How to plan the Camino

[KingDada1]

Hello. What is more common for first timers: 1. going with a tourism company; or 2. going with a group; or 3. doing the walk on your own at your own pace?
If we were to go at our own pace, how difficult is it to get lodging at your next stop? Is just starting the walk with no pre-planned stops recommended?
How do people get their luggage transported from town to town? Are these "luggage transportation companies" in every town such that I can tell town A that I will end up at town B?
Where can I find pre-planned routes on the Camino Frances?

 

[Tincatinker]

@KingDada1 you’ve previously posted that you’ve done a lot of research on U.bend, blogs and other reliable sources. How come you haven’t reached the answer to your question?

My personal interpretation is that the majority, the significant majority, of pilgrims to the shrine of Santiago do not use tour companies even for their first trip. Sadly, in my view, fewer just start walking from wherever they can and just keep walking till they get there but that’s another issue.

If you want a Camino laid out for you buy a Brierley guidebook or use www.Gronze.com or just use the search engine on the forum.

Search “luggage”, search “plan”, search “days to Santiago”, search “why”.

Buen Camino

 

[Esperanza]

Hello. What is more common for first timers: 1. going with a tourism company; or 2. going with a group; or 3. doing the walk on your own at your own pace?

Hello. I think #3 is much, much more common overall, but from Sarria on, there are a lot of groups. I doubt anyone knows any exact numbers. Personally, I wouldn’t even consider #1 or #2. There is absolutely no need for a tour company, and a group would be very restrictive. YMMV.

If we were to go at our own pace, how difficult is it to get lodging at your next stop?

This depends on when you go, what you want in lodging and how many people you are walking with. I’d say that for solo walkers and couples, it usually isn’t a problem, but at certain times it can be. A bigger group would have to plan more carefully. My husband and I had a lot of trouble making reservations last May for one night ahead for either bunk beds or private rooms (we didn’t care), but solved the problem by booking ahead 4-5 nights. Others walking solo at the same time reportedly had no trouble because they didn’t stay in the places that accept reservations, only the more humble albergues, and had success just walking in. Some others, who only wanted private rooms had a very difficult time and did things like took trains to get ahead to try to get out of the bunch points or even simply quit in frustration. Flexibility helps.

Is just starting the walk with no pre-planned stops recommended?

This depends on when and where you start. Probably most people like to reserve at least the first night or two, and I would recommend it, but certainly not everyone.

How do people get their luggage transported from town to town? Are these "luggage transportation companies" in every town such that I can tell town A that I will end up at town B?

In every accommodation that accepts transported luggage (some albergues do not), there will be envelopes from several luggage transportation companies. The night before, you fill out the envelope, put money in it, and attach it to your bag. Then you text the company so they know to pick it up. You leave your bag near the door the next morning. Your luggage will be in your next place, just like magic.

Where can I find pre-planned routes on the Camino Frances?

Okay, this confuses me because the Camino Frances is, by definition, a pre-planned route. It’s a trail. You walk along it. You can start and stop wherever you want.

If you’re wondering where to start walking, that depends on how much time you have. Assuming you want to end in Santiago, if you have one week to walk, you calculate how long you think you can walk each day, count backwards from Santiago, and that’s probably Sarria. If you have 2-3 weeks, maybe León or Astorga. And so on.

 

[C clearly]

Where can I find pre-planned routes on the Camino Frances?

Any guidebook or app.

We are a forum where every question gets a custom answer from volunteers. So, it is helpful to us if you start by reviewing existing threads. Then come to us with questions for specific circumstances, or even just social conversation about experiences on the the camino.

Go to the main Forums page and scroll down. You can see the main forums and sub-forums, which should help with your browsing. Scroll down to the bottom of that main page and look at the tag "cloud" there. Many of your questions are clearly addressed in those tags, including one for FAQ.

 

[J Willhaus]

I am not sure where in the US you live, but there is possibly a chapter of American Pilgrims on the Camino where you could meet with individuals in person or online to talk. There is also a weekly "chat" here on the forum where you can meet to ask questions in a small group.

The questions you have posted are going to get a lot of opinions and possibly not many specifics. Many regulars here don't do tours, ship luggage or make reservations so we may not be helpful in that regard. Send a personal message to me if I can help you identify some contacts for discussion on Zoom about some of these topics.

 

[trecile]

I am not sure where in the US you live, but there is possibly a chapter of American Pilgrims on the Camino where you could meet with individuals in person or online to talk.

Here's the link to the local American Pilgrims chapters:

Local Chapters - American Pilgrims on the Camino

If you are seeking information about COVID-19 or the situation in Spain, please see the COVID-19: What You Should Know page. Our local chapter coordinators continue to consult state and local public health authorities for current guidance and recommended COVID-19 precautions in their area...

americanpilgrims.org

 

[Flatlander]

What is more common for first timers: 1. going with a tourism company; or 2. going with a group; or 3. doing the walk on your own at your own pace?

Why does it matter what is "more common"?

It's a serious question.

The fact that one thing is more common than another is evidence that there are less common options. If we all liked and enjoyed the same things then there wouldn't be "more common" or "most common" there would just be "the".

Despite the protestations of research elsewhere, I don't think you're quite there yet. I will admit though, that "research" can be something of a dull word for some of us.
I prefer inspiration.

Therefore, I suggest that you read/watch/listen to as much content as you can and see if you can discover what speaks to you. Not what stages people walked, when and at what pace. What people saw, felt and experienced.
Suitably inspired, the decisions you are asking about making will become far easier.

If we were to go at our own pace, how difficult is it to get lodging at your next stop?

