Has anyone ever walked some driven some walked some.

[nadprosper]

What I mean to ask is.....has anyone ever walked part way, then driven some, then walked some....? It was an idea that occured to me as I planned my itinerary and found myself a bit time crunched. The truth is, I would like to take it slow ( real slow...like app. 15K - 20K a day ) and still have some time at the end to enjoy Santiago. Figured I could cut off a few days by hitching about 100 K. My first feeling about this is that it would be ' cheating ', and I may somehow be disappointed in the end. So I find myself torn....slow and leisurely or a little more aggressive to make it in my available time. Any opinions, ideas and/or thoughts would be much appreciated. Thank you all so much.....

Kenny

 

[Luco]

if people bus across the Meseta then I would not hold it against them

seriously, loved every minute of it, but some of the routes through the industrial agricultural areas weren't exactly visually spectacular

 

[sillydoll]

Walking-bus-taxi

There is no such thing as cheating! Most people get a plane, train, bus to the place they choose to start. In the medieval sense that is cheating! They should walk all the way from home. (Bit difficult if you live on a different continent!)

Seriously though, you only have to walk the last 100kms to earn the Compostela - how you cover the rest of the way is not important so don't feel guilty if you have to take an occaisonal bus, taxi, donkey or camel (yes they are there too!).

1000's of pilgrims (especailly Spanish pilgrims) start at Sarria and only walk the last 114kms to earn the Compostela. One can't accuse them of cheating because they didn't start further back or in a different country.

I walked every inch of the way from Roncesvalles to Santiago in 2002.
In 2004 I walked most of the way from Paris to Roncesvalles (taking a couple of detours to Lourdes etc and thereby cutting a few corners) and then we hired a car and drove from Pamplona to Lugo. We got a bus to Sarria and then walked to Santiago from there.

You do your camino the best way you can in the time you've got and don't feel guilty of you have to make up time by using transport. I'm sure that even the medieval peasant hitched the odd ride on a donkey or mule!

 

[Anonymous]

True. The only way that you can 'cheat' the pilgrimage is to lie to yourself and/or others.
If you are drawn to Santiago then go to Santiago. If you want to feel 'proper' and get the Compostela then walk the last 100 in unbroken days (they will check your passport).

I don't know about your God but if he's the same as mine he doesn't give a monkey's how you get anywhere as long as you respond to inner calls and don't lie - either to yourself or others .... so go - enjoy.

St. Teresa of Avilia didn't walk, she did it in a coach and four (coachman turned the whole thing over into a ditch in a storm. She scrambled out, soaking and covered in mud, shook her fist at the sky, and shouted "God! If this is how you treat your friends it's not surprising you have so many enemies!").

 

[Minkey]

Erm.. I'll happily admit to getting the train from El Burgo Raniero to Leon. I'd have missed my flight or had to seriously rethink my walk plans otherwise... I think it was El Burgo, anyway... I'm not gonna flagelate myself for the sake of one day's walking!

Re: the meseta... Yeah, it's a bit of a chore at times... My favourite part was the route up to Burgos... Stunning, I thought!

 

[Magnara]

We took a train for an hour (which equalled 3 days walking in distance!, 100 km) that took us into Leon, as we battled fierce, icy headwinds and total fog on the meseta and our knees and feet became more and more worrying. A couple of days in Leon restored us physically and mentally, it was very worth while, we might not have finished otherwise either from becoming miserable or from injury. We also twice took a bus 5km through a dreary industrial patch. Again, it was great.Walking for us was joy and we walked with great pleasure 700 km, ending in Santiago. Do it your way, it's your camino.
Magnara

 

[Wannes]

I don't care how people choose to do the distance on the camino. everybody does it the way they feel is best

but what IS important is that people who have taken a train or a bus or whatever during the day should wait before checking in at the refugio until all the pilgrims who did the distance the hard way have a bed.
I've had it happen a few times that i arrived late in a full refugio and found 4-5-6 ppl chilling in their beds after a whole day on the bus. Most of the time i only had to ask politely and someone would give up their bunk, but once or twice I really had to get very angry... and that is a shame because getting angry on the camino is a silly thing to do...

 

[Ulysse]

Belgae bravissimi sunt !

 

[Wannes]

You can't argue with history

 

[Minkey]

Totally agree with you, Wannes. It's not fair that someone who's walked for a day can't get a bed just because someone took alternative means of getting to their destination!

