Plenty of guide books but do I need a good map?

[Darren John]

Hi everyone!

I have brought myself many guide books for my upcoming france camino this August but was wondering if should buy a good map for Northern Spain? I know the way is well marked but should I buy a good map just incase?

Any help would be much appreciated

 

[Deleted member 3000]

No, a map is not necessary. Buen camino.

 

[wayfarer]

You dont need a map but there are good maps in the Michelin Guide to the Camino de Santiago.

 

[mspath]

Don't forget Google maps on your smartphone! Whatever method you use it is always a good idea the night before to familiarize yourself with the names of the places you should pass through walking the next day.

 

[MTtoCamino]

You will become an arrow/shell expert! My most difficult thing to do was keep a journal. & read about what lay ahead the next day, I didn't want to know I just like being supprised.

 

[Anamya]

Read them all, but carry just one guide on your backpack. And certainly there's no need for a map.

In case of doubt, ask around. People there are friendly and will indicate where to go!
If my childish Spanish is not too rusty, it sounds like: "Disculpe, dónde está el Camino de Santiago?" ("Excuse me, where is the Camino de Santiago?").

 

[november_moon]

I agree - no map is necessary, just follow the arrows. Being somewhat familiar with the route for the day is good though, so I like to have a guidebook.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Just follow the line of people in front of you, you'll be just fine. Now, if you like to learn about a country, see where you are on a map in relation to its environment, then by all means, go for it. I have a really neat little Camino map I got at the Cathedral I think. Oops, it was Editorial Everest, but they seem to have gone bankrupt... Brierly gives you sketches of where you will walk, but no context to it. Oh no, time to be kinder to my map, it was 3 Euros well spent.

 

[annakappa]

Definately, no map is necesary! I remember a while after having completed our first Camino, I realized that we had walked across Northern Spain without neither map nor guidebook! It's perfectly well marked. ( I did, however, have a list of towns and villages, so that we knew which ones we should go through the next day).

 

[scruffy1]

The only difficult parts are in cities, where after several days in nature, hamlets and villages, the pilgrim often becomes a rubbernecking tourist gawking at traffic, interesting buildings, store windows, and people who don't look like ragpickers with a backpack. In town it is very easy to miss a turn or to wander off in the wrong direction-take care. You will also hear stories of those who rise before dawn and rush off and out on the Camino, miss an arrow, and finish the day with an extra 5-10 kilometers. Do know which general direction you should be going and check the direction other people are progressing or look for reassuring signs, arrows, and shells. Many of our Teutonic brethren and indeed the French are intrigued by topography; they may carry maps showing the elevation of every kilometer and can go quite bonkers about unforeseen rises or descents. Maps are fun but not needed.

 

[Bradypus]

You are very unlikely to lose your way for long on the Camino Frances. I do like to know what lies just beyond those hills or forests though. I also like to have street maps when exploring the larger towns I visit. If you carry a smartphone or tablet I would recommend an app which will display Open Street Maps and Open Cycle Maps. Open Cycle Maps is excellent because it will display very detailed topographic maps - handy for visualising your route. There is a free app with the unlikely name of "Soviet Military Maps" which allows you to switch very quickly between maps from Google, Bing, Open Street Map and Open Cycle Map as well as very out-of-date Russian cartography!

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

Hi everyone!

I have brought myself many guide books for my upcoming france camino this August but was wondering if should buy a good map for Northern Spain? I know the way is well marked but should I buy a good map just incase?

Any help would be much appreciated

Hi Darren , you don"t need a map . Just a guide book will do , it's good to know what you can expect the next day .
Wish you a Buen Camino ,Peter .

 

[annakappa]

Street maps of larger towns can be had, free of charge at the local tourist office.

 

[MartinZ]

You definitely don't need a map to find your way!
I don't find the weight of a full-fledged guidebook worth carrying, there are plenty to go around of them on the camino.
Unless you want to take every step while reading/following a map or guidebook, chances are you will take a wrong turn somewhere and have to walk back for 20minutes or so.
That's part of the camino and when it happens it happens.

That being said....
I wouldn't like to leave without my trusted "pili pala press"-map.
It's nice to be able to see how far the next town is if you're in doubt of stopping or continuing, or to see what facilities are available in that town (bar's, restaurants, drug-stores, ATM's, etc)
An ultra-minimal guidebook i would call it. Just the bare basics.

They don't make or sell them any more but a book store or Ebay may help out

 

[jefferyonthecamino]

The maps in the guidebooks are usually good enough to give you an idea of the distance you're walking and where you are. You probably do not need anything else.