Quick Camino

[MaryMuller]

We are planning on a September 2024 first time Camino. We would like to start at St Jean and walk for 4 to 5 days. We would know we are unable to walk the entire Camino due to time constraints but would like to see Santiago. Any suggestions on how to tackle our limited time?

 

[Tincatinker]

You could maybe forget about starting in France and instead walk Sarria to Santiago. A comfortable 4-5 day walk. Or you could walk St Jean to Pamplona in 4 days and spend at least another day trying to get to Santiago by public transport.

If you think you’ll be back to do some more walk to Pamplona and spend an enjoyable day in a great city planning the next bit. Santiago isn’t going anywhere. It’ll be there when you get there

 

[KDub]

If it was me I would use those 4-5 days to walk from Astorga. I liked that section a lot.

 

[J Willhaus]

An entire Camino is relative. You can start closer to Santiago and it is an entire Camino. Maybe consider the Ingles or one with a shorter walking distance.

 

[woody66]

Five days on the Ingles from Ferrol about 22km per day and finish in Santiago; you also qualify for a Compostela!
Link to (Gronze in Spanish but Google translates to Engish)

Camino Inglés | Camino de Santiago | Gronze.com

El Camino Inglés corresponde a la ruta de peregrinación utilizada en la Edad Media por devotos ingleses, irlandeses y de otros países del norte de Europa, que llegaban en barco al puerto de A Coruña y, en menor medida, a otros situados en las rías de Ferrol, Ares y Betanzos. Hoy, tras la...

www.gronze.com

 

[David Tallan]

We are planning on a September 2024 first time Camino. We would like to start at St Jean and walk for 4 to 5 days. We would know we are unable to walk the entire Camino due to time constraints but would like to see Santiago. Any suggestions on how to tackle our limited time?

I would advise walking to Pamplona and take transportation from Pamplona to Santiago. Get your credencial stamped in Pamplona and keep it. Then, if you decide to do more Camino in another year you can start again in Pamplona and get it stamped there again. If you keep doing this all the way to Santiago, you will have walked the complete Camino from SJPP to Santiago and can get a Compostela and distance certificate for the whole thing, if you wish.

 

[henrythedog]

Honestly, forget it and start again.

Pick your favourite. To do both would involve more time on planes and trains than on foot.

Start in St Jean. Why? The Spanish would say that Roncesvalles is where the Camino Frances starts. Both are totally arbitrary points.

See Santiago? Why? It’s a nice enough city,
but there are many more in Spain.

If you want, or know what is, a compostela, you could walk the Camino Ingles or the Frances from Sarria or the Portuguese from Tui. All of these are continuous walks and not edited highlights, no matter what your time constraint.

 

[MaryMuller]

We have decided ro start in Sarria. What is the nest was to get there from Madrid?

 

[J Willhaus]

You can take a train from Madrid or you can fly to Santiago from Madrid and then take the bus to Sarria.

Direct train once a day from the Chamartin Station.

In December, my students and I flew on the 7:30 Iberia flight and then caught a bus (Monbus) directly from the airport to Sarria.

 

[MaryMuller]

You can take a train from Madrid or you can fly to Santiago from Madrid and then take the bus to Sarria.

Direct train once a day from the Chamartin Station.

In December, my students and I flew on the 7:30 Iberia flight and then caught a bus (Monbus) directly from the airport to Sarria.

Thank you. We will be taking the train.

 

[MaryMuller]

I would advise walking to Pamplona and take transportation from Pamplona to Santiago. Get your credencial stamped in Pamplona and keep it. Then, if you decide to do more Camino in another year you can start again in Pamplona and get it stamped there again. If you keep doing this all the way to Santiago, you will have walked the complete Camino from SJPP to Santiago and can get a Compostela and distance certificate for the whole thing, if you wish.

We decided to start in Sarria for the first time.

 

[David Tallan]

We decided to start in Sarria for the first time.

That's fine. My advice was based in the first sentence of your original question which said you wanted to start in St. Jean.