Help for 1st time peregrinos please

[rlr9200]

My wife and I are contemplating the Camino Ingles in June. We have always wanted to visit Spain, and a couple of years ago, upon learning more about the Camino, we have decided to give it a go. We are hopeful the Ingles will provide a "toe dip" in the water, to test our resolve...hopefully leading to the Frances in the next couple of years. If it matters, we are 50, generally fit, enjoy hiking/camping and have a desire to enjoy this physical and spiritual journey. I will definitely download the CSJ guide/Johnnie Walker/anything else that makes sense for planning purposes.

He are my general questions/thoughts:

1) I have searched this amazing archive and have seen the various posts/recommendations regarding accommodations (and so many more things) along the way from Ferrol to Santiago. So, if we want to stay in one of the private Albergues (as opposed to the municipal - and feel free to correct me if I misunderstand the basic premise) do we need to make reservations or just show up and hope there are rooms???

2) Is there only one place in each stop to obtain a stamp, or does each Albergue offer this service?

3) Our plan is to fly into Madrid, get over any jet lag and a day or so later train to Ferrol. We want some flexibility to spend an extra day if one of the stops along the way peaks our interest, or if we decide to stay an extra day in Santiago, so instead of pre-booking a train or flight from Santiago to Barcelona (where we will visit and fly our of) is it easy enough to get train tickets once we arrive in Santiago?

4) Last (for now, but I'm sure there will be many more later) is mid or late June a good time to go? We are somewhat limited as my wife is an educator and has June-August off...I figured June is more temperate than July or August.

Thanks for any guidance!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Buen camino!

You can just drop into albergues, municipal and private. There are not a lot of choices on the Camino Ingles.
Everyone has a stamp, albergues, bars, hotels, ayuntamientos, restaurants. Two each day are recommended for the last 100 km.
Trains are almost never full, so you can book when you get to Santiago. Ferrol is reached easiest by bus from Santiago.

 

[dougfitz]

I walked the CI in Apr this year. You have chosen a delightful path for your first camino. In response to some of your questions:

a. you can but don't have to make a reservation at private albergues. It is possible to just arrive, but if you wish to be certain about your accommodation for the night, ringing ahead is a good idea. I wouldn't book the whole lot at once, but take each day as it comes, but that is your call.
b. you will find stamps in bars, albergues, and various institutions. The CSJ guide is a good source of information on places that you might not otherwise consider. I got a sello at most places I stopped, except for the bar just past Bruma where I forgot to ask. I then found there were no more places open (on Palm Sunday) along the day's walk!
c. I travelled by bus from Santiago to Ferrol, rather than train. I bought my ticket on arrival at the Santiago bus station without any problem. The train option looked more complicated and time consuming.

 

[rlr9200]

Buen camino!

You can just drop into albergues, municipal and private. There are not a lot of choices on the Camino Ingles.
Everyone has a stamp, albergues, bars, hotels, ayuntamientos, restaurants. Two each day are recommended for the last 100 km.
Trains are almost never full, so you can book when you get to Santiago. Ferrol is reached easiest by bus from Santiago.

Thanks for the quick reply!

< Two each day are recommended for the last 100 km.>
Do you mean obtain two stamps at each location?

< You can just drop into albergues, municipal and private. There are not a lot of choices on the Camino Ingles.>

Does this mean that there are plenty of beds (one way or another) for the number of pilgrims? Is it just a matter of picking a place and once someone is there to accept pilgrims, be in line/queue and ask for accomodations for the night? In other words, do we need to pack our tent just in case? Is tent camping even an option?

Sorry, but I usually plan everything down to the minute and it seems as I research this, I need to let go, and allow things to unfold. Easier said than done, but I am willing if that is what this pilgrimage is all about.

Thanks again!

