• Get your Camino Frances Guidebook here.
  • For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here.
    (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation)
  • ⚠️ Emergency contact in Spain - Dial 112 and AlertCops app. More on this here.

Search 69,459 Camino Questions

Walking the Camino de Frances in April: Tips and Advice

Entrenous

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino de Frances
Hi There,

First post so be gentle.... Been looking at doing the CDS for some time now. The Pandemic has delayed it somewhat. Due to family and work commitments I have limited dates to choose from. I don't like it too hot so wanted to walk a little earlier for the cooler weather.

I plan on walking the Camino de Frances route and starting on the 18th / 19th April so just after Easter to hopefully avoid the worst of crowds.

I have obviously has a look but has anyone got any experience of leaving at that time, is it rainy, will much be open? I am a snorer so for the sake of others I plan on getting private rooms where possible.....?

I cannot wait to get started.

Best

Simon
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
I have obviously has a look but has anyone got any experience of leaving at that time, is it rainy, will much be open? I am a snorer so for the sake of others I plan on getting private rooms where possible.....?
Holy Week has traditionally been the time when places which closed over winter reopen for the season. So in ordinary times walking after Easter should be fairly straightforward with most places open. But these aren't ordinary times. I fear that some places will have shut down permanently and others may still be closed until Covid is less of an issue. Others who have walked very recently may have relevant information to give.

As for weather - it is notoriously unpredictable in northern Spain and particularly in Galicia. You could find dry weather, rain, snow, hail or any combination you could name. Weatherspark.com will give you statistics for previous years for towns along your route but an average really is little use as a day-to-day predictor. Hope for the best but be prepared for the worst!
 
Holy Week has traditionally been the time when places which closed over winter reopen for the season. So in ordinary times walking after Easter should be fairly straightforward with most places open. But these aren't ordinary times. I fear that some places will have shut down permanently and others may still be closed until Covid is less of an issue. Others who have walked very recently may have relevant information to give.

As for weather - it is notoriously unpredictable in northern Spain and particularly in Galicia. You could find dry weather, rain, snow, hail or any combination you could name. Weatherspark.com will give you statistics for previous years for towns along your route but an average really is little use as a day-to-day predictor. Hope for the best but be prepared for the worst!
Thank you. I think I might try and pre book the first week in that case......
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
Hi There,

First post so be gentle.... Been looking at doing the CDS for some time now. The Pandemic has delayed it somewhat. Due to family and work commitments I have limited dates to choose from. I don't like it too hot so wanted to walk a little earlier for the cooler weather.

I plan on walking the Camino de Frances route and starting on the 18th / 19th April so just after Easter to hopefully avoid the worst of crowds.

I have obviously has a look but has anyone got any experience of leaving at that time, is it rainy, will much be open? I am a snorer so for the sake of others I plan on getting private rooms where possible.....?

I cannot wait to get started.

Best

Simon
We started hiking April 28th. 2016. And we encountered 80 degree days prior to entering Galicia then it rained almost everyday...mud etc. But there were a few sun breaks and I really enjoyed those times...Made me thankful for the shade when it was sunny and the warmth when it was raining
 
Yes, I started my Caminos in April. The weather is definitely cooler at that time of the year. Potentially snow in the Mountain areas and definitely more rain periods so warm clothes options and a rain coat and pants. There are definitely fewer Pilgrims on the Camino at that time of year but still a sufficient number that you won't be alone. For more information, the Pilgrims Association publishes stats on the quantity of pilgrims that walk the Camino for each month.

As for sleeping accomodations: The first time, I slept exclusively in private rooms. However, if that is your daily objective, I recommend that you research your next day's destination to make the necessary arrangements to book a private room. This will dictate how far you will have to walk the next day.
 
We started hiking April 28th. 2016. And we encountered 80 degree days prior to entering Galicia then it rained almost everyday...mud etc. But there were a few sun breaks and I really enjoyed those times...Made me thankful for the shade when it was sunny and the warmth when it was raining
Thank you - hoping for not so much rain 🤞
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
Yes, I started my Caminos in April. The weather is definitely cooler at that time of the year. Potentially snow in the Mountain areas and definitely more rain periods so warm clothes options and a rain coat and pants. There are definitely fewer Pilgrims on the Camino at that time of year but still a sufficient number that you won't be alone. For more information, the Pilgrims Association publishes stats on the quantity of pilgrims that walk the Camino for each month.

As for sleeping accomodations: The first time, I slept exclusively in private rooms. However, if that is your daily objective, I recommend that you research your next day's destination to make the necessary arrangements to book a private room. This will dictate how far you will have to walk the next day.
Thanks Ricardo
 
Hi There,

First post so be gentle.... Been looking at doing the CDS for some time now. The Pandemic has delayed it somewhat. Due to family and work commitments I have limited dates to choose from. I don't like it too hot so wanted to walk a little earlier for the cooler weather.

