Is a guide book really necessary????

[SunShiningInMyWindow]

Hi Everyone,

I will be walking the Camino Frances in Sept/Oct of this year. Is a guide book really necessary to carry? Is the purpose of a guide book to find your way or to give info about sites/cities/history etc... or both? Just wondering if I could leave the weight behind and still find my way to the end without hassle.

Thanks for the input!!

 

[jelle]

Hi SunShine,

For the Frances it is definately not necessary. I've walked it twice only using the paper summary of the stages you receive from the pilgrim office in SJPDP. And when you feel the need to consult a guidebook I'm sure there are other pilgrims willing to lend you theirs for a minute.

Kind regards,

 

[C clearly]

Different people carry guide books for different reasons. I wouldn't go without one, but you will not need it to find your way.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/any-reason-to-take-a-guide-book.39330/

 

[dandagenais]

I agree. The PDF on this site of all accomodation is great (see below), as it is in order, as distances and services. That's all you need really. The less you carry, the better, trust me! ;o)
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...lbergues-on-the-camino-frances-in-one-pdf.10/

Breathe, walk, talk and enjoy!!
Dan

 

[dougfitz]

This question gets asked fairly regularly, and the range of views on the matter doesn't change that much each time the subject is aired. You might want to read this discussion to get a flavour for the breadth of views on this.

 

[SunShiningInMyWindow]

All of you have been tremendously helpful. Thanks for showing me my first kindness along this journey - I think there will be many more to come from what I am gathering. Blessings : )

 

[Stephanie907]

I used mine daily during the walk. I thought it was very helpful for picking alternate routes and getting advice on local stuff.

 

[SYates]

It really depends what you want from it.
Background information like POI/culture etc? or A list of accommodation?
On the CF you don't need a guide book to find the way, but it does give you a lot of local tips. Regarding weight, you could always use an electronic version.
Buen Camino, SY

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

Hi Everyone,

I will be walking the Camino Frances in Sept/Oct of this year. Is a guide book really necessary to carry? Is the purpose of a guide book to find your way or to give info about sites/cities/history etc... or both? Just wondering if I could leave the weight behind and still find my way to the end without hassle.

Thanks for the input!!

Hi, I always use a guide book.
Not for finding the way but it's nice to know how far it is to the next village and if you can sleep there.
Wish you well, Peter.

 

[Older Guy]

Might as well share my 2 cents on guide books. With all of the smart phone apps and ability to at a bar use their WiFi with a smart phone, I am not sure guide books are as necessary as they once were.

My wife taught me an interesting paper guide book trick. Rip out and throw away the pages you don't need, if you are concerned about weight and volume.

For me, the guide book had 4 main functions.

1. a reviewed list of places to stay with contact information and hopefully dots on a map so I could find them.

2. a general map of the stage, so I knew how far apart things were so when I was tired or hungry, I could figure out if I should push on a little bit longer.

3. a list of things that I might want to see along the route or view points or alternate routes and what to be on the look out for in approaching an alternate route.

4. at that point when I was thinking about making a drastic change in my plans, a wide range of information so I could weigh options and make a decision on what to do next.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I like to know about the places I am walking through, and comforting myself regarding how much longer I have to walk before getting to a loo, cafe con leche or shower.

To minimise weight I take pictures of the pages of the guide with my Iphone, voila! Mind you, to tell the truth I also carry my guide to take notes in the afternoon about my day, but it stays in my backpack while phine lives in my pockets.

I would try to avoid asking people all the time to take a look at their guidebook: why should they carry to give you the joy of knowing where you are? ;0)

 

[alhartman]

