host would offer to make a booking for me, particularly around busy weekends and Easter. I guess I am pretty comfortable travelling by the seat of my pants.

So, Wise Pilgrim was pretty useful at filling any gaps. What I found the most helpful was the user recommendations. In them I found great new gites, and great advice for cafes and other places.