Need 7 days walk plan -1st time in Camino, solo teaveler

[TTTaTTTi]

Hi, I want to go around 30 /04 or 1/05/2023.
This is my first time. I have 7 days and no idea on the map. Chat gpt as most beautiful way proposed french way from saint jean pied de porte to Logrono. Would be occassion to visit santo domingo de silos abbey close. But this not the way to santiago.

Another plan by same chat gpt: is from sarria to santiago.
Time is running and I have to make a choice.

Here I decided to ask experienced human what would you propose for 7 days walk for beginner?
Thanks in advance
Bon camino!

 

[henrythedog]

How are you travelling to whatever your start point may be?

Is it important to you to get a compostela?

 

[TTTaTTTi]

Hi, I will take a public transport, comming from France. I have no idea Is it important to get to compostella? I have no opinion at the moment. Is it worth it? Maybe pyrenian mountain road is more beautiful and my “compostella” can be santo domingo monastery? Or first time is better to go to compostella?

 

[henrythedog]

Hi, I will take a public transport, comming from France. I have no idea Is it important to get to compostella? I have no opinion at the moment. Is it worth it? Maybe pyrenian mountain road is more beautiful and my “compostella” can be santo domingo monastery? Or first time is better to go to compostella?

Ok, well - individual definitions of ‘beautiful’ do vary.

If you were to start at St Jean and pass through the foothills of the Pyrenees, then that (at most) two-day stretch is in my opinion beautiful; but certainly not mountainous. Thereafter you’ll pass through, but not get very much further than, Pamplona.

If you want something which distinguishes itself as a ‘Camino’ as opposed to ‘a nice walk’; then starting from Sarria and arriving in Santiago is probably best. There is good infrastructure, there will be many others and you will qualify for a compostela.

However;

I’ve not personally done, but have researched the Camino Baztan - which (coming from France) might offer a beautiful route, but with more challenge and fewer choices for accommodation. Someone who knows more will probably be along shortly.

 

[henrythedog]

Camino Baztan section:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/forums/camino-baztan-bayonne-pamplona.103/

 

[TTTaTTTi]

Thank you so much!

 

[trecile]

How about the Camino Aragonés?

Camino Aragonés | Camino de Santiago | Gronze.com

El Camino Francés por Aragón o Camino Aragonés enlaza el puerto de Somport en la frontera hispano-francesa con la localidad navarra de Puente la Reina, donde se une al Camino Francés procedente de Roncesvalles. El Camino Francés por Aragón debe su origen al Camino de Arles (Vía Tolosana), una de...

www.gronze.com

 

[CWBuff]

How are you travelling to whatever your start point may be?

Is it important to you to get a compostela?

Hi, I will take a public transport, comming from France. I have no idea Is it important to get to compostella? I have no opinion at the moment. Is it worth it? Maybe pyrenian mountain road is more beautiful and my “compostella” can be santo domingo monastery? Or first time is better to go to compostella?

With all Respect Due - @henrythedog was asking about "A Compostela" while you are seemingly thinking about the <Santiago de>"Compostella"

He was saying\asking how important it is for you to receive a document signifying you 'did the Pilgrimage' ? As such it can only be gotten IN "your" Compostella - Santiago de (I will skip the whole 1/2 way Sahagun for the clarity here)

So - if getting this piece of paper is NOT important to you then you DO NOT have to finish in SdC but literally pick ANY portion of any Camino incl. Frances. With a weeks worth of time I could probably suggest Ingles - seems folks do do it rather reasonably comfortably in 7 days and you DO end up in SdC.
What about Finisterre and\or Muxia "in reverse"? Not sure if the full circle (say SdC --> Muxia --> Finisterre --> SdC) can be done in 7 days... probably not... although depending on the speed of the walk nothing is impossible!

If everything else fails - close your eyes and stick a pin into a map.... and count appr. 140-150 km from there. BOOM!
Whatever you decide - Good Luck, Buen Camino, ULTREIA!!!!

P.S. @henrythedog - granted you are an AWESOME anomaly - a speaking, writing DOG, ... but considering that OP wanted 'an experienced human' does your advice count?

 

[Tincatinker]

Hi, I want to go around 30 /04 or 1/05/2023.
This is my first time. I have 7 days and no idea on the map. Chat gpt as most beautiful way proposed french way from saint jean pied de porte to Logrono. Would be occassion to visit santo domingo de silos abbey close. But this not the way to santiago.