Two things here.
Lodging may be "difficult" but a certain amount of that "difficulty" depends on our own mentality. The idea of sleeping in a porch (very, very unlikely) may sound appalling sitting at home but after a tough day - imagine pouring rain, slipping and sliding, a lack of food, aching muscles - the prospect will seem so much better in reality. Things are relative.
(In reality, a bus or taxi to the next available accommodation is probably the most likely option)

Secondly, you mention "we". Speaking only from personal experience, the planning I do for a trip for "me" is very different from the planning I do for a trip for "us".
The "we" person or people should be involved in these decisions.

Oh. So many things will depend on time of year and location that such open, vague questions are impossible to answer.

Is just starting the walk with no pre-planned stops recommended?

I think such a recommendation would not usually be made to first-timers but that's not to say it isn't for you.

The fact is that the CF is such a well resourced route that it is entirely possible to be entirely spontaneous in relative safety and comfort. It may be wonderful. It may be miserable. And everything in between. You may not stay in the "best" places and you may inadvertently pass some "must see" locations. But it may be "enough".

Sometimes "enough" is the best.

 

[Former member 108241]

Hello. What is more common for first timers: 1. going with a tourism company; or 2. going with a group; or 3. doing the walk on your own at your own pace?
If we were to go at our own pace, how difficult is it to get lodging at your next stop? Is just starting the walk with no pre-planned stops recommended?
How do people get their luggage transported from town to town? Are these "luggage transportation companies" in every town such that I can tell town A that I will end up at town B?
Where can I find pre-planned routes on the Camino Frances?

Despite some of the response you've received I hope you will still feel comfortable to ask questions. We all have to start somewhere. The purpose of this forum is where "past pilgrims share and future pilgrims learn" so you did the right thing to post your questions and ask. If we are constantly turned away and directed to google and the search function, this forum might as well be archived and left as a "read only" resource. By all means take the advice and use the search function to round out your research. There's a lot of useful information here.
Unfortunately I am a future pilgrim so I don't have much real world experience for you but based on my approach, I would recommend investing in a Camino guide book in your native language. This will have the "pre-planned" routes or stages listed. Then based on your fitness, health, personal ability, you need to decide if this works for you or if you will try and craft your own stages. I don't know the stats but there are many people who start out and walk until they've had enough and will then stop and find a place to stay. The ease of finding a place to stay will depend on where you stop and at what point in the season you're walking.
The luggage transport companies are well oiled machines that operate in every village.
I wish you a buen camino, and happy planning!

 

[StayHuman]

Hello. What is more common for first timers: 1. going with a tourism company; or 2. going with a group; or 3. doing the walk on your own at your own pace?
If we were to go at our own pace, how difficult is it to get lodging at your next stop? Is just starting the walk with no pre-planned stops recommended?
How do people get their luggage transported from town to town? Are these "luggage transportation companies" in every town such that I can tell town A that I will end up at town B?
Where can I find pre-planned routes on the Camino Frances?

This is one of those “it depends.” How rigid are you, how flexible…..I’m halfway through my first Camino & it’s been smooth except for the rain the last couple of days. I bought booked my first night in Oviedo and my second night in Grado. Getting a feel of my actual pace, I book the night before. Though the Primitivo isn’t busy, so maybe I don’t need the reservations. In the Primitivo, there is a taxi service that will take your bag to your next stop for 5 euros. Can’t beat that. I bet the Frances has something similar. Buen Camino

 

[David Tallan]

Hello. What is more common for first timers: 1. going with a tourism company; or 2. going with a group; or 3. doing the walk on your own at your own pace?
If we were to go at our own pace, how difficult is it to get lodging at your next stop? Is just starting the walk with no pre-planned stops recommended?
How do people get their luggage transported from town to town? Are these "luggage transportation companies" in every town such that I can tell town A that I will end up at town B?
Where can I find pre-planned routes on the Camino Frances?

Based on my (admittedly unscientific) observations, I would say that #3 is most common for first timers, followed by #2 (perhaps closely if you include groups of 2 family or friends, more distantly if you are looking at larger groups) and with #3 in a distant third. It may depend on season. In the summer, the number of school groups or church groups after Sarria may skew #2 a bit higher proportionally.

In my 2016 experience on the Frances, it wasn't too difficult to get accommodation at the next stop, at least until one is in Galicia. At that point, I started to book a day or two ahead. But by that time I had a pretty good idea of how long I like to walk in a day and what kind of accommodations I liked. I did have the first few days reserved to get us going (there were two of us on that Camino). I've heard The first couple of days after SJPP can be a bottleneck. In 2018 on the Portugues, I only needed to reserve one night, when I wanted to be sure of a place at the popular Casa da Fernanda. 1989 was a whole nother story and my experience then wouldn't really be applicable.

Many people like to recommend starting with no plans whatsoever. I'm not against planning, just against committing to your plans. I like to do a lot of planning but to be ready to change them on the day based on new information (weather, physical condition, people I meet and what I learn from them or, if I start walking with them, perhaps their preferences).

There are a number of luggage transport companies. Many of them work without booking the whole Camino in advance (although they may be cheaper if you do that). Many private albergues, hotels, casas rurales, etc. have envelopes from these companies and you write the destination on the outside of the envelope, put the payment inside the envelope, and attach it to your luggage which you leave behind. But it isn't enough to say that you will end up in town B. You have to say where. So luggage transport in general works hand in hand with pre-booking your accommodations, at least a day in advance.

Route information for pre-planning can easily be found in guide books like the Brierley, Village to Village, Moon, Cicerone, Wise Pilgrim or other guides, as well as in apps like the Wise Pilgrim Frances and Buen Camino apps.