• For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here.
    (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation)
  • ⚠️ Emergency contact in Spain - Dial 112 and AlertCops app. More on this here.

Search 69,459 Camino Questions

Walking from Paris to Santiago de Compostela...

KillerQueen

New Member
I'm thinking on doing Paris to Compostela, first via Turonensis and then via Camino Francés.

Is there a way to do this? Has someone did this? How many kilometers there are from one city to the other one? How much time did it take to you? How much money do I have to take to do the whole route?

Thanks in advance for your recommendations!
Best regards,

Alan @ Buenos Aires, Argentina.
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
Hallo Alan,
on this site you have a summary , day by day ,from paris to santiago via Tours and the Camino del norte. Was done a few years ago by a friend of mine. It is in italian, but you can probably use it to see stages and places to stop
http://www.camminfacendo.altervista.org/diario3.htm
Giorgio
 
I walked this route in 2004 and used the Paris to the Pyrenees guide book from the CSJ bookshop - http://www.csj.org.uk - and also the CSJ's Camino Frances guide book.
Gareth walked from England and from Paris a year ago and I'm sure would be happy to give you some up-to-date advice.
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
Thank you very much for your comments. In the Georgio's friend page, he lasted 2 months and a few days to do Via Turonensis + Camino del Norte. Awesome... I was thinking in about 3 or 3 and a half! :) Obviously, he's an expert walker... I have to think very well if I want to do these 1800km in the first time... the largest pilgrimage I've done is Lujan in Argentina, that it's like 70km.

Mmmmh... very scary, but I don't want to wait 11 years to have another Jacob Saint Year... I would be 34, and probably I wouldn't be as healthy as I am now.
 
You will have almost 1 000km to get fit!
The Via Turonensis is like a flat-line on a heart monitor and you will only find a few hills when you reach the south. By then you'll be able to march over the pass between St Jean and Roncesvalles! (That is the pointed blip at the end!)
 

Attachments

  • Via Touronensis profile.JPG
    Via Touronensis profile.JPG
    5.9 KB · Views: 9,123
I'm thinking on doing Paris to Compostela, first via Turonensis and then via Camino Francés.

Is there a way to do this? Has someone did this? How many kilometers there are from one city to the other one? How much time did it take to you? How much money do I have to take to do the whole route?

Thanks in advance for your recommendations!
Best regards,

Alan @ Buenos Aires, Argentina.

I am trying to find out as much information about this hike as I can. But it doesn't seem that well traveled. Did you end up doing this trek? It is the same one I am hoping to do. I would like to hear from you to get some information about your experience.

Thanks,
Anto
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Walked form home Utrecht to Cologne, Liege, Namur, St Quentin and arrived in Paris one year ago and will soon pick up the walk direction Poitiers.
Looking forward to meet new people.
 
I'm hoping to walk from Paris to Santiago in 2018 as I'll be taking early retirement that year. At the moment I'm learning Swedish as that's where I'm hoping to move to but closer to the time I'm also going to have to learn some French if I'm to survive walking through France for a month so I'm trying to learn a few words and phrases each week. Could someone tell me how I ask for a stamp for my Pilgrim's Passport in French please? If I google it then it will assume I'm after a postage stamp so I'd like to get the wording right so that people know what I'm after, even if they don't understand much else.
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
Your Pilgrim Passport will generally be stamped with a rubber stamp and ink pad. Thus you might request "un tampon s'il vous plaît" or "puis-je avoir un tampon s'il vous plaît". Synonyms in French for tampon are cachet and seau. All three words tampon, cachet, and seau in this usage mean an official seal as, for example, used by the post office.

MM
 
Last edited:
Your Pilgrim Passport will generally be stamped with a rubber stamp and ink pad. Thus you might request "un tampon s'il vous plaît" or "puis-je avoir un tampon s'il vous plaît". Synonyms in French for tampon are cachet and seau. All three words tampon, cachet, and seau in this usage mean an official seal as, for example, used by the post office.

MM
Thank you very much for your help, I'll start learning these phrases right away.
 
