Want to avoid busy times April / May 201 on the Frances

[Hopeful Australian]

HI, I'm not sure of my dates (or route, really) yet, but would like to find out what would be times to avoid in 2014 (April/May) if I end up going on the Frances route.

I gather school holidays in France may create surges of pilgrims at certain times as might Easter and the Spainish school holidays - and possibly other factors of which I'm unaware.

Especially at the start, I'm likely to be slow (knee and hip problems) and although I quite intend to take that advice I saw somewhere about starting the Camino as an older person (i.e. going slowly) and later becoming younger (I'm taking it thaty mean that one becomes fitter and less slow.) I'm in no particular hurry, and at this stage am not fussed if I don't 'complete' to SDDC.

The other reason is that I'm not a Christian, and so the specialness of Easter won't be a particular drawcard for me if there are some busy times along the route that would cause larger numbers to be travelling at the same time. I am intending to enjoy all those whom I meet and to be inspired by them, but won't seek out special masses etc that might be on if I'm accidentally travelling at significant times.

I can re-jig my dates a bit if I know when would be the quieter times, or at least probably likely to be quieter times.

Thanks for all the wonderful advice to be found here - what a joy humans can be at times.

hopeful Australian

 

[Pieces]

statistics for these months of ppl arriving in santiago are generalley:

april 15.000
may 20.000
june 25.000

More people towards the end than the "beginning" of the Camino

april probably most busy around easter

if you want even quieter than that you need to go in winter, but then there is the weather.

I have walked twice in June and not felt overcrowded, but I suppose people differ on definition of crowd

more stats here:
http://peregrinossantiago.es/eng/pilgrims-office/statistics/?anio=2011&mes=4

 

[wayfarer]

I started on 20th April 2012 from St Jean and it was relatively uncluttered, weather mixed for that time of year, but nicer the year before, so pot luck on that aspect. It did get busier from Saria but I understand that that is normal. Dont sweat the non Christian bit, I met people from all faiths and none, what you get from your Camino is the important thing.
Buen Camino.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

With three Easters of experience, I have never noticed a problem with crowded accommodations at that time. Pilgrims put on their boots in Spain for any long weekend, and will tend to walk the last 100km. May and June will become progressively more busy, but a lot of beds have been added in the last 100km, so it will not be hard to find one. By the way, the parades at Easter are incredible. In Astorga they seem to have affinity group crews that are attired alike. The family and parish pride radiates, and the children are so darn cute!

 

[sillydoll]

When you walk 780km across a country, through 5 different regions, 350 villages and towns, you are going to hit the occasional 'busy' time somewhere along the way!

If it isn't starting off with a big group (some days in May over 200 pilgrims a day leave from St Jean Pied de Port) it could be finding accommodation a problem because it is harvest week in Navarra, or a big fiesta somewhere else.

Last year I added a post to my blog on Spanish Fiestas.
http://amawalker.blogspot.com/2012/08/s ... amino.html

"Over 15 000 fiestas and festivals are held in Spanish villages and towns throughout the year. Many are religious, celebrating local saints, some are Regional and others are National events such as Semana Santa (Easter), Corpus Christi and Christmas. Prohibited during the forty years of the Franco era Carnaval is celebrated in many Spanish towns a week before Ash Wednesday."

The Camino is dynamic - there isn't one 'busy' time that can be avoided along its entire route and then the rest of the walk is solitary. (Perhaps only the month of August could be avoided). Wherever people start walking from - Pamplona, Burgos, Leon, Astorga, O Cebreiro etc, you'll become a part of the ebb and flow.

Seek out albergues in the smaller villages, in-between the stages mentioned in most guide books, and you should find fewer peregrinos queuing up for beds.

Just go with the flow! Enjoy the busy times, they were there in the Middle Ages and we haven't nearly caught up to the multitudes that walked then, and savour the moments when you have time for contemplation and reflection.

 

[Jochen-Schmidtke]

Re: April / May on the Frances is a good time!

Hello hopeful Australian.
Please go onto my statistic site.
And there look at "monatliche Verteilung". There you can see that the peak season is July to September with the climax in August.
So April / May is fine. The land is green, the flowers in the fields blossom and the temperature is comfortable.
Buen Camino to you!
Jochen

 

[Hopeful Australian]

Re: Want to avoid busy times April / May 2014 on the Frances

Thank you all for your kind advice. I'll continue to think about my dates, and of course what is decided by my workplace will have a lot to do with that as well. I'll also wait for the end of the hot weather here to really throw myself into the physical preparations. We had 40 deg C here today ... and have very little rainfall. I think the weatehr in Spain in SPring will be as much of an enjoyment to me as anything else. Rain ... and yes, I understand about the mud, but ... oh, rain.

Many good wishes to all, and thanks again, HA