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What to do with 28 days to walk the Way?

rossco302

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Time of past OR future Camino
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Hello, so I have 28 days free in August and want to do a long distance walk. The Camino looks like a great walk but it doesn't seem I have enough time to complete the whole thing, I'll likely only have 25/26 days of walking.

Has anyone been in this situation before? I was wondering if it would better to start in St St Jean Pied de Port and then see how far I can walk, or should I start somewhere along the way so that I can finish at Santiago? Another thing I was wondering is if I did the first option and started from St St Jean Pied de Port, and got say 3/4 down the Way, what would be the best way to get back to the UK?

Or, I could do a shorter walk instead.. Does anyone have any suggestions for walks that can be done in25/26 days?

Any help/tips would be much appreciated, Cheers :)

Ross
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Hello, so I have 28 days free in August and want to do a long distance walk. The Camino looks like a great walk but it doesn't seem I have enough time to complete the whole thing, I'll likely only have 25/26 days of walking.

Has anyone been in this situation before? I was wondering if it would better to start in St St Jean Pied de Port and then see how far I can walk, or should I start somewhere along the way so that I can finish at Santiago? Another thing I was wondering is if I did the first option and started from St St Jean Pied de Port, and got say 3/4 down the Way, what would be the best way to get back to the UK?

Or, I could do a shorter walk instead.. Does anyone have any suggestions for walks that can be done in25/26 days?

Any help/tips would be much appreciated, Cheers :)

Ross
Fortunately, there is no one single Camino. There are many routes that you can take. The Camino Frances is the most popular, but not the only route. There are routes that are much shorter.
Here's a link that shows some of them.
There are subforums on this site for many of these other routes. There are many that you could complete in 4 weeks.
 
Hello, so I have 28 days free in August and want to do a long distance walk. The Camino looks like a great walk but it doesn't seem I have enough time to complete the whole thing, I'll likely only have 25/26 days of walking.

Has anyone been in this situation before? I was wondering if it would better to start in St St Jean Pied de Port and then see how far I can walk, or should I start somewhere along the way so that I can finish at Santiago? Another thing I was wondering is if I did the first option and started from St St Jean Pied de Port, and got say 3/4 down the Way, what would be the best way to get back to the UK?

Or, I could do a shorter walk instead.. Does anyone have any suggestions for walks that can be done in25/26 days?


Any help/tips would be much appreciated, Cheers :)

Ross
Hi Ros, to Leon is it about 470 km. Last year I walked 21 day's to Leon.
You can stay for a few days in Leon and train to Madrid and fly home.
What ever you decite I wish you well and a Buen Camino, Peter.
 
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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,-
Fortunately, there is no one single Camino. There are many routes that you can take. The Camino Frances is the most popular, but not the only route. There are routes that are much shorter.
Here's a link that shows some of them.
There are subforums on this site for many of these other routes. There are many that you could complete in 4 weeks.
Thanks, I'll check them out!
 
Hi Ros, to Leon is it about 470 km. Last year I walked 21 day's to Leon.
You can stay for a few days in Leon and train to Madrid and fly home.
What ever you decite I wish you well and a Buen Camino, Peter.
Thanks, that seems like it could be a great solution! I'll look into that :)
 
Hi rossco302! Welcome to the forum!

The Camino looks like a great walk but it doesn't seem I have enough time to complete the whole thing

There isn't really a whole thing. You can start your camino wherever you want. SJPP is just a popular starting point but you could start before SJPP or after SJPP. It all depends on what you want to make. Many people just walk from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela and they are fine with it. It all depends on each one's approach.

I was wondering if it would better to start in St St Jean Pied de Port and then see how far I can walk, or should I start somewhere along the way so that I can finish at Santiago?

It depends. Is finishing in Santiago de Compostela important for you? In that case, start at some place (either on the Camino Francés or in any other of the caminos) that allows you to arrive to SdC within your time frame. If finishing this year in SdC isn't important to you, you could start in SJPP walk, for example, till Ponferrada and return home from Ponferrada. You can always return another year to walk the part you didn't walk this year.