Diefenbaker will find that most tourisme offices in France have (very helpful) English-speaking staff and many mairies (town halls) will also have English-speaking staff who work with the English-speaking residents, of which there are many in northern and western France. That having been said, most of the people he will meet in rural areas and small towns will only understand French, so he should knuckle down and get some traveller's French under his belt--- evening courses are easily available in most places and well worth the investment of time.
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
Thank you very much for your comments. In the Georgio's friend page, he lasted 2 months and a few days to do Via Turonensis + Camino del Norte. Awesome... I was thinking in about 3 or 3 and a half! :) Obviously, he's an expert walker... I have to think very well if I want to do these 1800km in the first time... the largest pilgrimage I've done is Lujan in Argentina, that it's like 70km.

Mmmmh... very scary, but I don't want to wait 11 years to have another Jacob Saint Year... I would be 34, and probably I wouldn't be as healthy as I am now.
Oh my Goodness!!! ***34***!!! That's so OLD!!!(not) and you will be as healthy as you choose to be. I am 60 and will be starting my first Camino in late July early August. Sure, I'll walk slower and take longer, but I'll enjoy it all! Buen Camino little brother!
 
I'm planning on taking the Tours route via Orléans, if anyone has any information, tips or anything, please share - every bit of information will be highly appreciated.

I found a decent book in French, it will give me some advice on the first legs of my journey and most probably there are other books in the same series picking up from where this one ends. A proper knowledge of French would be a great asset when reading these though...:D
 
Check out the Guide LePere for that route. Even without understanding much French, it has useful info about places to stay and what resources are available for each stage, and his paths are usually quite a bit shorter than the GRs, because he's not looking for the best view all the time (although it's rarely the most direct route for him, either):

http://www.chemin-compostelle.fr/boutique/france/chemin-tours/

Having said that, I find the LePeres irritatingly detailed (now look for a blue house and turn 25º to the right.... pages of exhausting minutiae when he could just say take the Rue Quelque chose to the Place Qu'est-ce que c'est and have done with it). There are also a number of web sites for the local chapters of the Amis with more or less info about walking through their departements.

Also, Carolus Peregrinator from this forum has a day by day blog, although sometimes it's pretty short on details:
http://www.carolusperegrinator.blogspot.com/2013/05/le-chemin-de-tours.html

In Paris, you may want to check with Compostelle 2000 for updated info about the walk.
 
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
Thanks, that's just the kind of info I'm looking for!
 
Right, time for an update:

My planning, which - as usual - is as poor as it ever can be, has taken me to the point where I have no more excuses to delay my departure.
Having said that, my Camino, or should I call it Chemin at this stage, will start next Saturday morning (11/07/2015) from St. Joseph's church in Paris.

For the start I'll be on the road for a few days only as I have no opportunity to be out of office for any longer.
 
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
Merci!

I'll try to post some updates when I can/have something worth sharing.
 
Right, now the promised update. So far I have walked for two days only, covering a distance of approximately 75 km.

First day's path lead from my home in the Parisian suburbia to Arpajon. There I was welcomed to stay at the home of a lovely elderly couple who I reached through the local parish. Absolutely first class hospitality! There were already two French pilgrims there when I arrived, and the conversations at the dinner table were so vivid I almost forgot that I don't really speak much French at all!

On the second the day the roads took me from Arpajon to a tiny village called Monnerville. I was thrilled to find a few scallop signs along the way as I had thought there wouldn't be any until much later. Seems like the local friends of St Jacques are doing a good job! After a pleasant night spent in my tent at the local camping site it was already time to return to Paris.

Next time, although I don't really know when that will be, it'll be riding the train to Monnerville where I'll jump back on my track.
 
Thanks, Leppis! How did you decide on your route? Follow the GR, Lepere, just head in the direction you wanted to go?
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
if you chose an appropriate scale, they show long distance hiking paths (GRs), including paths marked as chemins de St Jacques.

