Hey - First Time Camino ... last minute decision!

[LiveLoveRight67]

Hey folks - so i made my decision to do the Porto to Santiago walk literally yesterday! My cousin did the full Camino and since i have a ton of life events happening, i am taking the plunge. Going solo .. from Porto to Santiago. Plan to leave April 13th from Porto (will get there on the 11th and stay a few nights). Anyone planning to be departing around the 13th from Porto - would love to hear from ya!

 

[CdnDreamer]

Buen camino! If you have any questions, ask away. There are lots of people on the forum who have walked from Porto.

 

[Former member 49149]

Well done to you. By the way: there is no ‘full’ camino. Yours will be a full camino! Wishing you the best of enjoyment as you plan and set off.

 

[LiveLoveRight67]

Just hoping to meet some great people as well as get some good spiritual release. Plan to arrive on 11th and spend first night in hotel then 12th at the Alberque so as to hopefully meet up with some pilgrams headed out next day. Looks like some rain the first 2-3 days .. here we go !!

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

Bom Caminho! The Portugués is wonderful! If you stay overnight in Tui Spain, go eat at "Tui y Yo". Alberto is a lovely man that cooks up some amazing foods!

 

[LiveLoveRight67]

Bom Caminho! The Portugués is wonderful! If you stay overnight in Tui Spain, go eat at "Tui y Yo". Alberto is a lovely man that cooks up some amazing foods!

Which route from Porto to Santiago would ubsay is best mid April

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

Which route from Porto to Santiago would ubsay is best mid April

Any route! I've been once in May and took the Coastal route that isn't actually on the beach. I have friends that have taken the beach route and loved it.

 

[LiveLoveRight67]

Ok. I am trying to maximize the cultural experience to hit as many small towns as I can

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

Ok. I am trying to maximize the cultural experience to hit as many small towns as I can

I completely understand that! We actually flew from Madrid to Lisbon and took the train or bus or walked any combination of that to Fatima. From Fatima we got ourselves to Porto by train, which is an amazing place. You get as much cultural experience as you want. Every place that we stopped which was market like we took chances and spoke to people and asked questions and it was really fun to communicate with sign language pointing to this and that. We found the Portuguese to be very open and desirous of telling us about their way of life. Plus the fact when they asked where we live and we told them Las Vegas, almost every person on Camino said "oh CSI"!

 

[LiveLoveRight67]

That's sounds great .. we had friends in summerlin and did alot of scrambling in red rocks. Love that. I think I will read up on the 3 routes and just make it a game day decision

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

I'm excited for you @LiveLoveRight67 !

 

[Gailsie]

You will love Porto, it is a great place. On my camino Frances, I met a fellow from there that described Porto like "a beautiful woman with a wart on her nose". I wondered what he meant until I stayed a couple of days before my Camino Portuguese.

 

[nycwalking]

Santiago wants you!

Bom caminho!

 

[LiveLoveRight67]

Another quick question if anyone knows. The round trip flights last min are way cheaper if i do a round trip into and out of porto. When i get to Santiago … i am assuming i can get a pretty cheap 1 way flight back to Santiago … si?

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

Not always. Have you checked Georgia to Madrid through Norwegian or Iberia or ??? Then a quick hop to Porto? EDIT: Also, do some Google Flight searches and click on the Track Search button. I was searching for LAX to MAD and kept finding flights for 2, to be around $1200-1400USD. Twenty days ago I got an alert from Google, that Iberia had Round Trip for 2 adults NONSTOP LAX to MAD for a total of $784! YES, we bought those!

 

[LiveLoveRight67]

just checked .... Santiago through madrid to porto … 3 hour total and only around $125. That makes sense

 

[naplesdon]

Everyone takes the bus or the train. Bus is the easiest because the train requires a transfer from one station to another near the border.

 

[LiveLoveRight67]

About how long is the drive?

 

[CdnDreamer]

I took the bus last year. It was really easy. I think it is under 5 hours. Rome to Rio site is showing 4 hours 15 minutes. The bus lets you off at the airport, or in the city in Porto.
And the Santiago bus station is just a short walk back along the camino from Santiago.

 

[naplesdon]

The bus stop in Porto is at Casa Musica on the subway line.

 

[dfox]

Ok. I am trying to maximize the cultural experience to hit as many small towns as I can

I'm yet to start my CP. I read that Central route would have more historical and cultural things than Coastal.

 

[Vacajoe]

Take the bus! Use Rome2Rio app or website to find the exact one. It was cheap, easy, and ran several times a day. Plus you don’t have to buy it weeks in advance so you can go with the flow on how your Camino is progressing.

 

[LiveLoveRight67]

Perfecto! Thanks so much all. Just geared up and head out on Weds! Looks like a little rain but hey, it all happens for a reason right ….. so pumped for the next 3 weeks.

 

[Kathy Jaudegis]

Perfecto! Thanks so much all. Just geared up and head out on Weds! Looks like a little rain but hey, it all happens for a reason right ….. so pumped for the next 3 weeks.

Buen Camino!!

 

[WalkingJane]

I completely understand that! We actually flew from Madrid to Lisbon and took the train or bus or walked any combination of that to Fatima. From Fatima we got ourselves to Porto by train, which is an amazing place. You get as much cultural experience as you want. Every place that we stopped which was market like we took chances and spoke to people and asked questions and it was really fun to communicate with sign language pointing to this and that. We found the Portuguese to be very open and desirous of telling us about their way of life. Plus the fact when they asked where we live and we told them Las Vegas, almost every person on Camino said "oh CSI"!

The Portuguese are indeed lovely. May you have a Bom Caminho, every step.

 

[Frances Bat]

Bom caminho

 

[LiveLoveRight67]

Exciting news - my 26 yr old daughter is joining me … the alberque is full in Porto on our departure date of the evening of the 12th … so may have to get a hotel. They are looking around for us. I have heard its best to just wing it on reservations for stops … will there be issues in stages where we cant find a place?

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

Exciting news - my 26 yr old daughter is joining me … any stages where we cant find a place?

Wonderful!
In most cases, there is always 'someplace' to stay. The Camino provides!

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

@LiveLoveRight67 Are you and your daughter on Camino?