- Time of past OR future Camino
- 2022 SJPP-Cruz de Ferro
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I almost always spend a day or two in Europe before starting my Camino. I like being at least semi acclimated to the time zone.Debating whether to take a rest day after travelling from the states and before caminanding. Do have a medical condition that might impact endurance but not sure.
Thoughts?
I agree with all above advice about taking a rest day or two.
That said, my first two Caminos (the Frances) I travelled from Sydney to SJPP (plane, plane, train, train), and arrived around 6pm in SJPP, fully intending to have a rest day the following day.
On both occasions, I woke up the next morning and decided I couldn’t wait to begin. I guess excitement was more powerful than jet lag. Go figure. I guess plans are made to be changed!
PS Not suggesting it’s a good idea but it was fine for me - and didn’t have a medical issue to consider
I agree!I would have done the same!
There is no way I could sit in St Jean watching Pilgrim depart up the hill.........
Perhaps another reason to have a break at the 'port of entry' rather than the start point
I agree with all above advice about taking a rest day or two.
That said, my first two Caminos (the Frances) I travelled from Sydney to SJPP (plane, plane, train, train), and arrived around 6pm in SJPP, fully intending to have a rest day the following day.
On both occasions, I woke up the next morning and decided I couldn’t wait to begin. I guess excitement was more powerful than jet lag. Go figure. I guess plans are made to be changed!
PS Not suggesting it’s a good idea but it was fine for me - and didn’t have a medical issue to consider
Have you ever had jetlag before? I would say 100% yes to a rest day, at least. Get your bearings, take a deep breath, try to get a good night's sleep, look around, then boldly go.Debating whether to take a rest day after travelling from the states and before caminanding. Do have a medical condition that might impact endurance but not sure.
Thoughts?
That is a good idea; SJPdP is a fine place to soak up aI'm only travelling from the UK but as I don't want to arrive in St Jean at 10pm and then leave at 7am I'm staying in Bayonne that first night then travelling to St Jean the following day, starting my walk the day after allowing time to explore a bit.
Good idea.Debating whether to take a rest day after travelling from the states and before caminanding. Do have a medical condition that might impact endurance but not sure.
Thoughts?
Oddly, I had no problem with this. It was so nice to be there and to be able to relax. Mind you, it was the first week of March, and the place was hardly overrun.It would be so hard to just watch / hear them depart.
When I fly into Bordeaux from Bristol I resurrect what French I know. This helps me to slip into what Spanish I know from St. Sjdp on wards. As I am then in the Basque Country I carry a small phrasebook. I think it only common courtesy to be able to say please and thank you in the language of local people. It also helps remind me that Spain has many cultures through which I pass. I go by my internal clock anyway so time zones only matter to me when arriving and departing from airports etc. Language apps are a great boon to me. It is also a boon to locals being enchanted by my accent!I almost always spend a day or two in Europe before starting my Camino. I like being at least semi acclimated to the time zone.
How long do you travel to get there ?I personally prefer to just get started and let the rhythm of a camino day sort out the jet lag. After the anticipation of being on Camino, there's no place I'd rather be! Planning a reasonable first day is wise. For example, if I am starting from St. Jean, first night is Orrison. In November I plan to walk 5k after arriving to my starting point. Time is precious for this pilgrim. I can be a tourist on other trips.
I travel from the US midwest. My usual flight plan starts 7am and arrive Madrid 9 am the next day. Then on to my starting point. Not sure why the emoji?How long do you travel to get there ?
We find the older we get the more we need that rest day. In recent times we fly into Madrid and arrive in the mornings. We take a shuttle to our hotel, sleep a little, then get up after a nap. We go to sleep again at regular time then get up and shuttle back to Madrid airport to take a bus or catch a train to our starting point the next morning. We try to take a shorter day in the beginning. Sleep science says it takes a day of adjustment for each time zone hour you travel so for us that would really be eight days. We've both done shift work as a police officer and a nurse and know the toll lack of sleep can take on our faculties.Debating whether to take a rest day after travelling from the states and before caminanding. Do have a medical condition that might impact endurance but not sure.
Thoughts?
I am quite the opposite.I would have done the same!
There is no way I could sit in St Jean watching Pilgrim depart up the hill.........
Perhaps another reason to have a break at the 'port of entry' rather than the start point
After travelling from Canada we took a Day in Bayonne to rest up.Debating whether to take a rest day after travelling from the states and before caminanding. Do have a medical condition that might impact endurance but not sure.
Thoughts?
I prefer to walk to Pamplona and take a rest day there.After travelling from Canada we took a Day in Bayonne to rest up.
I ALWAYS take 2 rest days. This year I leave at 4PM my time (7 hours behind Spain) and arrive at my final destination in Spain at 5:20PM. Never can sleep well the first night and need the second night to get a better sleep. It works best for me and when you are retired you have the luxury of time.I travel from the west coast and usually arrive at my starting point in Spain in the late afternoon, exhausted. I always allow the next day to be free - so I can sleep until I wake, and have a relaxed day. Then on the next day, I might start walking but possibly only a half day.
I find that the 9-hour time change combined with a night of missed sleep are often difficult, so I allow for 2 or 3 days without big demands. However, it is important to get outside and do some walking each day after arrival, as it helps with the adjustment.
Especially if you intend to make reservations for the first few days, err on the side of taking it easy rather than demanding too much of yourself.
Never even occurred to me, arrived SJ late one afternoon, departed early the next day. Couldn’t wait! No regrets.Debating whether to take a rest day after travelling from the states and before caminanding. Do have a medical condition that might impact endurance but not sure.