"Guidebook" is so pre-internet age!! We are seeking information of various types that formerly were found in guidebooks: trip planning, route-finding, distances, elevation profiles, alternative routes, bailout/shortcut points, accommodations, local services, cultural/history, spiritual guide, and diary.
Ten years ago I found Brierley indispensable for all of those; now I believe there are better easier ways of getting the information. On my last short camino, seems everyone has a smartphone (on cafe stop 14 of 19 people were on their devices; so, since that is already on everyones packing list, I'd use it for information needs (unless you fear loss, breakage, etc of the device.
Trip planning--use this site, and the first half of Brierley to learn about the ways of the Camino.
Route finding--not necessary on the Camino Frances; it is so well (over)marked you cannot lose your way easily. Just follow the arrows. The exception this is in the larger towns. I have been lost in Pamplona, Logrono, Leon, Burgos, and Ponferrada; and even in the lengthy part of Castrojeriz looking for the albergue. And for me, google maps is not in my skill set--so I would love a guidebook of city plans!! Distances and elevation profiles do not require a heavy guidebook. The handouts at SJpdp are more than sufficient. I prefer the brochure from the association Albergue Red since that also has the premium albergue accommodations.
Alternative routes: not sure any guidebook is valuable here. Three that come to mind that require no guidebook are Napoleon/Valcarlos, San Martin/Marzarife, Samos/San Xil. A guidem ight be helpful on the Pradela/Montana out of Villafranca. (never walked but have talked to walkers who say it is not well marked). I come from a backbacking history and I would NEVER go off the main route with anything less than a full topographical map. Same for shortcuts and bail out points. (I carry a full set of IGN 1:100000) maps for LePuy tho; as I am not fond of the French routing aimed at weekend walkers and not long distance walkers who do not want an extra 2km to see something obtuse; and I refer to these frequently during the day.)
Accommodations and local services: these change so fast that a guidebooks are out of date. MiamMiamDoDo formerly was the best on accommodations. I am new to it, but Gronze was perfect for this last short trip. With a list of accommodations at each town complete with phone numbers it did everything but dial my phone and make the reservation.
Cultural, History, spirit guide etc: I loved Brierley for this in the early years and there is some information on Mundicamino website.
Diary: use a notebook or a smartphone notetaking app.

So the short answer is 'carry no paper guidebook for the Camino Frances". Download what you need to your smartphone and keep the SPpdp handouts handy for a paper backup. I would be inclined to take a guidebook for any of the other routes though.

Technology changes have made print media increasingly obsolete.

 

[beiramar]

I'm currently writing two guidebooks for the German speaking market, so I have to object.
There is still a need for one source that you can trust and follow throughout your trip.

Books don't have to be heavy and bulky but can be a faithful companion in your pocket that gives you advice beyond the lifetime of your phone battery and coverage.

This may not apply to Camino Francés but it certainly does to other trails. I'm writing this from one of the few places in the mountains of Swedish Lapland with cellphone coverage and literally everyone here has one or several paper maps and a guide book.
We still use a GPS but it lacks a lot of information about dangerous river crossings, alternative routes, summit climbs and other obstacles.
Paper still has its place

 

[SYates]

@beiramar
Perhaps we should exchange experiences? I am a German that writes currently a guidebook for an English speaking audience ...
Buen Camino, SY

 

[Csutak]

When I walked on the C. Frances for the second time in 2008, I left my guidebook in Carrion de los Condes. Only then did I understand that I can manage without it quite well. However, on the C. Aragones I had some problems without a book. (Unfortunately I didn't have a smart phone at that time.) So, I think it depends...

 

[dougfitz]

And when you feel the need to consult a guidebook I'm sure there are other pilgrims willing to lend you theirs for a minute.

You might well be correct, but like @Anemone del Camino, I puzzle at the attitude that when you decide you can do without carrying something for your own convenience, you can then impose on someone who has suffered the inconvenience of carrying that item for their own use. It seems rather odd to me that anyone would even consider that. But clearly they do.

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

Hi SunShine,

For the Frances it is definately not necessary. I've walked it twice only using the paper summary of the stages you receive from the pilgrim office in SJPDP. And when you feel the need to consult a guidebook I'm sure there are other pilgrims willing to lend you theirs for a minute.

Kind regards,

When you don’t want to take a guidebook for your own ease you don’t ask other pilgrims when you want something to know.

 

[jsalt]

And then there was the time I was sitting in the restaurant at La Gallega in Cacabelos one evening and a pilgrim asked if he could borrow my Brierley. Sure I said. He flipped through it, found 12 pages that interested him – the alternative routes from Villafranca del Bierzo to O’Cebreiro – then went over to the owner, and asked if he would photocopy these pages. Sure he said. The pilgrim returned my Brierley and off he went.

