• Get your Camino Frances Guidebook here.
  • For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here.
    (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation)
  • ⚠️ Emergency contact in Spain - Dial 112 and AlertCops app. More on this here.

Search 69,459 Camino Questions

Spending the summer in Europe

hollyhops

New Member
My boyfriend and I plan to walk the Camino Frances. However, we are not sure to walk the Camino first, then travel around Europe or travel around Europe first then walk to Camino. Our time to travel is the first week of May - last week of July. We will be traveling from San Francisco, USA.

Any ideas are welcomed!
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
Hi Hollyhops,

Welcome to the forum.

Just a thought that if you walk the camino first of all then you will have more flexibility in terms of the time it takes you to do it, your ultimate finishing date and the ability to spend additional time in Santiago\Galicia if you take a liking to it or wish to catch up with fellow Peregrinos you met along the way.

Assuming that you will have a fixed return flight, as opposed to an open return, you may not want to have that added pressure of having to complete by a certain date to get back to your departure airport to the US.

Just my thoughts, I'm sure there will be plenty of others :)

Regards and Buen Camino
 
Not too many pilgrims seem to mix tourism and camino. One on this forum was burned out by tourism before. My brother tried to be a pilgrim after, but could not readjust to the turmoil of large European cities, specifically Porto, Portugal. So it is a mixed reaction. Doing the tourism first will prevent you from being so altered by the camino experience that you don't want to be a tourist! So that might be your best bet.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Lots of pilgrims arriving at the Pilgrims Office say that they are continuing on for a holiday...either at a beach resort in Spain or another country or indeed travelling. I think it is just down to the individual - some people want/need to rest particularly after a long camino. As for me I'd happily go on a grand tour anytime - before or after a camino. :)
 
For the real Grand Tour, read The Grand Tour: The European Adventure of a Continental Drifter by Tim Moore. Many are critical of Moore's sense of humor (and the animal rights folks were incensed at his treatment of his beloved burro in his book about the Camino), but his Grand Tour in a Rolls Royce is generally respectful of Europeans.

The head count is way down in the Santiago Pilgrim Office, so it must be a more restful time there. You deserve tremendous thanks for all your volunteer work there and in the Confraternity. You have mine, anyway.
 
Hi Hollyhops!

I agree with Mig that starting the Camino first will allow more flexibility.

Also, consider the availability of accommodation and the weather. July will be busier and also pretty hot.

Buen Camino!

Keith
 
Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-
For the past two years, I have had friends from the Seattle area who walked the Chemin in France and then shifted over to some non-pilgrim tourism. They walked several weeks, but not the complete Chemin. One pair picked up a rental car for their onward travel; others split off by train or visited with other friends. Everyone seemed to enjoy the mix of travel experiences. So it's definitely possible. I myself mixed in several days in Paris at the end of my four weeks' walk.

I concur with the notion of leaving the "tourism" portion as the second phase; you will really appreciate having schedule flexibility without having to pay outrageous ticket charges.
 
A little late to comment...I started a five month RTW trip last year with the Camino. The only thing I wish I had done differently was ship most of my RTW gear onto Santiago at the beginning instead of crossing the Pyrenees with a heavy backpack. Otherwise, it was a great way to start my trip...go for it!
 
The first edition came out in 2003 and has become the go-to-guide for many pilgrims over the years. It is shipping with a Pilgrim Passport (Credential) from the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.
Wow thanks for all the good advice. We decided to do the Camino first, take our time. Then maybe be travel down to Portugal. We want to focus on the Camino!

I would like to get some more advice. Traveling mid may thru June. Gore-tex shoes or not? I've read so much advice... Can't decide. Also, should I bring a light weight sandal? Teva or Crocs?

Any advice would help.

Thx
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Hi Hollyhops,
Re footwear, fit and comfort are the most important. I walked the Frances Camino last year in light boots and they were fine. This year I walked in so-called waterproof boots, but very few boots are really waterproof, including Goretex. If the rain is just a light shower, both waterproof and non-waterproof will keep your feet dry. But in heavy rain, the water will run down your legs into the boot unless you wear gaiters, and even so the track could be running with water that comes up above the laces and into the shoe/boot. Just go for comfort and fit.
For your foot's health, you should wear something on your feet in the shower. Teva sandals will not dry quickly. Whereas Crocs being plastic are good in the shower and can be worn in the evenings. Buen Camino. David
 
Crocs are half the weight of Teva, which made my decision for me!
 
Hi Amigos, Walking the camino is such a unique experience, and not like being a tourist at all. returning from the camino to real life can be a shock to the system, and takes quite a while to come down from the experience. So my advice to you would be, camino first, tourist second, and while your being a tourist you can visit the friends you have made on the camino, its part of what the camino is about, and hapens all the time. Good pair of walking boots, well broken in, pair of sandals for around town, thats all you need. Hasta Luago Dudes
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
Also late to the discussion but I'm doing the Camino at the beginning of a 4-month(ish) trip that will end by celebrating NYE in Edinburgh. My current plan is to hike the Camino first and then (assuming I don't want to cut my legs off) continue walking down through Portugal and eventually get the ferry over to Morocco and spend some time there. We'll see. I've learned not to make long-term plans. Last time I did I planned for a week stay in mexico and I've been here 3 years. :)
 

Most read last week in this forum

When I hiked the Frances Route this happened. I was hiking in the afternoon just east of Arzua. I was reserved a bed at an albergue in Arzua, so I had already hiked all the way from San Xulien...
I am finalizing my packing list for Frances, and do not want to over pack. (I am 71) I will be starting at SJPdP on April 25th to Roncesvalles and forward. I was hoping on some advise as to...
First marker starting from Albergue Monasterio de la Magdalena in Sarria (113.460 km) Start: 2023.9.29 07:22 Arrival: 2023.9.30 13:18 walking time : 26 hours 47 minutes rest time : 3 hours 8...
A local Navarra website has posted a set of photos showing today's snowfall in the area around Roncesvalles. About 15cm of snow fell this morning surprising pilgrims on the way...
Hi! I’m a first time pilgrim. Is it possible to take a taxi from Astorga to Foncebadon? Thanks, Felicia
HI all, I will be starting my walk on March 31, taking the Valcarlos Route, and am having trouble getting in touch with the albergue in Valcarlos (tried email and what's app - no luck!). Does...

❓How to ask a question

How to post a new question on the Camino Forum.

Forum Rules

Forum Rules

Camino Updates on YouTube

Camino Conversations

Most downloaded Resources

This site is run by Ivar at

in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon
Official Camino Passport (Credential) | 2024 Camino Guides
Back
Top