Too much information - anecdotes welcome!

[Erin Georgiou]

Hi all

I will be beginning my first Camino (Frances) on the 20/21st of April 2018.
I have been reading about it for some time and loving this forum. I am now in the lead up having difficult making final decision on some of the details. Your expertise is required:
-due to limited time I will be walking every day. I would like to start in SJPdP, but this is likely to mean I will need to complete double section days later in the walk, or do some bus travel. I am generally against using buses for hike sections. But have heard that the SJPdP section is one not to miss.
-otherwise, I'll start in Roncesvalles or Pamplona. Any pros or cons re starting here instead of SJPdP?
- do I really need a sleeping bag? Due to budget I will be looking to stay in most basic pilgrim alburgeus along the route.
- how does one go about washing clothes/socks on the route?
-can a pilgrim stay in a pilgrim hostel the night before commencing their Camino?
Any other hot tips very welcome!!

 

[mousehog]

Hi all

I will be beginning my first Camino (Frances) on the 20/21st of April 2018.
I have been reading about it for some time and loving this forum. I am now in the lead up having difficult making final decision on some of the details. Your expertise is required:
-due to limited time I will be walking every day. I would like to start in SJPdP, but this is likely to mean I will need to complete double section days later in the walk, or do some bus travel. I am generally against using buses for hike sections. But have heard that the SJPdP section is one not to miss.
-otherwise, I'll start in Roncesvalles or Pamplona. Any pros or cons re starting here instead of SJPdP?
- do I really need a sleeping bag? Due to budget I will be looking to stay in most basic pilgrim alburgeus along the route.
- how does one go about washing clothes/socks on the route?
-can a pilgrim stay in a pilgrim hostel the night before commencing their Camino?
Any other hot tips very welcome!!

I am glad I started in St Jean Pied de Port.
Yes you will need a light weight sleeping bag.
I took a small bag of laundry detergent. At this time of year, I shower and do laundry by hand every second day.
Yes I stayed in an Albergue in SJPDP on the night before crossing the Pyrenees.
Buen Camino!

 

[andywild]

I'm walking same time and definitely didn't want to miss sjpdp - Roncesvalles and suppose would rather do that and maybe skip a small section midway if need be but I guess it's entirely down to the individual. Maybe skipping midway would cause you to leave newfound buddies behind?? I'm definitely taking a light sleeping bag, although I'm the anxious type so others may disagree. I will be a couple of days ahead going slow so skip or no skip there's a chance we'll bump into eachother along the way.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

You should consider renting a bicycle for a bit if you notice that you are behind schedule by Logrono or Burgos. There are a number of companies that do this. This way you can complete the Camino under your own steam.

 

[tomnorth]

How many days do you have? How much do you think you are able to walk each day? I know someone who finished the CF in 23 days, and she is not young, but she is driven. From what I’ve seen, 30 days is a brisk but doable pace for the entire CF. I’m guessing the bulk of pilgrims have taken 32-38 days to walk the CF, including rest days. I do recommend a lightweight sleeping bag. I washed clothes by hand each day. I brought a bar of soap that I used for bathing and washing clothes. There are many albergue choices in St. Jean Pied de Port.

 

[Erin Georgiou]

How many days do you have? How much do you think you are able to walk each day? I know someone who finished the CF in 23 days, and she is not young, but she is driven. From what I’ve seen, 30 days is a brisk but doable pace for the entire CF. I’m guessing the bulk of pilgrims have taken 32-38 days to walk the CF, including rest days. I do recommend a lightweight sleeping bag. I washed clothes by hand each day. I brought a bar of soap that I used for bathing and washing clothes. There are many albergue choices in St. Jean Pied de Port.

Hi Tom!
Thanks for your reply. I have 30 days, I would love to do the whole route, I do not think this would allow for rest days however. I lack knowledge on merging traditional sections to cover more ground in less time, but I am hoping that April-May will allow for most alburgues to be operating even in smaller village stops?

