Le Puy route

[Robbinsx3]

My brothers and I have walked numerous Caminos in Spain and Portugal and so have become familiar and comfortable with what to expect there.
We have decided to walk the route from Le Puy to SJPP next September. I’m looking for advice from those who have done this route as what to expect. What is the same as the Spanish/Portuguese routes, and what is different. I’m learning French so the communication will be less of a struggle. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

 

[andycohn]

Your concerns were pretty much the same as I had. Before leaving, I couldn't find anything that comprehensively addressed the most common questions that most people would have about the route itself, about accommodations, food, available resources, etc. So, upon returning, I put together a resource that -- hopefully -- answers your questions:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...or-oughta-wanna-know-before-starting-out.732/

 

[naplesdon]

Slightly more expensive for lodging and meals, many places are half board and depending on the time of the month you walk in September you could be competing with many French holiday makers for your lodging. It is a beautiful route.

 

[mspath]

To glimpse the geography of the Le Puy camino you and your brothers might enjoy seeing the film Saint-Jacques ...La Mecque based on the book by Coline Serreau published 2005 by Flammarion. You can buy the book and the later movie version on Amazon.

Basically this is the story of four adult siblings, three men and one woman, who do not get along and who must walk the Le Puy camino in order to receive their inheritance.

As well two young French-born Arab boys also are on the camino thinking mistakenly that it leads to Mecca. The movie scenery is great and the situations amusing. After all is said and done the final scene might be titled "...all you need is love!".

Happy plannng/viewing and Bon chemin to you and your brothers.

 

[Traveller44]

Just finished a few days ago IMHO harder than the Frances, Portuguese or Engles. Wonderful vistas. More Costly .

 

[Walton]

We finished the Le Puy yesterday.

It is a physically demanding route especially from Le Puy to a day after Conques.
There are many steep ups and downs and the track itself is very difficult in places.
Poles helped us a lot but we severely underestimated the difficulty. If we did it again, we would only do 15 to 18 kms max each day for the first 10 days.
Also, it is advisable to book your beds in advance. We used email mostly and Chrome and Google translate.
Gronze is a good source of information but beware - Gronze have no hesitation in deleting adverse Gite reviews as we learned.
It is a deal more expensive than either the Camino Francis or the Portuguese.
It is also different - we were often the only English speaking guests in Gites full of French people.
We tried our best poor French language skills and for the most part, the French pilgrims warmly accepted us.
Being Australian, I showed phone videos of koalas, wallabies and pythons and that helped break the ice.
Would we do it again - No but having done it, we learned a lot about persevering and the French people, food and customs.
Cheers
Graham

 

[Joan Fiol (Gronze.com)]

Gronze deletes reviews that do not comply with the Engagement Policy (it's under "About Gronze" at the bottom of the page).

 

[Makuluman]

My brothers and I have walked numerous Caminos in Spain and Portugal and so have become familiar and comfortable with what to expect there.
We have decided to walk the route from Le Puy to SJPP next September. I’m looking for advice from those who have done this route as what to expect. What is the same as the Spanish/Portuguese routes, and what is different. I’m learning French so the communication will be less of a struggle. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Hi..... I agree with many of the earlier comments! Personally, I loved it - the scenery was varied and beautiful, the villages and towns striking in their architecture / fascinating history etc and the food...... Ooh...soo good! Many gites offer excellent home cooking. The biggest surprise was just how welcoming the French can be, especially south of the Loire it seems! That latter comment was offered up by a frenchman who kindly gave me a ride back to a gite where I'd left my credencial!!
The walking is a little harder than the Portugese (from Le Puy to Conques....and less so onto Cahors) but the rewards are many....nightingales, hoopoes, cuckoos, deer.... and most especially, one's first view of the slowly emerging, yet still distant, Pyrenees!
Byw, my french is minimal but anything helps.....they are very few native English speakers on the trail.... for some unearthly reason!! In addition, I'm yet to do the Camino Frances..... but am heading to SJPP in a week's time!
...overall, I'd definitely recommend the Via Podiensis ie Le Puy onward.....!

 

[Anthony Rocco]

I will be honest: beauty matching the Primitivo, a walk through medieval history, architecture, unforgettable memories made every day. That's the good part. The bad? The French love this Camino but tend to take it in chunks. For those of us coming from further away who plan to walk farther, it is a lot of up and down. We witnessed many non-French abandoning after the first day. We didn't think it was that tough. The second day: breathtakingly beautiful but saw many unable to make it, calling for taxis. Once again...the French are better prepared.