I plan on walking the Camino de Frances route and starting on the 18th / 19th April so just after Easter to hopefully avoid the worst of crowds.

I have obviously has a look but has anyone got any experience of leaving at that time, is it rainy, will much be open? I am a snorer so for the sake of others I plan on getting private rooms where possible.....?

I cannot wait to get started.

Best

Simon
So glad you have found a time to go. Mid-April should be fine. I started (picked up from where I had left off) on the Meseta in March one year and just avoided a snowstorm, and the first thing I did was buy a sweater! However, it soon cleared up and I had no weather problems after that, no rain and pleasant walking weather. By the time I got to Galacia, it was glorious spring weather.
Buen Camino.
 
Weatherwise, you won't have much information until the weather forecasts firm up the week before you leave. That time of year I have had 3 weeks of rain, and just one day where it rained. Frost on the meseta, and 33C in Galicia. Conditions vary a lot from year to year. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Make sure that if you are wearing everything in your pack, you are comfortable at 0C in a moderate wind, and that you have tried out your rain gear before you go. I also have shorts and sunscreen in my pack that time of year. In the end, it won't matter what the weather is, a Camino is woven from many different threads of experience.

Everything will be open that time of year. You are on the early edge of peak season.

Buen Camino
 
Join our full-service guided tour and let us convert you into a Pampered Pilgrim!
Hi There,

First post so be gentle.... Been looking at doing the CDS for some time now. The Pandemic has delayed it somewhat. Due to family and work commitments I have limited dates to choose from. I don't like it too hot so wanted to walk a little earlier for the cooler weather.

I plan on walking the Camino de Frances route and starting on the 18th / 19th April so just after Easter to hopefully avoid the worst of crowds.

I have obviously has a look but has anyone got any experience of leaving at that time, is it rainy, will much be open? I am a snorer so for the sake of others I plan on getting private rooms where possible.....?

I cannot wait to get started.

Best

Simon
Our first Camino, many years ago, started on April 1st from SJPP. It was Palm Sunday. The service in the small chapel in Ronsevalles was moving. Our first week was Holy Week and it was amazing. There was rain, there was snow, we had to take the Valcarlos route that first day. But there were warm and sunny days as well. We might have had better weather if we had started later but the experience of the Camino is so much more than the weather. Easter week on the Camino goes to the essence of a pilgrimage.
 
I plan on walking the Camino de Frances route and starting on the 18th / 19th April
Welcome to the forum! That's a good time to start walking, and the weather will be whatever it is!

Maybe post on this thread and see who else is starting then. You'll need to pick just one date, but if you change your plan, just post again and a moderator will update the list.
 
Weatherwise, you won't have much information until the weather forecasts firm up the week before you leave. That time of year I have had 3 weeks of rain, and just one day where it rained. Frost on the meseta, and 33C in Galicia. Conditions vary a lot from year to year. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Make sure that if you are wearing everything in your pack, you are comfortable at 0C in a moderate wind, and that you have tried out your rain gear before you go. I also have shorts and sunscreen in my pack that time of year. In the end, it won't matter what the weather is, a Camino is woven from many different threads of experience.

Everything will be open that time of year. You are on the early edge of peak season.

Buen Camino
Thanks Rick
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
The first edition came out in 2003 and has become the go-to-guide for many pilgrims over the years. It is shipping with a Pilgrim Passport (Credential) from the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.

Most read last week in this forum

My name is Henrik and I will be coming down to SJPdP from Sweden on March 26 and start walking on March 27. I don't really have any experience and I'm not the best at planning and I'm a little...
When I hiked the Frances Route this happened. I was hiking in the afternoon just east of Arzua. I was reserved a bed at an albergue in Arzua, so I had already hiked all the way from San Xulien...
I'd like some recommendations about where to find the most current and up to date information about albergues that are actually open. I'm currently walking the camino Frances, and I can't even...
I am finalizing my packing list for Frances, and do not want to over pack. (I am 71) I will be starting at SJPdP on April 25th to Roncesvalles and forward. I was hoping on some advise as to...
First marker starting from Albergue Monasterio de la Magdalena in Sarria (113.460 km) Start: 2023.9.29 07:22 Arrival: 2023.9.30 13:18 walking time : 26 hours 47 minutes rest time : 3 hours 8...
A local Navarra website has posted a set of photos showing today's snowfall in the area around Roncesvalles. About 15cm of snow fell this morning surprising pilgrims on the way...

❓How to ask a question

How to post a new question on the Camino Forum.

Forum Rules

Forum Rules

Camino Updates on YouTube

Camino Conversations

Most downloaded Resources

This site is run by Ivar at

in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon
Official Camino Passport (Credential) | 2024 Camino Guides
Back
Top