Solo self guided Camino Frances and Camino Finister 20 Nov to 3 Dec

[shinta_narulita]

Hello, I am a solo traveller. I have bought the air ticket but have yet to book operator. I am considering to pay Eur1350 for 14 nights and luggage transfer or book hostel myself and carrying the 7kg backpack instead. I don't have much clothes but this is first time to walk camino and solo walk. Normally, I joined group for trekking. Thanks. I need to decide by tonight. Because after tonight the price will increase by 5%.

 

[trecile]

You can book accommodation yourself and book luggage transfer yourself too. No need to pay someone to do that for you.

Luggage transfer companies include Correos, Jacotrans, and Caminofácil.

 

[shinta_narulita]

You can book accommodation yourself and book luggage transfer yourself too. No need to pay someone to do that for you.

Luggage transfer companies include Correos, Jacotrans, and Caminofácil.

Thank you so much for the reply. I hope they will open in end of Nov to early Dec. I contacted some luggage transfer companies, mostly told me they will not operate in end of Nov to early Dec. I will explore the options you recommended. Hopefully they are during my camino walking period, 20 Nov to 1st Dec. As I will stay 2 nights in Finister for my last 2 nights. Thanks..

 

[mspath]

shinta_narulita,

On the CF by mid November it will be cold. The wind can be fierce blowing directly into your face. Hale and snow might occur. Late November 2012 at O Cebreiro the snow was a meter deep.

Be prepared for early winter weather.

Check out this earlier forum topic for other posts with helpful info re
walking in October- November.

However/wherever you do go
Carpe diem and Buen Camino!

 

[shinta_narulita]

Thank you so much. Would that be really 1 meter depth of snow? My height is only 1.55m. I am Asian and I am not get used to cold weather. Though I will make sure to keep myself warm. Is that really not doable to walk the last 100km of Camino Frances plus Finister from 20 Nov to 1st Dec 2022. I bought the air ticket already and traveling fr Singapore. I am alone and this is kind of my first solo trekking. I am trying to have self discovery about my life purpose. Thanks.

 

[ggaguilar]

Hello, I am a solo traveller. I have bought the air ticket but have yet to book operator. I am considering to pay Eur1350 for 14 nights and luggage transfer or book hostel myself and carrying the 7kg backpack instead. I don't have much clothes but this is first time to walk camino and solo walk. Normally, I joined group for trekking. Thanks. I need to decide by tonight. Because after tonight the price will increase by 5%.

I think what your saying is you would like to do this on your own without the tour guide, but want reassurance that it will be ok?

 

[mspath]

shinta_narulita,

Walking the last 100 km would mean from Sarria onward. The mountains will be past but it still might be very cold.

If you look at this Gronze etape and the following etapes you will find more info re the last 100 km. including accommodation. The pages can be translated easily using Chrome.

Sarria - Portomarín | Camino Francés | Gronze.com

Etapa interesante y sin dificultades a reseñar, con desniveles frecuentes pero moderados. Avanzamos hoy por la Galicia rural, entre prados y frondosos bosques de robles y castaños, saliéndonos al paso una infinidad de pequeñas aldeas o “lugares”. La ciudad medieval de Portomarín desapareció en...

www.gronze.com

 

[Vacajoe]

There will NOT be deep snow if you walk from Sarria! But you will find accomodations more scarce and the weather wet and cold at that time of the year. You do NOT need to book an operator/provider if you do not mind the extra work of booking your own stays and transport.

Use booking.com or similar to prebook stages since you’ll need to know each night’s accomodations to use luggage transfers. Then contact the luggage transport agencies provided in the earlier post to see if they are available to those spots.

 

[Corned Beef]

I have done both - used a booking company and booked myself.

Benefits of a booking company is certainty of accommodation at each stage. However you have to be able to deal with setbacks so you can keep to the schedule you booked. I'd also recommend travel insurance if coming from outside the EU.

