Hi! Walking the Camino "from my door" in small stages - anyone else?

[WanderingtheJakobsweg]

Hi Everyone!

I'm lucky enough to live just a few km from a Camino "feeder route" - the North Munich Jakobsweg (so St James's Way) and started walking it last spring. So far I've walked about 215km from my door to Kempten in the Allgäu.

At Easter I'll walk the last 75km out of Germany to Bregenz in Austria, and then hopefully in early summer I'll walk the Rorsach Ast from Bregenz and the St Galler Weg, which is the first leg (from here) of the Swiss Camino.

I work and have school aged children (teens and nearly teens though) so I can't just take off and walk for 3 months, or even 3 weeks at once, wonderful though that sounds! I'd really like to do the Camino del Norde from Irún all in one go eventually, as by the time I get there my kids will be older, although it's more realistic to think I'll do it in two halves because of work!

I hope to do the Via Gebennensis through France, but realistically Switzerland will take til the end of 2024, and I'll get to France in 2025

I get the impression that the majority on here fly over from the USA or other countries outside Europe and (understandably) then do their whole Camino at once. Is anyone else walking in dribs and drabs from their door?

I'm happy to have found this useful English language site - last year I mainly used a German Facebook group for Camino/ Jakobsweg stuff.

Buen Camino!

 

[amancio]

Hi Everyone!

I'm lucky enough to live just a few km from a Camino "feeder route" - the North Munich Jakobsweg (so St James's Way) and started walking it last spring. So far I've walked about 215km from my door to Kempten in the Allgäu.

At Easter I'll walk the last 75km out of Germany to Bregenz in Austria, and then hopefully in early summer I'll walk the Rorsach Ast from Bregenz and the St Galler Weg, which is the first leg (from here) of the Swiss Camino.

I work and have school aged children (teens and nearly teens though) so I can't just take off and walk for 3 months, or even 3 weeks at once, wonderful though that sounds! I'd really like to do the Camino del Norde from Irún all in one go eventually, as by the time I get there my kids will be older, although it's more realistic to think I'll do it in two halves because of work!

I hope to do the Via Gebennensis through France, but realistically Switzerland will take til the end of 2024, and I'll get to France in 2025

I get the impression that the majority on here fly over from the USA or other countries outside Europe and (understandably) then do their whole Camino at once. Is anyone else walking in dribs and drabs from their door?

I'm happy to have found this useful English language site - last year I mainly used a German Facebook group for Camino/ Jakobsweg stuff.

Buen Camino!

Buen camino! I would LOVEEEE to do the camino from Regensburg one day, I will follow your Camino with interest (I guess you the way you are following is probably the same route).

 

[WanderingtheJakobsweg]

Hi!

Yes I think Regensburg is essentially the same route, or they'd join at Dachau at any rate (edit- I just checked and its exactly the same route earlier than Dachau - the D8). Regensburg would just be an extra 80km or so at the start! Do you have links to the area?

Buen Camino!

 

[JabbaPapa]

It's an amazing experience to walk from home, and aren't those first stages near home wonderful ?

You'll likely find that as you move forward, your "stages" will get longer, including within your time limits, but also that your time limits will somehow expand.

Buen Camino !!

 

[Arctic_Alex]

Hi Everyone!

Hi, I suppose this will be a very different experience than walking in one go, but it will nevertheless be an exciting experience with the clear advantage that you can spread the joy over many years
An interesting project! If I would try to the same it would mean around 5000 km one way so I will refrain
Yes, this is really a helpful forum with an overall unusually nice mood! I am glad I did not stick to the German facebook groups before my first Camino but found this place early on during my preparations

 

[C clearly]

Welcome to the forum! I'm glad you found us.

Notice that a tag ("from home to santiago") has been added to the top of this thread, under the title. If you click on it, you will find some threads written by or about people who have done this. It is useful because those threads can span many routes.

(There are likely more such threads on the forum, but this tag has not been in use for long, so they might not have been identified. If anyone finds other threads, let us know and a moderator can tag them.)

 

[Bradypus]

I walked from my home in Wales to Santiago in 4 stages over 2 years. From near Swansea to Redon in France. With a ferry crossing from Portsmouth to St Malo. The next stage was Redon to Pont Noblia - about 20km south of SJPDP - where a back injury stopped me temporarily. A few months later I used a few spare days on an Interrail pass to walk just those missing 20km to SJPDP! I returned a few months after that to begin the CF again from SJPDP.

 

[JustJack]

Lucky Europeans. I've got this bloody big ocean between me and Santiago.

 

[Tincatinker]

Hah. Walking on water. You have two options: understand that you can, or fail to understand that you can’t

 

[WanderingtheJakobsweg]

I'll have a look at the other tagged threads, thank you!

