Planning a Camino with my 13 year old daughter June/July 2019

[brambles]

Hello Everyone,

I am planning to walk the Camino Frances with my daughter to begin the day after she graduates from 8th grade (June 19th) starting in Saint Jean. I would like this to be a bonding experience for us as she and I have a somewhat strained relationship and would also like to have a shared experience with her before she starts high school. Some German friends are warning me of how crowded and difficult it will be to secure beds during this period and I am worried that this trip will turn into a stressful situation and only lead to more conflict between us. Due to the school holiday, this is the only time of the year we would be able to go. Also, my son and husband might join us early July for a week and I am concerned this might make securing beds even more difficult. Will it be possible to anticipate the distance we plan to cover a day or two in advance and call for reservations especially as we get closer to Santiago? Also, I have read a few posts about walking with teenagers, but if anyone has additional advice to add, it would be welcome. We completed a four day Inca trail and other hikes in Peru that she enjoyed last summer to give you some idea of her level of persistence. Thank you everyone.

 

[SabsP]

Hello Everyone,

I am planning to walk the Camino Frances with my daughter to begin the day after she graduates from 8th grade (June 19th) starting in Saint Jean. I would like this to be a bonding experience for us as she and I have a somewhat strained relationship and would also like to have a shared experience with her before she starts high school. Some German friends are warning me of how crowded and difficult it will be to secure beds during this period and I am worried that this trip will turn into a stressful situation and only lead to more conflict between us. Due to the school holiday, this is the only time of the year we would be able to go. Also, my son and husband might join us early July for a week and I am concerned this might make securing beds even more difficult. Will it be possible to anticipate the distance we plan to cover a day or two in advance and call for reservations especially as we get closer to Santiago? Also, I have read a few posts about walking with teenagers, but if anyone has additional advice to add, it would be welcome. We completed a four day Inca trail and other hikes in Peru that she enjoyed last summer to give you some idea of her level of persistence. Thank you everyone.

Hi and welcome here.

First of all : does your daughter wants to join you? This is imho the most important question. A four day Inca trail is not to be compared with a Camino.

Do search for posts from @Kiwi-family who has a wealth of information regarding walking a Camino with children.

This planner gives you an idea about distances.
https://godesalco.com/plan/frances

Good luck!

 

[brambles]

Hi and welcome here.

First of all : does your daughter wants to join you? This is imho the most important question. A four day Inca trail is not to be compared with a Camino.

Do search for posts from @Kiwi-family who has a wealth of information regarding walking a Camino with children.

This planner gives you an idea about distances.
https://godesalco.com/plan/frances

Good luck!

 

[brambles]

Yes! She very much would like to do this

 

[domigee]

Yes! She very much would like to do this

In that case, no worries She’ll probably outwalk you! You’ll be fine.

Seriously, I don’t know about June, but early July is EMPTY! (Until Sarria, that is! ).
I walked one Camino from St Jean with an 11 year old and we had the best time ever! Bring swimsuits - that helped - and... have the best time ever with your daughter

 

[Saint Mike II]

Hola and again a welcome to the forum. Whilst the albergues do offer a somewhat unique experience, private accommodation (the less expensive Casa Rurals / or private hotels) are worth investigating every 4 or 5 nights. That little bit of privacy and quieter sleeping will do wonders for your camino outlook. Buen Camino

 

[MKalcolm M]

I walked the camino Portugese with Faith, my daughter aged 12 and the next year we did the Frances from Leon. We plan to walk the Primitivo next year. I was very unsure about whether she was up for the first camino, so we went to our local woods and walked 17kms in one day, so she knew what to expect on a daily basis, as well as talked about the cumulative effect of walking every day. This didn't put her off, so we went for it. We had a great time together, and she really enjoyed both caminos. A few suggestions.
Make all decisions together. Talk things over, so she is involved in the process.
Encourage her to make friendships with fellow pilgrims, and leave her to talk, and walk with them. Faith made some great friends, of all ages on the camino, all of whom really encouraged her.
Keep well fed and watered, stop regularly for breaks. It is said that an army marches on its stomach, and teenagers are very similar. We often found that stopping for fresh orange and chocolate pastry did wonders for morale.
A key point for me was when I realized that I could learn more from her than she could from me.
I hope you have a great walk together.

