Planning my first Camino from Tui to Santiago

[Anne Doran]

I am planning my first Camino and I've a few questions. I know I'll have more as the time goes on. I live in Ireland. I'm wondering would it be easier to book with a travel agent our trip or is it cheaper to book it ourselves? Has anyone heard of http://caminotravelcenter.com/. Are they trustworthy? I will be travelling with my sister. I'm 34 and she is 38. We are planning for April time (around Easter). Would this be a good time of the year? I have just bought a travel book about the Camino Portugues. Any advise will be welcome.

Thanks
Anne

 

[mspath]

Hello Anne,

Welcome to the Forum!

You will find much helpful information here as you plan your Camino. Past pilgrims who are Forum members are always eager to share their experiences and advice.

Be sure to read the various threads within this Topic regarding what earlier pilgrims have written on the Portugese route. Lots of varied advice and tips and can found in the Equipment topic also.

In December 2011 after finishing the Camino Frances I continued to Finisterre, per usual, and then walked to the Portuguese border at Tui/Valenca de Minho. The weather was cold and very WET. The Galician albergues were great and generally well heated; often I was the only pilgrim. I particularly enjoyed walking across the river Minho from Tui on the 19th century bridge designed by Eiffel of tower fame to Valenca de Minho and its Vauban fortress.

Personally I do not think that you need a travel agent for your journey; all you need to do is get to the beginning of your trail (Tui?) and walk.

Perhaps these other web sites will help with your planning.
http://camino.xacobeo.es/en/routes/portuguese-way
http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es./lo ... portugues/


Bom Caminho and Buen Camino,

Margaret Meredith
http://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/forums/equipment-questions.30/

 

[sergeantmajormammy]

I don't know anything about the company you named but I used 'Camino Ways' for what we needed and they gave us excellent service.

We walked 5 days last Easter (almost a month earlier than Easter 2014) - spring weather on the Camino Frances had been incredibly bad. We had rain, snow and sun.

 

[Camembert]

I am planning my first Camino and I've a few questions. I know I'll have more as the time goes on. I live in Ireland. I'm wondering would it be easier to book with a travel agent our trip or is it cheaper to book it ourselves? Has anyone heard of http://caminotravelcenter.com/. Are they trustworthy? I will be travelling with my sister. I'm 34 and she is 38. We are planning for April time (around Easter). Would this be a good time of the year? I have just bought a travel book about the Camino Portugues. Any advise will be welcome.

Thanks
Anne

We arranged everything by ourselves.
We booked our flight directly at the airliners website, booked our stay in Lisbon by Airbnb (via a smartphone app) and the first night during our walk via the website of poussada de juventud in Moscavide. All the rest we booked during the day we walked using our smartphone and a list of all gathered information from f.ex this forum. Or randomly looked what was available. At a certain time you'll experience that there allways will be a place for you somewhere.
So we had a good time organising in advance and arriving there we had a kind of deja vue feeling.it looked like we had been before there.
It is easy to say of course. We are pensionados and had all the time of the world to research and organise. We even booked our flight back home just a few days before arriving in Santiago . And the biggest advantage was we found the nice places to be like casa Diocesana in Albergaría , the college in Cernache or casa da Fernanda in Vitorino de Piaes And not to forget the albergues and in our case one time sleeping at the firebrigade's, the bombeiros volintarios. No commercial booking office books you ever there . These places were our highlites and unforgatable.
Your question ..is it cheaper ? .... I can't say. The whole journey costed us an average of about 60 € for us both a day including a bed, breakfast menu del dia in the afternoon. The costs of living in Portugal are far cheaper than in Galicia. So my figuere is an average. Some days were cheaper, some were more expensive.
We did not count the money so specificly. We enjoyed the time being there. After all journeys all over the world in luxery this caminho Portuges was our best ever. The advantage above all was (after visiting the big shopping mall in Moscavide you have to carry all you buy in your bagpack... ;-) ) that you think twice before you buy something !

About walking in april. We walked in May and part of june all away from Lisbon and we were happy we took our fleecevests with us because this year it was rather chilly .so expect it also in april. Be prepared for the worst I should say and cope with that.

Did you buy John Brierley's Caminho Portuges guide ? Great to use !

Bom caminho .

 

[stevenjarvis]

Hi Anne, welcome aboard.
I don't think you NEED a travel agent, but it is YOUR CAMINHO , so do what you want !
Having said that, Ryan Air fly to Santiago de Compostela from Stansted , other airlines are available.

