Porto -> Santiago in March with stroller/cart (croozer)

[peter_panda]

Good morning,

I have found plenty of information here but am looking for a little bit more detail - hopefully you can contribute with your experiences.

We booked our flights to Porto for the 19th March and will fly from Santiago to Barcelona on the 31st March. My wife and I are 30 years old and our son will be 16 months then.

Questions:

1) Assuming that we start the day following arrival we would have not spend too much time in Porto (only the afternoon) but 11 full days from Porto to Santiago. Would you rather suggest spending one more day in Porto and then, if we are not able to make within 10 days, take a bus or whatever if we are running out of time to get our flight from Santiago?

2) We intend to take our croozer (https://de.croozer.com) with us - I am really struggling to get information on the path/surface and possible obstacles where we would have to carry if we can't push. Is the route possible? If no, is it not possible in general or only in certain situations?

If there are few places (e.g. crossing bridges or so) then we'll need to plan accordingly that the croozer will need to be folded.

Looking forward to your responses.

 

[Camembert]

Welcome on the forum
Did you decide which caminho you are going to walk ?
The caminho Português Central or the caminho Português pela Costa the coastal one.?
It is a big difference .
The Central has some hills. The coastal is fairly flat.
11 days is a bit of puzzling if you walk the central route.
From Ponte de Lima to Rubiães is a mountain, o Alto da Portela Grande, about 420 meters high but the path partly is an off road one withbsome climbing so it will take some time. Furthermore there are not many difficulties.

 

[peter_panda]

Hi, thanks for the response.

The plan is to go from Porto to Vila do Condo and then via Rates direction (Barcelos, Ponte de Lima)...so only at beginning the coastal part and then the traditional route.

 

[MJG]

Exciting. I have some questions about this route with kids, but ours will be 10 years old (twins). This will be my first, and their first, camino; their dad has done the Camino Frances in the past.
(1) which of the two Porto-Santiago routes in this thread has the better infrastructure for a walk with 10 year olds, in terms of accommodation? we are quite flexible but probably will want to walk no more than 15 km per day if flat, maybe less if hilly?
(2) can someone speak to the weather conditions for the Camino Portugese in March and April? I understand that it is likely to be colder and wetter than usual, but am uncertain about this.

Many thanks.

 

[Aurigny]

I walked this entire route last week. There were many stretches where navigating the trail with a vehicle like this would have been extremely problematical. It's not just a matter of steep or rough terrain, but of mud and standing water. I found plenty of both in late January, and my guess -- though I'll defer to others who have done it then -- is that the footing won't be so very different in March or even April. Then there are some stretches of road, between Vila de Conde and Sao Pedro de Rates, where you have to share the highway with a lot of traffic, driving much too fast. I found it hazardous even as a lone pedestrian.

My general impression is that it would be very difficult.

 

[Camembert]

Hi, thanks for the response.

The plan is to go from Porto to Vila do Condo and then via Rates direction (Barcelos, Ponte de Lima)...so only at beginning the coastal part and then the traditional route.

11 days that will be about 25 kms a day as an average.
Porto to Vila do Conde 30 kms
VdC to Barcelos 30 kms
Barcelos to Ponte de Lima 33 km
PdL to Rubiães 20 km- Alto da Portela Grande Mountain !
Rubiães to Valença do Minho or Tui 20 or 24 kms
Valença to o Porriño. 20 kms
Porriño to Redondela 20 kms
Redondela to Pontevedra 20 kms
Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis 20 kms
Caldas de Reis to Padrón 20 kms
Padrón to Santiago 24 kms

It is a rough plan and kms indication are approximate

The bottleneck is Pdl to Rubiães
The rest there are alternatives possible e.g the not to be missed privat albergue Casa da Fernanda 18 kms past Barcelos and 14 kms from Ponte de Lima. In Vitorino dos Piães. This will change your schedule significantly but worth to stay there .the best experience of the caminho and even with your child they can arrange a privat room for three.

Bom caminho

 

[peter_panda]

Thanks for the responses.

I have thought a little bit about it and would like to share that with you:

1) We'll spend one full day in Porto to enjoy it - also to recover from the flight etc. Therefore, we'll actually start leaving Porto on the Tuesday.

2) However, I think we'll rather do a "transfer day" in between the route than stressing too much. Therefore, my "planned" schedule looks as follows:

Tuesday, 21.03.2017 - Porto -> Vila do Conde (30km)
Wednesday, 22.03.2017 - VdC -> Barcelos (30km)
Thursday, 23.03.2017 - Barcelos -> Vitorino dos Piaes (18 km)
Friday, 24.03.2017 - VdP - Valencia do Minho ( 54km, Bus, Taxi?), walk to Porinno (20km)
Saturday, 25.03.2017 - Porrino -> Redondela (20km)
Sunday, 26.03.2016 - Redondela -> Pontevedra (20km)
Monday, 27.03.2016 - Pontevedra -> Caldas de Reis (20km)
Tuesday, 28.03.2016 - Caldas de Reis -> Patron (20km)
Wednesday, 29.03.2016 - Padron -> Santiago (24km)
Thursday: EXTRA DAY
Friday, 31.03.2017 - Santiago -> Barcelona

With above, we a) avoid the mountain, b) save 2,5 days with the transfer (what do you recommend?) and c) still have one extra day (stay somewhere for another day to recover, be slower, whatever).

What do you think of above? Is this good with the stroller/cart and possible?
Regarding the alternative routes - how do you exactly mean? If it is bad weather then (too much mud) then how do we deal with it?

 

[Emer81]

Hi Peter, did you do the trip last year and if so ant advice? I am looking at Porto to Santiago with a buggy in May. I will be solo with 19 mth old. Don't mind bussing a day or two if the path is tricky. Many thanks

 

[Camembert]

Thanks for the responses.

I have thought a little bit about it and would like to share that with you:

1) We'll spend one full day in Porto to enjoy it - also to recover from the flight etc. Therefore, we'll actually start leaving Porto on the Tuesday.

2) However, I think we'll rather do a "transfer day" in between the route than stressing too much. Therefore, my "planned" schedule looks as follows:

Tuesday, 21.03.2017 - Porto -> Vila do Conde (30km)
Wednesday, 22.03.2017 - VdC -> Barcelos (30km)
Thursday, 23.03.2017 - Barcelos -> Vitorino dos Piaes (18 km)
Friday, 24.03.2017 - VdP - Valencia do Minho ( 54km, Bus, Taxi?), walk to Porinno (20km)
Saturday, 25.03.2017 - Porrino -> Redondela (20km)
Sunday, 26.03.2016 - Redondela -> Pontevedra (20km)
Monday, 27.03.2016 - Pontevedra -> Caldas de Reis (20km)
Tuesday, 28.03.2016 - Caldas de Reis -> Patron (20km)
Wednesday, 29.03.2016 - Padron -> Santiago (24km)
Thursday: EXTRA DAY
Friday, 31.03.2017 - Santiago -> Barcelona

With above, we a) avoid the mountain, b) save 2,5 days with the transfer (what do you recommend?) and c) still have one extra day (stay somewhere for another day to recover, be slower, whatever).

What do you think of above? Is this good with the stroller/cart and possible?
Regarding the alternative routes - how do you exactly mean? If it is bad weather then (too much mud) then how do we deal with it?

You could walk back from Casa da Fernanda in Vitorino dos Piães to Balugães and take the Bus to Viana do Castelo and from there take the train to Valença do Minho Nice trip along the coast and the Minho river

Or from Fernanda a taxi to Tamel or Barosellas (is not the same as Barcelos!!!) where you can take the same train.