 

[kelleymac]

You two will never forget your camino!

I walked from Leon in Spring 2015 with my 13 yo son, Ciaran. He wanted to go back in Spring 2016 and walk from St. Jean Pied de Porte, so we did. -- We didn't not have any problems with finding a bed-- except once. I had wanted to stop, but he had wanted to push on(another 7 km or so. (This was the way of it almost every day. He could walk forever...) The place that was at the end of that 7 km, had a hostel, but it was full. (It was 6pm.) There were no other places in that town, but the woman at the hostel called ahead to the next village and found a place for us. It was only about 5 more km away.

It's easier to find a bed if you can get off the Brierly stops. Walk a little further, or a little less to avoid the stop/start villages. Also, you can get in "a wave" of pilgrims. Try slowing down (take a break day) or speeding up to get out of the wave.

-- My son and I found ourselves getting into arguments almost daily at about 3pm. Some chocolate for both of us, a bigger lunch for him, and motrin for me helped stop the arguments (mostly).

Ciaran was very set on going a certain distance every day. Sometimes we had issues if I wanted to stop for something (a church, a museum, a second cup of coffee). But he loved the food and he never complained.

I walked without him in 2017, and missed him incredibly.

 

[kelleymac]

I walked the camino Portugese with Faith, my daughter aged 12 and the next year we did the Frances from Leon. We plan to walk the Primitivo next year. I was very unsure about whether she was up for the first camino, so we went to our local woods and walked 17kms in one day, so she knew what to expect on a daily basis, as well as talked about the cumulative effect of walking every day. This didn't put her off, so we went for it. We had a great time together, and she really enjoyed both caminos. A few suggestions.
Make all decisions together. Talk things over, so she is involved in the process.
Encourage her to make friendships with fellow pilgrims, and leave her to talk, and walk with them. Faith made some great friends, of all ages on the camino, all of whom really encouraged her.
Keep well fed and watered, stop regularly for breaks. It is said that an army marches on its stomach, and teenagers are very similar. We often found that stopping for fresh orange and chocolate pastry did wonders for morale.
A key point for me was when I realized that I could learn more from her than she could from me.
I hope you have a great walk together.

Having walked with my 13 yo son, I concur on the importance of chocolate in the afternoon! Chocolate is key.

 

[Anamiri]

I'm planning to take my grandson, who will be 13 by then, and my husband next September.
Its not something I would have considered until I met a family from Alaska, and their 2 kids - 12 and 8 having the time of their life.
It motivated me to plan this time together, in this window of time before he reaches senior school. He is the only grand-kid interested in walking with me - the others would come if it was a holiday, but they've seen pictures of my Caminos, and the idea of walking the whole way appalls them.
We have started training walks with him, he knows the deal is he has to walk at my pace, and he has to carry a pack - I'm not carrying it for him. He now looks forward to weekends walking with me. We have amazing chats whilst we're walking, and we stop for icecream and drinks along the way. I hear things from him he tells no-one else. That's the cool thing about being a grandparent I think.
He's really interested in Spain, (and France, England and Scotland on the way home) - passionate about the Knights Templar, castles and all things medieval, hoping to see a snake (despite that in 2 Caminos I haven't seen one) and the idea of getting dessert every day is very appealing.
He is learning Spanish at school in preparation. We are slowly accumulating up the gear he will need leaving clothing until the last so it still fits.
I hope your walk with your daughter is a wonderful experience, it may be life changing - and as she already likes walking thats a bonus.

