Switching from Camino Frances to Camino Portuguese midway (and other first timer questions).

[Re-Teri-ed]

My husband and I will start our first Camino approximately 9/5/15 or 9/5/15. Is it possible and is there a good place to switch from Camino Frances to complete the Camino from Camino Portuguese at Porto. The coastal route looks very beautiful but the first part of Camino Portuguese seems a little primitive for us. If this is not recommended we will stay on the CF to Santiago.

We will fly into Barcelona on the 9/2/15 and spend a few days there before going to SJPP where we will start our walk. Any suggestions about transportation from Barcelona to SJPP is welcome. We will fly out of Barcelona on 10/15 and hope to be able to get back to Barcelona by the 13th. (I believe there is small plane fro about $100 for this but not certain if I need advance tickets. We hope we will have enough time and are not opposed to possibly busing through a town or two if necessary. Finisterre may not be possible in this short time but would like to fit that in as well. We have been training with a few 9-15 mile walks (carrying packs) in preparation here in Northern California and a couple of higher elevation hikes (Sierra Buttes). We also do a some bike riding. As a result we are probably in average shape for folks in our 60s. Any advice is welcome.

 

[Albertinho]

My husband and I will start our first Camino approximately 9/5/15 or 9/5/15. Is it possible and is there a good place to switch from Camino Frances to complete the Camino from Camino Portuguese at Porto. The coastal route looks very beautiful but the first part of Camino Portuguese seems a little primitive for us. If this is not recommended we will stay on the CF to Santiago.

We will fly into Barcelona on the 9/2/15 and spend a few days there before going to SJPP where we will start our walk. Any suggestions about transportation from Barcelona to SJPP is welcome. We will fly out of Barcelona on 10/15 and hope to be able to get back to Barcelona by the 13th. (I believe there is small plane fro about $100 for this but not certain if I need advance tickets. We hope we will have enough time and are not opposed to possibly busing through a town or two if necessary. Finisterre may not be possible in this short time but would like to fit that in as well. We have been training with a few 9-15 mile walks (carrying packs) in preparation here in Northern California and a couple of higher elevation hikes (Sierra Buttes). We also do a some bike riding. As a result we are probably in average shape for folks in our 60s. Any advice is welcome.

The caminho Português from Lisbon is a beautiful walk. Very interesting places like Lisbon, Santarèm ,Tomar, Coimbra to stay. Very nice landscapes.nicest people you can meet.great food. I walked it and should do it again.

The coastal is a great walk. We did it this year look at my vids. The third is something for you and is really a challenge for some time. From Porto it took us 3 week whereat we stayed 3 days at Casa Fernanda as hospitaleiros.

We started in Porto partly on the central route to the best place to stay on the northern leg at casa Fernanda. From there we switched over to the coast.the last vid ,el Variante Espiritual is something challeging for you. A fairly unknown camino partly going on a river, the only maritime caminho on the world. It starts where the supposed dead body of Saint James was brought on land on his way to Santiago de Compostela.. Very special.

I cannot advise you about where to switch on the Francès. I am not attracted to the french route .to busy ,bed races etc. Maybe not in september I do not know. I know some of the places on route but here again I prefer the Portuguese route .

Bom caminho.

 

[Barbara06]

Albertinho, thanks for those videos, they are great !
The coastal walk looks lovely

 

[Re-Teri-ed]

Thank you so much for sharing those videos. I loved the variety you captured on the walk in the three videos. It was nice to see the variety in the Albergues as well. Did you say it took you three weeks just from Porto? I wonder how long it would take from Lisbon to Santiago then. I am getting so close and need to finally decide. Maybe I should stay with my original plan of Camino Frances and attempt some pr Camino Portugese another time. So much to see and so little time.

 

[fraluchi]

My husband and I will start our first Camino approximately 9/5/15 or 9/5/15. Is it possible and is there a good place to switch from Camino Frances to complete the Camino from Camino Portuguese at Porto. [...]

If at any time you feel like "switching" from the Francés to the Portugués, you can jump by bus from most main cities (Logroño, Burgos, León, Ponferrado, etc.) to Santiago and from there to Porto (in Portugal) or to Tui (in Spain). Alsa is the bus company to consider.
From Porto to Santiago calculate for not less than 10 days walking (central Camino)

 

[Re-Teri-ed]

Thank you for that suggestion. I had gotten the impression that the walk from Port to Santiago is actually longer. Considering some of the things I have been reading about the last 200 km that may not be a bad idea. Do know if the central camino is along the coast? what is the terrain (hilly etc.) and are there plenty of albergues? I am also wondering about transportation to SJPP from Barcelona?. I think it all be approximately 9/4/15 that I am hoping to travel and have heard that there may be a train strike on that day. May have to wait until 9/5/15.

 

[HeidiL]

From Porto to Santiago was flat enough not to bother my difficult knees, and the albergues were mostly lovely old convents with very few people in them. The longest distance we walked was around 28 km.

There is a coastal route and a more central route, but they're not very far apart, and you can switch as you get on and find out what kind of walking you prefer. They're both described in the guidebook from www.csj.org.uk, which I strongly recommend.

 

[Re-Teri-ed]

Thank you. I will order that guidebook. I am getting excited. We leave not he 9/1/15, stopping in Barcelona for a few days. Hope to see some folks who have been helpful on these threads along the Way..