We saw many other non-French make it to Conques and then called it quits.

Advice: Train with elevation change. Travel light if you can. Plan for 8 hours a day or more walking. Forget the kms...it's the up and down that requires breaks.

Of course, if you're young and buff, you will love this route. We're not, but it still was worth every uphill grunt.

Do take time to linger and explore. Le Puy, Conques, Rocamador (a must visit, but requires a variant), St Circ Lepopie (Cele Valley), Cahors, Moissac... all world heritage sites. They are beloved and cherished by the French...and they are by us.

 

[Dean Morgenthal]

I did it I speak English Spanish and German the moment I got to France crossing from Barcelona I thought oh no I’m stuffed. I couldn’t communicate to get to Le Puy got wrong train and left stranded 100km from Le Puy I had to then return to Montpelier to get back to Le Puy this didn’t sit well with me. I decided to hitchhike luck would have it a got 3 lifts to Le Puy very interesting landscape I must say. Only for the nun to open office early for me to get credentials and start my journey only to find Albergue when I needed it after buying some lentils which i cooked 500kms later from a local farm shop. I walked alone til Cahors I found what I needed when I needed it and took advantage when I passed shops bakeries etc I passed a Canadian in the snow and helped him navigate and difficult route we stayed together that night and went separate ways the next day. I then bumped into a French girl who had stayed in Cahors in same Albergue she had a guide and spoke French she helped me get accommodation and we travelled together for a few days. I spoke of Canadian who I was in contact through web he was walking with Dutch guy anyway a group was formed and nicknamed the 4 Muskateers and had an amazing time all the way to St Jean. If you understand how magic the Camino can be Via Podensis will blow your mind! It blew mine! Ultreya

 

[Mangoustan]

You will enjoy it….even if it’s not always a walk in the park.
I agree with comments made…even If I didn’t walk the Frances in Spain.

For very detailed infos there is a 2 French books called : Miam Miam dodo which means: eat and sleep. There is a paper version as well as a digital version. The editor is : Editions du Vieux Crayon. Also available on Amazon . From their website, they have a German version but I didn’t see an English one. you can write to them…or look in more details.

it was very valuable, well mark, infos on the lodging : price, number of beds/ room, distance, denivelation, stores, etc…

At the beginning ( walking also in September ) I made reservation for 2 days ahead. After that, only 1 day ahead. Keep in mind that on Sunday, many restaurants and small stores are closed And sometimes some lodging are taking a day off ( but it is specified in the book).

Bon chemin ( de Montréal )

 

[Walton]

Gronze deletes reviews that do not comply with the Engagement Policy (it's under "About Gronze" at the bottom of the page).

Thank you

I emailed Gronze asking why my review was deleted.

This is the Gronze reply

Hola,

Nuestro software de control de comentarios ha hecho una alerta porque dice que una persona ha escrito dos comentarios con dos nombres de usuarios distintos. A veces el software falla, hemos de comprobar exactamente qué ha ocurrido, lo haremos el jueves cuando esté el técnico.

Disculpa las molestias y Buen Camino.

As far as I am aware, I haven’t received any further clarity from Gronze.

Additionally, I met a German lady two days later and discovered through conversation that she also stayed at the same Gite but on a different day and she too posted a negative review. Her review was also deleted by Gronze. I have her email address for verification if you like.

Additionally, Gronze have since changed their website so no-one can now post any reviews good or bad about this particular Gite.

Please explain this to me.

I do not understand how I failed to comply with your engagement policy and my “non-compliance” has not been explained to me.

I put a lot of thought and time into my review and tried to be correct with my words. In my opinion the Gite concerned wasn’t up to an acceptable standard with regards to cleanliness and value compared to all the other Gites we have stayed in. I was surprised that Gronze deleted this particular review and I don’t know why. Other reviews that I wrote about other Gites were published.

Over to you

Graham

 

[BlackRocker57]

Thank you

I emailed Gronze asking why my review was deleted.