The Camino looks like a great walk

The camino is a pilgrimage route that can be made on foot, by bicycle or riding a horse. Even if you consider it just a walk, to have in mind that you are on a pilgrimage route might be useful to get a better understanding of some aspects of the route.
 
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,-
Hello, so I have 28 days free in August and want to do a long distance walk. The Camino looks like a great walk but it doesn't seem I have enough time to complete the whole thing, I'll likely only have 25/26 days of walking.

Has anyone been in this situation before? I was wondering if it would better to start in St St Jean Pied de Port and then see how far I can walk, or should I start somewhere along the way so that I can finish at Santiago? Another thing I was wondering is if I did the first option and started from St St Jean Pied de Port, and got say 3/4 down the Way, what would be the best way to get back to the UK?

Or, I could do a shorter walk instead.. Does anyone have any suggestions for walks that can be done in25/26 days?

Any help/tips would be much appreciated, Cheers :)

Ross

Okay---here is my opinion.

We have all been talking and talking about how the Camino Frances is so busy right now, and you should know that in August, it will continue to be busy. That said, if "I" were going to go on Camino for the first time, and I had that number of days, I would want to both walk the Camino Frances and also, actually get to Santiago de Compostela. It's magical to walk in for the first time!

So here's the idea...Walk the Camino Frances, and start in Leon. That's where I started in March, and I walked for 17 days. I did have to bus through to get to Sarria, but that was well after I'd walked the Meseta and enjoyed lots of beautiful and sunny days (before arriving to chilly and rainy Galicia).

Starting in Leon should give you ample time to get to SdC, and in fact, it should be perfect. You will have some time to look around, time to get used to walking, and time to take time off if you need to.

A few more ideas: walk the Camino Ingles, then walk from Santiago to Muxia. A third idea, walk the Camino Porto. Just a few suggestions! Have fun reading and investigating.

Buen Camino!
 
I'm with Deb.
I walked from Leon to Santiago in my 1st Camino, which took a tad less than 2 weeks. So depending on your fitness and comfortable walking speed, you could stretch it out by starting a little further back--say, in Sahagun--or by spending a few extra days in Santiago (which is a wonderful place to hang, and to walk also). The latter'd be my choice.

Walking from Leon first was a wonderful introduction that allowed walking into Santiago and was long enough to give a real sense of what the Camino's about.
You could also walk the Primativo from Oviedo, or the Portugese...there are plenty of choices, and these are likely to be less crowded.
Welcome and Buen Camino!!
 
If you are fit and used to walk you can manage SJPP to Santiago in 28 days.. I have done it in 26 days the first time with no injuries at all...

Other option it to start in Pamplona... Pamplona to Santiago in 28 days is fairly doable.

There isnt such a thing as "the whole thing" anyways.... You can make an estimative of how many kms you can walk and do a backwards calculation from santiago and start from there :D:rolleyes::)

Buen Camino
 
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,-
Hello, so I have 28 days free in August and want to do a long distance walk. The Camino looks like a great walk but it doesn't seem I have enough time to complete the whole thing, I'll likely only have 25/26 days of walking.

Has anyone been in this situation before? I was wondering if it would better to start in St St Jean Pied de Port and then see how far I can walk, or should I start somewhere along the way so that I can finish at Santiago? Another thing I was wondering is if I did the first option and started from St St Jean Pied de Port, and got say 3/4 down the Way, what would be the best way to get back to the UK?

Or, I could do a shorter walk instead.. Does anyone have any suggestions for walks that can be done in25/26 days?

Any help/tips would be much appreciated, Cheers :)

Ross

Hi Rossco302
My wife and I are in a similar situations as you are. 27 day to walk. Santiago and the Compostela are very important to us. Like you time is against us. Some may not agree but we have decided to walk as far as we can but on day 20 if we are not in Sarria then we will bus it there and walk the final 100 miles in order for us to walk into Santiago and officially be able to collect our Compostela.
 