 

[beiramar]

@beiramar
Perhaps we should exchange experiences? I am a German that writes currently a guidebook for an English speaking audience ...
Buen Camino, SY

That sounds interesting is it a Camino guidebook?

 

[SYates]

Yup, Via Regia in Germany, there is not much, actually close to nothing, about it available in English. See also second link in my signature for the meagre beginning of a website about it. Buen Camino, SY

 

[RobertS26]

Your question reminds me of an experience on my first Camino. I had stopped for breakfast at the café in San Nicolas del Real Camino. As I was enjoying my food, I was reading my guidebook to a get a feel for the remainder of the day's walk. A fellow American, who I had never seen before, sitting at the next table decided to launch into a lecture about how I was "absolutely ruining" my Camino by carrying a guidebook. If I had any common sense, and understood the true purpose of the Camino, I would throw away my guidebook and "let the magic of the Camino unfold" before my very eyes.

Tired of her lecture, I packed up and began walking again. Sadly, she left right behind me and was able to quickly catch up to continue her lecture. About a kilometer out of town we crested a hill and could see a large town in the distance.

"Oh, thank God!", she exclaimed, "Leon! I've been hoping I would get there by today!"

"That's not Leon," I casually mentioned.

"It's not?" she sadly inquired. "What town is it?"

"Oh, I wouldn't want to ruin the magic of your Camino by telling you," I responded, "I'll just let the Camino unfold for you."

Of course, the large town was Sahagun and Leon was another 55 kilometers away.

 

[vlebe]

Keeping it simple:
No...A guide book is not necessary at all!

Buen Camino!

 

[dalstonmarra]

you can download to smartphone kindle app and save the cost of a guide book and the weight.I used mine recently and it was good enough.

 

[JayPR]

Hi Everyone,

I will be walking the Camino Frances in Sept/Oct of this year. Is a guide book really necessary to carry? Is the purpose of a guide book to find your way or to give info about sites/cities/history etc... or both? Just wondering if I could leave the weight behind and still find my way to the end without hassle.

Thanks for the input!!

Not really, I did not carry one and found my way just by ask other pilgrims what was the next stage and I always looked for the "albergue municipal" didn't have a need for the guide book, not carrying one gave me a real sense of adventure and being spontaneous, once I landed in Madrid my camino was not based on planning but more on living it one minute at the time

 

[Jenn]

I didn't open it even once
I disagree with those who say by asking others you will be imposing. We all have much to share with others along The Way whether it be history, cheese, advice, toilet paper or a damn good sense of humour. Buen Camino!

 

[jimabfalter]

Hi Everyone,

I will be walking the Camino Frances in Sept/Oct of this year. Is a guide book really necessary to carry? Is the purpose of a guide book to find your way or to give info about sites/cities/history etc... or both? Just wondering if I could leave the weight behind and still find my way to the end without hassle.

Thanks for the input!!

You don't need a guidebook. You can rely on people all along the route. However, if you wish to plan ahead a bit, and it is a busy walk nowadays and there is so much to see and do, you may want to carry the extra weight. We missed ours after we had lost it, so whatever you like it will be fine.

 

[kelleymac]

I used the Brierley guide-- hard copy. I tore out the pages I didn't need to lighten it up. I also took a kindle and downloaded The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago-- the complete cultural handbook by D. Glitz and L Davidson. This is a bit outdated (he last walked in 1996), but gives much of the history. They were professors walking with university students majoring in medieval history. My son and I would sit and read out loud to each other when we took a break. I also downloaded a Spanish phrase book, a Spanish-English dictionary, and a grammar. Oh, and a copy of the Jerusalem Bible, and the Gospel of John in Greek.

 

[DurhamParish]

I just like having my "Brierley". I don't have to have it now that I've been on the Camino 4 times. But I just like having it. I find it's nicer to know what town/village is coming up next, how far it is, and if there is an albergue there. Also, I like to know if there are alternate routes.