 

[tomnorth]

Hi Tom!
Thanks for your reply. I have 30 days, I would love to do the whole route, I do not think this would allow for rest days however. I lack knowledge on merging traditional sections to cover more ground in less time, but I am hoping that April-May will allow for most alburgues to be operating even in smaller village stops?

Thirty days is doable if you’re quite fit, although it probably will not allow you any rest days as you noted. One thought is to skip the walks into or out of Burgos and León by taking a bus or taxi. Even if you only cut half of each of those distances by taking a taxi, you could buy yourself a couple days and not skip whole sections of your Camino. If you’d like to have a go at planning out stages that might work for you I suggest using the planner tool at godesalco.

 

[domigee]

Hi Tom!
Thanks for your reply. I have 30 days, I would love to do the whole route, I do not think this would allow for rest days however. I lack knowledge on merging traditional sections to cover more ground in less time, but I am hoping that April-May will allow for most alburgues to be operating even in smaller village stops?

30 days is indeed very do-able, that is usually the time it takes me and I am neither very young or very fit. You may not need (indeed not like) to take rest days. See how it goes, you'll soon see what you are comfortable with.

 

[CdnDreamer]

If you want to travel far, don't carry anything you "may need". You can only carry things you are going to use every day. I took a polyester liner (a fake silk liner) and cut up my sleeping bag so I only took with me a small piece that I could put over me on cold nights.
I didn't take any rest days when I walked - but it took me 42 days (averaging 18 km per day). Lots of people walk the camino in 30 days - I'm just slow.
I washed my clothes with my shampoo in a sink and hung them up to dry. Most albergues have dedicated areas for washing and drying clothes.
Yes you can stay in the albergue the night before you start the camino.
Buen camino!

 

[trecile]

Hi Tom!
Thanks for your reply. I have 30 days, I would love to do the whole route, I do not think this would allow for rest days however. I lack knowledge on merging traditional sections to cover more ground in less time, but I am hoping that April-May will allow for most alburgues to be operating even in smaller village stops?

For me, rest days are not necessary. I took one rest day during my first Camino, and really didn't enjoy it that much. I would rather do a short day now and then, especially when arriving in a city with more to do.

 

[Dorpie]

Hi Erin,

I don't know you or what you're capable but you might be surprised just how far you can go each day. Maybe I'm fitter than I think but I'm definitely fatter that I'd like and I still managed it in 30 days with a day off in Burgos and Leon.

For me to acheive this I'd say there were two golden rules;

Firstly and rather perversely- Start slow. For at least the first four days don't even think about the full distance or schedules, just do what you feel confortable with. You'll be surprised by how much easier walking is by week 2 and that's when (injuries permitting) you can start to make up some kilometres if you need to.

Second- Start your day early. If you set out at 7am or even earlier you can break your day up into manageable chunks. I would always try and do at least an hour before breakfast and before my brain even registered what was happening. If you do another 3 hours before lunch with maybe just a quick break you might have 15kms+ before it's even noon, anything after that is a bonus. This approach has several benefits; you won't be annoyed by all the other people getting up at the crack of dawn, you'll get to enjoy the beauty of the sunrise and you'll avoid walking too much in the heat of the day (assuming the weather has picked up enough for that to be a problem), my rule of thumb was that every Km walked after lunch as twice as hard as those before.

I didn't use a sleeping bag, just a liner but that really depends on the weather and how much you feel the cold. For pretty much all my washing I just used a soap bar, it won't get everything perfectly clean but on the Camino it's good enough.

Buen Camino,

Rob.

 

[Introibo]

One thought is to skip the walks into or out of Burgos and León by taking a bus or taxi.