Hi Rossco302
My wife and I are in a similar situations as you are. 27 day to walk. Santiago and the Compostela are very important to us. Like you time is against us. Some may not agree but we have decided to walk as far as we can but on day 20 if we are not in Sarria then we will bus it there and walk the final 100 miles in order for us to walk into Santiago and officially be able to collect our Compostela.
Hey Rupe!

I think you strategy is a good one... walk up to where you can and then bus to Sarria when time hits against you.

Just one small correction: You need to walk the last 100km and not the final 100miles.

Let us know how it goes!

Buen Camino and good luck! :-D
 
Hey Rupe!

I think you strategy is a good one... walk up to where you can and then bus to Sarria when time hits against you.

Just one small correction: You need to walk the last 100km and not the final 100miles.

Let us know how it goes!

Buen Camino and good luck! :-D
Correction 100km. Thanks Vlebe!
 
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.
Hello, so I have 28 days free in August and want to do a long distance walk. The Camino looks like a great walk but it doesn't seem I have enough time to complete the whole thing, I'll likely only have 25/26 days of walking.

Has anyone been in this situation before? I was wondering if it would better to start in St St Jean Pied de Port and then see how far I can walk, or should I start somewhere along the way so that I can finish at Santiago? Another thing I was wondering is if I did the first option and started from St St Jean Pied de Port, and got say 3/4 down the Way, what would be the best way to get back to the UK?

Or, I could do a shorter walk instead.. Does anyone have any suggestions for walks that can be done in25/26 days?

Any help/tips would be much appreciated, Cheers :)

Ross
Hi Ross,
We had a similar situation last year and needed to skip some part. We decided to skip the Meseta. So took a train from Burgos to Leon and made that our "rest day" . We felt very happy in the end with that decision. I will do the Meseta one day when I do have 35+ days .
 
Leon to Santiago if you have 3 extra days walk to Finnesterre (To Atlantic). Take bus back to Santiago. I would Also suggest the Madrid or Primvito ( starts in Ovedio). You have a lot of options. The movie the way has put the idea in first time walkers that SJPDP is the starting point, no such thing. I am glad the film makers didn't make the beginning in Germany or Russia! Even though I did meet a German family who did walk from their home. What is nice is the ease that living in the UK gives you for returning. So many trails for your next one.
Buen Camino
 
Transport luggage-passengers.
From airports to SJPP
Luggage from SJPP to Roncevalles
Hello, so I have 28 days free in August and want to do a long distance walk. The Camino looks like a great walk but it doesn't seem I have enough time to complete the whole thing, I'll likely only have 25/26 days of walking.

Has anyone been in this situation before? I was wondering if it would better to start in St St Jean Pied de Port and then see how far I can walk, or should I start somewhere along the way so that I can finish at Santiago? Another thing I was wondering is if I did the first option and started from St St Jean Pied de Port, and got say 3/4 down the Way, what would be the best way to get back to the UK?

Or, I could do a shorter walk instead.. Does anyone have any suggestions for walks that can be done in25/26 days?

Any help/tips would be much appreciated, Cheers :)

Ross
It depends on how far you can, or want to comfortably walk each day. The CF can be done in28 days with this in mind. Why not just start at the "beginning" in jpdp and see how far you get. It may be that you can do it all or return to finish it another time. I do not know your circumstances. Certainly in my opinion, I would not miss the Meseta. It is a beautiful journey going through it. We are happy with or without crowds and walked last June/July with no accommodation problems. As the song goes"just start at the very beginning, it's a very good place to start". Best wishes Annette
 
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If you are fit, you can complete the Frances in 27 days. Personally, I would start from SJPDP and stop at Leon or Sarria if timing is an issue. I find the scenery and the culture is so much richer from SJPDP, but it gradually becomes so much more "commercialized" from Leon, even more so from Sarria, I think it may spoil how you feel about Camino if you skip the section from SJPDP.
 
