Necessary to buy new John Brierley guide?

[athenaanne]

Hi,

I'm starting my Camino next week and have the 2014 version of John Brierley's Camino Frances guidebook but just discovered that he released a new 2015 version in March.
I'm wondering whether buying the updated version is warranted? Do the albergue lists or any other details change much year by year?
If so, since it's a bit late for me to order it in before I start, are English language guidebooks readily available in St Jean?

Thank you very much in advance.

P.s I'm sorry if this is a silly question or if it's been asked before!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Albergues do not change that rapidly. There probably are a few additions in the new edition. English language books are a bit hard to find in SJPdP, but this early in the season, you may get lucky!

There are camino books here: http://www.directioncompostelle.com/

 

[Tincatinker]

I wouldn't worry, I still walk with my battered and annotated 2011 edition. Your 2014 Guidebook will be slightly more out of date than the 2015 publication (that was probably surveyed & prepped in 2014). The route doesn't change much apart from diversions around road-works and such which are generally clearly marked on the ground. The Pilgrims' Office in StJdlP will provide you with a typed list of Albergues and facilities along the route that will be as up-to-date as can be achieved.

Follow the yellow arrows and stop when you are ready rather than follow the guide. You will be aware that pilgrims adhering to JB's recommended stages often find themselves chasing beds when the Albergue 5k sooner or 5k farther is half empty.

Buen Camino

 

[dalstonmarra]

he does not list all Albergues , your older book will be fine.You will find Albergues when you enter most villages anyway and there is a full list you can download to phone which has more detail,like laundry facilities,driers etc on the download.The download should be on this site somewhere.I got it but cannot remember from where?

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

Hi,

I'm starting my Camino next week and have the 2014 version of John Brierley's Camino Frances guidebook but just discovered that he released a new 2015 version in March.
I'm wondering whether buying the updated version is warranted? Do the albergue lists or any other details change much year by year?
If so, since it's a bit late for me to order it in before I start, are English language guidebooks readily available in St Jean?

Thank you very much in advance.

P.s I'm sorry if this is a silly question or if it's been asked before!

Hi, you can use your 2014 guidebook no problem at all. Wish you a Buen Camino, Peter.

 

[VNwalking]

I had been using an older '11 version, and having torn the pages out this year, ordered a new one from Ivar (it came very quickly, thanks, Ivar!)
A few maps have been corrected in the new version, and there are some updates and small changes here and there, but it'll be fine.

 

[waveprof]

The only thing that would change that quickly might be albuergues, and the Brierly isn't very good for those anyway. You should make sure to take the Confraternity of St James guidebook, even if you want to take the Brierly as well.

 

[John Finn]

A far better book, in my view, is Brierley's Camino de Santiago Maps:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S348OBW/?tag=casaivar02-20

It is far lighter than his Guide and has none of the spiritual witterings and detailed descriptions of monuments and churches that take up so much space and add so much weight to the bigger tome.

If you just want to know the route and the main sights to look out for, go for the Maps. And as Tincatinker wisely suggests above, don't be a slave to Brierley's recommended daily distances - going another few kilometres often results in plenty of available albergue space.

 

[SuperPilgrim]

A far better book, in my view, is Brierley's Camino de Santiago Maps:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S348OBW/?tag=casaivar02-20

It is far lighter than his Guide and has none of the spiritual witterings and detailed descriptions of monuments and churches that take up so much space and add so much weight to the bigger tome.

If you just want to know the route and the main sights to look out for, go for the Maps. And as Tincatinker wisely suggests above, don't be a slave to Brierley's recommended daily distances - going another few kilometres often results in plenty of available albergue space.

Get the maps book on Kindle! Just as good with no additional weight!

 

[nidarosa]

If anyone has the 2015 Brierley maps only book, can you please tell me if it has a ruled note section on the page opposite each map? I just realised the one for the Portuguese has this very useful addition. Thank you.

 

[athenaanne]

Awesome... Thank you all so much for your help! I can't get over how helpful and welcoming this whole forum is!

I found the list of all the albergues on the forum: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...lbergues-on-the-camino-frances-in-one-pdf.10/

It looks like an incredibly useful resource. I'll download it onto my phone and refer to it. I like the idea of playing it by ear and stopping whenever I feel ready instead of with a crowd at each one of Brierley's stages.

I'll keep the 2014 book, simply because I'm a research student in Medieval Christianity and I want to be aware of any of the site detours and background information on the churches/monuments. It's a unique opportunity! Does the Confraternity of St James guidebook have better/more detailed information?

 

[athenaanne]

By the way - thanks Falcon for posting the link to the St Jean shop... I just looked through the photos of the shop's books, walking equipment, and shells and have gotten seriously excited! I can't wait to start!
It's also good to know that I can pick up any equipment in St Jean that I may have forgotten.

 

[VNwalking]

et the maps book on Kindle! Just as good with no additional weight!

Yeah, other than the weight of the kindle....
(And you can't have the satisfaction of ceremonially ripping out the pages at the end of the day. I love books and had a hard time doing this at first; it felt sacrilegious. But day by day the book got lighter. And now I have a new one. Win-win. Good for Mr. Brierley, good for me. )

[Edit: athenaanne, have you seen Jose Maria Anguita Jaen's book? (The Way of St James/ The Pilgrim's Practical Guide, Editorial Everest,, Leon.) It's way too heavy to carry but a lot of that weight is a ton of background and historical information.]

