Walking the Camino in September

[Danielle92]

Hello All,

I'm leaving the UK for the Camino on the 26th September and was just looking for some friendly advice to some questions I have. I'll be walking from St Jean Pied de Port (hopefully) all the way to Santiago.

- I'll be walking on my own and as a female traveler, was just wondering how safe this is?

- Follow up to the first question - what on earth do solo travellers do regarding their personal belongings while they're sleeping/showering (money, phone, passports etc)?

- I've read so much about bedbugs... is this something I should be really concerned about? I'm a person that attracts all the mosquitos and biting insects in the world, and just wanted to know if I'm likely to encounter them on the Camino Frances route?

- I've got one book which will be my lifeline for directions, but godforbid anything happens to it, is the route fairly easy to follow from one town to the next?

- Is anyone else travelling around this time that I might meet on the way? Would be lovely to get to know some of you in advance

Thank you in advance for your help!
x

 

[Bradypus]

September is a very popular time to walk and you are unlikely to be alone for long unless you work very hard at it. If you ever feel uneasy there should be no big problem in finding company for a while or at the very least keeping close to others.

Options on keeping valuables safe seems to vary but I keep my passport and money in waterproof pouches in my trouser pockets. I take them with me everywhere - including the showers. I strongly advise you do the same. The valuables are in my sleeping bag overnight.

The route is extremely well marked and the chances of getting lost for long are minimal. If in doubt follow the never-ending stream of rucksacks If you do go off-track it is very likely that local people will stop you and point you in the right direction. I walked from St Jean to Santiago last year with no guide book or maps and had no trouble at all. The only time things might get tricky is going off the route in larger towns. Google Maps or a similar app is a help there.

In several Caminos I personally have never had trouble with bedbugs but other people have. I think the fear of them is often worse than reality warrants but they can be a problem. Opinion on the best way to deal with the risk is very divided. I check the area around my bunk for signs but do not use repellents or insecticides. Others swear by them. Very much a personal choice.

 

[Danielle92]

September is a very popular time to walk and you are unlikely to be alone for long unless you work very hard at it. If you ever feel uneasy there should be no big problem in finding company for a while or at the very least keeping close to others.

Options on keeping valuables safe seems to vary but I keep my passport and money in waterproof pouches in my trouser pockets. I take them with me everywhere - including the showers. I strongly advise you do the same. The valuables are in my sleeping bag overnight.

The route is extremely well marked and the chances of getting lost for long are minimal. If in doubt follow the never-ending stream of rucksacks If you do go off-track it is very likely that local people will stop you and point you in the right direction. I walked from St Jean to Santiago last year with no guide book or maps and had no trouble at all. The only time things might get tricky is going off the route in larger towns. Google Maps or a similar app is a help there.

In several Caminos I personally have never had trouble with bedbugs but other people have. I think the fear of them is often worse than reality warrants but they can be a problem. Opinion on the best way to deal with the risk is very divided. I check the area around my bunk for signs but do not use repellents or insecticides. Others swear by them. Very much a personal choice.

Thank you for your reply! I've heard that September is quite a busy time for walkers, but as it's the end of Sept. I'll be walking, I was worried the flow of people might not be as high (which I guess is quite nice and means you're more likely to find a bed!). I'm glad you said about sleeping with your valuables in the sleeping bag with you - I was planning on doing this, but thought maybe I was being too paranoid about it...

I'm planning on treating my rucksack and sleeping bag with some repellent before I travel, but won't be bringing any of that stuff with me. I'll just cross my fingers and hope for the best!

 

[Bradypus]

Thank you for your reply! I've heard that September is quite a busy time for walkers, but as it's the end of Sept. I'll be walking, I was worried the flow of people might not be as high (which I guess is quite nice and means you're more likely to find a bed!).

I set off from St Jean on 16th September last year and the night I spent there every albergue bed in town was full. The train from Bayonne was so overcrowded that 15 of us were taken off by SNCF and sent by taxi instead! I think there will still be plenty of people around when you leave. From St Jean to Pamplona was very busy but numbers were less of a problem after that. In October a few of the smaller albergues were closed but there were still plenty of options available.

 

[Danielle92]

I set off from St Jean on 16th September last year and the night I spent there every albergue bed in town was full. The train from Bayonne was so overcrowded that 15 of us were taken off by SNCF and sent by taxi instead! I think there will still be plenty of people around when you leave. From St Jean to Pamplona was very busy but numbers were less of a problem after that. In October a few of the smaller albergues were closed but there were still plenty of options available.

Oh blimey, now I'm all worried that I won't find a bed!
I'm very new to this...what happens if there aren't any beds anywhere - do you just carry on walking until you find one?

 

[Bradypus]

Oh blimey, now I'm all worried that I won't find a bed!
I'm very new to this...what happens if there aren't any beds anywhere - do you just carry on walking until you find one?

If you are anxious then you can reserve beds a day or two in advance in many private albergues or hotels. Most municipal albergues do not accept reservations. By the end of September I would expect the worst of the crush to be over. It might be worth doing that for St Jean and Roncesvalles (which does allow reservations) anyway so that you do not feel too worried for your first day or two. Once you get a feel for numbers around you then you can decide whether you want to carry on pre-booking beds or simply take your chances.