 

[Dorpie]

Welcome to the forum Brambles. Afraid I don't have any personal experience to share but you may like to check out this camino vlog featuring a family with a 13 y/o daughter starting out from St Jean just a week earlier than you plan to. As others have observed chocolate and ice cream are strong motivational tools.

Buen Camino,

Rob.

 

[Kiwi-family]

I concur with all the advice you’ve been given so far. I’d add a couple of things. Treat her as an adult ie consult together about decisions, get her to do her own washing, give her money to buy food for the two of you (you stay in the albergue while she goes to the supermercado - my kids LOVED doing that), possibly get her (and others) to cook together, encourage her to keep a journal.
Enjoy yourselves.

 

[HeidiL]

...and ask her to keep track of the sellos!

I walked with my son (and husband) the first time when he was 8 (21 days from Carrión de los Condes), then again at least 10 more times.

He is walking the Via Augusta with me next month, and now he's 22.

Warning: you may find that you have a new thing you MUST do together.

 

[Via2010]

Hi Brambles,

I do not expect the Camino to be very crowded at the beginning, as only few people use their entire summer holiday to walk the camino. But on the other Hand the intended starting date will enable you to reach Santiago on St. James day (25 th of July) and many People plan their camino according to this. So pre-booking accomodation one or two days in advance is an option. Another option is to aim at albergues in smaller villages in-between the famous camino stages or to walk a shorter stage so that you fall behind the crowds.

I walked the CF from Astorga with my nephew (then 10) in the Easter holidays 2012. We skipped the masses of pilgrims when we decided to get to Santiago on Easter Monday (no holiday in Spain) instead of Sunday.

Take into consideration that your daughter will not like big bedrooms and prefer private rooms. Also take into consideration that she will recover much quicker from her daily walk then you will do.

Walking in summer will have the advantage that she may meet other youngsters and find some entertainment. I found it a heavy duty, to play cards or soccer with my nephew after our daily walk and the normal pilgrim duties (laundry, looking for food).

Stages of about 20 km/day will be feasible.

Try to walk to Finisterre as well. My nephew really enjoyd the seaside.

BC
Alexandra

 

[kelleymac]

I'm planning to take my grandson, who will be 13 by then, and my husband next September.
Its not something I would have considered until I met a family from Alaska, and their 2 kids - 12 and 8 having the time of their life.
It motivated me to plan this time together, in this window of time before he reaches senior school. He is the only grand-kid interested in walking with me - the others would come if it was a holiday, but they've seen pictures of my Caminos, and the idea of walking the whole way appalls them.
We have started training walks with him, he knows the deal is he has to walk at my pace, and he has to carry a pack - I'm not carrying it for him. He now looks forward to weekends walking with me. We have amazing chats whilst we're walking, and we stop for icecream and drinks along the way. I hear things from him he tells no-one else. That's the cool thing about being a grandparent I think.
He's really interested in Spain, (and France, England and Scotland on the way home) - passionate about the Knights Templar, castles and all things medieval, hoping to see a snake (despite that in 2 Caminos I haven't seen one) and the idea of getting dessert every day is very appealing.
He is learning Spanish at school in preparation. We are slowly accumulating up the gear he will need leaving clothing until the last so it still fits.
I hope your walk with your daughter is a wonderful experience, it may be life changing - and as she already likes walking thats a bonus.

My 13 yo could walk my pace and faster, especially at the end of the day! Most of my photos of him on the camino are of his back as he strides ahead of me.
We took a morning of in Ponferrada to tour the castle. He love it.

Buen Camino!