Very true, but for anyone planning to go via Chartres, the GR655- Ouest (official chemin) manages to make a trip that is 70 km as the crow flies into 142 km. Lepere does it in 90, and I've known folks who aren't great walkers who've managed to get from Paris to Chartres in 2-1/2 days with no guide at all (although they couldn't walk anywhere much after that for a week or so), so be aware that the GR 655 in this area is an extremely circuitous route. Don't know about the Orleans version (GR 655 -Est).

Katharina, it is a pity about the Rando guide. I'm not wild about Lepere myself, but so much has changed in the past five or six years, like the new LGV construction, etc. that I'd be a little uncomfortable with a book that old. I wish they had an updated edition.
 
Thanks, Leppis! How did you decide on your route? Follow the GR, Lepere, just head in the direction you wanted to go?

Well, I do have the book by Lepere and also the GR655 TopoGuide (Sentier vers Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle via Tours >Bruxelles - Paris - Tours). In my opinion the Lepere book has lousy maps and the other one tries to make people walk over every hilltop whereas I prefer to follow the rivers and walk through the valleys. Call me lazy if you wish but unnecessary climbing up hills is just not my cup of tea.

So in the end I pretty much ignored both of the books and had no maps/books with me at all. I took a good look at some topographic maps in advance, chose the places where I would spend the night and memorized some landmarks like villages/rivers/roads/railroads on the way. And then I just soldiered on until I got to my destination.

I have a pretty good sense or direction so I was able to head in my principle direction (SSW / S) just by checking the time against the position of the sun. Adding that to the memorized list of landmarks (after following this river to this place, head a bit more westwards until you get to this place where you start follow that river/road until... etc.) Just to be on the safe side I checked my bearings from my iPhone every couple of hours or so.

Admittedly my approach was a bit adventurous and at times I ended up walking in rather inconvenient places as the planned route was blocked by something, such as for example the N20 motorway. A few times I ended up following the GR for a spell (found the markings on trees), and most probably I also followed the Lepere route at times. Honestly speaking, there is no way I could draw on a map the precise route I walked. I could easily point out my landmarks from the map, but how I got from one to another will remain a mystery for parts of the way, even for myself. I crossed some huge fields and some dense forests and at times there was no path for me to follow at all.

Loved every second of it! :D
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Is there any way to link Paris to the Frances rather than the Norte?
 
Sure. from Bordeaux you head down past Labouheyre and Dax towards Ostabat and on to SJPP. It's an established route, but long stages in les landes.
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
We stayed in DAX and took a train to Lourdes for a day. When we got the train back we got off at Peyrehorade and walked to Bidache.
I remember that day well even though it was 12 years ago because I had to sit in a seat on the train facing backwards and had a dreadful bout of travel sickness. When we got off the train we still had the long, hot 10km walk to Bidache which was probably the worst walk of all the Camino's I'd done till then!
 
When this nun saw us sitting on the bench at St Vincent-de-Paul she was so excited she clapped her hands and called, "Pellerins, pellerins!" She insisted on giving us coffee and biscuits.
 

Attachments

  • 91 Sister Theresa-St Vincent de Paul.JPG
    91 Sister Theresa-St Vincent de Paul.JPG
    34.6 KB · Views: 40
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
Right, here's the next - long overdue - update. I've been quite engaged with other projects so I haven't been able to walk at all during the autumn and winter, and the events below took place at the end of August 2015. Did I ever mention that I'm also a lazy writer?

Anyway, I found myself in a train heading for Monnerville, this time accompanied by a colleague who just enjoys a little outdoors activity every now and then. We agreed that he would walk with me until afternoon and then head back towards the train track. As what came to my plan, a few days before taking off I had contacted the local diocese, again asking for a shelter for the night, and I had received a message from a priest welcoming me to spend the night in Bazochez-les-Gallerandes.

We took off from Paris after a rainy night and the day started with a promising sunshine, a bit chilly, but then again we were sure that walking would keep us warm enough. That it surely did, especially since the roads taking us through the huge fields were so muddy from the rain we both sank up to our ankles with every step. And the French mud is so unbelievably sticky! Our shoes turned to shapeless, muddy blobs weighing a ton each.

We decided to have a short crisis meeting and by unanimous decision we started heading for the bigger roads even though the original plan was to avoid them as much as possible.

