Walking and campervan?

[Shazenalan]

We completed our 2nd CF in July - walking for around 60 days. We are addicted and planning the C. Portugese for next spring. We are also considering taking a campervan to Europe and walking some favourite or new Camino routes in sections over 3 months. But the logistics of this is quite challenging - do we leave the van somewhere safe while we walk a few days? Get transport back to the van then drive on? Or is there another way that we haven’t thought if? If anyone has done this please would you share?

 

[Introibo]

Well.....One of you sets off walking. The other drives the camper van to where you plan to stop walking that day, then starts walking back to where the other started. Mid way you meet and swap keys. The one with the keys arrives at the van and dives back to where you started. You can then either spend another night there or. drive to where you finished walking. I've heard of a couple who did this on one of the big trails in America.

Sounds anything but relaxing though.

 

[Robo]

Well.....One of you sets off walking. The other drives the camper van to where you plan to stop walking that day, then starts walking back to where the other started. Mid way you meet and swap keys. The one with the keys arrives at the van and dives back to where you started. You can then either spend another night there or. drive to where you finished walking. I've heard of a couple who did this on one of the big trails in America.

Sounds anything but relaxing though.

Way too complicated.

Park the van somewhere secure and go walk your Camino.

Then come back to pick it up........

 

[Kanga]

Yes, we met a couple on one of the GR routes in France who was doing this (with a car and tent). They would stay, usually in a campground, overnight, the next morning they would pack up tent into the car and one would set off walking while the other would drive to the next campground or destination. The driver would then walk back until they met, then they would walk together back to the car in the new overnight destination. They took turns as to which was going to do the driving and the there-and-back bit.

 

[Shazenalan]

Yes, we met a couple on one of the GR routes in France who was doing this (with a car and tent). They would stay, usually in a campground, overnight, the next morning they would pack up tent into the car and one would set off walking while the other would drive to the next campground or destination. The driver would then walk back until they met, then they would walk together back to the car in the new overnight destination. They took turns as to which was going to do the driving and the there-and-back bit.

Yes - we saw some couples on the CF alternating with a campervan - drive one day, swap and walk the next. So… half a Camino each

 

[auburnfive]

I met a couple from Holland who had a camper van and did the Portuguese Camino. They parked it in Santiago, took a bus to Porto and both walked from there, staying in albergues. The camper van was used for a leisurely camping trip to and from Santiago.

 

[debigetsout]

Take bikes. Ride the bikes to your start point and walk back to the van. Then drive the van to pick up the bikes. Stay two nights at same place by walking a day in each direction (one of the days you are walking part of the Camino backwards).

 

[Levi]

For me and my campervan it's one or the other. I park my van somewhere safe and then just walk...travel back to the van at the end of the walk, not the day.

 

[Helen Robinson]

We completed our 2nd CF in July - walking for around 60 days. We are addicted and planning the C. Portugese for next spring. We are also considering taking a campervan to Europe and walking some favourite or new Camino routes in sections over 3 months. But the logistics of this is quite challenging - do we leave the van somewhere safe while we walk a few days? Get transport back to the van then drive on? Or is there another way that we haven’t thought if? If anyone has done this please would you share?

I'm hoping to walk next year. Husband will drive the camper to the next spit and wait for me. He has no interest in walking the camino. I have heard of people getting a bus back to their starting point at the end of the day to collect their van and move it forward.

 

[Shazenalan]

For me and my campervan it's one or the other. I park my van somewhere safe and then just walk...travel back to the van at the end of the walk, not the day.

I like this idea — may I ask how you found and chose a safe place to leave your van?

 

[Levi]

@Shazenalen - I found a camping site close to where the walk started and booked my van in there. Of course, there's a cost (including the cost of travellingback to the van)- but the benefit is that you know the van is safe and you can concentrate on the walk.
When my partner was walking the Camino Frances a few years ago he was able to negotiate a reduced price for leaving his van in a campsite near SJPP.
Hope you're able to arrange something!

 

[Shazenalan]

That is great yo know - thank you!

 

[Helen Robinson]

I like this idea — may I ask how you found and chose a safe place to leave your van?

My husband used Search 4 sites and Park 4 night. At a pinch we parked at a cemetery one night and on a disused road another but for the rest of the time we found park ups.