Hi R
Hello, so I have 28 days free in August and want to do a long distance walk. The Camino looks like a great walk but it doesn't seem I have enough time to complete the whole thing, I'll likely only have 25/26 days of walking.

Has anyone been in this situation before? I was wondering if it would better to start in St St Jean Pied de Port and then see how far I can walk, or should I start somewhere along the way so that I can finish at Santiago? Another thing I was wondering is if I did the first option and started from St St Jean Pied de Port, and got say 3/4 down the Way, what would be the best way to get back to the UK?

Or, I could do a shorter walk instead.. Does anyone have any suggestions for walks that can be done in25/26 days?

Any help/tips would be much appreciated, Cheers :)

Ross
Hi Ross.
I stayed in an albergue with a father/daughter pair who got talming with me. They knew they had limited time and would not be able to walk the entire Camino Frances in the time that they had, so..........
They hired a couple of mountain bikes in Burgos and biked across the meseeta, leaving the bikes in Astorga. They sent their packs forward each day and just had a small pack for essentials. It was a genius idea as they could cycle 60 odd km's per day. I think they saved 5 days doing their camino this way. I know they made it to Santiago because I saw them on the way in.
Just an idea shared. Pi.
 
I have 28 days free in August and want to do a long distance walk.

Hi Ross, The Camino isn’t a long distance walk, it’s a pilgrimage. I don’t think the Camino Frances is for you, as you want to walk for 25/26 days. Try Lisbon to Santiago - you can do that in 26 days if you are fit and can do a couple of long days. And the bonus is . . . the Portuguese are fabulous, always friendly, smiling and helpful. You can’t go wrong with a long walk in Portugal. It can get hot in August, but then walk early mornings, take a long lunch, and walk late afternoons. No problem with getting beds in Portugal in August. My first long distance walk was from Lisbon to Santiago. I’d been walking about 3 weeks when I realised that I wasn’t on a long distance walk anymore, I was on a pilgrimage. I suddenly “got it”. Jill
 
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,-
Hi rossco302! Welcome to the forum!



There isn't really a whole thing. You can start your camino wherever you want. SJPP is just a popular starting point but you could start before SJPP or after SJPP. It all depends on what you want to make. Many people just walk from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela and they are fine with it. It all depends on each one's approach.



It depends. Is finishing in Santiago de Compostela important for you? In that case, start at some place (either on the Camino Francés or in any other of the caminos) that allows you to arrive to SdC within your time frame. If finishing this year in SdC isn't important to you, you could start in SJPP walk, for example, till Ponferrada and return home from Ponferrada. You can always return another year to walk the part you didn't walk this year.



The camino is a pilgrimage route that can be made on foot, by bicycle or riding a horse. Even if you consider it just a walk, to have in mind that you are on a pilgrimage route might be useful to get a better understanding of some aspects of the route.


Thanks for your reply! Yes, I think I would appreciate the religious/spiritual aspect of the Camino if I did a little research into the history! It does seem like a powerful experience to end the way in Santiago so might try and plan around that. Cheers
 
Hi Ross, The Camino isn’t a long distance walk, it’s a pilgrimage. I don’t think the Camino Frances is for you, as you want to walk for 25/26 days. Try Lisbon to Santiago - you can do that in 26 days if you are fit and can do a couple of long days. And the bonus is . . . the Portuguese are fabulous, always friendly, smiling and helpful. You can’t go wrong with a long walk in Portugal. It can get hot in August, but then walk early mornings, take a long lunch, and walk late afternoons. No problem with getting beds in Portugal in August. My first long distance walk was from Lisbon to Santiago. I’d been walking about 3 weeks when I realised that I wasn’t on a long distance walk anymore, I was on a pilgrimage. I suddenly “got it”. Jill

Thanks for your post :) I did think about the Lisbon to Santiago route but read that the scenery was not so good on that route! Maybe I'm trying to be to picky though!
 