From Santiago de Compostela Airport you can easily get a bus to Vigo and change there for another to Tui. There is a great rail service from Santiago de Compostela to Vigo (and beyond of course ! )
The route is relatively gentle with only a few moderate climbs. A few short road sections/crossings that you need to take care with, and the usual rough with the smooth of any long distance walk
I've done it twice and would do it again and again and AGAIN if I could ! The first time I used albergues and the second private accommodation .
There is plenty of information all over this forum and there is a CP dedicated bit here http://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/forums/camino-portugues.13/

In addition to the information here you may want to take a look at and possibly join The Confraternity of Saint James http://www.csj.org.uk/

How wonderful for you both to be planning this for next spring now , as the leaves fall.

Bom Caminho

Edit ! Almost forgot, wonderful scenery, towns villages , people and pilgrims !

 

[MaryFrancesElizabeth]

I am planning my first Camino and I've a few questions. I know I'll have more as the time goes on. I live in Ireland. I'm wondering would it be easier to book with a travel agent our trip or is it cheaper to book it ourselves? Has anyone heard of http://caminotravelcenter.com/. Are they trustworthy? I will be travelling with my sister. I'm 34 and she is 38. We are planning for April time (around Easter). Would this be a good time of the year? I have just bought a travel book about the Camino Portugues. Any advise will be welcome.

Thanks
Anne

Hi girls, we are from Midlands of Ireland. Did Camino Frances 2012 Sept., for 5 days. Investigated travel agent trips and did Camino Frances for a third of the price, organised easily by ourselves. Got Ryanair flights,Bus to start,brought a small bag,with all we needed for one week ,(thats all the time we had would have liked more) had the bag sent ahead for 3 euro per day,stayed in Pensions for 21euro per night, It cost about €250. Breakfasts were 5 euro,bought lunch in Supermarkets and ate on the way, and had a meal each evening for no more than 12.50 ever. That may not be the sort of pilgrimage you want,I just want to advise that its easily organised, you don't need a Travel Agent. Ivar has a brilliant guide to the Camino to download for very littel,also alist of either Pensions, or Hostels (at about 8 to 10euro large dormitories). Aer Lingus flights are better from Ireland(cheaper in long run) as they are direct to Santiago, we had to fly to Stansted,and then on to Santiago,we were charged sterling exchange rate for the flight from Stansted to Santiago which we didn't envisage. Enjoy your Camino whatever route you decide. M and B.

 

[Diogo92]

First of all, wercome to the Forum

About your question, let me tell you first of all, that you still have plentiful of time (at least 6 months, if we don’t’ count with some days from the month of April). If you are a organized person, you will manage to arrange anything.

But has @stevenjarvis told, it’s your Caminho, so it’s you that choose how you will plan things.

Now really about your question. I work in Tourism, and I think that you shouldn’t use a Travel Agent to plan any part of your trip, because you can do it for yourself, on a very cheap way! You have a lot of websites where you can pick up a flight (like eDreams for example). For example, you’ve said that you live in Ireland. Ryanair fly’s from Ireland to Oporto.

From Oporto it’s very easy for you to reach Tuy by bus (search online for Internorte Bus Company). Or, you can start in Valença (which is connected with Porto by Bus and by Train) and pass the boarder to Spain and to Tuy (it’s only a 4 or 5km extra).

April it’s a very good season to do the Portuguese Caminho, because you won’t’ caught heat or extreme cold. You might caught rain, but hey, it’s Nothern Portugal/Galiza, it even rains in summer

If you need something here in Portugal, you can always mail Via Lusitana. They are a Portuguese association to the Caminho de Santiago. You can find their email on their website.

You can also mail me to metalmelitia666@gmail.com

Best Regards
Diogo

 

[hecate105]

I cycled this route in April and it was boiling hot most of the time with a few half days of torrential rain. Gorgeous scenery and friendly people, great albergues, good food and wine...
Book it yourself - air, train or bus - it will be far cheaper, as someone else said - all you got to do is get there- and start walking...

 

[Me Fein]

Hi Anne
The Irish Society of the friends of St James have information days on the Camino usually in March. I attended one in Cork this year and got great information. I walked the Camino Frances last year and the Portugese this year. I made all my own arrangements and had no problems. But 3 years ago I did go with for a week on an organised trip with Barters in Cork,which I enjoyed very much. Which ever way you go enjoy every minute of it.
Bom Caminho
Maura