 

[mcopeland]

We did not read beforehand nor carry one with us. From advice we got from this Forum, we downloaded the maps only version of Brierley to my husband's phone. We used it quite a bit to check and take alternate routes, find places to stay not listed other places (trying to stay between his stages) and check altitudes for the next day. Very useful. On my phone we had the micamino app which listed distances to the next cafe con leche and places to stay.

 

[dougfitz]

I didn't open it even once
I disagree with those who say by asking others you will be imposing. We all have much to share with others along The Way whether it be history, cheese, advice, toilet paper or a damn good sense of humour. Buen Camino!

I was tempted to just say 'speak for yourself' in response to this, but the issue is more subtle. There is a significant difference here that needs to be understood. There are some people who are generous souls, and will say 'I am willing to share something of mine with you' when they see someone in need. In contrast, there are those who have scrimped on their packing to save say 300 gm for the million or so steps of the CF, and who in effect are saying 'I am happy for you to be my pack animal and carry that load, and I now need you to share something of yours with me'.

I am happy for you to voluntarily share - it is a wonderful part of life in general and the Camino in particular. But not carrying an item you might later need on the basis that 'the Camino will provide' - that is not sharing, that is something else. In an ecological context, an organism engaging it that behaviour would be classed as a parasite.

 

[Kanga]

Let's not allow the thread to be derailed.

The OP was merely asking if it was necessary to take a paper guidebook. In my view it is not necessary. For very basic information about accommodation and distances there are paper handouts given at SJPDP and tourist offices. For myself, I would never go without having made provision for online access to detailed information (including Kindle alternatives to paper books).

 

[dougfitz]

Let's not allow the thread to be derailed.

The suggestion that being able to use other's guidebooks as a reason not to carry one was made early in this thread, and seems to be just as legitimate matter to explore as any of the other matters being discussed. This is not so much a matter of being derailed, as it would appear to be a desire to have the discussion travel on a narrow-gauge line.

 

[Deleted member 43985]

I think one of the problems with asking people who have already walked the Camino (many times in some cases) about whether or not a guidebook is needed is that in hindsight most things are seen very differently and it's easy to forget what feelings or insecurities we had prior to the first time we walked. Sure, I agree you have to work pretty hard on the CF to get lost, that's a fair statement. But I also remember mild anxiety about how far I could walk in a day in the winter daylight hours, would I find an Albergue bed for the night and if not what my options were, where was the next place to get water, etc. I've carried a guidebook both times I walked the CF and pretty sure I would on my next one too mostly because I like to be self-sufficient and not flag down others who are reading from their guidebook or stop everywhere asking for wifi passwords. This year my wife and I decided to use mainly Casa Rurals, Hostels and Hotels and having the phone numbers of a number of such places in our guidebook was really quite handy. From a nostalgic point of view, I also made notes about where I stayed each day and enjoy having those dog-earred, well-worn guidebooks on my book shelf to look back at.

 

[november_moon]

Now that I'm home, I find that I like looking at my guidebook. It helps me remember parts of the journey - where things were, what such-and-such little village was called, and so on. The book is pretty banged up - it got wet, dirty, torn... - and that reminds me of parts of the Camino as well

I liked having the paper guide. I found it helpful. I liked having the maps so I had an idea of where I was and what was coming up. I liked the maps of towns and lists of potential places to stay.

 

[annakappa]

We have never used a guide book, but check out on the Internet sites Mundicamino, Eroski and Gronze.
Actually, we were given a copy of the Brierly guide to use in Portugal last year, but quickly found that the information found on the above sites was far better and in fact, it didn't arrive with us in Santiago, but got left somewhere along the way!

 

[C clearly]

I think one of the problems with asking people who have already walked the Camino (many times in some cases) about whether or not a guidebook is needed is that in hindsight most things are seen very differently and it's easy to forget what feelings or insecurities we had prior to the first time we walked. Sure, I agree you have to work pretty hard on the CF to get lost, that's a fair statement. But I also remember mild anxiety about how far I could walk in a day in the winter daylight hours, would I find an Albergue bed for the night and if not what my options were, where was the next place to get water, etc. I've carried a guidebook both times I walked the CF and pretty sure I would on my next one too mostly because I like to be self-sufficient and not flag down others who are reading from their guidebook or stop everywhere asking for wifi passwords. This year my wife and I decided to use mainly Casa Rurals, Hostels and Hotels and having the phone numbers of a number of such places in our guidebook was really quite handy. From a nostalgic point of view, I also made notes about where I stayed each day and enjoy having those dog-earred, well-worn guidebooks on my book shelf to look back at.

