What are the usual stages? (avoiding waves)

[Luka]

This summer I'll have my first experience on the Camino Francés. Coming from the Via de la Plata, I'll join in Astorga and then have about five walking days left before I have to fly home. I am very curious about the Francés, but also a bit worried about the crowds. I would like to stay away from the waves as much as possible, but since I don't have a guidebook I don't know what the usual stages are. I can imagine the bigger towns and cities (Astorga for example...), but how do I find the other places to avoid spending the night? (For example, should I choose Rabanal del Camino or Foncebadón after Astorga?)

 

[KinkyOne]

This summer I'll have my first experience on the Camino Francés. Coming from the Via de la Plata, I'll join in Astorga and then have about five walking days left before I have to fly home. I am very curious about the Francés, but also a bit worried about the crowds. I would like to stay away from the waves as much as possible, but since I don't have a guidebook I don't know what the usual stages are. I can imagine the bigger towns and cities (Astorga for example...), but how do I find the other places to avoid spending the night? (For example, should I choose Rabanal del Camino or Foncebadón after Astorga?)

Hello, Luka!

For frances you actually don't need a guidebook. It's so well marked you won't get lost. For planning your stops you can use one of these sites:
http://www.gronze.com/camino-de-santiago/caminos/guia-del-camino-frances
http://mundicamino.com/rutas.cfm?id=15
http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/los-caminos-de-santiago/frances/
http://www.godesalco.com/
Here you have maps, profiles, lists of albergues and other info along the way (pharmacies, markets, bars etc.).

For given example I would say Rabanal which has more pilgrim beds than Foncebadon, but you'll miss early morning in the mountains.

Stages after Astorga (by Brierley) are: Rabanal del Camino, Molinaseca (but I think most people go to Ponferrada), Villafranca del Bierzo, O'Cebreiro, Triacastela, Sarria, Portomarin, Palas de Rei, Ribadiso/Arzua, Arca do Pino and Santiago de Compostela.

Ultreia!

 

[dougfitz]

My off-Brierley stays after Astroga were at Foncebadon, Ponferrada, La Faba, Xan Julian (?sp) and Ribadiso. Ponferrada and Ribadiso weren't brilliant, but the others were.

 

[Mark Lee]

Seemed to me that the "usual stages" were everything in that Brierley guidebook.
Not knocking the guidebook. It's good and informative and I have a copy of it myself.

 

[Luka]

Thanks! So Foncebadon is probably a better choice After Astorga than Rabanal. I already guessed hat avoiding Ponferrada might be wise to do.

@KinkyOne, thanks for the links! I have no plans to buy a guidebook. Even on the Via de la Plata an app will do.

 

[dougfitz]

Seemed to me that the "usual stages" were everything in that Brierley guidebook.
Not knocking the guidebook. It's good and informative and I have a copy of it myself.

I recall that one of the German language guidebooks used different stage boundaries to Brierley, and was told those towns also had daily surges. Can anyone confirm this?

 

[KinkyOne]

Thanks! So Foncebadon is probably a better choice After Astorga than Rabanal. I already guessed hat avoiding Ponferrada might be wise to do.

@KinkyOne, thanks for the links! I have no plans to buy a guidebook. Even on the Via de la Plata an app will do.

Not to mention, Luka.
I've done Astorga - Rabanal - El Acebo - Ponferrada, no problem at all with accommodation, but that was June 2011 . In Ponferrada we break that day's stage and took a room in a pension because of ill fellow peregrina.

 

[tyrrek]

I'd just avoid counting on getting into a place if there isn't another option for miles afterwards. That makes me a Rabanal man. Molinaseca is another place where you can aim for, but if it‘s full it‘s not the end of the world with Ponferrada nearby. Buen Camino!

 

[Stellere]

We had two stage guides: the sheet given out at the pilgrim's office in SJPP and the Brierly map book. Sometimes the stages coincided, but more often they didn't. We didn't purposefully avoid stages (except in the last 100 km) - we just liked walking between 20 and 25 km per day, and planned our stops accordingly. The in-between stages had some lovely albergues and we met some great people! My two favourite private albergues - in Fonfria and in Salceda - were in "in-between" stops.