Advantage of doing it yourself, is that you dictate the pace; you have invested less money if you have a mishap; you can chose to vary your route if something interesting turns up.

It's a personal choice but could I suggest half and half. Use a booking company for the first part so you understand how it all fits together and then go independent from then on.

 

[xin loi]

Believe the majority of people carry their own pack and just walk. Shouldn't be any crowds at that time of year so there should be no problem finding places to stay. Also at Finisterre there are/were some AIR BNBs that are great deals if you will be there for a couple nights.

 

[lt56ny]

Thank you so much. Would that be really 1 meter depth of snow? My height is only 1.55m. I am Asian and I am not get used to cold weather. Though I will make sure to keep myself warm. Is that really not doable to walk the last 100km of Camino Frances plus Finister from 20 Nov to 1st Dec 2022. I bought the air ticket already and traveling fr Singapore. I am alone and this is kind of my first solo trekking. I am trying to have self discovery about my life purpose. Thanks.

I have walked my last 3 caminos in November and December. I can't decide for you what is cold. I am pretty sure we have different definitions of cold based on the climates of where we grew up and live. I would recommend that you have layers. Mid base layers should be fine. Two should be enough. You can also purchase a very light but well insulated down coat. In Sarria you can also buy a pair of insulated pants that you could wear each day. This will all of course add some weight but you would be wearing most of these things. Once you begin to walk you will warm up quite quickly. Of course the weather is changing radically these days from year to year. So far the coldest day I woke up to was about -2 or 3C. The average daily temps were about 4-12C. Of course wind and rain/snow will change things.

Walking the last 100 km would mean from Sarria onward. The mountains will be past but it still might be very cold.

It will be milder from Sarria as mspath mentioned. I have never encountered snow from Sarria to Santiago. It doesn't mean it can't happen. Check the weather the night before and in the morning and ask at bars or in your owner of your hostel/albergue about the weather. No better knowledge than local knowledge.
Make sure you have a poncho. It will keep you dry and also it is another layer of insulation.
Also I have no idea where you want to sleep. Gronze.com, and the apps Wise Pilgrim and Buen Camino will give you lots of choices. If you are going to use Booking.com please, if it is possible to just find a place you may want to stay and then call them directly. You should tell them (if you can speak some Spanish or maybe find someone who can) that you are a pilgrim, and you would like to book a room. The owners save the 15% ( I have recently read here it can be higher) commission and sometimes you will get a better rate also. These people need as much economic support as possible. Why give the money to some big corporation when it can go to a family owned business.

 

[shinta_narulita]

I think what your saying is you would like to do this on your own without the tour guide, but want reassurance that it will be ok?

Yes.

 

[trecile]

I think what your saying is you would like to do this on your own without the tour guide, but want reassurance that it will be ok?

Yes.

Whether or not you use a service or make your arrangements yourself there is no guarantee that everything will go perfectly smoothly. But I think that you are better off when you have more control. I've read stories from pilgrims who booked with a company only to find that the booked accommodations were not on or near the Camino and required a taxi ride, the pre-planned stages were too long, etc.

 

[shinta_narulita]

Whether or not you use a service or make your arrangements yourself there is no guarantee that everything will go perfectly smoothly. But I think that you are better off when you have more control. I've read stories from pilgrims who booked with a company only to find that the booked accommodations were not on or near the Camino and required a taxi ride, the pre-planned stages were too long, etc.

Yes. Also if I book through operator I am paying like double of the price if I book myself. My only concern is just luggage transfer. But I read many people carry their own luggage. I think I will give it a try. To carry my own baggage. Maybe this is a good chance for me to learn to travel light for the remaining of my life and learn to put down the baggages of my life too. Because it is only heavy when you carry them. When you learn to let go the baggages in your life, you will be free. I look forward to my walk. I wonder if there is any emergency number I can call. Thanks

 

[trecile]

wonder if there is any emergency number I can call.

There is. In most of Europe (including Spain) the emergency number is 112.
The Spanish police also have an app that you can download and use in an emergency.

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