 

[AlwynWellington]

@Danielle92 , hi amd welcome to the site

Accomodation - I left Saint-Jean along with more than 300 others early May 2016 and had no problems with accomodation, despite arriving mid to lte afternoon.

I pulled some muscles on the decent from Alto-del-Perdon and stalled at Estella-Lizarra. And I restart from Estella about 3 October. So we may catch up. (Just I wont have a glass to my mouth all the time.) My supreme optimism tells me accommodation will be always available.

As to valuables, such as passport and credential, cards and money. I have a pouch suspended around my neck. It never comes off until I get home. It has the usual slots for credit cards etc. And an easily accessible pocket for the credential and Euro notes.

Kia kaha (take care, be strong, get going)

 

[Curtis]

Hi Danielle,
You're nervous- I get that, but breathe and smile. You're about to head off on a journey of a life time!!

A couple months from now you may read this post and laugh at all the things you're afraid of.

How safe is this? Ha!
Worried about theft? Haha!
Bed bugs? H-... actually not so funny. They exist. I've never had a problem with them and you likely won't either.
Getting lost? Hahaha!

Buen camino, if you have any questions of concerns you're welcome to message me

 

[Mark Barnes]

I will be setting out from Pamplona on Sept 22 or 23rd. I am a "slow walker" so you will most likely pass me on the trail. Hope to see you out there.

 

[Sailor]

Miss Danielle, you are NOT going to be alone, you will have plenty of company in your camino. Check the attached link for the September-October caminantes on the Camino Frances [you can add your name to the listing]. I will arrive St Jean with my wife on the evening of the 25th, so, we made reservations for two nights, to start our camino on the 27th. I do expect to see those leaving on the 28th, 29th, and 30th passing us at one point, we are going to start slow and then ease off.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/sept-oct-2017-pilgrims-check-in.49246/

Good luck, que la luz de Dios alumbre su camino.

 

[nycwalking]

Walking solo as a woman is no problem. Pilgrims look out for each other. I walked alone and never had major problems. A blip here a bleep there, but nothing to write on here about. By the time you reach Santiago the mornings may be chilly. A pair of lightweight gloves may be nice to take along.
Buen camino.

 

[Danielle92]

Hi Danielle,
You're nervous- I get that, but breathe and smile. You're about to head off on a journey of a life time!!

A couple months from now you may read this post and laugh at all the things you're afraid of.

How safe is this? Ha!
Worried about theft? Haha!
Bed bugs? H-... actually not so funny. They exist. I've never had a problem with them and you likely won't either.
Getting lost? Hahaha!

Buen camino, if you have any questions of concerns you're welcome to message me

Hi Curtis!

I know, I know... I'm just being overly paranoid and cautious because it's such a huge adventure!
I know once I'm on the trail it'll be much better, it's just the anticipation that's making me so nervous.
I am excited, very excited, just a bit scared!

 

[Danielle92]

Just as a general question - how did people go about taking money?
Did you carry all your euros for the trip for the entire walk/did you use card/did you take half out and then get more on the way?

I'm unsure what is a good amount to take and whether to carry it all in cash for the full 6 weeks?

Ps. thank you all for your replies so far

 

[Bradypus]

Just as a general question - how did people go about taking money?
Did you carry all your euros for the trip for the entire walk/did you use card/did you take half out and then get more on the way?

It is worth having at least a small amount of euros with you when you arrive to get you into town from the airport and on to St Jean without having to queue up for cash machines at the airport (which might perhaps be out of action for some reason). No need to carry money for the whole trip and probably not advisable in case of theft. There are many ATMs along the route in most towns and some larger villages which accept international bank cards. I usually withdraw about 300 euros which is my bank's daily limit and try to make sure that I keep a reserve of at least 100 euros for emergencies.

 

[Felipe]

Alone? Not a chance.
This was SJPP-Roncesvalles, end of September, near the virgin of Orisson (roughly, half of the way)

Buen camino!

 

[Danielle92]

Alone? Not a chance.
This was SJPP-Roncesvalles, end of September, near the virgin of Orisson (roughly, half of the way)
View attachment 35799
Buen camino!

So lovely to see a photo! I am glad there'll be people around

 

[Roamer35]

Hello All,

I'm leaving the UK for the Camino on the 26th September and was just looking for some friendly advice to some questions I have. I'll be walking from St Jean Pied de Port (hopefully) all the way to Santiago.

- I'll be walking on my own and as a female traveler, was just wondering how safe this is?

- Follow up to the first question - what on earth do solo travellers do regarding their personal belongings while they're sleeping/showering (money, phone, passports etc)?

- I've read so much about bedbugs... is this something I should be really concerned about? I'm a person that attracts all the mosquitos and biting insects in the world, and just wanted to know if I'm likely to encounter them on the Camino Frances route?

- I've got one book which will be my lifeline for directions, but godforbid anything happens to it, is the route fairly easy to follow from one town to the next?

- Is anyone else travelling around this time that I might meet on the way? Would be lovely to get to know some of you in advance

Thank you in advance for your help!
x

 

[Roamer35]

What to do with "money, phone, passports, etc.?" Don't let it out of your sight -- EVER. A plastic zip-loc bag can be used for taking such things into the shower with you. Pants with zippered or hidden pockets are useful. While sleeping in alberques I put all my valuables into the bottom of my sleeping bag.