Recognizing that this is an old thread and bringing some history into it. Driving the Camino was much more prevalent before the current revival was well underway. I'm looking at The Way to Santiago, a tourist booklet by the Secretaria de Estado de Turismo from 1977. As it shows the route, it is careful to show where all the gas stations are. I'm sure, however, that the intended audience of the booklet would get out f their cars and walk around at regular intervals (in villages and towns).
I know that people driving the Camino was still not uncommon in 1989. My Camino that year was a mix of hitchhiking and walking, and for the hitching part, I seemed as often to get rides from pilgrims driving the Camino from other European countries as I did from local Spaniards.
Yes, it is interesting how things develops. I am sure than the camino historically have been dangerous and taking a lot longer, as many had to beg or work for food and shelter.
I remember my first camino, where I wanted to walk all the way, but still took a boat and the train one stop on del Norte - you could walk on the bridge, but was a little to dangerous for me - however I met this retired Austrian couple who had walked the bridge and almost had to run from the train…
I felt I should walk…
Last summer I didn’t feel at home on the camino and decided to travel instead after Burgos, and took bus and even a taxi, where I feelt a naughty schoolgirl.
And I have always said “yes, you can take the bus/taxi/train, it is your camino” - but in my heart I honestly felt they were cheating… but cheating who? Well, if you claim to have walked, then you tell a lie if you hadn’t, but who should care? And what do we have to prove?
Anyway of course I didn’t claim the Compostela.
This year I will walk camino Primitivo with someone who wants us to go by bicycle the last day - and to be honest my first reaction was… Argh… but why not? I have walked the last part before… it could be fun.
And as my mother can’t walk… maybe we could drive it… interesting thought.