I agree with what you say, and I would never think of going without a guide book for those reasons. However, you and I would not be asking others "Do I really NEED a guidebook?" Those who ask clearly have a different approach!

 

[whariwharangi]

Hi Everyone,

I will be walking the Camino Frances in Sept/Oct of this year. Is a guide book really necessary to carry? Is the purpose of a guide book to find your way or to give info about sites/cities/history etc... or both? Just wondering if I could leave the weight behind and still find my way to the end without hassle.

Thanks for the input!!

The Brierley guidebook gave information about the route and about Pilgrim accommodations. It also gave a brief introduction about every village along the way.

I can't imagine walking the camino without a guidebook (be it hard copy or on the internet). But thats a habit ... I don't like spending time thrashing around to find the right direction so I bring any maps or guidebooks to the task of navigation on any hike.

I'd make a lousy explorer. If the map says 'beyond this point there be dragons' ... I am content to let them lie undisturbed.

 

[jelle]

You might well be correct, but like @Anemone del Camino, I puzzle at the attitude that when you decide you can do without carrying something for your own convenience, you can then impose on someone who has suffered the inconvenience of carrying that item for their own use. It seems rather odd to me that anyone would even consider that. But clearly they do.

Weird reflexion... A world shared is a better world I feel.
Would you not share a bottle of water with another pilgrim? No because you had the burden of carrying it? I think not.
Why don't you bring a sleeping mat or tent? Because someone decided to share his home/hostal.

The essence of pilgrimage is in sharing. That is one reason why the camino is so disruptive from our lives in society because we let go of some of the more individualistic notions and learn to accept the kindness of strangers or to offer it.

Of course you have to start out being selfsufficient but if that fails or you seem to lack information you check with your peers. How many times have pilgrims compared guidebooks or discussed them?

 

[november_moon]

Weird reflexion... A world shared is a better world I feel.
Would you not share a bottle of water with another pilgrim? No because you had the burden of carrying it? I think not.

Of course you have to start out being selfsufficient but if that fails or you seem to lack information you check with your peers. How many times have pilgrims compared guidebooks or discussed them?

I think you've found the answer in your post. Of course pilgrims share what they have, but the flip side of that is that people need to start out being self-sufficient. Would you be happy to carry water and share it with someone who didn't carry any water because they didn't want to carry the weight and knew they could just drink someone else's? I wouldn't. But I'd gladly share with someone who miscalculated and ran out of water.

 

[dougfitz]

Weird reflexion... A world shared is a better world I feel.
Would you not share a bottle of water with another pilgrim? No because you had the burden of carrying it? I think not.
Why don't you bring a sleeping mat or tent? Because someone decided to share his home/hostal.

The essence of pilgrimage is in sharing. That is one reason why the camino is so disruptive from our lives in society because we let go of some of the more individualistic notions and learn to accept the kindness of strangers or to offer it.

Of course you have to start out being selfsufficient but if that fails or you seem to lack information you check with your peers. How many times have pilgrims compared guidebooks or discussed them?

@jelle, you make some good points, but as I said in an earlier post, there is a difference between being willing to share something you have with others, and a reliance on others sharing something of theirs with you.

There is also your point where you accept the principle that one should be self-sufficient, presumably within the context of the route one is walking. I agree. And if you think that you can do without either water for a particular part of the walk, or a guidebook for all of it, why would I not want to see you succeed to achieve that goal you have set yourself? Unless you created a medical emergency, I think I should continue to support your endeavours in every way possible. So if you had decided to walk a stretch of the path without the being able to satisfy your thirst by carrying only a small amount of water, one might suggest that other pilgrims should support you in that. No doubt you will be tempted to seek assistance to quench your thirst, but do others fill a higher moral purpose by helping you resist that temptation and not offering you water?