 

[Lachance]

If anyone has the 2015 Brierley maps only book, can you please tell me if it has a ruled note section on the page opposite each map? I just realised the one for the Portuguese has this very useful addition. Thank you.

It does have ruled note section for most but not all maps. Some are very small though.

 

[John Finn]

Attached is an example of a typical couple of pages from the Maps book (mine is the 2014 edition). No ruled section. (I'm not sure why one would want a ruled section - I never felt the need to make notes.)

Brierley Maps

• John Finn
• Jun 2, 2015
• 1

 

[nidarosa]

Thank you, @Lachance and @John Finn - good news! I like having space to make notes on where I have stayed or other memorable things, and as a repeat offender these notes sometimes come in very handy. I also like to make notes of recommended foods, routes, restaurants and albergues before I go. So far I have been using the Anaya cuaderno del peregrino, which is a mix between map stages and ruled note paper, and this sounds perfect for me.

Oh and @athenaanne : When we were on our honeymoon camino in March this year, my husband carried the Brierley maps-only guide from (I just checked) 2008 and we were never lost once! Our biggest problem was it was before Easter so lots of places were closed.

 

[Felipe]

The Camino Frances is almost excessively signposted, and there are plenty of restaurants and albergues. You know, there are pilgrims that don't carry any guide, they just go and start walking; when they are hungry look for a restaurant, and when they are tired ask for the nearer albergue, and have a great experience anyway. There is not a perfect Camino, as there are not perfect lifes...So, coming back to your question, I think your old guide is as good as any "updated" edition.

 

[rappahannock_rev]

Your 2014 edition will do nicely, I'm sure.

I haven't bought the 2015 edition, but I will before my upcoming September Camino. I'm told that 1) the physical size of the book has shrunk, which means that the full-page maps are startlingly/annoyingly smaller, but also that 2) a number of useful city maps have been added.

 

[athenaanne]

Thank you everyone for your really helpful information. I'll definitely stick to this guidebook but will try and relax, go with the flow and simply follow those yellow arrows...

And thanks Viranani for the book suggestion. I looked it up on my university database and it turns we have two copies of it in storage. I don't have enough time to look through it before I leave but I will borrow it when I get back to hopefully reminisce and fill in any historical background info.

 

[MichaelSG]

The Camino Frances is almost excessively signposted, and there are plenty of restaurants and albergues. You know, there are pilgrims that don't carry any guide, they just go and start walking; when they are hungry look for a restaurant, and when they are tired ask for the nearer albergue, and have a great experience anyway. There is not a perfect Camino, as there are not perfect lifes...So, coming back to your question, I think your old guide is as good as any "updated" edition.

Amen to that. Although I used the guide for the Portuguese route from Lisbon, I had never heard of it before walking the French route. I saw many other people on the first few days with their noses in it and wondered what it was. When I borrowed a copy to browse one day, I was not overly impressed. I thought to myself at the time, why do I want to know what is around the corner before I get there? I was already enjoying my walk without getting lost, enjoying the spontaneity and enjoying the experiences where the Camino led me. I can't say the same for the other routes but the French one definitely does not require a guidebook.

 

[tpmchugh]

Hi,

I'm starting my Camino next week and have the 2014 version of John Brierley's Camino Frances guidebook but just discovered that he released a new 2015 version in March.
I'm wondering whether buying the updated version is warranted? Do the albergue lists or any other details change much year by year?
If so, since it's a bit late for me to order it in before I start, are English language guidebooks readily available in St Jean?

Thank you very much in advance.

P.s I'm sorry if this is a silly question or if it's been asked before!

I would not buy the new one. He has changed some optional to recommended routes that left me baffled partcularly changing the route from Villar de Mazarif to the uninspiring boring trek to Villadangas. He gives a good report of an albergue in Valverde that is closed and up for sale. Judging by the overgrown gardens, it has been closed for quite some time. Where he has not made changes, which are few and strange, it is identical to my 2013 edition so keep your money and use the old one unless you particularly want a smaller and slightly lighter edition

 

[CaminoDebrita]

Hi,

I'm starting my Camino next week and have the 2014 version of John Brierley's Camino Frances guidebook but just discovered that he released a new 2015 version in March.
I'm wondering whether buying the updated version is warranted? Do the albergue lists or any other details change much year by year?
If so, since it's a bit late for me to order it in before I start, are English language guidebooks readily available in St Jean?

Thank you very much in advance.

P.s I'm sorry if this is a silly question or if it's been asked before!

I have the older one, and I'm not spending more money! You shouldn't either.

 

[waveprof]

Save your money for a few more txakolis in the Basque Country or a few extra beers in Galicia

 

[7wood]

A cheaper guide book is Walking the Camino de Santiago by Gerald Kelly. You can get it on Amazon, the maps are b/w, but the is a lot of info in it, and it's a lot cheaper. £4.04

 

[paul.ferris]

An 'experienced' Brierley guide almost carries itself. My 2011 worked fine in 2013. Even worked well in bright sunlight and never needed charging!