Judge the time for the plane ticket home?

[Whizzer]

How do you judge the time I would need to do the whole trail? I see people do it 23 to 27 to 32 days. Now how do fig out about give time to get to the airport? Do I over date the ticket and do a standby at the airport?

 

[KiwiNomad06]

How do you judge the time I would need to do the whole trail? I see people do it 23 to 27 to 32 days. Now how do fig out about give time to get to the airport? Do I over date the ticket and do a standby at the airport?

That's what I did, but I wouldn't recommend it for my part of the world. Depends when you are walking I guess, but basically I finished walking just as all the French were leaving Paris for their summer hols, and I couldn't get a changed booking within three weeks. I decided to head out to CDG and try standby - by that time I had managed to get a confirmed flight out of Singapore to Auckland, which gave me higher priority somehow on the standby thing. But I was just lucky. I think next time I will over-estimate, but have something definite 'up my sleeve' for when I finish. Trouble was, once I had finished walking the Camino, I never felt like being a 'tourist' anywhere, and really just wanted to head home. Not sure how others manage if they have that feeling.

I know some others ended up with not quite enough time to make their flights if they walked all the way, and just had to make a decision to skip part of the Camino. I guess it depends on what your other commitments like work and family involve as well.
Margaret

 

[Whizzer]

I will be doing mine vision quest. I want to get the max out of it. The whole problem is I need to train mine self to stop and look around. I need to fig out how many miles I would do a day with pack. This is why I am asking to see what everyone is doing. Maybe get a good train pass to by up time. I would be started it in April when the kids is still in school. Here in the states mine dad say the time to hike is when collage kids go back and the first night when it get cold. The cold kills the bugs.

 

[jennysa]

I would definitely get an open-ended ticket next time. I finished 5 days earlier than planned, and as I had picked up an injury over the last 150 kms, I couldn't spend the extra time walking to Finisterre. I managed to change my tickets and get a flight out 2 days earlier, but at great expense. I did catch the bus to Finisterre and spent one night there and I can really recommend that. Most of my fellow pilgrims all seem to agree that this where you get closure, and not at Santiago.

I also think that when you have completed your journey you just want to go home. The very last thing I wanted to do was any sight-seeing.

 

[gregdedman]

I found (twice)that walking from St Jean to Santiago in 33 days was perfect for me, walking at my own pace, some days 30km some days just 5 and one complete day off in the middle.

I booked my flight home before I started and set it for 36 days after my start date.
This gave me some pleasant options for the end. It meant that I had days sapre if I had to rest due to injury, it gave me time in Santiago to just sit in the square and see friends id lost come in behind me (very special moments) and it also gave the opportunity to catch a ride to finisterre if I wanted to.

Of course everyone is different but many people manage 33 days as a nice average.

These days, leaving tickets until the last minute is very expensive, especially europe's low fare airlines, as an example a flight with Ryanair this thursday one way from Santiago to London costs $220 US. Most international airlines will charge you in the region of $200 to change a ticket you already have but then you would normally pay the difference in fare from when you first purchased a ticket.

Its a tough decision, but ultimately money is best spent enjoying your camino not wasted on tickets changes....over estimate your trip, there are always things to do if you have 3 days to kill...in fact last time I was in Santiago for three days it wasnt until my third day, and 3rd mass that they swung the inscense burner so was glad of that!

As for the crowds, July and August will be heaving with pilgrims but reports are that numbers are high even now. As for bugs, twice ive walked and never had bed bugs, only bugs that caused problems was one single day in the height of summer that dive-bombed me all day long, annoying more than anything.

 

[Kulinarykila]

I'm taking my full 90 days that I am allowed. 10 for Paris and traveling to Le Puy and getting back to Paris from Santiago, and 80 days walking from Le Puy to Santiago and maybe on to Muxia. Nothing is set in stone though except for my flight in and out of Paris and who knows that might change too!!!

 

[jpflavin1]

I took 33 days to walk the Camino. I had my return ticket from London but did not buy my ticket from Santiago to London until I was in Leon. By then, I was in a rhythm and could predict more realistically when I would arrive in Santiago. It would definately have been cheaper to buy the ticket sooner but less predictable as to when I would arrive in Santiago.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[Valdis Pauzers]

If your are not time constrained or dominated by it put your return out to something conservative and extended. There is much to appreciate, see and savour at the end of your Camino. Spiritually and as a tourist. (Northern Spain is a pretty good place....)
Worse, if your are time constrained but then you book the last possible date (which is reasonable with you achieving your goal.) And hope you have a plan that is practical to achieve it.
Check with your airline your purchased ticket is transferable date, which will have a charge (ask as you buy).
Then you get on with it and make sure your plan has enoogh leeway for your fitness and sense of pilgrimage to take it all in.
Then get ready, get set and go !

And enjoy and be enriched.
Have a good one and don't worry on such peripheral detail. (You wont by day 5 onwards.)
Valdis.

 

[Whizzer]

Klm web page do a very go job of slipit the tricket up. I lived in Holland to work for 9 month. Went back to ride a 10 day bike trip. The bike trip was too good I did it the next year. I think how the trail is setup I will be doing it a couple of times then move on.


I think plan for 30 day trip plus 4 day extra and two ways of thinking is to buy a railpass and check in to the endless ticket. By all the gps tracks say the trail is 480 mile and take 30 day will become 16 miles a day , but not more them 25 miles a day.

I also think see the ocean would be the best to end to trip but that is 150 miles more.

 

[John Hussey]

Don't forget that it's not a race but a journey. where the journey is the destination. For my part I'd take it slowly, saunter along and enjoy it, as though it were a fine Petrus wine, sipping and savoring it without regard for either time or haste. I took 40 days to do it from SJPdP to Finisterre in 2005. In October I'll begin again and take even more time, so I can get to Muxia, too, and walk back to Santiago. But, I am older than most on the journey. I can't wait!

 

[Anniesantiago]

Personally, I've always gone for 90 days and walked different routes.
But to be safe, I'd simply give myself 6 weeks... that way you can be a bit of a tourist and not have to race for a bed! :lol:

 

[Whizzer]

I wish would found this early in mine life. This is the type of thing I always been looking for. To walk EU nd meet people.