Le PUY questions

[wayfaring stranger]

Greetings All........

Being new to this, I would like to ask the old hands a few questions if I may...:

1) Is the Le Puy route less open than the routes in Spain?..I mean, do you spend a lot more time walking in trees/woods instead of in open fields on this route? (On the Appalachian Trial this is known as walking in 'the green tunnel" )......I much prefer open country to forest paths, so I am wondering how much 'green tunnel' one will experience on this route....

2) Becuase this is a holy year, most people here seem to agree that the Camino will be much more crowded this summer than in other years...Does that apply to the Le Puy route as well, or are they talking mainly about the routes in Spain?.....How crowded do you think this year will actually be here?
Will things get to the 'no-room-at-the-inn' stage in July?

3) Is food/lodging on the Le Puy route more expensive than the others ?....

Many thanks for your input and advice...........

go well

WS

 

[Deleted member 3000]

It is always prudent to make reservations several days in advance on the Le Puy route, even in "regular" years. There are not extensive forests. Most of the route is in fields or along roads. Hiking is a spectator sport in France, which means that the route will go far off the most direct path in order to provide a vista view. If you are going to be destination oriented, get maps at your first opportunity (bookstore, news, or tobacco shop) so you can find alternatives. I spent half a morning climbing up to the Virgen de Vermus to discover it was an ordinary concrete monument with an excellent view of the riverside road down below. My attitude toward the Virgen Mary has been permanently affected.