You could "save" a day or even two with this approach. Taxi's are very cheap and leave
when you want them to. Waiting several hours for a bus seems like a waste of time

Buen Camino

 

[Anamiri]

I'm not a cyclist myself, but maybe an option is to cycle the Meseta; Burgos to Leon. It took us a week to walk that part. Apart from a serious hill out of Castrojerez, its pretty flat.
On my second Camino, my sister developed terrible blisters, and decided to hire a bike to save her toes. It turned out that you needed to be a bit organised for that, and in the bigger cities there is bike hire, in smaller places not. She ended up buying one instead.
If you book the bike hire, and bike the flat, you still get to experience the Meseta, but you'll get into Leon days earlier as you cover the ground faster on a bike. She found cycling on the flat quite easy.
I am the world's worst cyclist myself so it wouldn't be an option for me, but if you're confident cycling. it's a faster option. That way you get to say you did it all yourself, if that's important for you.
It is nice to have a day in Leon and Burgos if you have time, they are wonderful cities with lots to see.

I agree with Dorpie every km after lunch is much harder, and hotter. Its nice and refreshing in the morning. I am a much more happy camper if I walk early, and get some kms in before the heat sets in.

Slightly off topic:
Also, we met a couple of women who did a lot of side trips, they'd finish for the day, then taxi to places of interest and back. It hadn't occurred to me, the taxis are reasonably priced, and its not something you do every day, but you get to see a bit off the track, without walking it, and leave your main pack behind while you explore wineries, ruins or whatever. I will do that next time, there were places I fancied seeing, but by the time I finished I didn't feel like walking more kms.

 

[C clearly]

But have heard that the SJPdP section is one not to miss.

I am one of those who thinks the SJPP-Roncesvalles stage is hyped too much. Whatever your first day is, it will be one you would not have wanted to miss! I would prefer to focus on walking the whole way from wherever I started. If you start in Roncesvalles or Pamplona, just make a point of staying the night in the big albergues and deliberately making contact with some other pilgrims on that first day.

 

[t2andreo]

Many, MANY pilgrims chose to start at Pamplona. You can fly to Pamplona direct from Madrid. Iberia Express has several daily flights. Or, you can take a train or a bus. This is a traditional starting place for the Camino Frances, and many Spanish pilgrims start their Caminos here. If you can take a pass at visiting Saint Jean Pied de Port (as beautiful as it is) you can save 3-4 days not walking there.

Then, as others have suggested, if you bus or taxi, here and there to cut off the soulless (IMHO) industrial belts or estates that surround Burgos, and Leon, for example, you can shave another several days. None of this will measurable affect the quality or content of your Camino, again IMHO.

Taxis cost about one Euro per kilometer. Buses are much cheaper, but you have to be on their schedule. OTOH, if you consider the offset in nightly accommodation and saved daily sustenance costs, the cost model could be a wash.

To determine where to shave some distance and time, look at the Brierey Guide to the Camino Frances. The grey zones before and after these large cities are the industrial zones. This is where manufacturing, warehousing, office parks and "big box" stores are located. They are not very quiet or clean places in my experience. The noise of traffic rushing by on the adjacent national road is mind-numbing. I usually just take a pass.

For example, approaching Leon, I will grab a cab for the last 8 - 10 km into the city. I stay overnight or perhaps schedule a rest day.

On departure from Leon, I usually take a bus from the bus station to the edges of the industrial belt. This cuts almost two days walking off (1 + 1). I consider the corner cut in this way to add to the overall quality of my personal Camino. I HAVE walked every meter of the Camino Frances. It is this early experience that highlighted the bits that did not merit repeating. So, I try to avoid them.

Biking the Meseta is also a good idea, if you can do it. While it is MY favorite segment of this Camino, others may feel differently. You will need to rent a bike from Leon to Sahagun, mas o menas... Also plan to have your luggage taken for you. The bike shop can help arrange this service.

Hope this helps.