I did think about the Lisbon to Santiago route but read that the scenery was not so good on that route!

Ross, just walk. Who cares about the scenery when you are looking inwards? :):):)
 
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Hi Ross, The Camino isn’t a long distance walk, it’s a pilgrimage. I don’t think the Camino Frances is for you, as you want to walk for 25/26 days. Try Lisbon to Santiago - you can do that in 26 days if you are fit and can do a couple of long days. And the bonus is . . . the Portuguese are fabulous, always friendly, smiling and helpful. You can’t go wrong with a long walk in Portugal. It can get hot in August, but then walk early mornings, take a long lunch, and walk late afternoons. No problem with getting beds in Portugal in August. My first long distance walk was from Lisbon to Santiago. I’d been walking about 3 weeks when I realised that I wasn’t on a long distance walk anymore, I was on a pilgrimage. I suddenly “got it”. Jill
Hi Jill, not everyone who walks the camino is a "pilgrim" some of us just like to walk. Should we therefore not walk "The Way"? Does walking the camino as walkers make the experience any less meaningful than for those who walk as pilgrims? Entering Santiago can be a very emotional experience for all involved whether walker or pilgrim.There have been many threads on this subject. Remember also that the Lisbon-Santiago route is also a pilgrim route as are many others in Spain all leading to Santiago. I don't think that Ross should be advised that the CF is not for him. Who are we to judge what is right or wrong for someone just because they have asked a question about"walking" "The way" we do not walk as pilgrims but find that long distance walking to be very spiritual experience and for us it is defenitely good for our souls. Otherwise why are we drawn to these caminos time and time again?!!! Best wishes Annette
 
Hello, so I have 28 days free in August and want to do a long distance walk. The Camino looks like a great walk but it doesn't seem I have enough time to complete the whole thing, I'll likely only have 25/26 days of walking.

Has anyone been in this situation before? I was wondering if it would better to start in St St Jean Pied de Port and then see how far I can walk, or should I start somewhere along the way so that I can finish at Santiago? Another thing I was wondering is if I did the first option and started from St St Jean Pied de Port, and got say 3/4 down the Way, what would be the best way to get back to the UK?

Or, I could do a shorter walk instead.. Does anyone have any suggestions for walks that can be done in25/26 days?

Any help/tips would be much appreciated, Cheers :)

Ross

I just finished the Camino this month within a month's time. I started from Logroño on 4/17, factored in two rest days, and entered Santiago on 5/13 averaging 25 km/day. So this starting point is very doable. Some people suggested starting in St. Jean because the scenery is much nicer beforehand and skipping the meseta, but I personally had many of my fondest memories at the albergues between Burgos and Leon. I would at the very least bike through it if you choose this option.
 
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Hi Jill, not everyone who walks the camino is a "pilgrim" some of us just like to walk. Should we therefore not walk "The Way"? Does walking the camino as walkers make the experience any less meaningful than for those who walk as pilgrims? Entering Santiago can be a very emotional experience for all involved whether walker or pilgrim.There have been many threads on this subject. Remember also that the Lisbon-Santiago route is also a pilgrim route as are many others in Spain all leading to Santiago. I don't think that Ross should be advised that the CF is not for him. Who are we to judge what is right or wrong for someone just because they have asked a question about"walking" "The way" we do not walk as pilgrims but find that long distance walking to be very spiritual experience and for us it is defenitely good for our souls. Otherwise why are we drawn to these caminos time and time again?!!! Best wishes Annette

I agree with everything that you said, and I couldn't have said it better!
I'm attracted to the Camino because I like walking, seeing another country from ground level, meeting locals and other "pilgrims", and the infrastructure is there so that no camping is necessary. I'm not interested in wilderness hiking, I like villages, towns and cities.
 

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