 

[rlr9200]

I walked the CI in Apr this year. You have chosen a delightful path for your first camino. In response to some of your questions:

a. you can but don't have to make a reservation at private albergues. It is possible to just arrive, but if you wish to be certain about your accommodation for the night, ringing ahead is a good idea. I wouldn't book the whole lot at once, but take each day as it comes, but that is your call.
b. you will find stamps in bars, albergues, and various institutions. The CSJ guide is a good source of information on places that you might not otherwise consider. I got a sello at most places I stopped, except for the bar just past Bruma where I forgot to ask. I then found there were no more places open (on Palm Sunday) along the day's walk!
c. I travelled by bus from Santiago to Ferrol, rather than train. I bought my ticket on arrival at the Santiago bus station without any problem. The train option looked more complicated and time consuming.

So obtaining several sellos seems a great part of the journey...to see all the stamps and remember the walk more vividly.

 

[dougfitz]

@rlr9200 - you might find it hard to let go, but it will be worth it if you can. While I didn't walk at the time you are proposing, I would suggest that taking a tent will be unnecessary. At worst, it might take a couple of phone calls the previous evening to sort out a place to stay the following night if you are going to use casa rural or hostels. Alternatively, you could do what many do, and just turn up at an albergue, and if it is full, look for an alternative like a hostel, etc. Even at Bruma, where there is only an albergue, there are alternatives a couple of km away should the albergue be full. There are even more options if you are willing to take a taxi and return the next day to recommence your walk at the point you left off.

 

[jpflavin1]

There are three trains and two buses daily from Madrid to Ferrol. I would recommend the train and particular the Trenhotel. The Trenhotel is the overnight train with sleeping accommodations. It leaves daily at 22:30 from the Madrid Chamartin station. There are a variety of sleeping options. If you have trouble with the Renfe site, just ask and someone or I will respond to clarify.

Many folks take the bus. you can do this directly from the airport. This is a long ride 8-10 hours. IMO, the bus does not offer the comfort, food service or facilities you can enjoy on the train.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Do you mean obtain two stamps at each location?

Two a day from different locations. One should be the place you stay.

Does this mean that there are plenty of beds

That might be an overstatement, but the Camino Ingles is not as busy as the Camino Frances. You can call ahead to the private albergues, or stay in hostales and pensiones.
No tent is necessary. You can always take a taxi to alternative accommodations.

it seems as I research this, I need to let go

That is always a good recommendations!

 

[JohnMcM]

Sorry, but I usually plan everything down to the minute and it seems as I research this, I need to let go, and allow things to unfold. Easier said than done, but I am willing if that is what this pilgrimage is all about.

Thanks again!

Hello and welcome to the forum.

Some planning is needed to get you there, and in most cases to get you back home again. As for the bit in-between, how you do that is entirely up to you, however, you might be pleasantly surprised at how relaxing and satisfying it is to simply take it as it comes.

Buen Camino

 

[Al the optimist]

Welcome! I think your questions are pretty much already answered. As mentioned above part of the Camino experience is letting go a little. I also walked this delightful Camino as a tester of my abilities before embarking on the Frances. Although a little older (I was 63) I would say I was also generally fit (though overweight) having walked 20K twice a week for the preceding 2 months. I was so hooked by SDC that I immediately made an unplanned walk to Finisterre! It really isn't that challenging if you take it steady. I walked at the start of September but I imagine that June would be lovely but I would suggest that as early as possible might be best to avoid too much heat of people. One of the delights of this Camino is the lack of other pilgrims giving a special tone to one's walk. Enjoy your planning and remember - Weight is King!

 

[Tia Valeria]

As Doug has already said the CSJ guide will help your planning. As you have found you can download it off the forum resources for a donation, and the Gronze site is also useful. The stages are given for 5 days, by using either albergues or private accommodation. By at least partly combining the two lists you can vary where you stay. The text gives suggestions for places and contact numbers where applicable. I think that all the early stages have only municipal (non bookable albergues). This was my first Camino as an over 60 year old and I would recommend the option to split the stage between Betanzos and Bruma (see guide). June should be good for both weather and the number of pilgrims., with early June being best (as Al says).
Plenty of time to prepare and practise...
Buen Camino

 

[JocelynAPV]

Hi! I see that your questions are already answered. I just wanna add a little something. I just finish my Camino Frances, It took me July and August, and when we arrive at Santiago was pretty bussy, we try to make reservations since a couple days before and was nearly impossible. You are going in June so it supposed to be less difficult but I recomend to make reservations in advance for Santiago, as soon as you know when you will arrive.
Santiago is a big city so try to stay as close to the cathedral as you can, you will be thank that later.
Well, for the rest... don´t rush it and enjoy! Buen Camino!