 

[Pam Scott]

Hi all

I will be beginning my first Camino (Frances) on the 20/21st of April 2018.
I have been reading about it for some time and loving this forum. I am now in the lead up having difficult making final decision on some of the details. Your expertise is required:
-due to limited time I will be walking every day. I would like to start in SJPdP, but this is likely to mean I will need to complete double section days later in the walk, or do some bus travel. I am generally against using buses for hike sections. But have heard that the SJPdP section is one not to miss.
-otherwise, I'll start in Roncesvalles or Pamplona. Any pros or cons re starting here instead of SJPdP?
- do I really need a sleeping bag? Due to budget I will be looking to stay in most basic pilgrim alburgeus along the route.
- how does one go about washing clothes/socks on the route?
-can a pilgrim stay in a pilgrim hostel the night before commencing their Camino?
Any other hot tips very welcome!!

Hi I think it all depends how fit you are. As a 63 year old in 2016 I was reasonably fit when I walked the Frances, I planned in rest days just in case but never used them. Please don't miss SJPdP or the mountains, they are beautiful. Buen Camino

 

[lt56ny]

Thirty days is doable if you’re quite fit, although it probably will not allow you any rest days as you noted. One thought is to skip the walks into or out of Burgos and León by taking a bus or taxi. Even if you only cut half of each of those distances by taking a taxi, you could buy yourself a couple days and not skip whole sections of your Camino. If you’d like to have a go at planning out stages that might work for you I suggest using the planner tool at godesalco.

Do you think it wise to advise someone to skip walking in and out of Burgos and Leon? Is there a more beautiful walk anywhere on earth than the walk along the airport into Burgos?????

 

[Kanga]

Yes, the river route (you walk past the airport first) into Burgos makes this a whole different walk!

 

[Shalaw]

I'm not a cyclist myself, but maybe an option is to cycle the Meseta; Burgos to Leon. It took us a week to walk that part. Apart from a serious hill out of Castrojerez, its pretty flat.
On my second Camino, my sister developed terrible blisters, and decided to hire a bike to save her toes. It turned out that you needed to be a bit organised for that, and in the bigger cities there is bike hire, in smaller places not. She ended up buying one instead.
If you book the bike hire, and bike the flat, you still get to experience the Meseta, but you'll get into Leon days earlier as you cover the ground faster on a bike. She found cycling on the flat quite easy.
I am the world's worst cyclist myself so it wouldn't be an option for me, but if you're confident cycling. it's a faster option. That way you get to say you did it all yourself, if that's important for you.
It is nice to have a day in Leon and Burgos if you have time, they are wonderful cities with lots to see.

I agree with Dorpie every km after lunch is much harder, and hotter. Its nice and refreshing in the morning. I am a much more happy camper if I walk early, and get some kms in before the heat sets in.

Slightly off topic:
Also, we met a couple of women who did a lot of side trips, they'd finish for the day, then taxi to places of interest and back. It hadn't occurred to me, the taxis are reasonably priced, and its not something you do every day, but you get to see a bit off the track, without walking it, and leave your main pack behind while you explore wineries, ruins or whatever. I will do that next time, there were places I fancied seeing, but by the time I finished I didn't feel like walking more kms.

I did rent a bike and rode it for the entire length of the meseta, which is 167kms I think, which would have taken almost 7 days to walk at an average of 25kms/day, which we ended up cycling in 2 days so we shaved off 5 days. We got the bikes delivered to La Fabrica in Tardajos which is about 10kms outside of Burgos and we returned them in Leon. I know a lot of people think walking this stretch is not to be missed because it’s very introspective, but if you are on a time constraint, it’s a great option. Some think this is cheating, but even though you’re not walking this bit, you are still using your own steam to get there and it’s really fun!! You can either bungee your pack to the back of your bike or you can send it ahead 70kms each day. This allowed us to complete the Camino in 32 days, which included two rest days, one in Logrono because I felt like I was coming down with a cold, and one in Leon because my partner felt wonky then too, plus they were having a super cool medieval fair that we wanted to check out. Plus it gives us an excuse to go back and just walk the meseta, which we plan to do someday. Renting the bikes allowed us to spend more time touring all the D-Day beaches and sites in Normandy and Belgium after our Camino which was amazing!!

Whichever you decide, Buen Camino!!

