start the walk in: Paris,Vezelay,Le Puy or Arles ???

[AtlA]

Hi, im AtlA from Norway.
Im walking to Santiago de Compostela in the beginning of September, but i still dont know where to start. It seems to me that almost everyone starts closer to the Spanish boarder than: Paris,Vezelay,Le Puy or Arles........?

Is there a good map of the camino from France to Santiago de Compostela on internet.

All i know is that im doing the walk and that i have 3-4 months, (September-December) and my plan is to hang around/walk around in Spain after the main pilgrim walk to Santiago de Compostela. As long as i have money enough.........

hope to hear from some of you

 

[kees]

Paris,Le Puy, Vezelay or Arles

AtlA,

It is completely up to you, from where you want to start, Paris,Le Puy,Vezelay,Arles, or even from Norway...All roads lead to Santiago.
The french routes usually are GR routes (Grande Randonnee), and each one has their charm. The Le Puy and Vezelay Routes are the more popular ones. Mind that in France you will not have refuges (just a few) so you will have to stay in slightly more expensive gites, not to mention hotels.

Normally you join the Camino Frances in Roncesvalles or you will enter Spain in Aragon , San Sebastian or even in the eastern Pyrenees. In the end you will end in Santiago.

When you read the forum, you will see most of the answers you are looking for.
For walking in France I can refer you, as others have done, to http://www.compostelle.asso.fr and http://www.ffrp.asso.fr . Both have guides and good walking maps (which you have to purchase of course).
If French is not your forte, although the maps, guides are fairly straight forward look at the CSJ for guides,
Mind that from November onwards, the weather usually turns wetter. However, weather is weather...


Kees