Places to start a Camino Pilgrimage

[knavish]

(First-time poster here!) I'm an American student planning on walking the Camino Frances this summer. I hope to be spending the entirety of my summer break (~70-80 days) abroad and would like to begin my pilgrimage somewhere that gives me as much scenic hiking as possible during this time. I am an avid hiker with a fair amount of experience under my belt, and I was wondering if any of you lovely folks had suggestions for a walk approaching St-Jean-Pied-de-Port! (It is important that I end my journey at Santiago de Compostela.)

Thanks in advance for your recommendations!

 

[fraluchi]

Start in Lourdes, for example?

 

[Kanga]

Have you thought about starting in Le Puy en Velay - you have enough time to walk from there all the way to Santiago de Compostela. It is a route walking through some of the most beautiful towns and village in France, through glorious landscapes, and then into the Pyrenees and onto the Camino Frances at SJPDP. Wow! How I envy you.

 

[billmclaughlin]

Yes, Le Puy. Then about four weeks to the Spanish border and another five to Santiago. Add a few rest days and a few on either end to prepare and recover.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Le Puy or Vezelay, while both beautiful, will be much more expensive, less backpacker feeling, than the routes in Spain. More B&B vs backpakers' dorms. Budget accordingly.

 

[knavish]

Le Puy or Vezelay, while both beautiful, will be much more expensive, less backpacker feeling, than the routes in Spain. More B&B vs backpakers' dorms. Budget accordingly.

Being a starving college student, would you suggest any other more budget friendly/rugged starting points that might take a similar amount of time?

 

[mspath]

Knavish,

Here in France there is a often a Chain of Local ( donativo ) Hospitality offered for passing pilgrims. See more in French here.
Those who offer such hospitality do so for the pleasure of meeting/greeting pilgrims as well as helping them find their way.

For example my husband and I live in a small Champagne village, facing the Marne river.
We have a b and b but this year for the first time also provided simple family hosting for passing pilgrims. My first pilgrim shell hangs at our door marking the path.

Check to see if such a Chain of Local Hospitality/ l'Accueil pèlerins à domicile exists where you might wish to travel in France. A good source for this research is
http://www.aucoeurduchemin.org/spip/Hebergements/Hebergement-dans-les-Pyrenees/

Good luck, Bon chemin and Buen camino!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

There are some very scenic Caminos in Spain, although not much travelled. They also do not feed into SJPP, but budget would be the same as on the Frances. The Norte, Primitivo, Salvador and Invierno are the ones I would consider in summer.

 

[Purky]

Kudo's for trying to start somewhere in France before St-Jean-Pied-de-Port! It will definitely give your camino an extra dimension. Since I walked the Vezelay route I'm sort of partial to that, but I heard brilliant stories about the Le Puy route as well. I've travelled in that region, but haven't walked it as a pilgrim, so you'll have to take the word of others for that one.

Heed Anemone del Camino's warning about budget though. My budget in France was about 40 euro's a day, where in Spain I got by easily on 30 euro's. You can travel for less, but then you'll have to work a bit harder and sometimes depend on the generosity of others.

Happy planning, bonne route and buen camino!

 

[Davey Boyd]

In France carry a tent in summer, on the Le Puy route many French pilgrims carry a tent. While freecamping is possible the main reason is the availability of municipal campsites that are very cheap, some as low as 5 to 7 €. Many give pilgrim discounts too. Some also offer a chalet for the same price. Also, many Gites will let you camp outside but use all the facilities for around 5 Euros too. Bon Chemin

Davey

 

[whariwharangi]

(First-time poster here!) I'm an American student planning on walking the Camino Frances this summer. I hope to be spending the entirety of my summer break (~70-80 days) abroad and would like to begin my pilgrimage somewhere that gives me as much scenic hiking as possible during this time. I am an avid hiker with a fair amount of experience under my belt, and I was wondering if any of you lovely folks had suggestions for a walk approaching St-Jean-Pied-de-Port! (It is important that I end my journey at Santiago de Compostela.)

Thanks in advance for your recommendations!

'Budget friendly scenic hiking' ....

A third of your cost will be the flight across. If you are concerned about 'budget' and want to hike in scenery ... try the Appalachian Trail.

The camino is a stroll (not a hike) that winds through bucolic countryside that is pleasant enough but cannot be described objectively as scenic.

 

[billmclaughlin]

Try telling people climbing up out of Cahors or Conques that they're strolling! The Le Puy route has plenty of challenging terrain that interrupts the strolling.

 

[Marion-SantiagoInLove]

Walking in France is a nice option, and any of the 4 main Caminos (Le Puy, Paris-Tours, Vézeay, Arles) would be a nice experience. They are all mostly hiking trails, that is to say mostly paths through nature, opposed to the Spanish Caminos that are most of the time along roads or looking like roads. There are also other paths you may find interesting, like the Camino of the Piémonts or the GR10 (the Pyrenee's crest trail, not a Camino de Santiago)
I've done Le Puy with 10€/day and Arles with 5€/day. Accommodations are more expensive in France than in Spain, but there are some affordable ones and (still) some donativos. It very possible to do it "budget-style" if you agree to camp. There are some camping grounds along the Caminos; a lot of accommodation owners agree to let people camp in their gardens for a lower fee; and it's easy (and totally legal) to do wild camping.

If you'd rather stay in Spain, you can start in Saint Jean Pied de Port then walk back and forth from the Frances to the Norte and end in Santiago. If you want to end in Santiago for the Compostela and not because of a plane you'll have to catch, why not walk one Camino to Santiago, then continue on another in reverse?
Accommodations are very affordable. In case you want to camp in Spain, know that camping ground are scarce along the Caminos and that wild camping is not always legal. Depending of the route you'll chose and the Autonomous Community you'll go through, it can be ok, not clear or simply forbidden.

I don't know what you think of by "scenic", but im-very personal-opinion, it makes me think of the Arles route, the Camino del Norte and Primitivo.
Buen preps

 

[Deleted member 12253]

(First-time poster here!) I'm an American student planning on walking the Camino Frances this summer. I hope to be spending the entirety of my summer break (~70-80 days) abroad and would like to begin my pilgrimage somewhere that gives me as much scenic hiking as possible during this time. I am an avid hiker with a fair amount of experience under my belt, and I was wondering if any of you lovely folks had suggestions for a walk approaching St-Jean-Pied-de-Port! (It is important that I end my journey at Santiago de Compostela.)

Thanks in advance for your recommendations!

Lourdes. Up to Samport pass or to sjpded then Santiago, finnesterra, Muxia. Spoiled for choice Buen camin or Norte and swich to Primitivo Buen Camino