 

[PegaPegasus]

Hello Erin
Afraid I am not much help, except to say I am in Port St Jean now, I start walking my first Camino on Monday. It is beautiful and I am very happy I decided to start from here. I hope it’s ok to say - If you do decide to start from SJPP I would highly recommend La Coquille Napoleon for your overnight stay - nice place and wonderful people!
Buen Camino

 

[Anniesantiago]

Wow! Time's short to just now be asking these questions, but here are my opinions:

-due to limited time I will be walking every day. I would like to start in SJPdP, but this is likely to mean I will need to complete double section days later in the walk, or do some bus travel. I am generally against using buses for hike sections. But have heard that the SJPdP section is one not to miss.
This time of year, the walk can be spectacular or it can be completely fogged in, or it CAN be snowing and impassable. Many people begin in other places. I'd suggest Pamplona due to your schedule. It's a great place to begin!

-otherwise, I'll start in Roncesvalles or Pamplona. Any pros or cons re starting here instead of SJPdP?
Pros: You won't have to bus to SJPP or Roncesvalles, you can spend a day or two touristing around Pamplona - lots to see. Cons: Can't think of any

- do I really need a sleeping bag? Due to budget I will be looking to stay in most basic pilgrim alburgeus along the route. This time of year, I'd never walk without a sleeping bag. It's going to still be cold and many albergues do not turn on the heat. You could get away with a summer weight bag and wearing your clothes to bed, but most places will not allow you to sleep on the mattresses without something between the mattress and you.

- how does one go about washing clothes/socks on the route? You can wash by hand or use machines. Where there are machines, soap is included in the price.

-can a pilgrim stay in a pilgrim hostel the night before commencing their Camino? Yes.

You might enjoy perusing my Facebook Group "Planning Your Camino Santiago" where you'll find information on every topic you can think of. https://www.facebook.com/groups/170414516912037/

 

[traveler]

Yes, the river route (you walk past the airport first) into Burgos makes this a whole different walk!

The river walk is great. If you turn left early and do the foothills before the hiway, you get to a very lightly used overpass and avoid the airport. When I last walked the Camino, the route is marked but the left turn was not. A little bit of google map work resolves this easily.

Also - there is an entire thread on this, with great info.

 

[tomnorth]

Do you think it wise to advise someone to skip walking in and out of Burgos and Leon? Is there a more beautiful walk anywhere on earth than the walk along the airport into Burgos?????

What could I have been thinking! ‘-)

 

[Gareth Griffith]

You could "save" a day or even two with this approach. Taxi's are very cheap and leave
when you want them to. Waiting several hours for a bus seems like a waste of time

Buen Camino

I'd very much agree with this advice. The Brierley guide says at one point (I may be paraphrasing here) "Save yourself a dangerous and tedious walk through industrial wastelands and get the bus from here into town." It was a Sunday and I had to kill time wandering the streets and drinking in the bar at the bus station (Masilla de La Mulas) for three hours. I should have used the stuff between my ears and caught a taxi. Talking of which, a lovely American lady called Carol walking with her mature son Tim, were climbing the Pyrenees from Orisson to Roncesvalles in very high winds. Carol thought it was getting too much for her and turned back, having first taken some money from her son Tim to get a taxi to Roncesvalles. On the way down the track she persuaded a couple of others to turn back to and got them to share the cost of the taxi. Although we ribbed her a bit for giving up too soon, she was absolutely correct in her actions in many ways. 1. No need to call out the bomberos. 2. Passing on adverse weather conditions to other pilgrims. 2. Keeping the costs down by sharing.

 

[trecile]

I had some of the most interesting conversations with other pilgrims while walking the "boring parts".

 

[lt56ny]

What could I have been thinking! ‘-)

That’s what you have Priscilla and me for! To do your thinking. Well to tell you the truth Silvia does my thinking for me too!!!! Walk with us next year you will love it!

 

[lt56ny]

Yes, the river route (you walk past the airport first) into Burgos makes this a whole different walk!