After reaching pavement we made good progress (chunks of a mud falling from our shoes made them feel sooooo light) and before you know it we foud ourselves at the outskirts of Outarville. There we set up camp and I prepared some lunch for us before we took off again going our separate ways. When changing the muddy socks for clean ones I also noticed that my shoes had chafed my feet pretty well, and since this seemed to be the case every time I wore them I decided to dump them at the first opportunity. Luckily I had another pair of shoes in my pack so I was able to change shoes immediately.

It was only a few more km's to go so I took it easy and walked on slowly, taking in the views of the vast empty plains.

The welcome at Bazoches was absolutely wonderful. I was immediately offered something to drink and something to nibble at by the good father and his Japanese housekeeper who had also prepared a room for me upstairs. Funny enough, the only common language for us three turned out to be German. Go figure!

After a well needed shower I returned downstairs only to realise they had both left. Instead, there were three gendarmes enjoying a coffee at the table, looking at me with the same stunned look I must have had on my face. After the initial surprise passed they told me that they have a habit of dropping in every now and again, the door is apparently never locked and also the guy with most stripes on his shoulders was a close personal friend with the priest.

Just when I was getting used to my new company, the housekeeper rushed in and started ushering me towards the church next door, clearly as a matter of urgency. It seems not many pilgrims stop at Bazoches, and so the priest got this idea of involving me in the baptismal ceremony for four local children. Another surprise, but a very nice one, creating a wonderful memory for me to cherish for the rest of my days.

Funny enough, right after the ceremony was over we three jumped into his old Ford Transit and drove off to Spuis where he was going to be the celebrant for the vigil mass. I guess it goes without saying who sat on the floor in the back of the van, only two seats being in the front. After the mass I found myself mingling among the locals for what seemed forever, pushing my very limited French to the maximum and beyond.

After the reasonably hectic afternoon I was offered a delicious meal and a beautiful recitation of vespers after which I was really ready to fall in bed.

Early in the morning I hit the road again, now heading for Orléans. A beautiful sunny morning soon turned into a scorching hot afternoon with no shade in sight until a forest just few km before Orléans. When I finally reached the suburbs I found a McDonalds - a place which is always airconditioned. I enjoyed heavenly cold ice tea in quantities which clearly amused the staff and just cooled off for a while before taking on the last stint.

Soon enough I reached the Cathedral of Orléans, which by the way is definitely well worth a visit, and spent another while there just enjoying the peaceful atmosphere before heading to the train back to Paris.

To be continued...
 
Right, here's the next - long overdue - update. I've been quite engaged with other projects so I haven't been able to walk at all during the autumn and winter, and the events below took place at the end of August 2015. Did I ever mention that I'm also a lazy writer?

Anyway, I found myself in a train heading for Monnerville, this time accompanied by a colleague who just enjoys a little outdoors activity every now and then. We agreed that he would walk with me until afternoon and then head back towards the train track. As what came to my plan, a few days before taking off I had contacted the local diocese, again asking for a shelter for the night, and I had received a message from a priest welcoming me to spend the night in Bazochez-les-Gallerandes.

We took off from Paris after a rainy night and the day started with a promising sunshine, a bit chilly, but then again we were sure that walking would keep us warm enough. That it surely did, especially since the roads taking us through the huge fields were so muddy from the rain we both sank up to our ankles with every step. And the French mud is so unbelievably sticky! Our shoes turned to shapeless, muddy blobs weighing a ton each.

We decided to have a short crisis meeting and by unanimous decision we started heading for the bigger roads even though the original plan was to avoid them as much as possible.

After reaching pavement we made good progress (chunks of a mud falling from our shoes made them feel sooooo light) and before you know it we foud ourselves at the outskirts of Outarville. There we set up camp and I prepared some lunch for us before we took off again going our separate ways. When changing the muddy socks for clean ones I also noticed that my shoes had chafed my feet pretty well, and since this seemed to be the case every time I wore them I decided to dump them at the first opportunity. Luckily I had another pair of shoes in my pack so I was able to change shoes immediately.