 

[Arctic_Alex]

Lucky Europeans. I've got this bloody big ocean between me and Santiago.

Make it "lucky Central Europeans" ;-)

For me getting close to any sensible Camino starting point means
a) either 90 miles by coach/bus, changing bus at least once + at least 3 loosely connected flights all adding up to at least 2 full days of travel with some airport hotel in between
b) or 15 miles by taxi followed by about 6 different trains, two of them overnight sleepers. Adding up to a total of 3 to 4 travelling days.

Oh what a joy living at the Northern edge of Europe

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Hi, @WanderingtheJakobsweg . I, too am based in Germany - near Berlin - and was thinking of doing something similar because of the €49 ticket.
Assume from your comment that there is no German forum? Facebook doesn't interest me, especially after your comments.
Incidentally, can you recommend a good resource to help find the local 'Way' ?

 

[Pelerina]

How wonderful for you @WanderingtheJakobsweg

I'm lucky enough to live just a few km from a Camino "feeder route" - the North Munich Jakobsweg (so St James's Way) and started walking it last spring. So far I've walked about 215km from my door to Kempten in the Allgäu.

At Easter I'll walk the last 75km out of Germany to Bregenz in Austria, and then hopefully in early summer I'll walk the Rorsach Ast from Bregenz and the St Galler Weg, which is the first leg (from here) of the Swiss Camino.

I work and have school aged children (teens and nearly teens though) so I can't just take off and walk for 3 months, or even 3 weeks at once, wonderful though that sounds! I'd really like to do the Camino del Norde from Irún all in one go eventually, as by the time I get there my kids will be older, although it's more realistic to think I'll do it in two halves because of work!

I hope to do the Via Gebennensis through France, but realistically Switzerland will take til the end of 2024, and I'll get to France in 2025

I get the impression that the majority on here fly over from the USA or other countries outside Europe and (understandably) then do their whole Camino at once. Is anyone else walking in dribs and drabs from their door?

I've walked in Spain, Portugal and France - but never in Germany or Switzerland. It's true that many come from far away (Australia in my case) and walk their camino/s 'in one go', as I have done, but I know that others walk just as you plan to - not in a hurry, something to anticipate and enjoy year on year, time to reflect, - it's another kind of commitment.

I am currently living in France, on the Le Puy route and have walked that path and a number of other French camino paths. Over the years, I have sometimes read forum comments that many French people are 'just hiking for a week or two' as opposed to being pilgrims. In fact, many of those people are undertaking the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela over many years, just as you are doing. They may leave from their home or from one of the 'starting points' of the major French routes or somewhere in between - and walk as much time as is available to them each year, given work or family commitments or financial considerations. The next year they recommence where they left off. Their pilgrimage may take them 10 years. Imagine their joy and satisfaction on arrival after such a long commitment.

Way back in 2014, we were walking the Primitivo and met a French couple who had started from their front door in Northern France many years before. Each year since - except for one year where health issues intervened - they had walked for two weeks, slowly making their way to Santiago. We had the great honour of walking with them for the last week of their long pilgrimage. As we walked 'through the tunnel' into the square in front of the Cathedral we scooted ahead to be able to take a picture for them. I've never seen bigger smiles and expressions of pure joy.

I wish you every happiness for your long pilgrimage.

 

[sugargypsy]

Hi,

I'm also from Germany and wanted to walk the Jakobsweg, since I don't have far to walk to the next entry point.

I tried it, but realised that this way of walking the Jakobsweg is not mine. I want to walk more than just a few days at a time. This way it felt more like a multi-day hike to me. I like doing that too, but in thatr case there are other great routes here right on my doorstep (Schwäbische Alb, Schwarzwald).

I haven't completely put the idea aside yet, I still would like to start here, but then walk straight through to SdC . But for that I need a bit more time .

@Peterexpatkiwi

There is a German pilgrims' forum, have a look here. The forum life there is not as active as here, probably due to the fact that the number of members is lower because of the language.

Incidentally, can you recommend a good resource to help find the local 'Way' ?

What exactly do you want to know/need? Informative websites, apps or pilgrimage guides?

 

[TravellingMan22]

Hi Everyone!

I'm lucky enough to live just a few km from a Camino "feeder route" - the North Munich Jakobsweg (so St James's Way) and started walking it last spring. So far I've walked about 215km from my door to Kempten in the Allgäu.

At Easter I'll walk the last 75km out of Germany to Bregenz in Austria, and then hopefully in early summer I'll walk the Rorsach Ast from Bregenz and the St Galler Weg, which is the first leg (from here) of the Swiss Camino.