I know of this river walk that is supposed to be nice but in 2 CF Caminos I missed the cut off both times!!!!! So I had the other magnificent stroll through industrial Burgos!!!!

 

[trecile]

@minaleigh posted a fabulous resource for those wanting to walk the Burgos River route here.

I downloaded the PDF to my phone, and it worked flawlessly.

 

[Tincatinker]

There are still a few bars along the N120 into Burgos that I have not yet examined. The 'river' route is pleasant but no less of a walk, and virtually devoid of refreshment opportunities outside of weekends and 'high season' when you can, sometimes, find a kiosk that will charge you a 'menu del dia' price for a can of pop. Hypermarkets and car showrooms are as much a part of modern Spain, modern Europe, as prettified pathways and 'peregrino' resources. Some might take the view that walking a nice wide pavement in a thriving city is preferable to meandering the dark wood of the urban fringe. Dunno where St John got his "industrial wastelands" from - every time I've walked that way its been busy with local people making a living (and not from preying on the odd passing pilg ).

 

[trecile]

Hypermarkets and car showrooms are as much a part of modern Spain, modern Europe, as prettified pathways and 'peregrino' resources.

I totally agree. I wanted to see all of Spain, the good, the bad and the ugly.

 

[owms2323]

Hi all

I will be beginning my first Camino (Frances) on the 20/21st of April 2018.
I have been reading about it for some time and loving this forum. I am now in the lead up having difficult making final decision on some of the details. Your expertise is required:
-due to limited time I will be walking every day. I would like to start in SJPdP, but this is likely to mean I will need to complete double section days later in the walk, or do some bus travel. I am generally against using buses for hike sections. But have heard that the SJPdP section is one not to miss.
-otherwise, I'll start in Roncesvalles or Pamplona. Any pros or cons re starting here instead of SJPdP?
- do I really need a sleeping bag? Due to budget I will be looking to stay in most basic pilgrim alburgeus along the route.
- how does one go about washing clothes/socks on the route?
-can a pilgrim stay in a pilgrim hostel the night before commencing their Camino?
Any other hot tips very welcome!!

I would not want to miss SJPP or Orisson. Beilari Albergue is wonderful in SJPP. You can easily skip the walk into and out of Leon, as it is very industrial

 

[Shalaw]

Do you think it wise to advise someone to skip walking in and out of Burgos and Leon? Is there a more beautiful walk anywhere on earth than the walk along the airport into Burgos?????

We walked until we came to the BURGOS sign and then went to the local McDonalds and then took a cab into the city centre because that was another 10kms after arriving there!! Or at least it felt like it. Lol

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Do you think it wise to advise someone to skip walking in and out of Burgos and Leon? Is there a more beautiful walk anywhere on earth than the walk along the airport into Burgos?????

Ha! One of my most UNenjoyable (yet UNforgettable) stretches on any Camino...but you knew that!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

To the OP, I loved my first two days from SJPdP to Roncevalles via Valcarlos twice. But if you are pressed for time, it is an easy bus or train ride to Pamplona, and as the saying goes, "You don't miss what you don't know." The beauty of the rest of the walk will fill you with its own joy.

 

[Erin Georgiou]

Thanks for your time to reply Chris. I'm going to give St Jean a go! I think 30km a day will be doable for me.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I totally agree. I wanted to see all of Spain, the good, the bad and the ugly.

I agree with what you and Tinky are saying, but when I come to Europe, I am looking to see the old and ancient, which we don't have in the USA. I get my fill of all things modern and industrial on our side of the pond. That said, I always walk those unappealing stretches in and out of the cities, but personally they don't "trip my trigger". .

 

[t2andreo]

Yes, I agree totally that the River Walk is an improvement. But, each time I head into Burgos, I seem to miss it and end up in the industrial estates...sigh... Hence, my reticence to try another go... Once I realized I missed the turn for the River Walk, I promptly found a taxi to avoid the rest of what I knew was ahead...