It was only a few more km's to go so I took it easy and walked on slowly, taking in the views of the vast empty plains.

The welcome at Bazoches was absolutely wonderful. I was immediately offered something to drink and something to nibble at by the good father and his Japanese housekeeper who had also prepared a room for me upstairs. Funny enough, the only common language for us three turned out to be German. Go figure!

After a well needed shower I returned downstairs only to realise they had both left. Instead, there were three gendarmes enjoying a coffee at the table, looking at me with the same stunned look I must have had on my face. After the initial surprise passed they told me that they have a habit of dropping in every now and again, the door is apparently never locked and also the guy with most stripes on his shoulders was a close personal friend with the priest.

Just when I was getting used to my new company, the housekeeper rushed in and started ushering me towards the church next door, clearly as a matter of urgency. It seems not many pilgrims stop at Bazoches, and so the priest got this idea of involving me in the baptismal ceremony for four local children. Another surprise, but a very nice one, creating a wonderful memory for me to cherish for the rest of my days.

Funny enough, right after the ceremony was over we three jumped into his old Ford Transit and drove off to Spuis where he was going to be the celebrant for the vigil mass. I guess it goes without saying who sat on the floor in the back of the van, only two seats being in the front. After the mass I found myself mingling among the locals for what seemed forever, pushing my very limited French to the maximum and beyond.

After the reasonably hectic afternoon I was offered a delicious meal and a beautiful recitation of vespers after which I was really ready to fall in bed.

Early in the morning I hit the road again, now heading for Orléans. A beautiful sunny morning soon turned into a scorching hot afternoon with no shade in sight until a forest just few km before Orléans. When I finally reached the suburbs I found a McDonalds - a place which is always airconditioned. I enjoyed heavenly cold ice tea in quantities which clearly amused the staff and just cooled off for a while before taking on the last stint.

Soon enough I reached the Cathedral of Orléans, which by the way is definitely well worth a visit, and spent another while there just enjoying the peaceful atmosphere before heading to the train back to Paris.

To be continued...

In Orleans next to the Cathedral there is a gite for pilgrims.
It has opened last week and has 6 beds. It is a perfect location for visiting the town almost in the middle of town, close to rue Burgundy with endless number of restaurants.

Yke
 
Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-
Right, here's the next - long overdue - update. I've been quite engaged with other projects so I haven't been able to walk at all during the autumn and winter, and the events below took place at the end of August 2015. Did I ever mention that I'm also a lazy writer?

Anyway, I found myself in a train heading for Monnerville, this time accompanied by a colleague who just enjoys a little outdoors activity every now and then. We agreed that he would walk with me until afternoon and then head back towards the train track. As what came to my plan, a few days before taking off I had contacted the local diocese, again asking for a shelter for the night, and I had received a message from a priest welcoming me to spend the night in Bazochez-les-Gallerandes.

We took off from Paris after a rainy night and the day started with a promising sunshine, a bit chilly, but then again we were sure that walking would keep us warm enough. That it surely did, especially since the roads taking us through the huge fields were so muddy from the rain we both sank up to our ankles with every step. And the French mud is so unbelievably sticky! Our shoes turned to shapeless, muddy blobs weighing a ton each.

We decided to have a short crisis meeting and by unanimous decision we started heading for the bigger roads even though the original plan was to avoid them as much as possible.

After reaching pavement we made good progress (chunks of a mud falling from our shoes made them feel sooooo light) and before you know it we foud ourselves at the outskirts of Outarville. There we set up camp and I prepared some lunch for us before we took off again going our separate ways. When changing the muddy socks for clean ones I also noticed that my shoes had chafed my feet pretty well, and since this seemed to be the case every time I wore them I decided to dump them at the first opportunity. Luckily I had another pair of shoes in my pack so I was able to change shoes immediately.

It was only a few more km's to go so I took it easy and walked on slowly, taking in the views of the vast empty plains.

The welcome at Bazoches was absolutely wonderful. I was immediately offered something to drink and something to nibble at by the good father and his Japanese housekeeper who had also prepared a room for me upstairs. Funny enough, the only common language for us three turned out to be German. Go figure!