Thoughts?
Never occurred to me. Arrived late afternoon SJPDP, started sunrise the next day. I couldn’t wait! No regrets.Debating whether to take a rest day after travelling from the states and before caminanding. Do have a medical condition that might impact endurance but not sure.
Thoughts?
I literally flew all night out of Boston into Lisbon, cleared Customs and Immigration, and then walked out of the airport and began my Camino. Dumbest move ever. I walked twenty miles that day. My feet were tired and the blood had pooled into my feet from sitting on a flight throughout the night. Five days later, 100 miles down, and unusually hot temps, I had to go to the ER in Tomar, and my Camino ended. Hematoma sunder my big toenails. Feet were toast. So…I flew back in Sept of that year and finished what I set off to do! My opinion…let your body rest after a flight. Have a day just to enjoy the starting point.Debating whether to take a rest day after travelling from the states and before caminanding. Do have a medical condition that might impact endurance but not sure.
Thoughts?
Hi Rob, I read your blog but do not see the name your Paris hotel mentioned. I am look for something next to the Gare Montparnasse Station. Do you recommend yours and what is the name?Travelling from Australia, (22 hr flight) when heading to St Jean, I always take a day off in Paris.
Just to rest and get a good night sleep if I can.
We have also done the same for an Astorga start, by taking a couple of days in Madrid.
I think a day off before reaching your start point (depending where it is) can make sense.
So you can recover from the flight before making the final leg 'in country' to the start.
I have walked three Caminos, and have never spent more than the first night before heading out. All of my flights from US were over-night flights, so I typically slept most if not all of the flight. I didn't arrive in SJPdP until mid-afternoon; then I would just spend that night and take off early the next morning. Same for walking the Portuguese; arrived in Porto mid-afternoon. Spent my first night there, then started with a full day of walking early the next morning. I've always been too excited and jittery to spend any time lingering about. I usually save that for the finish! I don't know your health conditions, but that may certainly change how you would do things. I'm early 60s and had no issues on any of my treks. Hope to do another soon!Debating whether to take a rest day after travelling from the states and before caminanding. Do have a medical condition that might impact endurance but not sure.
Thoughts?
I travel from the US midwest. My usual flight plan starts 7am and arrive Madrid 9 am the next day. Then on to my starting point. Not sure why the emoji?
Hi Rob, I read your blog but do not see the name your Paris hotel mentioned. I am look for something next to the Gare Montparnasse Station. Do you recommend yours and what is the name?
I would plan at least a day (I planned two). Even if jet lag isn’t an issue (isn’t for me), it allows for (a) missed/delayed flight, (b) lost luggage, (c) act of God. For me, (c) is what happened. I arrived in SJPdP planning to spend a rest day there, then a night at orison. A sudden storm moved in, the only way I got to walk the Napoleon was by skipping the rest day and the orison overnight. An extra day or two let’s you plan around and react to the unexpected so things are an annoyance but not the end of the world.Debating whether to take a rest day after travelling from the states and before caminanding. Do have a medical condition that might impact endurance but not sure.
Thoughts?
We traveled from Canada and arrived at Dinner time in Bayonne. I’m all sincerity I wish we had taken an extra rest day before we started out as it would have made the beginning so much more enjoyable as it is so beautiful. Dealings with jet lag and walking is not fun.Debating whether to take a rest day after travelling from the states and before caminanding. Do have a medical condition that might impact endurance but not sure.
Thoughts?
Definitely take a rest day after so much travel time. You will not regret it.Debating whether to take a rest day after travelling from the states and before caminanding. Do have a medical condition that might impact endurance but not sure.
Thoughts?
Ive never had enough days up my sleeve to allow a rest day (just scraping up enough leave days), I would have liked to.Debating whether to take a rest day after travelling from the states and before caminanding. Do have a medical condition that might impact endurance but not sure.
Thoughts?
Thats the way I've always done it - not as a jetlag strategy - but because I never had any spare days.We have found the best strategy to avoid any jet lag is to land in Spain as early as possible, catch a train or bus to your start point as early as possible, and ideally start walking a 1/2 or 3/4 length day as soon as possible. Walking the day you arrive is the best cure for jet lag in my experience! After an hour or so into your days walk you'll be happy you did.
Totally agree. Because as Rick Steves says, jet lag’s biggest enemies are fresh air, daylight, and exercise.Walking the day you arrive is the best cure for jet lag in my experience!
Plenty of interesting things to see in Bayonne, not least the cathedral.I'm only travelling from the UK but as I don't want to arrive in St Jean at 10pm and then leave at 7am I'm staying in Bayonne that first night then travelling to St Jean the following day, starting my walk the day after allowing time to explore a bit.
ThxThere are a lot inthe area, just look on Booking . com.
I have used Best Western Bretagne Montparnasse a couple of times. Nice quiet location.
Like most Paris hotels..........not that cheap and a room like a shoe box
Smart to do that! Follow that suggestion myself. In fact it ought to be a rule if coming from so many time zones away.I almost always spend a day or two in Europe before starting my Camino. I like being at least semi acclimated to the time zone.
If you're still in Bayonne for lunch, before going to SJPdP, you might like to visit the Bar du Marche, hidden on a side street near the indoor market. It has an intensely Basque feel and great old fashioned, home-prepared, affordable food. You can't go wrong there!Plenty of interesting things to see in Bayonne, not least the cathedral.
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