Vezelay, or Brittany to Tours Route?

[newfydog]

Well, we leave in a week for our fourth Pilgrimage, Menton-Arles-Toulouse.

I always like to be planing the next trip before one is finished---it prevents the post trip let-down.

I think the next trip will be from Vezelay, or we might start up in Britanny and tie into the Paris-Tours SJPP route in the Cognac region. We have guidebooks for both, have seen tantalizing pieces of both, but I can't figure out which one should be next. Any thoughts?

 

[sillydoll]

I haven't walked the Vezelay Route, which I believe is very beautiful.

I walked the Via Turonensis in 2004 - it is one of the oldest through France but is also the least popular. The year before I walked it only 44 pilgrims started there.
Why? Well, I think because it is SO flat, and there is quite a lot of road walking. Also, until you reach the south there are very few (if any) pilgrim albergues and hardly any Gites (because there are no real hiking trails on that route.)

There is an overview here: http://www.csj.org.uk/route-paris.htm

http://pagesperso-orange.fr/viaturonensis/

http://www.amis-st-jacques-tours.org/

Diary: http://viaturonensis.ifrance.com/

Stages: http://viaturonensis.ifrance.com/Etapes.htm




St Jean this end .........................................Paris here.

 

[giorgio]

Not having walked the Tauronensis it's hard to answer your question...however we did walk from Vezelay last year so let me just say that it's a good itinerary with a rather good infrastructure for pilgrims (you can go thru this chapter of this forum to find out ). One special thing we experienced whenever we had a chance to do so was the hospitality offered by the Friends of the Chemin (generally former pilgrims) and this was the opportunity for great unforgettable evenings with a genuine pilgrim spirit ( the fact we speak french sure helped a lot, i should add )
This said Vezelay is a very solitary route thru a great peaceful countryside.
Anything else you need just ask
Giorgio and Elisa

 

[Theo]

Hi,

In this post (click Here), I gave yesterday some information about the Plantagenets Way and other routes in Brittany.

Feel free to ask me more information about Breton routes.

Théo

 

[Helen Mannersjö]

Hello
Last spring my wife and Via de la Plata and it was a fantastic experience. So in March / April 2016 we intend to go back . This time we want to go a little further and we are looking to start in St. Mathieu France and then continue onto Camino del Norte and Camino Primitivo . I have a hard time finding information about the route through France. Also looking for an English guidebook for this part of the walk . Tips are appreciated.

Buen Camino