I work and have school aged children (teens and nearly teens though) so I can't just take off and walk for 3 months, or even 3 weeks at once, wonderful though that sounds! I'd really like to do the Camino del Norde from Irún all in one go eventually, as by the time I get there my kids will be older, although it's more realistic to think I'll do it in two halves because of work!

I hope to do the Via Gebennensis through France, but realistically Switzerland will take til the end of 2024, and I'll get to France in 2025

I get the impression that the majority on here fly over from the USA or other countries outside Europe and (understandably) then do their whole Camino at once. Is anyone else walking in dribs and drabs from their door?

I'm happy to have found this useful English language site - last year I mainly used a German Facebook group for Camino/ Jakobsweg stuff.

Buen Camino!

I was really ‘taken’ by this thread and it has generated some thinking in my head. Firstly apologies for what are very basic questions ( I will do a search of the forum) but I know there is a huge knowledge base out there!

So am looking at doing VDLP round about April but this thread has been a catalyst re how I get to Seville.

So I am based about 15 miles from Reading so walking from my house to Reading to Southampton (Camino Ingles UK) seems the way to go. Don’t think there are any ferries Southampton to Spain so I guess I could walk Southampton to Portsmouth, ferry to Northern Spain, make my way by bus/plane to Seville and start VDLP. Appreciate doing Frances / Norte ‘fits’ better fmbut VDLP from Seville is a ‘non negotiable’.

Any thoughts / views?

 

[Bradypus]

Don’t think there are any ferries Southampton to Spain so I guess I could walk Southampton to Portsmouth, ferry to Northern Spain, make my way by bus/plane to Seville and start VDLP. Appreciate doing Frances / Norte ‘fits’ better fmbut VDLP from Seville is a ‘non negotiable’.

Any thoughts / views?

It sounds like an interesting way to travel to Spain though likely to be more expensive than flying. And there is a lot to be said for walking from home to the port. But I'm puzzling a bit at the rationale for setting out by foot and ferry only to take public transport for a large chunk of the journey once you are on Spanish soil. Personally the attraction of walking from home in Wales to Santiago was to walk every practical step along the way - I did take ferries across the Channel and the Gironde and the Newport and Rochefort transporter bridges as I am not that strong a swimmer! Taking a bus for a substantial chunk of the way would have undermined the experience for me.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

What exactly do you want to know/need? Informative websites, apps or pilgrimage guides?

Thanks for the info. Informative websites really, app’s I can handle. If there’s a good light weight guide you can recommend, even just a good map showing the primary route’s I guess that’d be interesting. Thanks!

 

[TravellingMan22]

It sounds like an interesting way to travel to Spain though likely to be more expensive than flying. And there is a lot to be said for walking from home to the port. But I'm puzzling a bit at the rationale for setting out by foot and ferry only to take public transport for a large chunk of the journey once you are on Spanish soil. Personally the attraction of walking from home in Wales to Santiago was to walk every practical step along the way - I did take ferries across the Channel and the Gironde and the Newport and Rochefort transporter bridges as I am not that strong a swimmer! Taking a bus for a substantial chunk of the way would have undermined the experience for me.

Yes I tend to agree. It’s does feel slightly ‘weird’. I guess I am governed by having the VDLP as a ‘must do’. I guess in my head as I would be taking a ferry anyway so can’t do the whole thing by foot, so if taking a ferry might as well take a plane for 2 hrs (vs ferry for much longer) and then crack on. I do very clearly understand the point you are making though. I am trying to put a square peg into a round hole!

 

[Barbara]

I was really ‘taken’ by this thread and it has generated some thinking in my head. Firstly apologies for what are very basic questions ( I will do a search of the forum) but I know there is a huge knowledge base out there!

So am looking at doing VDLP round about April but this thread has been a catalyst re how I get to Seville.

So I am based about 15 miles from Reading so walking from my house to Reading to Southampton (Camino Ingles UK) seems the way to go. Don’t think there are any ferries Southampton to Spain so I guess I could walk Southampton to Portsmouth, ferry to Northern Spain, make my way by bus/plane to Seville and start VDLP. Appreciate doing Frances / Norte ‘fits’ better fmbut VDLP from Seville is a ‘non negotiable’.

Any thoughts / views?

That's a pretty good traditional route. Until you get to Spain, anyway! From there to Seville there is probably a train or plane or bus. Another option if you had the time could be to walk first to Santiago from Santander or Bilbao then continue to Seville. Saint Isidore is apparently buried in Leon so that does sort of link the two routes. Does that sound like a plan? In any case, there aren't any rules about how you get to the airport/railway station. Enjoy!

