tony downey
New Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Frances
I was a single male traveller and thought I would share my experience of the two routes.
Accommodation
I was a bit concerned with accommodation and this does seem to be a topic of interest. Are there as many places to stay ? Well, there are far more than the Miam Miam Dodo book says, there are far more than google maps seem to hint at, but the stages between them are longer and they are usually smaller places with not as many beds. There are often houses and places with rooms or beds that do not seem to be on websites or in books, but they were equally as good as the Gites.
So do I need to book in advance. ?
I booked my first 3 places and afterwards I would book on the day with a quick phone call, some where booked, but had a capacity of 6 people, but usually on the second call I got a bed. As I was unsure of the distance I would walk each day, I waited until lunch to see how I felt and then used my app and book to call ahead.
Albergue vs Gites
This to me was a huge difference. I stayed in a variety of places. The main difference is there are Gites that have your standard dorm configuration and there are gites that is someones private house. There are also chambre d'hote, the same as B and B but often quite expensive. I would say the standard of places on average was below that of the Camino de Santiago. A lot were just peoples spare bedrooms and often you shared the kitchen with the family living there. General cleanliness was not as good, there were plenty of flashback to the 20s with accommodation ( see photos)
Often a gite would accommodate 6 people in 2 rooms. These would be a bedroom with 3 beds. The French seem less bothered about nudity and one room had a shower cubicle in the bedroom. Fortunate for me I was sharing with 2 females ;-) who seemed unconcerned about showering in full view. This was rare and most had separate bathroom.
Often you could ask for a private room but you would normally pay for the number of beds in the room.
Hotels are in the larger towns and often as cheap as Gites. I stayed in a single room in a hotel for 20 Euros
Prices in General were higher
Do I need to speak French
The French like phone calls and a lot will just ignore email requests and say phone only, so you need at least to be able to ask for a bed or room for the night. For the first days from Le Puy to Conque, I did not speak to anyone who was not French and most of them did not speak English. I can speak enough to get by. Meals are often at the table with lots of conversation. Bars, shops etc do not speak English, especially in that first part
Food
The food in general was more expensive, or should I say, less options. Where as you may go past shops to buy a pie or a chocloate bar on the camino de santiago, this is not going to happen in general on the GR65. Most gites offer evening meal as there is no alternative, no other restaurants, no shops etc. Most places close Sunday afternoon and most eateries close Monday too.
Water
Be prepared. As above shops are not frequent. There are drinking water places so always drink and top up bottles, as it may be a while before you get chance again.
Often you will find flasks in villages or by churches with hot drinks
Other pilgrims
If you are going for the pilgrim experience then maybe this route is not for you. There are lots of conversation around the table but not that many Pilgrims on their way to Santiago or even SJPDP. The people I met where usually week or weekend walkers or doing stages. It seems a lot of the French will do the Le Puy route in 4 stages often over 4 years. There is not the same comradery as the Santiagio route, where the majority seem to be heading to Santiago, same stages, same distances and talk about your blisters and how long left.
I did 2 days walking and met not one other pilgrim and the other days very rarely passed many. The touristy area of Conques is a bit busier but nothing like the Santiago route. I travelled in May and over 2 bank holidays and had been warned how busy the path would be, but it was nothing like I was told, accommodation was easy and never did I see more than 20 people and that was usually a day group out for a walk.
Is it well Marked
Yes and very well marked. I did often use my Miam Miam dodo app to check but I was always on the right path.
Prices
Generally everything seemd to be a little pricer and not always an option for a cheap bed and a cheap microwave meal. The cheapest I found for a bed was 12 Euros and evening meal usually 15 Euros
Scenery
Stunning, take your breath away scenery every day. Green and greener still, hills rivers, lakes, gorges. It is amazing.
weather
Be prepared it can be 30 degrees or it can be a torrential downpour. I had it all. Shorts and T shirts in the morning and thermals and waterproofs in the afternoon.
The going and the route
95% of the route is off road. The GR65 will meander around towns and avoid main roads to send you on the most scenic route. There is often the yellow Compostella arrows and these can be quicker and often on roads. But the GR65 is by the the most scenic route to follow. Very rarely flat but not too strenuous. There are generally more ups and downs but these are often in forests and the scenery takes your mind off it.
It is a stunning route and a whole different experience. Immerse yourself in the french culture, dine with French families, stay in bizzare gites, walk through stunning villages. it is a walkers paradise and a country lovers dream
Advice
General day to day expenses will be more
Plan your villages. If you choose not to stop in a main village you will have no other option that eating at your accommodation. If you pass a village or a shop then buy food if you aim to eat yourself.
Expect less. less shops, less choices, less restaurants
Get the Miam Miam dodo app and book. It is well worth it but be aware that even though there may be an English flag, they do not speak English. Accommodation is often more available than the book says. Campsite often have chalets or mobile homes.
