November Camino - (F) alone?

[mr. frodo]

Hello everyone. I'm a solo 31 yo F. I'll be in Europe for a trip until the end of October and then have some time and the ability to extend my trip and possibly do a Camino before going back to Canada. I completed the CF in 2015 in fall and the CP (from porto) in 2019. Both of these caminos I went with someone else. After doing the CP I realized that I was probably not interested in the CF again due to the crowds. I am pretty social and like making friends on the camino but don't like the bed race (that seems inevitable in recent years (outside the plague years)). I had hoped that the CN would be my next trail, but I'm concerned that the weather may be too intense at this time of year.

Because its the off season I've come back around to the CF. I've read a few posts about the expected weather through late autumn and have the Aprinca site bookmarked. I guess I'm a bit concerned that I may find myself more alone than I'd like. I've been watching the forums and see that the Camino is getting busier since the plague years, but do you think there will be a huge drop off of pilgrims in the "off season"?

My hopes for the trip would be to make some nice friends, and do some drawing and thinking. I'd like to walk alone sometimes, but also have company along the way.

Will be anyone else out there?


Ah friends - welcome to the mind of someone who is unsure whether to pack their camino gear along with the stuff one needs for travelling in Greece.

 

[J Willhaus]

Late fall and winter caminos on the CF are totally different. Less housing, but still good infrastructure. Whatever you decide enjoy! @mspath has done several winter caminis and can be a good resource!

 

[HVestal]

Hello everyone. I'm a solo 31 yo F. I'll be in Europe for a trip until the end of October and then have some time and the ability to extend my trip and possibly do a Camino before going back to Canada. I completed the CF in 2015 in fall and the CP (from porto) in 2019. Both of these caminos I went with someone else. After doing the CP I realized that I was probably not interested in the CF again due to the crowds. I am pretty social and like making friends on the camino but don't like the bed race (that seems inevitable in recent years (outside the plague years)). I had hoped that the CN would be my next trail, but I'm concerned that the weather may be too intense at this time of year.

Because its the off season I've come back around to the CF. I've read a few posts about the expected weather through late autumn and have the Aprinca site bookmarked. I guess I'm a bit concerned that I may find myself more alone than I'd like. I've been watching the forums and see that the Camino is getting busier since the plague years, but do you think there will be a huge drop off of pilgrims in the "off season"?

My hopes for the trip would be to make some nice friends, and do some drawing and thinking. I'd like to walk alone sometimes, but also have company along the way.

Will be anyone else out there?


Ah friends - welcome to the mind of someone who is unsure whether to pack their camino gear along with the stuff one needs for travelling in Greece.

I am a solo 28 F hoping to start in November. I have the same questions. Hopefully see you there!

 

[nilesite]

I walked the Francés last year in late November and December. It's awesome.

 

[The Austrian]

I've enjoyed the solo day walking and evening meet ups during my two November trails.
A young pilgrim from the Boston area stood out with her promise of a Thanksgiving feast.
What she did not tell us.....it will be vegan. Much laughter that evening. Seriously I should have known, where would she have found an American sized turkey in Carrion de los Condes?

​

 

[ruthwa]

Hi, I’m leaving SJPP on the 19th November and hope to be in Santiago for Christmas. I’m walking to celebrate my 60th birthday and hope to met other people who are taking the winter option! I live in Perth,Western Australia!

 

[norfolk-keith]

Hello everyone. I'm a solo 31 yo F. I'll be in Europe for a trip until the end of October and then have some time and the ability to extend my trip and possibly do a Camino before going back to Canada. I completed the CF in 2015 in fall and the CP (from porto) in 2019. Both of these caminos I went with someone else. After doing the CP I realized that I was probably not interested in the CF again due to the crowds. I am pretty social and like making friends on the camino but don't like the bed race (that seems inevitable in recent years (outside the plague years)). I had hoped that the CN would be my next trail, but I'm concerned that the weather may be too intense at this time of year.

Because its the off season I've come back around to the CF. I've read a few posts about the expected weather through late autumn and have the Aprinca site bookmarked. I guess I'm a bit concerned that I may find myself more alone than I'd like. I've been watching the forums and see that the Camino is getting busier since the plague years, but do you think there will be a huge drop off of pilgrims in the "off season"?

My hopes for the trip would be to make some nice friends, and do some drawing and thinking. I'd like to walk alone sometimes, but also have company along the way.

Will be anyone else out there?


Ah friends - welcome to the mind of someone who is unsure whether to pack their camino gear along with the stuff one needs for travelling in Greece.