Kate

 

[Tay and I]

Hello Everyone,

I am planning to walk the Camino Frances with my daughter to begin the day after she graduates from 8th grade (June 19th) starting in Saint Jean. I would like this to be a bonding experience for us as she and I have a somewhat strained relationship and would also like to have a shared experience with her before she starts high school. Some German friends are warning me of how crowded and difficult it will be to secure beds during this period and I am worried that this trip will turn into a stressful situation and only lead to more conflict between us. Due to the school holiday, this is the only time of the year we would be able to go. Also, my son and husband might join us early July for a week and I am concerned this might make securing beds even more difficult. Will it be possible to anticipate the distance we plan to cover a day or two in advance and call for reservations especially as we get closer to Santiago? Also, I have read a few posts about walking with teenagers, but if anyone has additional advice to add, it would be welcome. We completed a four day Inca trail and other hikes in Peru that she enjoyed last summer to give you some idea of her level of persistence. Thank you everyone.

 

[Tay and I]

I have just walked Camino Francis with my 11years old granddaughter and she was a joy to many .She loved meeting people in the Alberques and was super organized and determined . We chose to book hostels( booking dot com ) for much of the trip though as this took the pressure off early morning routines and provided some privacy for showering and toilet . We were tightly bonded before the trip - an important ingredient - when spirits diminish . Although that didn’t happen to us . We worked out our distances together ( maximum 28- 20 kms ) . She grew in wisdom and so did I . No issues with feet , food or sleeping .

 

[brambles]

Thank you all so much for these excellent suggestions.
We will definitely bring swimsuits and I found a post that mentions places to swim and am taking notes! She is a water polo player, so swimming will be a boost for her. I may be the one eating all the chocolate that others are recommending There are some good reminders here that you all have provided for me such as making sure she is involved in the planning, allowing her independence while walking, staying occasionally in more private accommodations etc. The one thing that is making me feel bad about planning this camino is that my 15 year old son definitely does NOT want to come, and my husband only has two weeks vacation this summer but is not too keen to join us either. I am a teacher, so I have the time to do this. Our family has never been separated for such an extended period and it makes me feel a little sad. My daughter also feels a bit anxious about this and is worried that she will miss them. I am trying to convince my son to come along, and to be honest, I am going to be concerned about his safety while we are gone. Just some thoughts.
sabineP- the link to the distance planner is brilliant. Thank you!
I'm really glad I finally joined the forum.

 

[MelissaKay]

I walked with my 13 and 16 year old daughters last year and it was an amazing experience. When possible, we secured private rooms just to have some privacy and get some good sleep. You may need to take it a little slower with a young girl, as I did, as the heat became an issue and she needed some rest days due to what I believe was heat exhaustion. But, my 13 year old was THE happiest of all three of us and was an utter joy to watch her experience the Camino! She walked circles around us too! Buen Camino!

 

[kelleymac]

Thank you all so much for these excellent suggestions.
We will definitely bring swimsuits and I found a post that mentions places to swim and am taking notes! She is a water polo player, so swimming will be a boost for her. I may be the one eating all the chocolate that others are recommending There are some good reminders here that you all have provided for me such as making sure she is involved in the planning, allowing her independence while walking, staying occasionally in more private accommodations etc. The one thing that is making me feel bad about planning this camino is that my 15 year old son definitely does NOT want to come, and my husband only has two weeks vacation this summer but is not too keen to join us either. I am a teacher, so I have the time to do this. Our family has never been separated for such an extended period and it makes me feel a little sad. My daughter also feels a bit anxious about this and is worried that she will miss them. I am trying to convince my son to come along, and to be honest, I am going to be concerned about his safety while we are gone. Just some thoughts.
sabineP- the link to the distance planner is brilliant. Thank you!
I'm really glad I finally joined the forum.

Hi Brambles-- When I decided to walk the camino after talking about it for a decade, I asked both my sons if they would walk with me. My older 16yo son replied "Why don't you rent a car?".
"Okay then", I thought, "you're not coming."

My 13 yo asked me if we could have roast lamb for dinner one night on the Camino. And so began our planning.