 

[Marc S.]

even just a good map showing the primary route’s I guess that’d be interesting.

This website is a good starting point / map for all routes in Germany.
As you can see, there are many options.

I understand you are based near Berlin. I walked from Berlin to Leipzig on the Via Imperii. And from Leipzig to Marburg on the Via Regia and Elisabethpfad. Can recommend both these routes. Between Leipzig and Marburg you will also find a lot of Herbergen and pilgrim accomodation. Guidebooks exist, but all in German.

Feel free to ask if you have any more specific questions.

https://www.deutsche-jakobswege.de/wege-uebersicht.html

 

[TravellingMan22]

That's a pretty good traditional route. Until you get to Spain, anyway! From there to Seville there is probably a train or plane or bus. Another option if you had the time could be to walk first to Santiago from Santander or Bilbao then continue to Seville. Saint Isidore is apparently buried in Leon so that does sort of link the two routes. Does that sound like a plan? In any case, there aren't any rules about how you get to the airport/railway station. Enjoy!

Thank you! Yes that does sound like an option too!! Appreciate you giving it some thought! I’m think I’m going to regret having this thought. Once something is in my mind….!

I always wanted to catch the Moscow to Beijing train and a few years ago was just about to book and someone said I should travel from my ‘home station’ - Maidenhead, Berkshire, UK. So I did and can see this developing same way!

 

[Bradypus]

I always wanted to catch the Moscow to Beijing train and a few years ago was just about to book and someone said I should travel from my ‘home station’ - Maidenhead, Berkshire, UK. So I did and can see this developing same way!

A few years ago my wife and her nephew set out to travel overland from Wales to China and Thailand via Russia, Mongolia and China. In the middle of the night in Germany she missed an announcement about the train carriages being separated and ended up in the morning in Denmark rather than Berlin. Some frantic last-minute messaging and I eventually managed to book them both on a flight that day from Copenhagen to Moscow so they could catch their booked Transsiberian train.... On a trip a couple of years later she managed to make it all the way there and back without any such cock-ups!

 

[Harland2019]

I know that it isn't the same but I always start walking from home on my walking journeys no matter where I am going. It is only to the railway station to catch the train/plane to the start but I always decline my wife's offer to drive me there as I like to walk out of my front door with my rucksack on my back - the start of the journey/experience. Coming home is the same, I like to walk up to my front door with my rucksack on my back.

 

[TravellingMan22]

A few years ago my wife and her nephew set out to travel overland from Wales to China and Thailand via Russia, Mongolia and China. In the middle of the night in Germany she missed an announcement about the train carriages being separated and ended up in the morning in Denmark rather than Berlin. Some frantic last-minute messaging and I eventually managed to book them both on a flight that day from Copenhagen to Moscow so they could catch their booked Transsiberian train.... On a trip a couple of years later she managed to make it all the way there and back without any such cock-ups!

Oh blimey. Yes some of those train decouplings in parts of Europe are very confusing! I have had a few close shaves but thankfully not fallen foul of them yet! The whole train trip is quite a head spin as all trains in Russia are quoted on Moscow time even even if a few time zones ahead. So a station clock may says it 0700 and a ticket may say the train is due 0700 but the reality is it 10am!!

 

[Barbara]

A few years ago my wife and her nephew set out to travel overland from Wales to China and Thailand via Russia, Mongolia and China. In the middle of the night in Germany she missed an announcement about the train carriages being separated and ended up in the morning in Denmark rather than Berlin. Some frantic last-minute messaging and I eventually managed to book them both on a flight that day from Copenhagen to Moscow so they could catch their booked Transsiberian train.... On a trip a couple of years later she managed to make it all the way there and back without any such cock-ups!

Tee Hee. I travelled that route but starting in France. First thing the SNCF did was cancel the train from my local station to Poitiers. So that was a taxi that wasn't planned for, but I managed to snag the one and only taxi in Montmorillon and share with the man who was going to Japan. We firmly refused to share with the lady going shopping in Poitiers as she would have had to sit on the roof, or possibly on his knee. (He had a LOT of luggage).
Then there was a major storm and flood in Germany which took out an important bridge. Deutsche Bahn did a lot of creative re-routing and got me to Poland only a day late, but luckily I had a week's stay planned with a friend so that worked out. Ah, Russian trains. I discovered that not only beer was half the price at the station platform kiosks than in the restaurant on the train, but they had vodka under the counter in plain paper bags. Once I got to Hanoi I didn't have any of the onward journey booked, having lost the urge to book in advance by then when I was planning. Just as well, as none of the onward trains, buses, or river boats to Myanmar seemed to correspond with any published timetable ever written. Honestly, leg power requires less advance planning!