The daily update on the forum lists approximately 1700 plus each day reaching Santiago and increases towards the weekend but my second Camino Frances I walked in autumn and there was barely 750 arriving each day and it got less by the day. The conditions were pretty bad rain and extremely low temperatures so you can imagine the need for inclement weather gear and I read earlier near foncebadon it’s snowing so be prepared. Good luck Buen Camino Keith

 

[lt56ny]

I walked the CF in November/December 2019. I never had an issue finding a place to stay although sometimes my first choice was not available. The crowds are far less than peak times but there are plenty of pilgrims. One albergue owner told me she had more pilgrims the first 5 days of November 2019 than any full month of November pilgrims previously. I walked the VDLP last year and decided to go up to Astorga and take the Frances because it was getting harder and harder to find open albergues and some albergue owners told me that it may actually be harder because of Covid once I got on the Sanabria. Again there were more pilgrims than I expected but never encountered a full albergue and there were still plenty of places open.
There were plenty of opportunities to walk alone. Nothing like walking alone on the VDLP as there are just a handful of pilgrims the whole way. I like to walk alone during the day. Not staying in the towns that are listed as "stage" towns will bring you less pilgrims during the day and enough to meet in the evening. Of course still more pilgrims after Sarria as is the case all year. Sleeping before or after Sarria and not in stage towns helps alot on this final portion of the CF also.

 

[Sam - AU]

I walked the CF in November 2019. While the pilgrim numbers are nowhere near comparable to peak times, it most definitely won’t be as ‘solitary’ as you think. It was ‘busier’ than I had hoped or would have liked (that time I wanted a solitary Camino)

There are plenty of opportunities during the day to have the trail to yourself for a few hours. But generally because there is far less choice for albergues and distances between albergues, everyone ends up the same places at night. (No bed race, just that you aren’t going to find yourself in an Albergue alone night after night).

If you definitely want to be around people pick the more popular or bigger towns, and if you want a chance at a night alone in an Albergue pick the next open Albergue in the town after or before or on a detour.

The closer you get to Christmas/post Christmas the more it drops off both in pilgrims and open albergues.

I found early February on the CF to be the quietest time I’ve walked, where there were a good number of nights it was just me and the people I’d been walking with that day, which was also a magical experience.

Aprinca was the most reliable source I found.

 

[nilesite]

Did you have to reserve accommodations for each day?

Half and half. Some days, when I was in a big enough town, I'd just walk into the municipal albergue. But Omicron was starting in the news and staying in a big dorm made me nervous. Many fewer pilgrims of course, but I used Wise Pikgrim to scout what was available and the second half of my walk, I booked ahead.

 

[Galuh]

What about Camino Primitivo in Nov? it's my choice. Buen camino

 

[mr. frodo]

Thank you everyone for your thoughtful responses to this thread. I'm feeling very confident about this offish season camino.

 

[Colette Z]

Hello everyone. I'm a solo 31 yo F. I'll be in Europe for a trip until the end of October and then have some time and the ability to extend my trip and possibly do a Camino before going back to Canada. I completed the CF in 2015 in fall and the CP (from porto) in 2019. Both of these caminos I went with someone else. After doing the CP I realized that I was probably not interested in the CF again due to the crowds. I am pretty social and like making friends on the camino but don't like the bed race (that seems inevitable in recent years (outside the plague years)). I had hoped that the CN would be my next trail, but I'm concerned that the weather may be too intense at this time of year.

Because its the off season I've come back around to the CF. I've read a few posts about the expected weather through late autumn and have the Aprinca site bookmarked. I guess I'm a bit concerned that I may find myself more alone than I'd like. I've been watching the forums and see that the Camino is getting busier since the plague years, but do you think there will be a huge drop off of pilgrims in the "off season"?

My hopes for the trip would be to make some nice friends, and do some drawing and thinking. I'd like to walk alone sometimes, but also have company along the way.

Will be anyone else out there?


Ah friends - welcome to the mind of someone who is unsure whether to pack their camino gear along with the stuff one needs for travelling in Greece.

Depending on your dates I’m Canadian and will walk the Salvador + Primitivo starting Oct 21st from Leon if you want to buddy up.

 

[Aspigrina]

Hi, I’m leaving SJPP on the 19th November and hope to be in Santiago for Christmas. I’m walking to celebrate my 60th birthday and hope to met other people who are taking the winter option! I live in Perth,Western Australia!

I am planning on doing a short part of the Francés, from December 2-8, Burgos-Sahagun. I hope we meet, also a female walking solo, I have some experience in caminos but not in winter!

 

[Bradypus]

We are nearly at the end of the first week of November. According to the pilgrim office website there were 690 Compostelas issued today. Well down from the summer peaks but that still strikes me as an extraordinary number for this time of year. I don't think there's much chance of November pilgrims being solo for long on the Camino Frances in the next few weeks. At least not in the final stages!

 

[trecile]

According to the pilgrim office website there were 690 Compostelas issued today. Well down from the summer peaks but that still strikes me as an extraordinary number for this time of year.

That is an amazing number of pilgrims for November!

 

[Colette Z]

We are now at last 16 on the Primitivo in Lugo accumulated over the past few stages vs only 8 a few days ago. Its nice as no fighting for beds, it’s a quiet Camino but one is never alone.