 

[ebrandt]

I would add only one comment regarding trains -- check out the Spanish national holidays before you go. If your travel coincides with a holiday you might need to book your train in advance on some routes. We thought we would be able to travel from Santiago to Madrid at the end of our Camino in 2013. We knew it was Ascension but it did not dawn on us that Ascension was a national holiday in Spain (silly Americans!). Every train for days from Santiago to Madrid was "completo"! Luckily our further travel plans were flexible so we made things work.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

This is one holiday calendar for Spain for 2015:

http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/spain/2015

 

[LINA-MT]

Hello. Happy more and more people join piligrim way. It is wonderfull experience. From pour experience:

1) As you travel on basic Holiday time, better to make booking before reaching sleeping place. For expamle we traveled with dog, so it was huge problem to stay.

2) No. there is a lot of places to get stamps. Some gift shops make advertising that they have a stapm, almost all caffes have stamps, aberginos, bomberos, shops, pasteserias, post offices and of course churches
.You just come to any place and ask for stamp.

3) From our experience the big connection center is VIGA in Spain for trains. Both local and international. You can try to travel through this city.

4) It will be hot. very hot. And holidays all over will start, so spanish way will be overcrowded. you must check holidays calendar, not to spend time in one place for too long.

and finally, we wish you best experience, you will ahve wonderful time. Buen Camino friends.

 

[rlr9200]

This forum is quite amazing. Muchas gracias a todo!

 

[andonius]

Be careful with the weather.
If you're doing the beautiful Camino Ingles, you'll be walking the northern part of Spain, and the weather there is different from the rest of the country. Even in summer temperatures are softer and it rains quite a lot. In 2014, in june we had 20 days of rain in Ferrol, 17 days in july and ¡25 days of rain in August!. Yes, it was an unausual rainy year, but anyway you must expect some rain in Camino Ingles any time of year. ¡Don't forget your rain gear just in case!
Galicia's weather is usually softer than that of the rest of Spain. In the central Spain's meseta in August you can have temperatures above 40º Celsius (104º Farenheit), but in Galicia that is not normal at all. Daily average of temperatures in northern Galicia is in June in the range of 16 to 22º Celsius (60 to 72º Farenheit). That means that you may have pretty cold early mornings and late evenings but comfortable midday hours . So I recommend to take at least a piece of clothing for cold weather. A light Polar Fleece is what I use and it's more than enough.
Travelling from Madrid to Ferrol is direct by train. You have three direct trains from Madrid Chamartin Station to Ferrol per day (make sure you go to Chamartin station in Madrid, as in Madrid there are two major train stations: Chamartin and Atocha) . If you take the night train (with normal seated places ,cabins with four beds and luxurious private cabins with two beds and private bathroom in the cabin) you'll arrive to Ferrol at 9:30 in the morning so you can start walking right away if you want (Ferrol train Station is in the center of the city and not more than 400 meters far from the Camino). The last part of the train trip (from Betanzos to Ferrol) follows almost exactly the path you'll undo walking the next days. It's beautiful to watch it and anticipate the walk from the train's window.

Buen Camino¡¡¡

 

[Al the optimist]

Daily average of temperatures in northern Galicia is in June in the range of 16 to 22º Celsius (60 to 72º Farenheit).

Cold is relative to what you are used to - that's a nice summer in England!

 

[november_moon]

Sorry, but I usually plan everything down to the minute and it seems as I research this, I need to let go, and allow things to unfold. Easier said than done, but I am willing if that is what this pilgrimage is all about.

I'm a planner too, but trust me - it's not only ok to let go, it is imperative It was a leap of faith, but I did it and it was great. I did book accommodation for the night of our arrival on the Camino - we started in Leon - and that helped alleviate some of the anxiety. The first couple days I was nervous about finding accommodation, but it worked out and after that, it was very easy to go with the flow. We did book ahead a couple times - actually booked hotels because there were days we wanted a private room and unlimited hot shower - but otherwise went with the flow. When we booked a hotel for the night, we just found wifi mid-day and made a reservation for the night through booking.com. Of course this only works if you are going into a town of some size that actually has hotels.

