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I realise this is asking how long is a piece of string however...given that it looks like I need to book a return ticket here goes... a realistic date for the return
I'm a small ( short steps!) moderately fit 67 year old female. Arrive in Paris 19th and then start 23 September from sjpdp staying over at Orisson. Want to take my time...40 days maybe to Santiago....day or two there then on to Finis Terre...3-4 days walk then two or three days there resting. Bus back to Santiago and fly to Paris. Another hree or four days in Paris before flying back to New Zealand. I'm travelling alone. This allows departure flight about 52 days after I start walking and about 60 days from home. Is this likely to be realistic or am I over estimating times and will be paying for too much expensive accommodation or penalties to change my flights. Help appreciated. I WILL "wing" things on the walk but this side requires potentially expensive decisions.
I think the 60 days from home should suit you fine. If things get a wee bit tight while you are walking, and they probably won't, you can always just take a couple of days less in Paris on the way home. After all, you will be there a couple of days at the beginning anyway.I realise this is asking how long is a piece of string however...given that it looks like I need to book a return ticket here goes... a realistic date for the return
I'm a small ( short steps!) moderately fit 67 year old female. Arrive in Paris 19th and then start 23 September from sjpdp staying over at Orisson. Want to take my time...40 days maybe to Santiago....day or two there then on to Finis Terre...3-4 days walk then two or three days there resting. Bus back to Santiago and fly to Paris. Another hree or four days in Paris before flying back to New Zealand. I'm travelling alone. This allows departure flight about 52 days after I start walking and about 60 days from home. Is this likely to be realistic or am I over estimating times and will be paying for too much expensive accommodation or penalties to change my flights. Help appreciated. I WILL "wing" things on the walk but this side requires potentially expensive decisions.
n.I realise this is asking how long is a piece of string however...given that it looks like I need to book a return ticket here goes... a realistic date for the return
I'm a small ( short steps!) moderately fit 67 year old female. Arrive in Paris 19th and then start 23 September from sjpdp staying over at Orisson. Want to take my time...40 days maybe to Santiago....day or two there then on to Finis Terre...3-4 days walk then two or three days there resting. Bus back to Santiago and fly to Paris. Another hree or four days in Paris before flying back to New Zealand. I'm travelling alone. This allows departure flight about 52 days after I start walking and about 60 days from home. Is this likely to be realistic or am I over estimating times and will be paying for too much expensive accommodation or penalties to change my flights. Help appreciated. I WILL "wing" things on the walk but this side requires potentially expensive decisions.
Great idea. Maybe in another life says my husband - or over my dead body! Thats a thoughtIf you can - Why don't take your whole 90 days visa allowance? 40 days to Santiago, enjoy a week there and then enjoy another part of Europe that interests you. Enjoy your freedom and make the most out of it! Buen Camino, SY
I'm feeling pretty reassured and excited - thank youAs a similarly moderately fit late-60's woman, I think your plan is very reasonable. I took 42 days to walk SJPP to Santiago; I could have done it a day or two faster without difficulty but I think it was the perfect time to plan.
The 3-4 days planned for Finisterre could be your buffer time (i.e. if you get sick or injured) for the Camino Frances. So you could reduce the plan by 3-4 days as long as you are not adamant about walking on to Finisterre. Having said that, I still think your suggested plan is very good and not excessive.
Hola Me parece estupendo su plan. Estoy seguro lo disfrutará, Buen Camino!I realise this is asking how long is a piece of string however...given that it looks like I need to book a return ticket here goes... a realistic date for the return
I'm a small ( short steps!) moderately fit 67 year old female. Arrive in Paris 19th and then start 23 September from sjpdp staying over at Orisson. Want to take my time...40 days maybe to Santiago....day or two there then on to Finis Terre...3-4 days walk then two or three days there resting. Bus back to Santiago and fly to Paris. Another hree or four days in Paris before flying back to New Zealand. I'm travelling alone. This allows departure flight about 52 days after I start walking and about 60 days from home. Is this likely to be realistic or am I over estimating times and will be paying for too much expensive accommodation or penalties to change my flights. Help appreciated. I WILL "wing" things on the walk but this side requires potentially expensive decisions.
This is just a suggestion but I'd be adding a couple of extra days to the walk or spending more time in Santiago or catching a bus to maybe Porto or somewhere else for a few days rather than spending any extra time in Finisterre. If you are starting from SJPdP on 23 September and taking 40 days then you will get to Santiago on 1 November. We arrived in Santiago on 30 October. In November some of the albergues between Santiago and Finisterre close for the season so the distances between stops were quite long, there were very few pilgrims walking at that time of year and combined with some bad weather it was jolly hard going. And Finisterre was very much in off season mode. The view from the lighthouse was mist. I was glad to leave the place but this is just my experience and I'm sure others have very different opinions.