I missed my 16 yo, but he really had no interest in joining us, and a sullen 16 year old is no fun. He and my husband (who also had no interest in going-- though I tried to interest him for over a decade), stayed home and took care of our animals.

cheers,

Kate

 

[Thomas@Albany]

While on the Camino this October, I ran into an Irish mom living in Spain, who did 10 days from St Jean with her 9 year old son, who turned 10 in Estella. They had a great time, and he clearly enjoyed being an inspiration to many of us. Just adjust the pace somewhat to what your daughter finds doable, and you can always reserve the day earlier a private Albergue.

 

[Kiwi-family]

I giggle at people saying to adjust your pace to the youngster’s (nothing personal) - my 12 year old is always waiting for me to catch up!
Don’t worry about your 15yo. Don’t worry about leaving your husband. I did! Especially about the son who got his driver’s license while I was away! But they were fine.
Taking just some of my kids and leaving the rest at home was an important part in our journey of letting go of the older ones and finding a new (constantly changing) normal with those who are left. When I took half the kids (4 of them) for a 1,500km Camino four years ago I had no idea that would be the first step towards doing a solo Camin which I just completed a month ago. You never know what doors might be opening.
I found the bitter-sweetness fell more heavily on the sweet side.

 

[t2andreo]

Another aspect to providing your daughter with some independence is to ensure that both of you have smartphones, or at least cellular phones, so you can text or call each other.

So, for example, if your daughter wants to walk with some new Camino friends in a group, you can agree where the day's stopping point will be, or where you plan to stop for a snack.

Each having a phone gives you the capability to remain in contact, without hovering. You use them to coordinate your pace, route, stopping points and anything else.

The Camino is very safe, and even more so for a young person if they are in a group of like-minded young folks. Having a smartphone or even a voice / text cellular phone just adds another layer of confidence and safety.

All the other advice here is spot on, so I will not be redundant... You will have a ball together, even if walking separately. You are all heading in the same direction.

Hope this helps.

 

[brambles]

Another aspect to providing your daughter with some independence is to ensure that both of you have smartphones, or at least cellular phones, so you can text or call each other.

So, for example, if your daughter wants to walk with some new Camino friends in a group, you can agree where the day's stopping point will be, or where you plan to stop for a snack.

Each having a phone gives you the capability to remain in contact, without hovering. You use them to coordinate your pace, route, stopping points and anything else.

The Camino is very safe, and even more so for a young person if they are in a group of like-minded young folks. Having a smartphone or even a voice / text cellular phone just adds another layer of confidence and safety.

All the other advice here is spot on, so I will not be redundant... You will have a ball together, even if walking separately. You are all heading in the same direction.

Hope this helps.

One of the things I am actually looking forward to is having her leave her phone at home, but I can see where it might be a good idea to have one.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

One of the things I am actually looking forward to is having her leave her phone at home, but I can see where it might be a good idea to have one.

Maybe pick up a cheap flip phone for her.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Maybe pick up a cheap flip phone for her.

Upon further thought this may not be such a great idea. Your daughter may want to take her own pictures and then you would need a camera too.

 

[t2andreo]

In the end, you will make the decision that works best for you. But having a phone for emergencies and to coordinate with your group (even if only one) is a BIG convenience.

FYI, personally, I have a t-Mobile plan that allows unlimited access to my data and texting both at home, and when overseas with no extra charges. It simply connects automatically to a partner provider (Orange, Vodaphone, etc.) on landing at Madrid.

This is probably the best deal for someone coming from the US. I travel a lot, so being able to access my data and texting for free from anywhere in the world (150 countries) is a huge benefit.

However, voice calls are USD $3.00 PER MINUTE. So, the plan for 2019 is to get a separate SIM card from a Spanish provider to provide voice capability for pennies per minute. I have a new iPhone with deal SIM capability. We will see what happens...

Hope this helps.