Another plan by same chat gpt: is from sarria to santiago.
Time is running and I have to make a choice.

Here I decided to ask experienced human what would you propose for 7 days walk for beginner?
Thanks in advance
Bon camino!

Cher amigo, your question reads as if it was generated by the esteemed chatbot.

I asked your mentor “what would propose for 7 days walk for beginner?” It replied “begin walking, after seven days stop. You will have begun.”
As an experienced human I would suggest that you leave AI alone and make your own choices. Do you really want to walk an ancient pilgrimage route to the shrine of one who may have touched the Divine, sleeping in Albergues, eating adequate but uninteresting food, carrying too much gear and all the time wondering why the chatbot inflicted you with this experience?

Me? I’d take 7 days on any Camino whenever I could but are you sure that is what you want to do with 7 days of your life?

 

[henrythedog]

does your advice count?

According to Mrs HtD It’s highly debatable as to which end of the lead the brains are located and if Henry the (actual) dog ever developed opposable thumbs I would certainly no longer be required.

I know my place.

 

[TTTaTTTi]

Cher amigo, your question reads as if it was generated by the esteemed chatbot.

I asked your mentor “what would propose for 7 days walk for beginner?” It replied “begin walking, after seven days stop. You will have begun.”
As an experienced human I would suggest that you leave AI alone and make your own choices. Do you really want to walk an ancient pilgrimage route to the shrine of one who may have touched the Divine, sleeping in Albergues, eating adequate but uninteresting food, carrying too much gear and all the time wondering why the chatbot inflicted you with this experience?

Me? I’d take 7 days on any Camino whenever I could but are you sure that is what you want to do with 7 days of your life?

Yes I do. Idea of camino came not from chatgpt, butmyself after interactions with people I met and my previous experience Chatbot was only for a calc in map, as not much friends of mine accomplished this and so have experience to share

 

[Madis]

If you really push yourself then Camino Portuguese from Porto to Santiago 210km is doable in 7 days (30km/day average).

Realistically speaking walk Camino Ingles from Ferrol and if you arrive too early then take a bus daytrip to Finisterre as a bonus. This would be my recommended option.

If you do insist of doing Camino Frances, then Sarria is a bit too close maybe for a 7 day walk. Consider O Cebreiro instead as a starting point.

 

[MickMac]

Astorga to Sarria via Samos.

 

[peregrino_tom]

I asked your mentor “what would propose for 7 days walk for beginner?” It replied “begin walking, after seven days stop. You will have begun.”

Wow. If the source had been more credible I would be mulling it over for days/weeks/months to come.. (actually I probably will be anyway)
For instance:
'I asked the old man in the Shaolin Temple "what would you propose for a 7 days walk for a beginner?" and he replied "begin walking, after seven days stop. You will have begun".

 

[Gerard Griffin]

Try Burgos to Leon ... Avoid Sarria to Santiago, too many people. Good luck

 

[Pathfinder075]

Ourense to Santiago to Muxia. Should be possible in 7 days. It's beautiful, quiet and there are still tons of albergues and infrastructure, but you won't be one of 1000 tourists, like on the Sarria tourist route.

If on the other hand you want to do a camino that will inevitably lead to you hating the Camino, feel free to do Sarria to Santiago. But even that isn't a seven day walk. Five days tops if you take your time.

If you don't care about compostellas and certificates. Leon to Ponferrada has it all and is pretty spectacular including crossing mountains. First stage to Astorga is fairly easy walking, then it gets more interesting. The mountain section is pretty epic.

 

[TrvlDad1]

The wide range of responses here is an indication of how personal the choice is. Personally, I would walk Sarria to Santiago. With that you can get a flavor of the Camino (good & not so good) and the Compostella. If you have an extra day or two, you can luxuriate in the history and bustle of Santiage or take a day trip to Finnesterre or Muxia. There are no bad choices whatever you chose.

 

[lt56ny]

How about the Camino Aragonés?

Very good suggestion. I do not know what your level of fitness is and the Aragones is not a difficult camino. It is quite lovely with really memorable albergues and donativos. You can also visit the Monastery of San Juan de la Pena. Due to circumstances of no bus to the monastery and no other pilgrims to split a very expensive taxi ride I didn't have the opportunity to go there. Just gives me an excuse to do this lovely camino again.