This is the Gronze reply

Hola,

Nuestro software de control de comentarios ha hecho una alerta porque dice que una persona ha escrito dos comentarios con dos nombres de usuarios distintos. A veces el software falla, hemos de comprobar exactamente qué ha ocurrido, lo haremos el jueves cuando esté el técnico.

Disculpa las molestias y Buen Camino.

As far as I am aware, I haven’t received any further clarity from Gronze.

Additionally, I met a German lady two days later and discovered through conversation that she also stayed at the same Gite but on a different day and she too posted a negative review. Her review was also deleted by Gronze. I have her email address for verification if you like.

Additionally, Gronze have since changed their website so no-one can now post any reviews good or bad about this particular Gite.

Please explain this to me.

I do not understand how I failed to comply with your engagement policy and my “non-compliance” has not been explained to me.

I put a lot of thought and time into my review and tried to be correct with my words. In my opinion the Gite concerned wasn’t up to an acceptable standard with regards to cleanliness and value compared to all the other Gites we have stayed in. I was surprised that Gronze deleted this particular review and I don’t know why. Other reviews that I wrote about other Gites were published.

Over to you

Graham

G’Day, which gîte Graham? Can you please reveal to me by PM ... this might be helpful to other hikers / pilgrims on the Le Puy route ... thank you in anticipation

 

[Walton]

G’Day, which gîte Graham? Can you please reveal to me by PM ... this might be helpful to other hikers / pilgrims on the Le Puy route ... thank you in anticipation

I’d like to but if Gronze are deleting adverse Gite reviews then logic might tell you that the Gronze reviews possibly do not accurately reflect users opinions.

My review was deleted and the Gite page changed so no more reviews on the said Gite could be made by anyone.
A German girls review on the same Gite but on a different stay date was also deleted for the same Gite.

Gronze is great for information but I no longer take any notice of their user review system.

 

[Robo]

Strange about Gronze. I read all the reviews of where I'm staying.
I have seen many good and bad reviews.

But I read somewhere,that if the accommodation refuses to allow comments, they are removed from Gronze.

Maybe @Walton it was a technical glitch as per the response from Gronze?

 

[Joan Fiol (Gronze.com)]

Our engagement policy says that only “genuine” and “not disproportionate” reviews are accepted.

For example, we never accept reviews about bedbugs, as this would mean the rapid bankruptcy of the accommodation (absolutely no one goes to a albergue where there are bedbugs). The consequences are "disproportionate."

That several pilgrims agree to write reviews in the same sense is neither genuine nor proportionate.

In any case, Gronze reviews are imperfect, since our verification tools are limited, which makes it possible for us to delete a review unfairly in certain cases. Booking makes it very easy, since you can only write who has actually stayed there.

In any case, we have no doubt that the reviews of accommodation in Gronze give an accurate idea of what pilgrims think about the accommodation, and therefore are very useful for them.

We will continue working to improve our system.

 

[Chizuru]

It is a wonderful Camino. My husband and I did it in early spring this year from Le Puy to Cahors.

What is different is that there are very few shops and cafes along the route so don't plan to buy your lunch in shops to eat as a picnic lunch or hope to stop at a cafe for lunch. Most accommodations offer a picnic to take and this is a very good indicator that there is little to get in the day ahead. Also, if you want to get gear on the route, Le Puy has many shops, but then there are only one or two until Cahors and they won't be open if it is a weekend, Monday or Public holiday, lunchtime, or one of the random days that they choose to be closed!!

We found that very few French people seemed to speak English so we used Google Translate to augment our School-French.

We booked ahead for the whole way, Le Puy to Cahors, which was great as the accommodations were often booked out well ahead, and fellow walkers were often frantically spending time ringing ahead and many were taking a taxi well off the route for the night.

You don't need to stay in a gite to get the camaraderie of being with fellow pilgrims as most of the family-run bed and breakfasts have a communal meal and breakfast included where you get to meet your fellow travellers. The food is excellent and home-cooked.

Most of the fellow walkers are French and are walking the route in sections. Some are pilgrims who plan to do the whole route to Santiago over many years, many are walking it as the GR65, one of the great walks of France, and are not even aware that it extends into Spain and is a Camino route.

If you want to get an idea of the whole route, Efran has done an excellent day-by-day YouTube of the whole route and has great notes that show water points, toilets, etc.

Finally, most of the churches are open, and there are lots of wonderful public toilets.

Buen Chemin.