Of course, the alternative explanation is that you have avoided making adequate provision for yourself, and are relying on others carrying a burden you have avoided. I am sure there are vulgar expressions in the colloquial idiom of most countries for this behaviour and those who engage in it.

Many of us walk routes where there are going to be so few other pilgrims that there isn't a real prospect of even just sharing a greeting during the day with another pilgrim. I have done such a route myself, and know both the practical physical and mental measures that I took in those circumstances. The lack of any opportunities to regularly share does not make this any less of a pilgrimage for those who chose these routes. I know that in my case, arriving at the tombs of Santiago or St Olav was the primary purpose of my pilgrimages, and any opportunities to share that experience was secondary. To that extent, I don't think I could support the idea that 'the essence of pilgrimage is sharing', and I suggest that the conclusions you draw based on that are not really valid.

That said, I do accept your underlying point that we all benefit from the generosity of others in many ways when we do walk the Camino.

 

[marbuck]

We carry a Brierley guidebook. We make notes in it, we write where we stay, we note where we had a special time or a great meal. And we also use it as a guide.
It now takes pride of place on our bookshelf and in the two years since we walked the C/F that book has been taken down and thumbed through numerous times. When you have Camino friends come and stay it is a great source of information and memories. You cant do that with a digital guide book.
So my advice is put up with the extra weight and carry one.
I met a pilgrim who got so sick of being asked the time by pilgrims who were trying to save weight by not carrying a watch, that he refused to tell them the time. I feel the same about a guide book.

 

[Tia Valeria]

CSJ guides carry enough information to be helpful. You can add notes from web sites like gronze etc, and about your day, in the margins. Less weight than a Kindle and don't need recharging.

 

[Nanc]

It's almost like we have 2 threads here. Is a guide book necessary and is it appropriate to borrow guide book information from others?
The first had been well answered from many view points.
As for "sharing", i think the rub comes when people PLAN to need something and don't take it.
On other threads people have said: I don't need a cell phone; if an emergency came up, there would always be someone around I could borrow from.
Or, I never carry a knife. Someone else always has one to borrow to cut up sausage cheese fruit....
If you would like me to carry something you are going to need, let me know, and I will tell you what I dont want to carry so you can return the favor
Of course in reality that only works with spouses on the Camino

 

[jefferyonthecamino]

Hi Everyone,

I will be walking the Camino Frances in Sept/Oct of this year. Is a guide book really necessary to carry? Is the purpose of a guide book to find your way or to give info about sites/cities/history etc... or both? Just wondering if I could leave the weight behind and still find my way to the end without hassle.

Thanks for the input!!

The latter mostly as the Camino suffers at times from arrow OD.

many pilgrims find stage maps useful to get an idea of where you are

Buen Camino

 

[Deleted member 43985]

@Nanc - as a pack mule (aka Spouse) I'm not sure I agree with you

 

[jelle]

@jelle, you make some good points, but as I said in an earlier post, there is a difference between being willing to share something you have with others, and a reliance on others sharing something of theirs with you.

There is also your point where you accept the principle that one should be self-sufficient, presumably within the context of the route one is walking. I agree. And if you think that you can do without either water for a particular part of the walk, or a guidebook for all of it, why would I not want to see you succeed to achieve that goal you have set yourself? Unless you created a medical emergency, I think I should continue to support your endeavours in every way possible. So if you had decided to walk a stretch of the path without the being able to satisfy your thirst by carrying only a small amount of water, one might suggest that other pilgrims should support you in that. No doubt you will be tempted to seek assistance to quench your thirst, but do others fill a higher moral purpose by helping you resist that temptation and not offering you water?

Of course, the alternative explanation is that you have avoided making adequate provision for yourself, and are relying on others carrying a burden you have avoided. I am sure there are vulgar expressions in the colloquial idiom of most countries for this behaviour and those who engage in it.

