New to the camino!

[annarosa]

Hey!
So my friend and I are doing the camino in September! Our tickets are booked and we are super excited. We are flying into Paris to spend a couple days then taking a train to start in SJPP.

However both our mothers are worried. We are young (23) females. I've done a bunch of research about this trail and haven't heard anything bad about it. Is there any thoughts or advice to give to our poor mothers to help ease their worry?

Also we are thinking of biking it, due to time. Is it cheaper to rent or buy a bike? And where can we go to get them? I haven't been able to find a whole lot on that :/

Plus any tips you have about doing the Camino, ie market food vs the pligrims menu, places that are a must see, how to stop blisters, anything will help!
Thanks in advance

 

[SooYunKim]

Hi!
I'll be waking the Camino this September, too, for the first time.
We may never meet on the Camino, and still I wish you Buen Camino. :^)
(Sorry, it's not about any useful info.)

 

[Say Simba]

Hey!
So my friend and I are doing the camino in September! Our tickets are booked and we are super excited. We are flying into Paris to spend a couple days then taking a train to start in SJPP.

However both our mothers are worried. We are young (23) females. I've done a bunch of research about this trail and haven't heard anything bad about it. Is there any thoughts or advice to give to our poor mothers to help ease their worry?

Also we are thinking of biking it, due to time. Is it cheaper to rent or buy a bike? And where can we go to get them? I haven't been able to find a whole lot on that :/

Plus any tips you have about doing the Camino, ie market food vs the pligrims menu, places that are a must see, how to stop blisters, anything will help!
Thanks in advance

You are going to do just fine. I recommend walking. The food is fine, though I did eat a lot of fruit from the local markets.



Buen Camino!

 

[PANO]

You young ladies (and your moms) should worry more about those few days in Paris than the Camino!
Biking: Unless you are very experienced and well trained mountain bikers, you should not consider it. If you're worried about time, skip the few days in Paris.. Here is a site to rent bikes for the Camino: http://www.tournride.com/formulario-de-movimientos.
They rent out for any sections... how about renting bikes in SdC to do the side trip to Muxia/Finisterra?

Food: The Camino is abound with all sorts of eateries and markets, where you find plenty of fruit. If you have a little extra money to spare, don't restrict yourselves to pilgrims menus; in larger towns, you find lovely restaurants with very good food for a few extra coins. (You know when you deserve a reward!)

Blisters: If you have a history of blisters, apply large Compeed patches prophylactically

 

[Ice]

As my mom is also a worrier, I've not allowed her to watch The Way since the son dies, and I also don't mention when someone gets lost or worse on the trail. I've also made some concessions to ease her mind (I'm blogging throughout my trip) but put my foot down in other places (I'm not bringing my cell). Overall, I acknowledge her feelings and show that I'm informed. But moms will always worry!

 

[enerol]

Tell your Mom not to worry. I 81 yr old female who finished the Camino lAst year from SJPDP to Finnesterre. Buen Camino !!

 

[Olivares]

I recommend walking. September is a glorious time to take in the wine harvesting and festivals and the colors. If limited by time pick a section. I saw tons of rental places for bikes; heard a lot of complainst about the quality, though. The Camino is not a "walk in the park" and I actually saw a lot of bike breakdowns, even on the Meseta (flatlands).

RE: Moms-- not sure there is much to add to your own reassurances. I have walked the Camino (sections) solo (female) every year since 2011. I never, ever, ever had one second of trepidation or feeling unsafe. This forum has thousands of days on the Camino experiences; you just need to sit, read, digest, and plan.

Buen Camino!

 

[Rockhopper]

Have to agree with Pano unless you are experienced cyclists I would avoid the walking trail. However you are perfectly safe on the trail as I see lots of women of all ages doing the Camino on their own or in pairs. It's like anything else don't act the donut and you'll be fine. Good walking boots and socks and rain gear. Also practice and when you pack your bag get someone who knows hiking to go through it for you!! You will pack too much. Also pack your sense of adventure and enjoy !))

 

[capun]

What my wife and I did was to pack bread and cheese to eat during the day walk and have "lunch" at our day destination. We also ended up eating the Menu of the day, it's a bit more expensive but you get a several main dish choices. I think even with all of the walking we gained weight with all the good food
As for the safety, We saw single women, in pairs and in larger groups. We never saw any problems, nor we encountered any.
We are thinking about doing the last section from Sarria (not enough free time) again next year.

 

[domigee]

Have to agree with Pano, sadly, be very wary in Paris. I am, now, every time I go back and it's my home city of course your mothers will worry (that's what we do!) but let them know all is well from time to time and have a wonderful camino.
Plenty of very helpful advice on this forum on everything, from safety to how to avoid blisters etc.... so if you have time, lots to read about.
I can't advise on bikes but it struck me that it seemed much more difficult on a bike than walking! Also I did talk to young biking pilgrims and although they enjoyed it - they were two good friends - they felt they were missing out on the companionship of the camino...i.e. not meeting many people and feeling a bit isolated.

Whatever you decide, buen camino!

 

[annarosa]

Thanks for all the advice! I'll tell my mom yet again not to worry she was the one who suggested biking, thinking it might be easier, but after reading these posts, starting to wonder if I should just walk it! Or perhaps walk part and bike part, that would really help with the time issue. My mom is getting married on Oct 25th and if everything goes to plan we should finish walking the camino by Oct 18. I just really dont want to have to rush home buy the dress (since almost everyone says they lose some wait walking the camino) and do everything last minute. If we bike, it would allow us to take more time to see what we want, and not worrying about rushing back. Thanks for the link for the bike rental! Really handy

 

[Sraaen]

Have to agree with Pano, sadly, be very wary in Paris. I am, now, every time I go back and it's my home city of course your mothers will worry (that's what we do!) but let them know all is well from time to time and have a wonderful camino.
Plenty of very helpful advice on this forum on everything, from safety to how to avoid blisters etc.... so if you have time, lots to read about.
I can't advise on bikes but it struck me that it seemed much more difficult on a bike than walking! Also I did talk to young biking pilgrims and although they enjoyed it - they were two good friends - they felt they were missing out on the companionship of the camino...i.e. not meeting many people and feeling a bit isolated.

Whatever you decide, buen camino!

What happened in Paris? Why be wary? I love Paris!