After a well needed shower I returned downstairs only to realise they had both left. Instead, there were three gendarmes enjoying a coffee at the table, looking at me with the same stunned look I must have had on my face. After the initial surprise passed they told me that they have a habit of dropping in every now and again, the door is apparently never locked and also the guy with most stripes on his shoulders was a close personal friend with the priest.

Just when I was getting used to my new company, the housekeeper rushed in and started ushering me towards the church next door, clearly as a matter of urgency. It seems not many pilgrims stop at Bazoches, and so the priest got this idea of involving me in the baptismal ceremony for four local children. Another surprise, but a very nice one, creating a wonderful memory for me to cherish for the rest of my days.

Funny enough, right after the ceremony was over we three jumped into his old Ford Transit and drove off to Spuis where he was going to be the celebrant for the vigil mass. I guess it goes without saying who sat on the floor in the back of the van, only two seats being in the front. After the mass I found myself mingling among the locals for what seemed forever, pushing my very limited French to the maximum and beyond.

After the reasonably hectic afternoon I was offered a delicious meal and a beautiful recitation of vespers after which I was really ready to fall in bed.

Early in the morning I hit the road again, now heading for Orléans. A beautiful sunny morning soon turned into a scorching hot afternoon with no shade in sight until a forest just few km before Orléans. When I finally reached the suburbs I found a McDonalds - a place which is always airconditioned. I enjoyed heavenly cold ice tea in quantities which clearly amused the staff and just cooled off for a while before taking on the last stint.

Soon enough I reached the Cathedral of Orléans, which by the way is definitely well worth a visit, and spent another while there just enjoying the peaceful atmosphere before heading to the train back to Paris.

To be continued...

Excellent! I enjoyed reading your account...keep writing...
 
Again a long time has passed since I last posted here but finally I have some news to share:

I'll have to fast forward a few stages for now - I'll get back to them when time allows - but here's the latest plan:

Me and my wife will be taking off from SJPdP on our Camino Francés on August 6.
If everything goes according to plan, we'll be arriving to Santiago on September 9.

I'll still try to cover the remaining part of my walk on French soil so that the whole trip will be complete from Paris to Santiago, but the timetable for that is so far very unclear. Most probably this will take at least until the end of this year, perhaps even more. We'll see.
 
Hi all
I start my Paris to SDC Camino on 3rd August. I'm not totally sure what to expect so I'm taking my little tent with me.
Because I did the Francais last year from SJPP TO SDC, this year, before I get to Dad, I am veering to the right to join up with the Norte and let that take me to SDC.
I think it's probably about 1,800 I'm so will take me a few months I guess.
 
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
Hi all
I start my Paris to SDC Camino on 3rd August. I'm not totally sure what to expect so I'm taking my little tent with me.
Because I did the Francais last year from SJPP TO SDC, this year, before I get to Dad, I am veering to the right to join up with the Norte and let that take me to SDC.
I think it's probably about 1,800 I'm so will take me a few months I guess.
I mean Dax not Dad.
 
Hi all
I start my Paris to SDC Camino on 3rd August. I'm not totally sure what to expect so I'm taking my little tent with me.
Because I did the Francais last year from SJPP TO SDC, this year, before I get to Dad, I am veering to the right to join up with the Norte and let that take me to SDC.
I think it's probably about 1,800 I'm so will take me a few months I guess.

1,725 km if you're taking the Via Turonensis via Chartres!

I walked from Paris to Chartres this spring, 100 km in three days, and the plaque in front of the cathedral in Chartres says it's 1,625 km from there to Santiago. I'm currently planning the next stage, from Chartres to Tours, and I'm very excited for you! Bon chemin!
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Hi all
I start my Paris to SDC Camino on 3rd August. I'm not totally sure what to expect so I'm taking my little tent with me.
Because I did the Francais last year from SJPP TO SDC, this year, before I get to Dad, I am veering to the right to join up with the Norte and let that take me to SDC.
I think it's probably about 1,800 I'm so will take me a few months I guess.

Hi! I'll start from Paris around the 10th of August! Maybe we can stay in touch. I have some questions and maybe I can ask them haha!
 
