Second Camino: What route to take

[Marcel234]

In 2009 and 2010 I walked the Camino Frances and I'm thinking to do another Camino this year.

But I find it difficult to make a choice between the alternative routes. At the moment I'm thinking about the Via de la Plata or the Camino del Norte, but other suggestions are also really appreciated.

Important for my choice:
- This summer (august) I will have the time for abou 20 days of walking.
- In November I can do another 14 days of walking.
- I love the heat! I want a lot of sun (in summer). 30 degrees is no problem for me. My first camino frances was in july and august. Lovely.
- I love nature. I don't mind walking along a highway for a few kilometres but the more nature the better.
- I love meeting other pilgrims (hence the walking in july/august) but I don't mind being alone (hence the walking in November).
- I would like it to be harder than the Frances. I loved the pyrenees for example.

I really appreciate it to hear your advice!!!!

Best regards,

Marcel

 

[sillydoll]

How about a route in France?
You could walk some of the Arles Route, turn south to the Somport Pass and walk the spectacular Aragones route to Pamplona.
Then you could hop on a bus to Bilbao and continue on the Norte to as far as you can get or all the way to Oviedo and then south again on the stunning Primitivo route.
You are really spoilt for choice!

 

[Marcel234]

How about a route in France?
You could walk some of the Arles Route, turn south to the Somport Pass and walk the spectacular Aragones route to Pamplona.
Then you could hop on a bus to Bilbao and continue on the Norte to as far as you can get or all the way to Oviedo and then south again on the stunning Primitivo route.
You are really spoilt for choice!

Thanks Sil! I thought about a route in France. I heard the routes are really beautiful. I looked at the Le puy route, but never at the Arles. The only thing I don't like in France is the language . My Spanish is basic but I can talk to locals and love that. My French is zero (altough my father is French :-o). So I'm scared that I cannot make myself understandable. Can you give me an advices on this part.

In november 2010 I went back to do some parts of the Frances again. And one thing I didn't like is taking a bus. I love the walking, but when I took the bus my 'Camino feeling' changed. In the Netherlands I live the 'fast' live, and I want to escape from that.

But maybe you see it differntly, so I would love to hear your viewq on it.

Can you tell me how long it will take from Arles to Pamplona?

Again thanks.

Again thanks sill

 

[sillydoll]

With 20 days to walk you could start in Lourdes, 3 days to Oloron St Marie, 3 days to Canfranc and then to Pamplona on the Aragones - then get the train to Irun and walk on the coastal road - which my friend describes as the most stunning camino route she has walked - to Bilbao (158km) in 7 days.

http://www.jacajacobea.com
http://jacobeo.aragon.es/flash/principal_flash2.php

http://www.basquecountrytourism.net

Then come back in November and continue on from Bilbao for 14 days.
Don't worry about the language - just speak Franglish (the Camino lingo which is a bit of French-German-Italian-Spanish and English!!)

 

[viajero]

I have not walked the via de la plata but have done part of the Norte (from Irun to Aviles). I think you would enjoy the "nature" part. It is very naturally beautiful--the views down to the sea are amazing. I thought it was harder than the frances too. Very hilly. Not sure what it would be like in November though. good luck in making your choice.

 

[Marcel234]

With 20 days to walk you could start in Lourdes, 3 days to Oloron St Marie, 3 days to Canfranc and then to Pamplona on the Aragones - then get the train to Irun and walk on the coastal road - which my friend describes as the most stunning camino route she has walked - to Bilbao (158km) in 7 days.

I prefer not to take a bus. I want to take it 'slow', so as less transportation as possible (except for my feet ;-))

I looked at the Arles route. What do you think about walking from Toulouse to Puenta la Reina. According to the map about 18 days. Is that a nice part. And did you like it more than the Spanish alternatives?

 

[Marcel234]

I have not walked the via de la plata but have done part of the Norte (from Irun to Aviles). I think you would enjoy the "nature" part. It is very naturally beautiful--the views down to the sea are amazing. I thought it was harder than the frances too. Very hilly. Not sure what it would be like in November though. good luck in making your choice.

Did you walk the Frances? What was in your oppinion the difference between the two routes?

 

[Marcel234]

And what about this...

Is it possible to go from Toulouse to Lourdes to Oloron St Marie to Pamplona/ Puenta la Reina?

 

[viajero]

I walked the Frances and the Norte. I felt the Frances maybe had the edge culturally but the Norte I thought had more natural beauty (I also had really great weather on the norte). The Norte has a lot more ups and downs--especially the first week as I recall. I remember thinking that, although I walked, the Frances would be easier by bike. I also thought that the Norte would be more difficult to bike as there are so many steep uphill walks. The Frances felt more special to me but that could only be because it was my first camino (and most people I met--also their first camino) . I really don't remember much about how much road walking their is vs. trail walking.

 

[Marcel234]

@ Viajero I understand what you mean by saying your first camino felt more special. Last november I came back to the camino frances. Walking from st Jean to Estella, bus to Burgos and then again walking to Sahagun. Altough it was magnificent it could'nt compare to 2009. First times always make the deepest impressions.

But I still find it really really hard to choose. There are so many options. All the choices in Spain, France and even Portugal.

Advices is still very welcome!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[KiwiNomad06]

And what about this...Is it possible to go from Toulouse to Lourdes to Oloron St Marie to Pamplona/ Puenta la Reina?

I PM'ed Marcel with these route suggestions, but will also put them here in case they are useful for someone else.
1) To leave from Toulouse – take the Arles route.

2) Then a little after Maubourguet you take the GR101 south to Lourdes for 46km, passing through Tarbes. This is a recently created route. You will be able to download the map for this route from http://www.chemindecompostelle.com/vari ... index.html in pdf form -from April it says on the site but I couldn’t see a link yet.

