Starting in June- questions (best bus line, phone access, and preparation)

[AnimalDoc]

Good morning -- we are starting the primitivo the first week of June. I am in a time crunch --- and thought I would ask any helpful people what might be the
1) best guide to not get lost
2) best bus to catch if we are falling behind
3) phones -- what is the best to use on this trail for access/where to get in the US
4) We are catholic escapees from the modern world -- what is the best place to find mass times in the churches/monasteries/convents on this route
5) Last but not least -- any information that you wish you had known before doing this route ?

 

[SYates]

I only can answer 4) http://www.misas.org is your best friend for this, they also offer free bilingual mass books to download here: http://www.misas.org/docs/ordinario-idiomas

Buen Camino, SY

PS And welcome to the forum!

 

[GerFol]

Greetings from Ireland. I walked the Primitivo the same time last year and it was a most enjoyable experience.

1. www.gronze.com has great information on all Camino routes including stages, distances, elevation maps, accommodation details etc.
2. Enquire locally with regard to buses. Some of the places you will stay are quite small and services will vary. Alsa is the main service provider in Spain and have a good website.
3. Best to buy a SIM for your phone on arrival in Spain but ensure that your phone is unlocked. I used Vodafone, cost was €15 for 1G of data that lasts a month. U can top up if u need more. Wifi available everywhere so I didn't have to. That package also includes some local calls.
4. Depends on where you decide to stay....Hospitalero in the hostel will know.
5. When we did the route in June last year the weather was not good and it was particularly cold and wet in the mountains. Hopefully you will have wonderful conditions but I recommend that you have clothing for all eventualities.

Buen Camino.

 

[whariwharangi]

2) best bus to catch if we are falling behind

There is no bus company that caters to Pilgrims on any camino.

Check websites using key words Estacion de Autobuses, Ayuntamiento, Concello, Turismo followed by the name of your favorite village. Usually there is a link to a bus company, sometimes there is a schedule posted.

Another strategy is to find the hub city and, using the key words, look for bus service that connects to your village .

If that fails, Rome2Rio is a good source to determine service providers.

Google Earth sometimes shows bus stops and provides links to service providers.

 

[Shauna]

We too start our walk in June. We arrive in Oviedo from UK on 6 June and will walk to Escamplero that day. Cannot wait. Just hope weather is good. We will be taking our ponchos and fleece, so hope to be warm enough.

Our paths may cross - when do you start?

 

[AnimalDoc]

We too start our walk in June. We arrive in Oviedo from UK on 6 June and will walk to Escamplero that day. Cannot wait. Just hope weather is good. We will be taking our ponchos and fleece, so hope to be warm enough.

Our paths may cross - when do you start?

We may cross path -- but I believe we may be two days ahead of you

 

[AnimalDoc]

We too start our walk in June. We arrive in Oviedo from UK on 6 June and will walk to Escamplero that day. Cannot wait. Just hope weather is good. We will be taking our ponchos and fleece, so hope to be warm enough.

Our paths may cross - when do you start?

You may have researched this better than I -- what temperatures might we expect?

 

[irishgurrrl]

1) best guide to not get lost
The Wise Pilgrim App I used was brilliant. The map which shows the trail/tracks for the entire Camino was brilliant. There were several places the way marking was confusing and I could have easily taken the wrong path but this App saved me.
2) best bus to catch if we are falling behind
Some places have a public bus service but not always. Google online or ask locally or in the albergue. Sometimes a taxi is the only option.
3) phones -- what is the best to use on this trail for access/where to get in the US
I used the Vodafone tourist SIM too with 3GB data and local texts and minutes. Great coverage overall. €15 for 4 wks. Option to top up if needed. Make sure your phone is unlocked though before you travel
4) We are catholic escapees from the modern world -- what is the best place to find mass times in the churches/monasteries/convents on this route
Can't help you there... Most churches I passed were locked.
5) Last but not least -- any information that you wish you had known before doing this route ?[/QUOTE]
Nothing. I had done the research in advance via this forum and it really stood to me. My best advice is only do the distance per day you are fit enough for. Ignore the guidebook in this regard. Plus, the way is not perfectly waymarked although it's generally very well waymarked. They have a weird tendency in some places to place the way marker before a junction do sometimes it's not clear which path you should take. Check ahead (visually) for arrows if this happens....

 

[Hansel]

You may have researched this better than I -- what temperatures might we expect?

How did you get on AnimalDoc ? I am looking at old posts today, and plan to be walking this June,2019, interested in pack size, was it cool enough for sleeping bag ? Extra clothes ? Managed with a really small pack on the Frances in August , but might need a couple more kg for the primitive !
Bill

 

[Via2010]

Hi Hansel,

I walked this from 13.-25. June 2018. A friend of mine started a week before and encountered lots of rain. I only had one rainy day but still to deal with some very muddy paths.

I had two short and a long trouser (I do not like zip-off-trousers), a rain-poncho, a fleece-jacket, two t-shirts, one sleeveless top, three underpants, three pair of socks, flip-flops (Teva Mush) for the showers and the evenings, a pair of low hiking shoes (Meindl Nebraska Gtx) and a microfibre sleeping-bag (750g), one big and one small microfibre towel. Some evenings were cold so I would have liked to have an additional long-sleeve. But basically this was enough and fits well in a 35-40l backpack.

BC
Alexandra

 

[Hansel]

Hi Hansel,

I walked this from 13.-25. June 2018. A friend of mine started a week before and encountered lots of rain. I only had one rainy day but still to deal with some very muddy paths.

I had two short and a long trouser (I do not like zip-off-trousers), a rain-poncho, a fleece-jacket, two t-shirts, one sleeveless top, three underpants, three pair of socks, flip-flops (Teva Mush) for the showers and the evenings, a pair of low hiking shoes (Meindl Nebraska Gtx) and a microfibre sleeping-bag (750g), one big and one small microfibre towel. Some evenings were cold so I would have liked to have an additional long-sleeve. But basically this was enough and fits well in a 35-40l backpack.

BC
Alexandra

Thanks Alexandra, I was originally looking at May for my birthday, but looks like the better I can leave it the better, re less rain. I am not a huge fan of zip- off trousers, but found a good North face pair this year, only really used the bottoms on my travelling days. Scotland is usually colder than Spain !
Bill