Sept Vs March for 2 weeks into Santiago

[holhum]

Sept vs March? Thanks to the lovely people who responded to my previous question (I hope it isn't terribly obvious that I have never used a forum before...hope I am not breaching etiquette, and feel free to tell me if I am).

I have realised that given my job as a teacher, coming all the way from Australia, I am probably going to travel and do my precious 2 1/2 weeks in either March or September. Is there a big difference weather wise if I am attempting that last approx. 300 km to end in Santiago if I choose March vs Sept? Thanks again. (I will get around to re-reading other people's relevant posts, but there are SO many I thought it would help if I can get my location and approx dates sorted before I dive in!)

 

[SYates]

Weather/landscape wise there is the difference between (perhaps coolish) spring and (perhaps hottish) autumn/fall ;-)

Easter Sunday 2017 is 16th April, so if you happen to be close to Santiago in the week leading up to that date it will be VERY busy. If not it should be, most likely, quite but with enough company.

September has become a very favorite months to walk the Camino, so you will have more company then.

Hope that helps and Buen Camino, SY

 

[holhum]

Weather/landscape wise there is the difference between (perhaps coolish) spring and (perhaps hottish) autumn/fall ;-)

Easter Sunday 2017 is 16th April, so if you happen to be close to Santiago in the week leading up to that date it will be VERY busy. If not it should be, most likely, quite but with enough company.

September has become a very favorite months to walk the Camino, so you will have more company then.

Hope that helps and Buen Camino, SY

I hadn't thought about Easter! Shows what an amateur I am. It is actually Sept 17 or March 18, with March more likely, so I should check there isn't a really early Easter. Thanks!!!

 

[HeidiL]

Spring! Choose spring! Nature just waking up after the winter, spring flowers all over the place, a little more light and a little more warmth every day...

Also, the people who live along the Camino are less likely to be fed up with the hordes of summer pilgrims...

 

[Eve Alexandra]

I hadn't thought about Easter! Shows what an amateur I am. It is actually Sept 17 or March 18, with March more likely, so I should check there isn't a really early Easter. Thanks!!!

Fwiw, I'm going in March. We may hit some snow, but I'll take that over the overcrowding of summer and early fall.

 

[holhum]

Fwiw, I'm going in March. We may hit some snow, but I'll take that over the overcrowding of summer and early fall.

Snow! I am from the sub tropics....this is going to take some preparation! And a down sleeping bag because I am a frog (I feel the cold, if that doesn't translate from Australian!)

 

[holhum]

Spring! Choose spring! Nature just waking up after the winter, spring flowers all over the place, a little more light and a little more warmth every day...

Also, the people who live along the Camino are less likely to be fed up with the hordes of summer pilgrims...

So, someone else mentioned snow! I hadn't thought of that...being from subtropical Australia spring equals warmer weather. I haven't got much flexibility in timing so I may just have to start researching how to deal with the cold

 

[SYates]

Unless it is a freak winter the only place you might encounter snow in March is around O Cebreiro ;-) The rest is just coolish/rainy and even sometimes sunny. Buen Camino, SY

 

[wayfarer]

I have walked in April/May and September. April/May, wet and cold, sometimes sunny. September was beautiful.

 

[Susan Peacock]

I too have walked the entire Camino Frances in Sept/Oct and April/May. I would definitely recommend you go in September. It was cold and wet enough starting in mid-April. We encountered a blizzard at Cruz de Fero in early May. Packing for the cold and wet will make you pack a lot heavier also. Keep in mind that some albergues will not be open until April.

 

[trecile]

I've only walked late August/September, but I made my decision based on weather. I wanted to avoid taking extra layers and most importantly I wanted as little rain as possible. Other than avoiding getting wet, you just can't see that much while it's raining. I only had a couple of days of rain during my 30+ days walking, and I remember being in Ponferrada, on a drizzly day, and missing seeing all the Spanish families out in the plazas in the evenings.

 

[Susan Peacock]

I've only walked late August/September, but I made my decision based on weather. I wanted to avoid taking extra layers and most importantly I wanted as little rain as possible. Other than avoiding getting wet, you just can't see that much while it's raining. I only had a couple of days of rain during my 30+ days walking, and I remember being in Ponferrada, on a drizzly day, and missing seeing all the Spanish families out in the plazas in the evenings.

You made some good points that I forgot to mention. When we walked in the spring and it was cold, everyone would just go and hunker down where they were staying. In September all the pilgrims were sitting outside in those red plastic chairs having a vino. It was my favorite part of the day and I missed it in the spring.

 

[trecile]

You made some good points that I forgot to mention. When we walked in the spring and it was cold, everyone would just go and hunker down where they were staying. In September all the pilgrims were sitting outside in those red plastic chairs having a vino. It was my favorite part of the day and I missed it in the spring.

Exactly

 

[Kiwi-family]

Muddy paths or dusty paths? You choose!