SarahTheKiwi
Active Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Planning 2024 Camino Frances
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I have done both in different parts of my Caminos.Hi - I'm researching for May 2024. I'm thinking about staying "off stage" for pretty much the whole Camino Frances, starting with Bordo/Orrison (yes, will book early!), then pushing past Roncesvalles for the 2nd night, and continue. Would be interested to hear from people who have Camino'ed both on stage and off stage, and how your experiences differed? Is there more infrastructure in "stage" areas such as cafes/bars/shops? Would I still have the same possibilities for making friendships along the Way? (stupid question but I do want some comradery).
I'm a sociable but shy introvert, and a deep planner. I'm not interested in any bed race, or staying where the crowds are, or blindly following a guide book. Maybe by staying off stage I can reduce my need to plan so much, and experience the Camino the way it should be?
Many thanks for your helpful information.
I can only talk from my 2019 experience, April that was. Off-stage does not mean no people, there will be less, but still often plenty of people staying in the same village or hostel or whatever. All you do off-stage is you avoid the peak crowd. Plus that stages are not 100% well defined as there are several guidebooks and websites suggesting different stages.Hi - I'm researching for May 2024. I'm thinking about staying "off stage" for pretty much the whole Camino Frances, starting with Bordo/Orrison (yes, will book early!), then pushing past Roncesvalles for the 2nd night, and continue. Would be interested to hear from people who have Camino'ed both on stage and off stage, and how your experiences differed? Is there more infrastructure in "stage" areas such as cafes/bars/shops? Would I still have the same possibilities for making friendships along the Way? (stupid question but I do want some comradery).
I'm a sociable but shy introvert, and a deep planner. I'm not interested in any bed race, or staying where the crowds are, or blindly following a guide book. Maybe by staying off stage I can reduce my need to plan so much, and experience the Camino the way it should be?
Many thanks for your helpful information.
I can relate to that a bit. Whenever I entered one of the bigger places, Burgos, Leon, Lugo, even Santiago itself, I started to feel a bit lonely! Whereas the few I met and talked with in the smaller places gave me a better feeling of camaraderie. I only made friends in the smaller places and while walking. Never in the bigger places.I will mention an aspect which was not mentioned in other reactions. I am rather an introvert person myself and I did find on the Camino Frances that the crowds on this route did not , to me at least, facilitate the development of comrades. It is like a paradox more people does not necessarily mean more ( or more intensive) contacts. In cities where many pilgrims stay, the crowds disperse over many places to stay and restaurants,. Everyday I saw new people. In Burgos I changed over to Zamora to walk the Via Sanabres. There weren't many pilgrims but I got far more the sense of a "community " than on the Frances. Perhaps staying "between stages" might have some effect like this to
We only walked from Leon to Santiago but we made a point of staying in the smaller centres wherever we could. These included: Villar de Mazarife, Hospital de Orbigo, Murias de Rechivaldo, Rabanal, El Acebo, Molinaseca, Camponaraya (but Cacabelos is nicer), Villafranca Del Bierzo, Vega de Valcarce, O Cebreiro, Biduedo, Samos, Rente (we stayed in a farmhouse - loved this place, great hospitality), Castromaior - we enjoyed them all. Some of them had tiny populations but warm hospitality.Hi - I'm researching for May 2024. I'm thinking about staying "off stage" for pretty much the whole Camino Frances, starting with Bordo/Orrison (yes, will book early!), then pushing past Roncesvalles for the 2nd night, and continue. Would be interested to hear from people who have Camino'ed both on stage and off stage, and how your experiences differed? Is there more infrastructure in "stage" areas such as cafes/bars/shops? Would I still have the same possibilities for making friendships along the Way? (stupid question but I do want some comradery).
I'm a sociable but shy introvert, and a deep planner. I'm not interested in any bed race, or staying where the crowds are, or blindly following a guide book. Maybe by staying off stage I can reduce my need to plan so much, and experience the Camino the way it should be?
Many thanks for your helpful information.
The French Miam Miam Dodo guides also avoid it, though their guide to the CF isn’t as good as there guides to the routes in France.The stage organization of Brierley's and similar guides, or the Gronze website get to be distractions if you don't realise quickly that they are merely structures, and don't have meaning in their own right. If it makes planning difficult, consider one of the guides, like Raymond Joos' Spain: Way of St. James Camino Frances, which is arranged differently. Alison Raju's guides also avoid using a stage approach. I'm sure there will be others.
If you aren't staying in Roncesvalles, as you walk up to it and through it be aware that you are walking through the landscape of myth and legend and the Matter of France.Thanks again folks. Planning as far as Borda/Orrison, then skip Roncesvalles (no desire to stay there) to next town or Esplin, then wing it from there. I've enjoyed looking at the Godesalco route planner, although I will also have to be careful to take into account hills and terrain type. I have an appointment in two weeks at the travel agent (yes we now need an appointment!), and I've asked for leave from work..... it is becoming real! Ekk!
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