Many of us walk routes where there are going to be so few other pilgrims that there isn't a real prospect of even just sharing a greeting during the day with another pilgrim. I have done such a route myself, and know both the practical physical and mental measures that I took in those circumstances. The lack of any opportunities to regularly share does not make this any less of a pilgrimage for those who chose these routes. I know that in my case, arriving at the tombs of Santiago or St Olav was the primary purpose of my pilgrimages, and any opportunities to share that experience was secondary. To that extent, I don't think I could support the idea that 'the essence of pilgrimage is sharing', and I suggest that the conclusions you draw based on that are not really valid.

That said, I do accept your underlying point that we all benefit from the generosity of others in many ways when we do walk the Camino.

I see your point dougfitz. Thank you for your view on the matter.
For me it is more of a "the journey is the destination" kind of undertaking. The physical,mental and spiritual development achieved and balance found by walking to the cathedral was my primary purpose.

In any case I think a pilgrimage on the Frances route is perfectly doable without a guidebook and only the piece of paper. Even without the piece of paper it is still doable since there is an albergue almost every 5-10km. But I would never not take a guidebook in France...

 

[camagual]

Hi SunShine,

For the Frances it is definately not necessary. I've walked it twice only using the paper summary of the stages you receive from the pilgrim office in SJPDP. And when you feel the need to consult a guidebook I'm sure there are other pilgrims willing to lend you theirs for a minute.

Kind regards,

Hi Everyone,

I will be walking the Camino Frances in Sept/Oct of this year. Is a guide book really necessary to carry? Is the purpose of a guide book to find your way or to give info about sites/cities/history etc... or both? Just wondering if I could leave the weight behind and still find my way to the end without hassle.

Thanks for the input!!

It may not be necessary but I would not go without one, especially one with maps that allow you to re do your plans, if you need to. I recommend Brierley's maps. It not only shows you the route but also the places to eat, places to sleep, and water fountains. It also provides distances between town and the profile of each stage, which is also fantastic for planning. You want to know if there is a slope ahead, both uphill and downhill

 

[Richo]

We have never used a guide book, but check out on the Internet sites Mundicamino, Eroski and Gronze.
Actually, we were given a copy of the Brierly guide to use in Portugal last year, but quickly found that the information found on the above sites was far better and in fact, it didn't arrive with us in Santiago, but got left somewhere along the way!

Hi annakappa, I have downloaded the Eroski app. Have you used the app or have you only used the web version? The app seems to be out of date, for instance the VDLP section begins with a warning that the albergue in Castilblanco de los Arroyos will be closed from November 2014 to February 2015. I haven't found any updates.
best,
Richard.

 

[Albertagirl]

Hi annakappa, I have downloaded the Eroski app. Have you used the app or have you only used the web version? The app seems to be out of date, for instance the VDLP section begins with a warning that the albergue in Castilblanco de los Arroyos will be closed from November 2014 to February 2015. I haven't found any updates.
best,
Richard.

@Richo
Since yesterday, the Camino Frances section of the Eroski app has added four albergues to its number, up from 459 to 463. I take this to be an update. Once a day, if I turn to this app, material is added. However, there are serious problems with the app. A few months ago, all the information on the Camino Aragones section disappeared. Since I am planning on walking this section in September, without a phone, I had counted on being able to find this information on my ipad mini when offline. It is all gone. The distance on the Camino Frances section is excessive (940 km. instead of about 790) and this error appeared when the information on the Camino Aragones disappeared. This may be related to the Eroski website, which combines the two caminos, but it is another indication of careless updating on the app. However, if you want it to use on the Frances, it seems to be accurate in the addition of new albergues and most other information appears up to date.

 

[annakappa]

Hi annakappa, I have downloaded the Eroski app. Have you used the app or have you only used the web version? The app seems to be out of date, for instance the VDLP section begins with a warning that the albergue in Castilblanco de los Arroyos will be closed from November 2014 to February 2015. I haven't found any updates.
best,
Richard.

Hi Richard. when i used the eroski guide, I wasn't so advanced technologically , so I printed out the parts we needed and made a booklet. I've done this on various occasions in the past ( since 2007 onwards) and only last year did I upgrade myself to an iPhone. I didn't download the app, but simply consulted the page when necessary. Sorry I can't be more help!