 

[pilgrim2013]

My wife and I are contemplating the Camino Ingles in June. We have always wanted to visit Spain, and a couple of years ago, upon learning more about the Camino, we have decided to give it a go. We are hopeful the Ingles will provide a "toe dip" in the water, to test our resolve...hopefully leading to the Frances in the next couple of years. If it matters, we are 50, generally fit, enjoy hiking/camping and have a desire to enjoy this physical and spiritual journey. I will definitely download the CSJ guide/Johnnie Walker/anything else that makes sense for planning purposes.

He are my general questions/thoughts:

1) I have searched this amazing archive and have seen the various posts/recommendations regarding accommodations (and so many more things) along the way from Ferrol to Santiago. So, if we want to stay in one of the private Albergues (as opposed to the municipal - and feel free to correct me if I misunderstand the basic premise) do we need to make reservations or just show up and hope there are rooms???

2) Is there only one place in each stop to obtain a stamp, or does each Albergue offer this service?

3) Our plan is to fly into Madrid, get over any jet lag and a day or so later train to Ferrol. We want some flexibility to spend an extra day if one of the stops along the way peaks our interest, or if we decide to stay an extra day in Santiago, so instead of pre-booking a train or flight from Santiago to Barcelona (where we will visit and fly our of) is it easy enough to get train tickets once we arrive in Santiago?

4) Last (for now, but I'm sure there will be many more later) is mid or late June a good time to go? We are somewhat limited as my wife is an educator and has June-August off...I figured June is more temperate than July or August.

Thanks for any guidance!

 

[andonius]

Cold is relative to what you are used to - that's a nice summer in England!

You're absolutely right, Al. Those are nice AVERAGE temperatures in Spain too ¡¡¡.
What I mean is that having an average of 15º you can have something like 8-9º in the early morning when you start walking and then 18-20º at noon and again 8-9º in the evening. So I will not discard some warm clothes for that early morning and late evening hours.

 

[dougfitz]

You're absolutely right, Al. Those are nice AVERAGE temperatures in Spain too ¡¡¡.
What I mean is that having an average of 15º you can have something like 8-9º in the early morning when you start walking and then 18-20º at noon and again 8-9º in the evening. So I will not discard some warm clothes for that early morning and late evening hours.

The normal reporting of average temperatures is the average maximum (and average minimum) rather than the median temperature for the day, as this post would suggest. A good presentation of the averages and their range of values can be found here for Santiago. If you have the necessary plugins installed, you can open the dashboard and see the absolute maxima and minima. The search bar gives the option to find the same data for other cities.

 

[Tia Valeria]

We are thinking of starting in Covas by staying in Ferrol and taking a bus out to then walk back. Does anyone know which bus, if any, runs to Covas and the times. We will not be staying in the albergue but 2 nights in Ferrol so the plan is to catch a morning bus. We assume that the start is near the church in Covas.

 

[whariwharangi]

We are thinking of starting in Covas by staying in Ferrol and taking a bus out to then walk back. Does anyone know which bus, if any, runs to Covas and the times. We will not be staying in the albergue but 2 nights in Ferrol so the plan is to catch a morning bus. We assume that the start is near the church in Covas.

I haven't had any success finding a bus from Ferrol to Covas. Part of the problem is there are several places named Covas in Galicia.

A newspaper article about a bus fire indicates a company 'Rialsa' provides this service but I cannot find a website. Bloomberg says Rialsa was acquired by Monbus, however, there is nothing indicating service on Monbus site.

Using Google Earth there is a FEVE station at Covas ... the one co-located with Viviero on the NW coast. There are several FEVE trains daily from Ferrol that stop at Covas. FEVE train schedules are obtained on Renfe site. Find the FEVE button lower left on the Renfe gateway.