But, if you have the time, and can arrange NOT to miss the turn to the River Walk, go for it!

 

[trecile]

Yes, I agree totally that the River Walk is an improvement. But, each time I head into Burgos, I seem to miss it and end up in the industrial estates...sigh... Hence, my reticence to try another go... Once I realized I missed the turn for the River Walk, I promptly found a taxi to avoid the rest of what I knew was ahead...

But, if you have the time, and can arrange NOT to miss the turn to the River Walk, go for it!

Download the PDF that I posted above. It makes it super easy to find.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Download the PDF that I posted above. It makes it super easy to find.

We located the river walk both times going into Burgos and it is quite relaxing and enjoyable with few people...well, I didn't find it, my son did.

 

[t2andreo]

Super easy is fine... Thank you... I jus downloaded the .pdf file and saved it to my Camino Frances route information directory. NEXT TIME I will follow this resource.

THANK YOU!

 

[David Tallan]

Hi all

I will be beginning my first Camino (Frances) on the 20/21st of April 2018.
I have been reading about it for some time and loving this forum. I am now in the lead up having difficult making final decision on some of the details. Your expertise is required:
-due to limited time I will be walking every day. I would like to start in SJPdP, but this is likely to mean I will need to complete double section days later in the walk, or do some bus travel. I am generally against using buses for hike sections. But have heard that the SJPdP section is one not to miss.
-otherwise, I'll start in Roncesvalles or Pamplona. Any pros or cons re starting here instead of SJPdP?
- do I really need a sleeping bag? Due to budget I will be looking to stay in most basic pilgrim alburgeus along the route.
- how does one go about washing clothes/socks on the route?
-can a pilgrim stay in a pilgrim hostel the night before commencing their Camino?
Any other hot tips very welcome!!

Re: SJPP vs Roncesvalles
I can't provide good comparative insight here because both times I started in Roncesvalles. When I did my first Camino in 1989 I was living in Spain and learning about it from Spanish people. As far as the Spanish are concerned, the Camino Frances starts in Roncesvalles (imagine that!) so that's where I started. In 2016, walking with my son, I wanted to retrace the same route with him, so we started in Roncesvalles again. Incidentally, the halfway marker just before Sahagun marks the halfway point between Roncesvalles and Santiago, not between SJPP and Santiago.

The advantage of starting in Roncesvalles is, of course, you don't have to tackle the really difficult climbs until later in the journey when you have conditioned yourself. Also, in your case it might be that you can just walk from there on, not having to skip sections once you've started walking or push yourself too hard (with the attendant risk of injury). The disadvantages are: missing some glorious scenery (I hear) if the weather will let you see it; many of the "Camino families" get formed in SJPP so you may miss out on being part of that and find yourself a bit on the outside at the beginning; if you are of the "The Camino starts in SJPP" belief, you may feel that you are not doing the whole thing.

Re: Roncesvalles vs Pamplona
Starting in Roncesvalles you do get all of the Spanish Camino Frances and get to walk through some of the Pyrenees and the nice Basque villages. On the other hand, starting in Pamplona, you don't have to travel east by motor vehicle only to walk it westward on foot for the next few days. The same factors above in terms of just walking the rest of the way vs. skipping or doubling may be here, too, if you don't have enough days to walk from Roncesvalles.

Re: sleeping bag. We didn't need them when we walked in 2016, but that was July/August. Others can better advise on this.

How you go about washing clothes/socks en route depends on your budget and preferences. I started by thinking I would hand wash everything but ended up mostly doing machine washes. With two people washing about every other day, that made four sets of clothes which was a good load. We tended to mostly stay at private albergues that had washing machines (for me) and wifi (for my son). Sometimes we would share washing machine loads with others and do the laundry every day. Sometimes we would stay at albergues without washing machines and do the laundry by hand. Most albergues have laundry sinks that can hold a fair amount of laundry and have ridges for rubbing your clothes against if you want to do them by hand.