Am walking from Chartres to Tours in September. Was the way marking well placed? Was it easy to do?
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Am walking from Chartres to Tours in September. Was the way marking well placed? Was it easy to do?

Last time I looked, the better route seemed to be a DIY one on little country roads from Chartres to Orléans, from where the Camino should be properly waymarked nowadays.

I walked from Chartres to Tours on my 1994 from Paris to Santiago, so there were no waymarks whatsoever, and whilst it's an interesting hike, the "detour" via Orléans would lead to more time along the wonderful Loire valley down to Tours.

BTW at Tours, I'd suggest making your way to St Martin de Tours at Ligugé, which is the oldest Monastery in the West, and a truly excellent place for a pilgrim to stop over and sleep.

As to your last question, the Paris/Chartres/Orléans/Tours Way is by FAR the easiest of the 4 major routes through France.
 
Last edited:
Am walking from Chartres to Tours in September. Was the way marking well placed? Was it easy to do?

In 2015 it was extremely well-marked in Eure-et-Loir and their association has a great series of pdfs and maps, but after that you need to be a bit more creative, according to the folks I stayed with. It tends to follow the GR after that, but there's often a much shorter route, so you kind of have to use your own judgment, since the GR meanders around a lot when you may prefer a more direct route. So the GR may take you around three sides of a field when you could just walk the short side of it along a deserted D road. Supplement with the blue IGN maps and it's pretty easy to pick a path.

Physically it was very easy, although not so much for me. The French say it's "plat, plat, plat" but the French don't know plat. I live in an area where the nearest thing to a hill is the bridges, so the very slightly rolling nature of the countryside was a tad challenging the first few days, but if you live in a normal part of the world where there are even small hills and elevation changes, it's super-easy. By about the fourth day I stopped feeling it.
 
Eure et Loir is compostelle28.org

If you go to this page in the site for Loir et Cher:


There's a list of the other associations along the way. I will say that back in 2015 the info on pilgrim accommodations in the area on the Loir et Cher site was woefully incorrect or outdated. I don't know how it is now, but once you get there your hosts for the first night should be able to help with the next stop.
 
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
I started on the my chemin on the 1 September from Chartres, did not have any problems till after Thivars and could not find the Camino route and ended up walking 20 km more than I needed to, through Illers-Combray in 3 days.
But all the road walking caused bleeding blisters and I had to stop. I will be back in the spring and start after toughening up my feet a little less along the way than I thought I would be.
 
Hi there @HRAmaroo1
Bleeding blisters...that sounds painful. So sorry to read that your camino has been interrupted.
Road walking is severely taxing. Give me the mountains any day...

Cheers
Lovingkindess
 
I walked this route in 2004 and used the Paris to the Pyrenees guide book from the CSJ bookshop - http://www.csj.org.uk - and also the CSJ's Camino Frances guide book.
Gareth walked from England and from Paris a year ago and I'm sure would be happy to give you some up-to-date advice.
hey, im planning on walking from paris to st jean and then down to seville. Do you have any advice on the route from paris to st jean? Is there somewhere in paris I can get a map or detailed information about amenities enroute. I plan to camp but ive used these guides before on the more popular routes in spain and its always good knowing where an auberge is should i need a shower or a friendly face!
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
hey, im planning on walking from paris to st jean and then down to seville. Do you have any advice on the route from paris to st jean? Is there somewhere in paris I can get a map or detailed information about amenities enroute. I plan to camp but ive used these guides before on the more popular routes in spain and its always good knowing where an auberge is should i need a shower or a friendly face!

stargirltravels,

Welcome to the forum!
For more info/links re Paris and pilgrims check out this recent thread re walking from Paris to Santiago.

Happy planning and Bon chemin/Buen camino
 
Last edited:

❓How to ask a question

How to post a new question on the Camino Forum.

Forum Rules

Forum Rules

Camino Updates on YouTube

Camino Conversations

Most downloaded Resources

This site is run by Ivar at

in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon
Official Camino Passport (Credential) | 2024 Camino Guides
Back
Top