peregrina primera May-June

[kimlin]

I am so happy and also a bit daunted that my dream of walking the Camino is coming true 4/29-6/12! thanks to the moderators of this site who have made it so easy to find answers to my numerous questions and also for making me feel like I am joining a well established community. I really appreciate the time and spirit you put into connecting us.
A few potential questions:
I am flying into Bilbao and would love advice on how to best get to Roncesvalles from there.
I am traveling solo until 5/25 and am trying to average 12 miles a day only, so I project getting as far as Leon. I look forward to meeting other walkers!
On May 25 I will meet my husband in Madrid, and we will start the Camino close enough to get to Santiago and on to Finisterre by 6/10 -so I think I will have to miss or skip some segments. Any advice on what you would skip if time commitments required it?
Kimlin from Santa Cruz California, USA

 

[sillydoll]

The buses from Bilbao-Pamplona are Compañía “La Burundesa”. Takes 2 hours and costs about 13.25€ About 6 buses per day :
http://www.laburundesa.com/caste/dinami ... rridos.asp
From Pamplona you can take a 6pm bus to Roncesvalles.

If you are meeting your husband in Madrid on the 25th May you could easily walk from Villafranca del Bierzo to Santiago and then visit Fistera.

ALSA buses from Madrid to Villafranca:

MADR-E.SUR VILLAFRANC 00:30 05:30
BARAJAS T4 VILLAFRANC 09:35 16:05
MADR-A.AME VILLAFRANC 09:55 16:05
MADR-E.SUR VILLAFRANC 10:30 16:05

or the overnight bus:

BARAJAS T4 VILLAFRANC 23:59 05:30

26th) Villafranca del Bierzo - Vega de Valcarce 16.7 km
27) Vega de Valcarce - Hospital de la Condesa 17.5 km
28) Hospital de la Condesa - Triacastela 15.1 km
29) Triacastela - Sarria 24.6 km
30) Sarria - Portomarín 22.4 km
31) Portomarín - Ligonde 16.5 km
1st) Ligonde - San Xulian 11.9 km
2nd) San Xulian - Arzúa 25.4 km
3rd) Arzúa - Rúa 17.8 km
4th) Rúa - Santiago de Compostela 20.7 km

5th) Bus to Finisterre
6th) Bus back to Santiago

 

[MermaidLilli]

So hard to tell you what to do, for each part of the walk is so special. After Leon, the mountains start back up and it is so glorious. Maybe instead of meeting up in Madrid he can join you wherever you are at or and then see how far you get? You can always finish it some other time. Many pilgrims do it that way. If it is the compostela you would like to obtain, then you will have to walk at least the last 100km prior to Santiago.
You could always catch a bus to Finisterra from Santiago if you are running out of time. I did that with my first camino.
Lillian

 

[kimlin]

Thank you for the general and also very specific suggestions! It sounds like walking to Finisterre is off the books and we will just take the bus then.-Kimlin

 

[WolverineDG]

I agree with Lillie. Have your husband take the train or bus to Leon from Madrid & walk together from there. Otherwise, you'll be going back & forth & back & forth, wasting your valuable vacation time.

Kelly