 

[C clearly]

"A Compostela" while you are seemingly thinking about the <Santiago de>"Compostella"

I don't understand your point. In Spanish/Castellano, the correct spellings of the certificate, the city, and the shrine are all "compostela."

 

[NorthernLight]

Without knowing how far you can walk each day, it’s difficult to suggest. But coming from France? I’d suggest start at Oloron-Ste-Marie and walk to Jaca.

You can catch a bus back up to Canfranc Estation and another back to France when done.

No certificate, but a beautiful walk, with infrastructure.

 

[Elainesnider]

Hi, I want to go around 30 /04 or 1/05/2023.
This is my first time. I have 7 days and no idea on the map. Chat gpt as most beautiful way proposed french way from saint jean pied de porte to Logrono. Would be occassion to visit santo domingo de silos abbey close. But this not the way to santiago.

Another plan by same chat gpt: is from sarria to santiago.
Time is running and I have to make a choice.

Here I decided to ask experienced human what would you propose for 7 days walk for beginner?
Thanks in advance
Bon camino!

Some people take the walk in segments...each one has it

Hi, I want to go around 30 /04 or 1/05/2023.
This is my first time. I have 7 days and no idea on the map. Chat gpt as most beautiful way proposed french way from saint jean pied de porte to Logrono. Would be occassion to visit santo domingo de silos abbey close. But this not the way to santiago.

Another plan by same chat gpt: is from sarria to santiago.
Time is running and I have to make a choice.

Here I decided to ask experienced human what would you propose for 7 days walk for beginner?
Thanks in advance
Bon camino!

Some people take the camino in segments...each segment has its own personality. The last one is crowded and noisy while the others allow for more quiet contemplation. There is no right or wrong choice...it is what is best for you. As far as degree of preparation, starting at St. John is more intense physically than the others parts since you are climbing the Pyrenees Mountains!

 

[Rita Flower]

If you really push yourself then Camino Portuguese from Porto to Santiago 210km is doable in 7 days (30km/day average).

Realistically speaking walk Camino Ingles from Ferrol and if you arrive too early then take a bus daytrip to Finisterre as a bonus. This would be my recommended option.

If you do insist of doing Camino Frances, then Sarria is a bit too close maybe for a 7 day walk. Consider O Cebreiro instead as a starting point.

Last year I met a wonderful Irish father and son who walked Camino Ingles as their first Camino - they only had a week. They had an amazing time and received their Compostela in Santiago.

 

[CWBuff]

I don't understand your point. In Spanish/Castellano, the correct spellings of the certificate, the city, and the shrine are all "compostela."

With all apologies for my ignorance of the spelling which I decided to use, my point was (despite the said spelling) that it seemed to me that @henrythedog was talking about the certificate while the OP was leaning towards the city as destination.
I was merely trying to point that out making sure that at the end it was 'apples to apples'
Once more - mea culpa

 

[williamlittig]

Hi, I want to go around 30 /04 or 1/05/2023.
This is my first time. I have 7 days and no idea on the map. Chat gpt as most beautiful way proposed french way from saint jean pied de porte to Logrono. Would be occassion to visit santo domingo de silos abbey close. But this not the way to santiago.

Another plan by same chat gpt: is from sarria to santiago.
Time is running and I have to make a choice.

Here I decided to ask experienced human what would you propose for 7 days walk for beginner?
Thanks in advance
Bon camino!

Being fixated on the French Camino is a popular problem. One week? consider the Sanabre from Ourence. There is a beautiful monastery, forest, less road walking, wonderful albergues and not as crowded.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

I did the Ingles as my first Camino just before Easter in 5 days, one woman - very experienced- that I met on the first two days did it in 4. Most do it in 6 days, which gives you more time to experience Santiago upon arrival, or, as suggested above, taking the bus out to Finistire.
I’d do the Ingles again tomorrow if I could. If it helps, I’ve loaded photos on YouTube - Expatkiwi. Buen Camino!

 

[TTTaTTTi]

Thanks all for your recommendation. I will start from Sarria for the first trip end of the week.
Btw, any ideas how to get from Vigo to Sarria ( this week)? Train/bus schedules?