How Necessary is a Camino Frances Guide?

[mmmdumplings]

First, just want to thank everyone on this forum for being so helpful. I'm leaving for Le Puy on Monday (!), and if it wasn't for this forum, I think I would be feeling completely overwhelmed, rather than just a little bit .

Anyway, in all of my preparations I've overlooked getting a guide for the Camino Frances. It's a little late to get the CSJ one and have get to the house on time, so I was wondering if having one is absolutely necessary. If not, great; I'll make do without. But if so, what would you recommend doing? Would it be possible to order it and post it to myself somewhere along the way? Or will I be able to find a good one in SJPDP?

Thanks,
Katie

 

[FatmaG]

Hello Katie,

from Saint Jean on, you could do it without - one of my camino friends did it just with the 'Camino Frances'-information she got in the Pilgrims office in Saint Jean.
Well, you won't loose yourself (quite well marked way!) and you should find albergues all over that way without problems.
You might miss some background information, alternative routes or albergues.

If you speak French, you will of course find Camino guides in France - and you should probably find some in English as well.

In any case, don't stress about that.

Buen camino!!!

Fatma

 

[Deleted member 3000]

You can find your way without a guidebook. If you want to know where to find lodging, distances, history, alternative routes, etc., you need a guidebook. Miam Miam Dodo in French is excellent, particularly for lodging. Alison Raju's book gives a turn-by-turn guide, which is helpful for confusing routing, and lots of history. I personally liked knowing what historic feature I was passing, and I bought maps so I could contemplate alternative routes, but that was a very personal choice.

 

[Sagalouts]

hi
I agree with Fatma,the office in sjpp has a lot of information,plus everybody else and their cousins are carrying guides of every discription and all are happy to share. just seen your starting from Lu Poy (respect) in which case listen to Falcon and do do the miam do do,in fact ignore me listen to every body else and just put one foot in front of the other

enjoy and buen Camino
Ian

 

[Ajda]

I didn't have any guide (except list of albergues and the daily plan which i got in SJPDP office).
And I never got lost. So... you really don't need it.