PS One of the reasons we aimed to be in Santiago for All Saints Day was because the word along the Way was that the botafumerio was going to swing and it did!
Buen camino
In 2015, my friend and I - small, short stepping ladies- of which I was the youngest at 68, walked from St. Jean to Santiago in 40 days. We had 3 or 4 rest/medical days and averaged 10 - 15 miles per day. Our schedule prevented us from walking on to Finisterre, but your schedule seems to have the time. I think I would add in an extra day or two so you won't feel stressed to meet a deadline and you can adjust plans according to what is happening. And there is plenty to enjoy in Paris and environs. Go with 60 days. Been camino.I realise this is asking how long is a piece of string however...given that it looks like I need to book a return ticket here goes... a realistic date for the return
I'm a small ( short steps!) moderately fit 67 year old female. Arrive in Paris 19th and then start 23 September from sjpdp staying over at Orisson. Want to take my time...40 days maybe to Santiago....day or two there then on to Finis Terre...3-4 days walk then two or three days there resting. Bus back to Santiago and fly to Paris. Another hree or four days in Paris before flying back to New Zealand. I'm travelling alone. This allows departure flight about 52 days after I start walking and about 60 days from home. Is this likely to be realistic or am I over estimating times and will be paying for too much expensive accommodation or penalties to change my flights. Help appreciated. I WILL "wing" things on the walk but this side requires potentially expensive decisions.
I realise this is asking how long is a piece of string however...given that it looks like I need to book a return ticket here goes... a realistic date for the return
I'm a small ( short steps!) moderately fit 67 year old female. Arrive in Paris 19th and then start 23 September from sjpdp staying over at Orisson. Want to take my time...40 days maybe to Santiago....day or two there then on to Finis Terre...3-4 days walk then two or three days there resting. Bus back to Santiago and fly to Paris. Another hree or four days in Paris before flying back to New Zealand. I'm travelling alone. This allows departure flight about 52 days after I start walking and about 60 days from home. Is this likely to be realistic or am I over estimating times and will be paying for too much expensive accommodation or penalties to change my flights. Help appreciated. I WILL "wing" things on the walk but this side requires potentially expensive decisions.
I realise this is asking how long is a piece of string however...given that it looks like I need to book a return ticket here goes... a realistic date for the return
I'm a small ( short steps!) moderately fit 67 year old female. Arrive in Paris 19th and then start 23 September from sjpdp staying over at Orisson. Want to take my time...40 days maybe to Santiago....day or two there then on to Finis Terre...3-4 days walk then two or three days there resting. Bus back to Santiago and fly to Paris. Another hree or four days in Paris before flying back to New Zealand. I'm travelling alone. This allows departure flight about 52 days after I start walking and about 60 days from home. Is this likely to be realistic or am I over estimating times and will be paying for too much expensive accommodation or penalties to change my flights. Help appreciated. I WILL "wing" things on the walk but this side requires potentially expensive decisions.
I'm very excited for you! I'm 60 years old and reasonably fit. As for my first (and so far, only) Camino...last April 20th I departed from SJPdP. I did have a return flight booked, but had given myself extra time (2 months). I ended up having 44 walking days plus 7 non-walking (rest) days mixed in there. Don't forget to build in rest days! One of my rest days was in Leon (amazing city...totally wanted to explore), and one in Ponferrada (I was sick...so good to know a day off wouldn't kill my "schedule"). I recommend a rest day in Burgos too (I'd been before, so didn't need to stop this time). The other 5 rest days were volunteering at an albergue that was being run by a friend of mine. I was working (cleaning, checking in pilgrims, etc.)...but it still was a break from walking. Plus, I wouldn't give up that experience of being on the other side of the welcoming table for anything. I arrived in Santiago 5 days before my flight was due to depart. I thought I wouldn't want to just hang around, but aside from a 1/2 day (van...yeah!) trip to Finisterre/Muxia, I can't tell you how much those days decompressing in Santiago meant to me. I read a lot, lazily explored the museums/cathedral, hung out at Pilgrim House (https://pilgrimhousesantiago.com/), drank a lot of coffee/wine and chatted with so many pilgrims. This time was really valuable to me. I got to revel in my accomplishment...sharing the experience with others like me. I didn't have to face the "real" world right away...either at home or as a tourist. It really was fantastic.