Renfe
http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/

 

[whariwharangi]

We are thinking of starting in Covas by staying in Ferrol and taking a bus out to then walk back. Does anyone know which bus, if any, runs to Covas and the times. We will not be staying in the albergue but 2 nights in Ferrol so the plan is to catch a morning bus. We assume that the start is near the church in Covas.

Arriva bus #3 A Coruna - Ferrol - Viveiro. Walk 2 km from Viveiro to Covas.

Arriva
http://www.arriva.es/#home

Arriva #3
http://www.arriva.es/documentos/horarios/2012-2013/3-Coruña-Viveiro.pdf

 

[Tia Valeria]

Arriva bus #3 A Coruna - Ferrol - Viveiro. Walk 2 km from Viveiro to Covas.

Arriva
http://www.arriva.es/#home

Arriva #3
http://www.arriva.es/documentos/horarios/2012-2013/3-Coruña-Viveiro.pdf

Thank you, but this is the other Covas, which we expect to walk to from Viveiro after walking west along the coast etc. The Covas we are looking for bus info to reach is about 9kms out of Ferrol to the NW

 

[whariwharangi]

Thank you, but this is the other Covas, which we expect to walk to from Viveiro after walking west along the coast etc. The Covas we are looking for bus info to reach is about 9kms out of Ferrol to the NW

Linea 40 from Ferrol to Covas. According to google earth the bus is operated by Monbus. The bus stops are indicated on google earth. See the Ferrol Transporte map for the route.

With Monbus select Ferrol (Avenida de Vigo) (Ferrol, A Coruna) as origen and Ferrol (Cova) (Vilar (O) Covas), A Coruna. I suppose there are other start points along the route indicated on the Monbus site but it does not work using Ferrol (Estacion de Autobuses). I think this is intended as an urban bus service.

Turferrol
http://turferrol.com/ES/moverse.asp

Ferrol Transporte page
http://www.ferrol.es/contidos-es.aspx?id=40

Ferrol Transporte map
http://www.ferrol.es/transit/

Monbus
http://www.monbus.es/es/

 

[Tia Valeria]

Thank you, that is really helpful. Just what we need to know.

 

[dougfitz]

We are thinking of starting in Covas by staying in Ferrol and taking a bus out to then walk back. Does anyone know which bus, if any, runs to Covas and the times. We will not be staying in the albergue but 2 nights in Ferrol so the plan is to catch a morning bus. We assume that the start is near the church in Covas.

Tia, Google maps shows a local bus service being run by MONBUS operating from one of the city bus stops (ie not the bus station). When I got to the Ferrol bus station this year, it was early afternoon, and the place was deserted, so I caught a taxi instead. It cost something like 12 euro, and dropped me at the supermarket on the main street, a few hundred metres short of the church.

The most prominent place to know you are on the path is the cemetery, which is at the end of the road that the albergue is on. I don't recall any route markers starting at the church, but perhaps because I was staying at the albergue, it wasn't important for me to look for them there.

The road leading down to the albergue and cemetary is between the church and the supermarket. So if you start at the church, walk back towards the centre of town (ie in an easterly direction) and take the first road to the left. A short way down this there is a Y junction where you go right. At the Y junction there is a sign indicating the right branch goes to the Cemiterio and Grupo Escolar. The sign for the left branch was obliterated by green paint when I walked earlier this year.

Once at the cemetery, proceed in an westerly direction until you reach the end of the paved road and then turn left to head in a southerly direction. Up to this point, the route indicators are a square section concrete post with a stylised fish symbol and a distance. But after that you will find yellow arrows. I don't recall and shell symbols on the way into Ferrol on this route.

 

[dougfitz]

Tia, my previous response assumes that you want to walk around the headland back into Ferrol, about 28 km and a very nice walk. If all you want to do was walk back across the peninsular into Ferrol, I haven't done this and you can safely ignore my earlier directions

 

[Tia Valeria]

Tia, my previous response assumes that you want to walk around the headland back into Ferrol, about 28 km and a very nice walk. If all you want to do was walk back across the peninsular into Ferrol, I haven't done this and you can safely ignore my earlier directions

Thanks Doug - definitely the shorter route across the peninsular, but it will be good to know where not to go and follow whatever directions there are or our map.