Need to bring a guidebook ?

[Skaisthelimit]

What is essential for taking in terms of guides from Astorga to Santiago or is a Camino App suffice? I know the route is well marked ,but in terms of knowing distances and "what's next", as well as options of where to stay in each town, I must have something! Not keen on carrying any extra weight,but also want to have some sort of guideline to help "guide" my way

Best app suggestions???

Thanks!

 

[Bajaracer]

urcamino.com

 

[grayland]

A guide book is not essential for finding the way or finding a place to sleep....but many of us like to know something of the area we are walking through. A guide will give you an idea of the distances and let you plan things to fit your requirements rather than following others in their plans.
A guide should also give you some choices in where to sleep and, usually, an idea of the cost.

John Brierley has a guide that is widely used on the Camino Frances...but there is now an excellent German guide that has just been translated into English. There are a couple of threads about the German guide active right now.
Here is a thread discussing the guides:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...and-yellow-german-guide-now-in-english.35636/

People have many opinions on carrying a guide..so just do what is comfortable for you.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I love Brierley.
I also love the Eroski website, though it is in Spanish:
http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/

 

[Bajaracer]

caminoguide.net has a nice PDF guide that you can store on your device.

 

[MaryLynn]

I like caminoguide.net. The basic guide with directions and accommodations is free (donation suggested), but for a small amount you can get the 'full' guide that includes some historical information. That is what I have taken with me the last few years. I keep the day's page at hand and carry the upcoming pages in my pack. You can also throw away each page after it is used and reprint it again after you get home for reference.

 

[Kitsambler]

The new English translation of the German guide series is available on Kindle. And they did the translation project partially at my request. http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B010Q1ME6U/?tag=casaivar-21

 

[Skaisthelimit]

Thanks all!

 

[knietz]

When we walked from SJPdP in 2012, we only the list of some albergues from the Pilgrim's Office, as well as the list they gave us that showed altitudes and distances between towns. That was all that was needed but a guide would certainly help if you want more information. Almost everyone had one that they might just share with you.

I also walked in 2012, from Ponferrada to SDC without a guide of any kind, except a stylised linear map showing distances between towns, which I picked-up in the first albergue. I knew to walk west, and what the next town was, but that was all. I know now that I missed a lot of interesting things. Subsequently I have used Brierley's book, to great satisfaction, but you could use any resource. I definitely recommend using some kind of guide.