 

[TMcA]

My wife and I started from Le Puy in early September 2013. Due to an accident, we had to quit. But we later returned, retraced our earlier footsteps, and made it over the Pyrhenees to Pamplona, albeit in segments.

My suggestions:

Start the last week in August, if you can. Many gites and even small hotels started to close in early October when we were hiking in September.

Keep up with your French studies.

You do not say how many of you will be hiking. Book a few days ahead, then make your own determination.

If you have hiked in mountains with any frequency and are relatively fit, don't worry about the earlier posts that characterize this as a "difficult" route. I was 69-72 when I walked this route and I don't think you'll find it difficullt if you are experienced hikers who have walked in some mountains (even low mountains).

Beautiful route, different feeling from the CF, highly recommended.

 

[Chizuru]

"If you have hiked in mountains with any frequency and are relatively fit, don't worry about the earlier posts that characterize this as a "difficult" route. I was 69-72 when I walked this route and I don't think you'll find it difficult if you are experienced hikers who have walked in some mountains (even low mountains)."

I agree with TMcA. I am a reasonably unfit 59-year-old and didn't find the steepness too difficult, though having huffed and puffed up the most rugged section, I got tendinitis on the easier, flatter section just when I had gained a good deal of fitness and was going faster. I exchanged the discomfort of being unfit for the pain of tendinitis for the next 10 days.

 

[Robbinsx3]

Thank you all for your thoughtful replies. My 2 brothers and I completed the Primativo last year (2 of us for the second time) after walking over the Pyrenees from SJPDP to Pamplona. Then headed to the Portugues. It’s good to know this is as beautiful and tough as the Primativo - it’s been my favorite Camino so far. IMHO the trek from SJPDP to Roncesvalles was by far the hardest - of course, the torrential rain and cold might have contributed to it.

Since the ATMs are less plentiful, how much cash do you get at each stop?
We are taking my niece this trip, and are really looking forward to it.

 

[Carolynm]

My brothers and I have walked numerous Caminos in Spain and Portugal and so have become familiar and comfortable with what to expect there.
We have decided to walk the route from Le Puy to SJPP next September. I’m looking for advice from those who have done this route as what to expect. What is the same as the Spanish/Portuguese routes, and what is different. I’m learning French so the communication will be less of a struggle. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

We are walking right now and it is very busy. A much harder walk for me than the last two but I am that much older.
I would suggest booking well in advance as folks are having difficulty finding places.
More expensive but the food is great.
Fantastic scenery so far.

 

[BlackRocker57]

Thank you all for your thoughtful replies. My 2 brothers and I completed the Primativo last year (2 of us for the second time) after walking over the Pyrenees from SJPDP to Pamplona. Then headed to the Portugues. It’s good to know this is as beautiful and tough as the Primativo - it’s been my favorite Camino so far. IMHO the trek from SJPDP to Roncesvalles was by far the hardest - of course, the torrential rain and cold might have contributed to it.

Since the ATMs are less plentiful, how much cash do you get at each stop?
We are taking my niece this trip, and are really looking forward to it.

fyi, when the opportunity arises, I always withdraw €300 at each ATM along the way so as to keep my cash supply «topped-up». There are ATMs at Le Puy-en-Velay, Saugues x2, Saint-Alban-sur-Limagnole, Aumont-Aubrac, Nasbinals, Saint-Chély-d’Aubrac, Saint-Côme-d’Olt, Espalion, Estaing and Conques on the first section from Le Puy to Conques ... nowhere near as parlous a situation as some like to suggest ... many of the villages on the Voie du Puy-en-Velay are tiny so having an ATM is not really sustainable ...

 

[BlackRocker57]

We are walking right now and it is very busy. A much harder walk for me than the last two but I am that much older.
I would suggest booking well in advance as folks are having difficulty finding places.
More expensive but the food is great.
Fantastic scenery so far.

Bonne continuation

 

[Lizremedy]

I will be honest: beauty matching the Primitivo, a walk through medieval history, architecture, unforgettable memories made every day. That's the good part. The bad? The French love this Camino but tend to take it in chunks. For those of us coming from further away who plan to walk farther, it is a lot of up and down. We witnessed many non-French abandoning after the first day. We didn't think it was that tough. The second day: breathtakingly beautiful but saw many unable to make it, calling for taxis. Once again...the French are better prepared.