When going up O Cebrero I noticed a load of people had their packs sent to the top... I've got no problem with that, but can't really understand it, when you're carrying it the rest of the time!!

 

[Ronald Boivin]

What I mean to ask is.....has anyone ever walked part way, then driven some, then walked some....? It was an idea that occured to me as I planned my itinerary and found myself a bit time crunched. The truth is, I would like to take it slow ( real slow...like app. 15K - 20K a day ) and still have some time at the end to enjoy Santiago. Figured I could cut off a few days by hitching about 100 K. My first feeling about this is that it would be ' cheating ', and I may somehow be disappointed in the end. So I find myself torn....slow and leisurely or a little more aggressive to make it in my available time. Any opinions, ideas and/or thoughts would be much appreciated. Thank you all so much.....

Kenny

Because of a serious infection in my toes, I had to get a cab driving to the meseta. Then, debilitating shin splints prevented me from doing finisterre and Muxia which I did by car. I did not feel I cheated because I felt called to respect the healing I required to prevent further illness and possible limb loss I remained true to my Calling and completed the Camino anyway. Win-win

 

[C clearly]

Note that this is an old thread. And a very well-worn topic, too!

 

[wisepilgrim]

Back in 03 when the Burgos albergue was in the park at the far end of town, some pilgrims and I hopped onto the tourist train to get into town. We all remarked on how bizarre the sensation was, for the speed!

I like to say that fundamentally the Camino hasn’t changed much in 1000 years. Sure we have better bridges and wifi, but you can bet your donkey that if a pilgrim back then was offered a ride on a carriage they most certainly would have taken it. For that reason I like to hop on the back of tractors when they are passing by… keeps my boots looking fresh

But the idea of skipping the meseta strikes me as unfortunate. ¡viva la meseta!

 

[Skybo]

Back in 03 when the Burgos albergue was in the park at the far end of town, some pilgrims and I hopped onto the tourist train to get into town. We all remarked on how bizarre the sensation was, for the speed!

I like to say that fundamentally the Camino hasn’t changed much in 1000 years. Sure we have better bridges and wifi, but you can bet your donkey that if a pilgrim back then was offered a ride on a carriage they most certainly would have taken it. For that reason I like to hop on the back of tractors when they are passing by… keeps my boots looking fresh

But the idea of skipping the meseta strikes me as unfortunate. ¡viva la meseta!

Loved the Meseta!

 

[dougfitz]

Note that this is an old thread. And a very well-worn topic, too!

Some of the members who contributed to this were 'last seen' well before I joined the forum. It's interesting to see others were expressing similar views then to those I have come to expect from them over the years. Its good to know that there are forum stalwarts who have been consistently contributing to help others for such a long time.

 

[mark stevens]

What I mean to ask is.....has anyone ever walked part way, then driven some, then walked some....? It was an idea that occured to me as I planned my itinerary and found myself a bit time crunched. The truth is, I would like to take it slow ( real slow...like app. 15K - 20K a day ) and still have some time at the end to enjoy Santiago. Figured I could cut off a few days by hitching about 100 K. My first feeling about this is that it would be ' cheating ', and I may somehow be disappointed in the end. So I find myself torn....slow and leisurely or a little more aggressive to make it in my available time. Any opinions, ideas and/or thoughts would be much appreciated. Thank you all so much.....

Kenny

Kenny. Walk your own camino and whatever that entails is good. Buen camino

 

[Kathor1]

Kenny. Walk your own camino and whatever that entails is good.

Below is a copy of Kenny's last post on this forum. He posted it on 26 March 2007, more or less exactly 15 years ago. He had good intentions but he never came back to the forum to "offer advice himself after his experience".

So the time has come at last and I'm leaving from Oakland, California in 8 hours. I'm nervous and excited and know that I have to much stuff and know that I don't have enough stuff. I especially want to thank all of you guys out there for your kind advice and encouragement...thanks Sil for the tips and itinerary and Br. David, you are funny and inspirational. I hope to run into some of you there and wish I could meet you all. I'm looking forward to being able to offer advice myself after this experience........​

thanks a million,​

kenny​

 

[David Tallan]

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.

 

[LilleTyksak]

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.

 

[David Tallan]

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.

I didn't claim a Compostela in 1989. Although a category in the pilgrim statistics at the time included those with "car assist", so who knows if I might have qualified. I'm not sure when the current rules were put in place. I did claim one in 2016, but then I had walked more than far enough to meet the requirements.