3) From Lourdes you walk along the Voie du Piemont Pyreneen, to Oloron St Marie.
http://vppyr.free.fr/vpp-index-etapes.php – start from etape 18.

4) Then you head across the Somport Pass and take the Camino Aragones. There is quite a lot of info on the Camino Aragones section of the forum, including some info about the route from Lourdes.

I haven’t walked this route yet, but am thinking of doing some of the Voie du Piemont Pyreneen sometime, starting maybe from St Lizier.
Margaret

 

[Caminando]

Consider the Camino Portugues and finish in Fistera.

You say you like the heat, yet I would suggest you be careful if you walk any of the VDP in summer, because of the heat.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I have walked Toulouse to Maubourget, taken the bus to Lourdes by way of Pau, then taken the bus back to the Arles route. After Pau, you head for Oloron, Somport, Jaca, and Puente la Reina. If you need to meet transportation in Pamplona, you can go directly there from Sanguesa.

When it is hot, the Camino Aragones is as hot as the Via de la Plata!

 

[Marcel234]

And what about this...Is it possible to go from Toulouse to Lourdes to Oloron St Marie to Pamplona/ Puenta la Reina?

I PM'ed Marcel with these route suggestions, but will also put them here in case they are useful for someone else.
1
Margaret

Margaret thank youn so much. Really helpful. Any Idea how long it will take from Toulouse via Lourdes to Puenta la Reina. I'm going to dig in your information!!

 

[Marcel234]

Consider the Camino Portugues and finish in Fistera.

You say you like the heat, yet I would suggest you be careful if you walk any of the VDP in summer, because of the heat.

What is the Camino Portugues like?

I have all the options, so doesn't mather for me if it's France, Spain, Portugal or China ;-).

The difficult part is all the options!

 

[Marcel234]

I have walked Toulouse to Maubourget, taken the bus to Lourdes by way of Pau, then taken the bus back to the Arles route. After Pau, you head for Oloron, Somport, Jaca, and Puente la Reina. If you need to meet transportation in Pamplona, you can go directly there from Sanguesa.

When it is hot, the Camino Aragones is as hot as the Via de la Plata!

I know about the heat and normally that's no problem for me, but I'm always carefull.

As a veteran on the Camino, what do you think Falcon is the 'best' option for my second camino considering the things I said in my first post?

 

[mmm042]

I've only done the VDLP, but I LOVE it and highly recommend it. The scenery is beautiful, and it's much more off-road walking than asphalt. There are definitely challenging spots, especially after Ourense (I recommend the Galician variant that goes west from Zamora). There are also far fewer pilgrims, at least on the route, which makes it a special, contemplative experience. And you can get your fill of people/chatting when you're in town for the night. Some hospitaleras say the pilgrims on the VDLP are more relaxed because they aren't with throngs of people all day, like you can be on the Camino Frances.

Good luck with your decision -- you can't go wrong whichever route you choose.

Melanie

 

[Deleted member 3000]

My favorite is the Chemin de St. Jacques from Le-Puy-en-Velay.

 

[Caminando]

I have all the options, so doesn't mather for me if it's France, Spain, Portugal or China ;-).

If it could even be China (i.e., anywhere) could you say what it is that attracts you about a camino?

 

[Pieces]

well, I was recently thinking that visiting the 88 tempels of the shikoku pilgrimage in Japan would be interesting. But then, I always wanted to go to Japan...

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I have researched the Shikoku pilgrimage, and a good friend has walked/bussed a lot of it. If you expect anything like the Camino Frances, your expectations will be unmet. Much of the route is very urban or along busy roads and highways. You might feel claustrophobic or crowded. The paths up to the temples can be difficult, but are very scenic. It is very much a Buddhist/Shinto pilgrimage. The accommodations are expensive and not specific to pilgrims ($60 to $125 per night). No one speaks English. Signs tend to be in Japanese only, so it is easy to get lost. You are "expected" to look like a pilgrim and wear appropriate attire. The sello at each stop is hand calligraphy, and will cost about 1,000 yen each. The people are very hospitable, but non-spiritual pilgrims had that uneasy feeling that they were not welcome. It probably cannot be done for less than $150 per day. As a first sampling of Japanese culture, it probably is not a good starting point. If you are a dedicated fan of Japan, though, it is among the ultimate activities. I graduated from high school in Kobe, Japan, and still have many friends with strong cultural ties to Japan, one of who puts together "tours" of the Shikoku pilgrimage, mostly for Japanese nationals. Few gaijin make it past the "just looking" phase.

 

[Marcel234]

I have all the options, so doesn't mather for me if it's France, Spain, Portugal or China ;-).

If it could even be China (i.e., anywhere) could you say what it is that attracts you about a camino?

When I was reading 'The road to Santiago' it was the first time I heard of the camino. I was reading more and more and decided it would be a nice physical challenge. When I came home in 2009. It was so much moreno I learned a different way of living.

BUT I'm not glued to the camino. I realize every trip can be a 'camino' even if there is no Santiago in the end. At the moment I'm also looking at annapurna circuit in Nepal and the GR11/ La Senda in the Spanish pyrenees.

I love the basic life. Away from everything fast. That's why I don't like to take a bus on my 'caminos'.

 

[Marcel234]

well, I was recently thinking that visiting the 88 tempels of the shikoku pilgrimage in Japan would be interesting. But then, I always wanted to go to Japan...

Thanks for your input! Japan doesn't attract me that much. I have the idea that everything in Japan OS fast. But maybe I'm terribly wrong. I'm a banker and I have the idea, really stupid I know, that every Japanese person is a banker.

But new suggestions are always welcome, so thanks again!!!