We saw many other non-French make it to Conques and then called it quits.

Advice: Train with elevation change. Travel light if you can. Plan for 8 hours a day or more walking. Forget the kms...it's the up and down that requires breaks.

Of course, if you're young and buff, you will love this route. We're not, but it still was worth every uphill grunt.

Do take time to linger and explore. Le Puy, Conques, Rocamador (a must visit, but requires a variant), St Circ Lepopie (Cele Valley), Cahors, Moissac... all world heritage sites. They are beloved and cherished by the French...and they are by us.

We are thinking of cycling this route on mountain bikes - is that doable? We cycled the Portuguese and Frances routes and survived, although I'll admit the Spiritual section of the Portuguese route and some of those inland hills were hard work. The biggest challenge is the path surface - is it mostly gravel or is it very rocky and with steps? Any guidance would be very helpful

 

[Anthony Rocco]

We are thinking of cycling this route on mountain bikes - is that doable? We cycled the Portuguese and Frances routes and survived, although I'll admit the Spiritual section of the Portuguese route and some of those inland hills were hard work. The biggest challenge is the path surface - is it mostly gravel or is it very rocky and with steps? Any guidance would be very helpful

We saw cyclists now and then, but they disappeared when we hit uphill stretches that would be incredibly challenging. We assumed they went on the roads in these areas. Not much car or truck traffic on this route. The few bigger towns, Cahors and Moissac, would be a joy ride on a bike.

 

[mrosenlof]

I have not walked in Spain, so I can only offer a brief summary of my experience.

I walked last year Le Puy to SJPDP starting May 13. I was 64 years old, and I live in Colorado so the elevation early on was not an issue for me. I tried to aim for 15 km per day which was great for my feet, but I sometimes had to kill time before a gite opened.

Book in advance. I had issues between Nasbinals and Conques in May (lots of public holidays in May!) and ended up taking the bus to skip that and give me more time to book places after Conques. I'm going back in September to pick up that section and maybe walk all the way to Rocamadour.

When booking far in advance, I get conservative with how many km I can do day after day after day.

Gites typically (but not always) have 2-5 beds per room, and not too many bunk beds. Most offer demi-pension (dinner and breakfast) and the food was good. Wine was sometimes included, and almost always available, beer was usually available.

There are some steep climbs and descents in the days up to Conques, and the first day out of Conques. After that it was more rolling hills after that. Most memorable for me are the descent into Monistrol d'Allier and the climb out of Conques.

Scenery is beautiful, especially up to Conques, the history is amazing to an American where nothing is very old. Most of the roadside chapels are open any time I passed by and I enjoyed stopping in.

Most of my fellow pilgrims were French with Germans a distant second. People were uniformly very nice, walkers and innkeepers. I studied French on DuoLingo for about six months before leaving. My French was terrible on my first day walking (may 13), and considerably better on July 5 when I left the country.

 

[BillW]

Great advice above. Here are a few of other thoughts...

Lots of things are closed on Mondays, especially in the smaller villages, so plan to carry food/supplies especially on Sunday and Monday.

The Cele Valley Variant is considered by some to be the prettiest section on just about any Camino. If you can do that, you should. (It's number is GR651, I believe)

I took a day off in Figeac, then took a bus up to Racamadour on my rest day. One of coolest cities I've ever been in.

I don't speak any French, and I got by fine.

If you can afford to stay at a few Chambre d'Hotes', you should. They are essentially B&B's that provide dinner too. Nice way to have a meal with some locals.

Try to stay at the Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy in Conques. Then go to the pilgrims' mass and the light show on the facade of the church. The light show is a truly unique and interesting experience.

Many people carry Miam Do Do tour guide which works even if you don't speak French, but I found the Cicerone guide book by Dave Whiston to be really helpful for me. He also has a comprehensive spreadsheet of lodging somewhere here on the Forum, which was useful too.

Finally, spend a day in Le Puy and visit the sites. Lovely town. Then go to the 7:00AM mass for pilgrims before you leave. At the end of the mass, a grate opens in the floor, and exposes a special stairway leading pilgrims down to the start of the Camino. I was surprised by that and loved it.

Edit: Additionally... I booked ahead the whole way. That worked great for me. But make sure you plan a few rest days, maybe one every 7-9 days. It's a challenging hike.