Re: The night before
We stayed in the albergue in Roncesvalles the night before starting our Camino. Many people stay at albergues in SJPP the night before setting out. I think doing so is considered fairly normal.

 

[Rosemaryk1]

I'm not a cyclist myself, but maybe an option is to cycle the Meseta; Burgos to Leon. It took us a week to walk that part. Apart from a serious hill out of Castrojerez, its pretty flat.
On my second Camino, my sister developed terrible blisters, and decided to hire a bike to save her toes. It turned out that you needed to be a bit organised for that, and in the bigger cities there is bike hire, in smaller places not. She ended up buying one instead.
If you book the bike hire, and bike the flat, you still get to experience the Meseta, but you'll get into Leon days earlier as you cover the ground faster on a bike. She found cycling on the flat quite easy.
I am the world's worst cyclist myself so it wouldn't be an option for me, but if you're confident cycling. it's a faster option. That way you get to say you did it all yourself, if that's important for you.
It is nice to have a day in Leon and Burgos if you have time, they are wonderful cities with lots to see.

I agree with Dorpie every km after lunch is much harder, and hotter. Its nice and refreshing in the morning. I am a much more happy camper if I walk early, and get some kms in before the heat sets in.

Slightly off topic:
Also, we met a couple of women who did a lot of side trips, they'd finish for the day, then taxi to places of interest and back. It hadn't occurred to me, the taxis are reasonably priced, and its not something you do every day, but you get to see a bit off the track, without walking it, and leave your main pack behind while you explore wineries, ruins or whatever. I will do that next time, there were places I fancied seeing, but by the time I finished I didn't feel like walking more kms.

I used taxi's in 2014 for this and all the drivers I had were very friendly and MORE than willing to answer questions. A few even waited around for me if I felt uncomfortable where I was exploring. Definitely do not be afraid to utilize this awesome resource! Even with drivers that did not speak much English, guess what???... we still understood each other! Just don't feel intimidated, you are a Pilgrim and where you need to be! Buen Camino!

 

[Lurch]

I agree with what you and Tinky are saying, but when I come to Europe, I am looking to see the old and ancient, which we don't have in the USA. I get my fill of all things modern and industrial on our side of the pond. That said, I always walk those unappealing stretches in and out of the cities, but personally they don't "trip my trigger". .

Yeah...but we have Monument a Valley, MesaVerde and Montezuma’s Well. Had to throw the last in. I was a Seasonal Ranger there the Summer of 1967.

There must be some similar stuff on the other (crowded) side of the Mississippi, but dang me if I can think of any. As you can tell, I am a Westerner, through and through!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Yeah...but we have Monument a Valley, MesaVerde and Montezuma’s Well. Had to throw the last in. I was a Seasonal Ranger there the Summer of 1967.

There must be some similar stuff on the other (crowded) side of the Mississippi, but dang me if I can think of any. As you can tell, I am a Westerner, through and through!

I have been out west many times and seen a large number of our beautiful national parks...Arches, Zion, Bryce, Rockies, Monument Valley, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Yosemite, Sequoia, Glacier, Yellowstone, Tetons, Kodachrome state pk, and Banff & Jasper in Canada...Eastern side I've been to Acadia, Shenandoah, Smokey Mountains. They are all outstanding for sure! I was not referring to our awesome landscapes! They are "right up there" with many of the world's best.

 

[Juli90]

Where did you rent the bikes? And is it possible to order them on a short notice of 2-3 days? I got ill and will need to catch up to my schedule...

 

[Via2010]

Hi Erin,

I never took a rest day on my caminos, as this means that you have to let go most of the travel companions you met. If you want to have some time for sight-seeing in the bigger cities, you can plan shorter stages in and out.

This planing-tool is also helpful:

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As you have a limited schedule, I suggest, you start in Pamplona. This is a popular starting point and leaves about 700 km to walk (average of 23 km/day). So you do not have to bus sections and to leave your companions behind. If you reach Santiago before, you may continue or bus to Finisterre.