 

[Tay and I]

I giggle at people saying to adjust your pace to the youngster’s (nothing personal) - my 12 year old is always waiting for me to catch up!
Don’t worry about your 15yo. Don’t worry about leaving your husband. I did! Especially about the son who got his driver’s license while I was away! But they were fine.
Taking just some of my kids and leaving the rest at home was an important part in our journey of letting go of the older ones and finding a new (constantly changing) normal with those who are left. When I took half the kids (4 of them) for a 1,500km Camino four years ago I had no idea that would be the first step towards doing a solo Camin which I just completed a month ago. You never know what doors might be opening.
I found the bitter-sweetness fell more heavily on the sweet side.

 

[brambles]

@t2andre

In the end, you will make the decision that works best for you. But having a phone for emergencies and to coordinate with your group (even if only one) is a BIG convenience.

FYI, personally, I have a t-Mobile plan that allows unlimited access to my data and texting both at home, and when overseas with no extra charges. It simply connects automatically to a partner provider (Orange, Vodaphone, etc.) on landing at Madrid.

This is probably the best deal for someone coming from the US. I travel a lot, so being able to access my data and texting for free from anywhere in the world (150 countries) is a huge benefit.

However, voice calls are USD $3.00 PER MINUTE. So, the plan for 2019 is to get a separate SIM card from a Spanish provider to provide voice capability for pennies per minute. I have a new iPhone with deal SIM capability. We will see what happens...

Hope this helps.

It's as if you read my mind. Thank you for the phone info. I was just about to start looking into that!

 

[pgsilva]

My daughter and I are doing the same thing in February. She'll be 21 and taking the spring semester off. I'm glad your daughter is looking forward to it, as is my daughter. It's a wonderful opportunity and an experience I'm sure you'll both treasure the rest of your lives.

Buen Camino
Jerry

 

[Tay and I]

The Camino :Francis : A wonderful opportunity I have just completed in 41days thru sun and snow with my 12year old granddaughter . Some things we did
We sent our backpacks on daily with Jacko trans a matvalous transport service
We booked ahead daily by phone or booking dot com
We often opted ffor private hostels which was easier on my granddaughter . The routines in albergues , showers, washing clothes can be tight and inconsistent and although she was super organized we needed the privacy and comfort
My granddaughter was the star of the show . She never faltered in her determination .
We worked out a comfortable distance fir feet and stamina was about 20 kms a day .
She sang and chatted must of the way and took incredible photos of bird life and animals , insects etc as well as scenery . She played her music.
No blisters or feee problems

Some things to think about

The Camino is the Teacher - don’t have expectations , you will be disappointed . rRemember it’s a walk not a tramp . A journey not a goal .
Enjoy the cafes along the way
It gets very hot walking - merino gear is important for supporting hear control .
You can buy things you need unexpectedly along the way - pharmacy are prevalent and sports shops in bigger tiwns.
We encountered bed bugs . Check under your bunk / bed mattress even in the better looking hostels
There was a very nasty virus in several tiwns and hamlets which affected fellow walkers for three days . Drink bottled water . Wash hands well
The toilets in cafes were excellent
Take photos of the friends you met so you can remember them later . We started a WhatsApp contact with some people . Which was handy for a number of reasons including which route they took ( many alternative routes
In parts) and hazards rtc
We encountered snow in Focebatden and O Cebreiro - magicsl
We contacted Victor the horse man and rode horses up the hill for 12kms. Amazing and scary all at once
Walk and breathe - enjoy

 

[Alex*Quake]

we

One of the things I am actually looking forward to is having her leave her phone at home, but I can see where it might be a good idea to have one.

We are not doign smart phones with our 13 and 15 year olds, we are doing 2-way radios (Walkie-Talkies with a 10km radius) which we will train them to use both the channel for communicating with us and the local emergency services channel (and yes I have checked that this is ok to do within Spain)

We are also walking with our teens in 2019 to try and bond with them after a rather difficult 2 years and having them connected to electronics is the last thing we want!

