VdlP Guidebooks - Recommendations

[Robo]

Why even use one?

I like guidebooks. They help me to understand the route and conditions before I go.

And whilst walking, I really use them for two things.

1. Accommodation. I tend to read a few days ahead looking at accommodation options. Nice evening reading. And I'll use the contact details if I want to call ahead and book.
2. Food and Water. I'll look at the guidebook a day or two ahead to plan where I might find water and food. And plan accordingly.
3. OK Three Things. The Maps. What ever you say about Brierley, I love his maps. Simple and clear with all the right information. Distance, elevations, water points etc. Not always accurate, but not bad.

I've yet to find a comparable guide book for the VdlP. Do they exist?
I have Gerald Kelly's guide which is good, but are there others?

 

[Martyduc]

Why even use one?

I like guidebooks. They help me to understand the route and conditions before I go.

And whilst walking, I really use them for two things.

1. Accommodation. I tend to read a few days ahead looking at accommodation options. Nice evening reading. And I'll use the contact details if I want to call ahead and book.
2. Food and Water. I'll look at the guidebook a day or two ahead to plan where I might find water and food. And plan accordingly.
3. OK Three Things. The Maps. What ever you say about Brierley, I love his maps. Simple and clear with all the right information. Distance, elevations, water points etc. Not always accurate, but not bad.

I've yet to find a comparable guide book for the VdlP. Do they exist?
I have Gerald Kelly's guide which is good, but are there others?

Do you read German or French,,, there are Guides in both languages that were used a lot,,, earl

 

[ranthr]

If you read German the yellow OUTDOOR Jakobsweg - Via de la Plata ISBN 978-3-86686-265-4 was the most detailed and updated when I was on the way in 2011. I brought the Cicerone guide by Alison Raju and another German red guidebook, Rother, but when in doubt I always asked someone with the yellow guidebook.

 

[Robo]

If you read German the yellow OUTDOOR Jakobsweg - Via de la Plata ISBN 978-3-86686-265-4 was the most detailed and updated when I was on the way in 2011. I brought the Cicerone guide by Alison Raju and another German red guidebook, Rother, but when in doubt I always asked someone with the yellow guidebook.

Thanks. I can manage a bit of German and French so will hunt those out!

 

[Bradypus]

My tuppence worth - the online guide from Eroski also have a downloadable version for offline use. Very good notes on each stage - description of terrain, history, notable buildings and so on. Only in Spanish though. If that is a problem I found a slightly fiddly workaround to produce a mostly understandable translation. If you use Google Chrome as your browser with its automatic translation turned on you can open and then scroll down through ALL of the html version from the links below. Google Chrome will produce a reasonable translation of the entire document - not polished prose but usually comprehensible. Once that is done then "print" the newly translated document as a PDF file which you can view offline on the gadget of your choice. The Eroski guides only list albergues - not private accommodation. Gronze is better for that. Put information from both Eroski and Gronze together with Gerard Kelly's guide and you should have a pretty comprehensive set of information.

http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/llevatela-al-camino/

 

[Deleted member 83944]

Alison Raju's books published by CSJ are now rather out of date: the most recent hasn't been updated since 2011. She's a lovely lady and I know she was working on an update several years ago, I don't know what happened about it.

I was also told recently by Spanish people that Eroski has become out of date - apparently there was a paid member of staff working on it at one time, but not any more. But its main strength is that it has good descriptions on how to walk out of and into cities, which haven't gone out of date.

I love Gronze - always seems up to date, lovely simple maps, links to Booking.com if an accommodation uses it. You can download the pages to offline on your phone for when the signal gives out, but just test that your browser is downloading the maps as well. You don't need to read Spanish to use it, apart from the reviews (which are summarised by a bar chart anyway) and those are easy to put into Google Translate.

 

[Zoula]

I heard from Michael of the Wise Pilgrim that he will publish his new guide on the VldP this November! I am anxiously waiting for it to use in April 2019!!

 

[Barry Coltham]

I used the wise pilgrim app downloaded to smartphone for both VDLP and Santiago to muxia & finisterre - would recommend these - very useful
Also cross checked using Gerald Kelly’s guide was worth having on the phone
Prefer having an electronic version due to zero weight

 

[jayree]

Alison Raju's books published by CSJ are now rather out of date: the most recent hasn't been updated since 2011. She's a lovely lady and I know she was working on an update several years ago, I don't know what happened about it

I contacted Cicerone about their VdlP guide update and received this reply ...

“Many thanks for your interest in our guide and we are planning a new edition but I am afraid it is presently planned for Feb 2020.”

 

[camino07]

Why even use one?

I like guidebooks. They help me to understand the route and conditions before I go.

And whilst walking, I really use them for two things.

1. Accommodation. I tend to read a few days ahead looking at accommodation options. Nice evening reading. And I'll use the contact details if I want to call ahead and book.
2. Food and Water. I'll look at the guidebook a day or two ahead to plan where I might find water and food. And plan accordingly.
3. OK Three Things. The Maps. What ever you say about Brierley, I love his maps. Simple and clear with all the right information. Distance, elevations, water points etc. Not always accurate, but not bad.

I've yet to find a comparable guide book for the VdlP. Do they exist?
I have Gerald Kelly's guide which is good, but are there others?

I also went with Gerald Kelly's guide but partnered it with the guide written by the Amigos del Camino de Santiago de Sevilla. I got it from Hotel Simon for 10 euros. I love its stage maps.

 

[Robo]

I also went with Gerald Kelly's guide but partnered it with the guide written by the Amigos del Camino de Santiago de Sevilla. I got it from Hotel Simon for 10 euros. I love its stage maps.

Can it be bought online? It would be nice to scan it onto my phone.
Actually I see they sell it on their website, but it's the 2011 edition.
http://www.viaplata.org/guia-del-camino

 

[Zoula]

I contacted Cicerone about their VdlP guide update and received this reply ...

“Many thanks for your interest in our guide and we are planning a new edition but I am afraid it is presently planned for Feb 2020.”

Thanks for the update Jayree!

 

[camino07]

Can it be bought online? It would be nice to scan it onto my phone.
Actually I see they sell it on their website, but it's the 2011 edition.
http://www.viaplata.org/guia-del-camino

Can it be bought online? It would be nice to scan it onto my phone.
Actually I see they sell it on their website, but it's the 2011 edition.
http://www.viaplata.org/guia-del-camino

Yes, mine is also 2011 but the maps are still ok . I used Gerald Kelly's for accomodation