Thank you for the advice and encouragement. Since you left from SJPDP at the same time I intend to, could you advise me on clothing? Just how cold is it likely to be? Will heat be still a factor in the early days? I don't want to carry too much gear.
Thanks
Hi..............theres a lot of good advice in all the above. I actually set out from St Jean Pied De Port 23rd September 2016 0n my first Camino. Staying over in Orisson on your first night out of SJPDP is a great call, this sets you up perfectly for the onward climb to Roncesvalles. Your schedule as you have outlined looks well planned and allows flexibility. I would always say look after the feet and in the early days, take time out to remove boots and socks at regular intervals, this will serve you very well as your journey progresses. I was 71 at the time and pushed on to complete SJPDP to Santiago in 28 days. You will develop your own walking rhythm and you will get stronger as you progress. I didn't take any rest days and I didn't have a return date. I arrived in Santiago and booked a flight back to the UK hours after arrival. Your description and schedule indicates you have done your research and I would think it will work out perfectly. Prior to completing the Camino Francais I had never stayed in a hostel/albergue and I had never carried a backpack. The whole experience was well worthwhile and I will complete Camino Niorte September/October 2018
Good luck. Buen Camino
You probably flew past me and my wife on the 24th ...lol It took us 44 days dealing with sickness and broken bone in wife's foot early on, but we made it. Greatest lifetime experience ever besides our children. Back in September 2017 for Camino del Norte'
Buen Camino !
I would have set out from Orisson refuge 24th September at arounf 7:0 am striking out for Roncesvalles. Sorry to learn of illness and your wifes injured foot. Completing in 44 days represents a magnificent effort and walking the Camino together must represent a magical shared experience. you are ahead of me in scheduling a return to the Camino Del Norte in 2017. I will be a year behind you. Having done Camino Frances I guess will be a big help in practical terms and an inspiration in so many other aspect Good luck and Buen Camino.................Peter
Thank You Peter! I was supposed to take her on a cruise for our 46th wedding anniversary(2016), you can imagine the look on her face when I told her that I had cancelled the cruise and booked flights to France to walk the Camino. This year, no surprises, she knows and is working with me on planning our 47th Anniversary trek of the Camino del Norte' as I write this. Amazing how things work out..... Buen Camino !
Bill & Joan
Thanks for all your efforts and those calculations. I've booked a flexible return flight from Paris giving me nearly two months to enjoy a leisurely Camino and a little time before and more after. Your pace sounds good. Can't see any reason not to slow it down. Seven months the today I have a prewalk rest day in SJPDP - not that anyone is counting down!!Well kinnear, the length of string does rather depend on a few variables e.g. how far in total you're walking, how fast and for how long you walk each day, etc! (I tried to upload a simple end-date calculator for you, but it's an Excel file and the forum software doesn't allow uploads of that file type. Anyway, you can get a copy of the file from the link at the bottom of the daily walk summary here - you just need to enter your start date, the total distance you'll be walking, your average walking speed and hours per day and the number of non-walking days and the calculator will show you the total days required and the end date.) Anyway, from my experience 40 days SJPdP to SdC is reasonable. I took 37 days to do the same, plus 7 non-walking days - 1 in Pamplona, a couple in Burgos and 4 in León (to rest a strained thigh muscle). That's pretty much what I'd estimated when I was planning my travel from the Antipodes and I then added a couple of weeks on the end for contingencies and to allow for some post-Camino travel in Portugal. On average, I walked 4 3/4 hours a day on the Camino at around 4.4 km/h, with another couple of hours spent each day lazing in cafes, talking with other peregrinos, resting and enjoying the countryside ...
Hi Barbara. No, I did not arrange for alternate clothing in Santiago. I wasn't sure just how many days I would be there, so didn't bother. I did, however, go on a spending spree once I got there...buying some jewelry and a couple of items of "Camino" themed clothing. Since I'd resisted buying anything while I was walking (every ounce counts!) I got to let it go in Santiago.Hi Lisa
i definitely want those rest days at the end whether in Santiago or Finnis Terre and if there's time some tourist days in Paris simply because I may never get back. Thank you for the reference to Pilgrim House, I've subscribed to their newsletter. I do remember 10 years ago feeling uncomfortable in the cities in my pilgrim gear (as an older woman - and much older now!) and keen to get back on the way. Perhaps it has changed a bit with more pilgrims. Did you make any arrangements for alternative clothing?
Thanks
Barbara
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