 

[David Tallan]

Hello Everyone,

I am planning to walk the Camino Frances with my daughter to begin the day after she graduates from 8th grade (June 19th) starting in Saint Jean. I would like this to be a bonding experience for us as she and I have a somewhat strained relationship and would also like to have a shared experience with her before she starts high school. Some German friends are warning me of how crowded and difficult it will be to secure beds during this period and I am worried that this trip will turn into a stressful situation and only lead to more conflict between us. Due to the school holiday, this is the only time of the year we would be able to go. Also, my son and husband might join us early July for a week and I am concerned this might make securing beds even more difficult. Will it be possible to anticipate the distance we plan to cover a day or two in advance and call for reservations especially as we get closer to Santiago? Also, I have read a few posts about walking with teenagers, but if anyone has additional advice to add, it would be welcome. We completed a four day Inca trail and other hikes in Peru that she enjoyed last summer to give you some idea of her level of persistence. Thank you everyone.

I walked with my 15 year old son in July and August 2016 (he was held in school a little longer). I think others are right that her desire to do the Camino is key.

We booked the first couple of nights and then didn't book any more until we were in Galicia. My son really didn't like the heat, so we were getting up quite early so as to avoid as much as possible walking in the hottest part of the day. Had he been more interested in sleeping later than avoiding walking in the heat, who knows, maybe we would have had more difficulty getting beds. As it was, it wasn't really a problem until about the last 100 km. That was when I started reserving a day or two in advance, after one day when the first three albergues I tried were full up with reservations. (We ended up staying in private albergues in Galicia after O Cebreiro. My son really likes some privacy when he showers.) Maybe we wouldn't have needed reservations, but I made them anyways. After walking over 600 km, we had a pretty good sense of how far we tend to walk in a day.

 

[jungleboy]

That was when I started cooking a day or two in advance.

I hope your meals held up well in your pack!

 

[David Tallan]

One of the things I am actually looking forward to is having her leave her phone at home, but I can see where it might be a good idea to have one.

I made sure we both had phone with Spanish SIM cards. And it was handy if we got separated. The plan was that we could each walk at our own pace, but if we got separated, who ever got first to the next village would wait there. I also made sure he had enough money to buy himself something while he was waiting.

He really missed his friends at home and good wifi and the opportunity to connect with them was very important to him at the time. In hindsight, he says he wishes he had spent less time connecting with them and more time connecting with the pilgrims around him at the albergue. But hindsight is 20/20 and I was trying to respect his decisions on the Camino, whether or not they agreed with my advice. Something he now knows for his next Camino.

So consider whether you want to provide a smart phone or not. It has its advantages and disadvantages.

 

[David Tallan]

I hope your meals held up well in your pack!

Corrected. I don't know where that came from!

 

[Tay and I]

we

We are not doign smart phones with our 13 and 15 year olds, we are doing 2-way radios (Walkie-Talkies with a 10km radius) which we will train them to use both the channel for communicating with us and the local emergency services channel (and yes I have checked that this is ok to do within Spain)

We are also walking with our teens in 2019 to try and bond with them after a rather difficult 2 years and having them connected to electronics is the last thing we want!

 

[Tay and I]

My opinion is that smart phones would be best for a number of reasons . They are reliable and chargeable at cafes or with solar powered battery pack . Photographs are easily taken which is the treasure of the journey and photography is a great interest to pursue The WiFi services are generally excellent . WhatsApp is an easy message service for example and you can keep impressions of the walk through email contact to loved ones and friends . Smart phones are small to carry easily in a pocket .

The Information Aps about the Camino journey route and Historic surroundings - church’s etc are valuable as are accommodation decisions which are all important joint discussions to have along the way.

You will find that the journey itself will be enough to modify re appraise “ device use” with teenagers. There does not need to be a ban . In fact I urge you not to do this . Think of positive inclusive ways to use the techimolgy rather than dismiss it .
.