Accommodation
I was a bit concerned with accommodation and this does seem to be a topic of interest. Are there as many places to stay ? Well, there are far more than the Miam Miam Dodo book says, there are far more than google maps seem to hint at, but the stages between them are longer and they are usually smaller places with not as many beds. There are often houses and places with rooms or beds that do not seem to be on websites or in books, but they were equally as good as the Gites.
So do I need to book in advance. ?
I booked my first 3 places and afterwards I would book on the day with a quick phone call, some where booked, but had a capacity of 6 people, but usually on the second call I got a bed. As I was unsure of the distance I would walk each day, I waited until lunch to see how I felt and then used my app and book to call ahead.
Albergue vs Gites
This to me was a huge difference. I stayed in a variety of places. The main difference is there are Gites that have your standard dorm configuration and there are gites that is someones private house. There are also chambre d'hote, the same as B and B but often quite expensive. I would say the standard of places on average was below that of the Camino de Santiago. A lot were just peoples spare bedrooms and often you shared the kitchen with the family living there. General cleanliness was not as good, there were plenty of flashback to the 20s with accommodation ( see photos)
Often a gite would accommodate 6 people in 2 rooms. These would be a bedroom with 3 beds. The French seem less bothered about nudity and one room had a shower cubicle in the bedroom. Fortunate for me I was sharing with 2 females ;-) who seemed unconcerned about showering in full view. This was rare and most had separate bathroom.
Often you could ask for a private room but you would normally pay for the number of beds in the room.
Hotels are in the larger towns and often as cheap as Gites. I stayed in a single room in a hotel for 20 Euros
Prices in General were higher
Do I need to speak French
The French like phone calls and a lot will just ignore email requests and say phone only, so you need at least to be able to ask for a bed or room for the night. For the first days from Le Puy to Conque, I did not speak to anyone who was not French and most of them did not speak English. I can speak enough to get by. Meals are often at the table with lots of conversation. Bars, shops etc do not speak English, especially in that first part
Food
The food in general was more expensive, or should I say, less options. Where as you may go past shops to buy a pie or a chocloate bar on the camino de santiago, this is not going to happen in general on the GR65. Most gites offer evening meal as there is no alternative, no other restaurants, no shops etc. Most places close Sunday afternoon and most eateries close Monday too.
Water
Be prepared. As above shops are not frequent. There are drinking water places so always drink and top up bottles, as it may be a while before you get chance again.
Often you will find flasks in villages or by churches with hot drinks
Other pilgrims
If you are going for the pilgrim experience then maybe this route is not for you. There are lots of conversation around the table but not that many Pilgrims on their way to Santiago or even SJPDP. The people I met where usually week or weekend walkers or doing stages. It seems a lot of the French will do the Le Puy route in 4 stages often over 4 years. There is not the same comradery as the Santiagio route, where the majority seem to be heading to Santiago, same stages, same distances and talk about your blisters and how long left.
I did 2 days walking and met not one other pilgrim and the other days very rarely passed many. The touristy area of Conques is a bit busier but nothing like the Santiago route. I travelled in May and over 2 bank holidays and had been warned how busy the path would be, but it was nothing like I was told, accommodation was easy and never did I see more than 20 people and that was usually a day group out for a walk.
Is it well Marked
Yes and very well marked. I did often use my Miam Miam dodo app to check but I was always on the right path.
Prices
Generally everything seemd to be a little pricer and not always an option for a cheap bed and a cheap microwave meal. The cheapest I found for a bed was 12 Euros and evening meal usually 15 Euros
Scenery
Stunning, take your breath away scenery every day. Green and greener still, hills rivers, lakes, gorges. It is amazing.
weather
Be prepared it can be 30 degrees or it can be a torrential downpour. I had it all. Shorts and T shirts in the morning and thermals and waterproofs in the afternoon.
The going and the route
95% of the route is off road. The GR65 will meander around towns and avoid main roads to send you on the most scenic route. There is often the yellow Compostella arrows and these can be quicker and often on roads. But the GR65 is by the the most scenic route to follow. Very rarely flat but not too strenuous. There are generally more ups and downs but these are often in forests and the scenery takes your mind off it.
It is a stunning route and a whole different experience. Immerse yourself in the french culture, dine with French families, stay in bizzare gites, walk through stunning villages. it is a walkers paradise and a country lovers dream
Advice
General day to day expenses will be more
Plan your villages. If you choose not to stop in a main village you will have no other option that eating at your accommodation. If you pass a village or a shop then buy food if you aim to eat yourself.
Expect less. less shops, less choices, less restaurants
Get the Miam Miam dodo app and book. It is well worth it but be aware that even though there may be an English flag, they do not speak English. Accommodation is often more available than the book says. Campsite often have chalets or mobile homes.
