Where to begin my first Chemin in France?

[FlechaCadaDia]

I have done the Camino Frances before. This time I want to begin in France, from one of its four major starting points, and again walk Frances.

Which of the four wold you recommend in May?

Actually, I'm a student, so I have the summer off. I was planning on leaving in May and walking as long as necessary. I was afraid of walking Frances in July for fear of crowds, but I hear that France (le Puy route anyway) is crowded in May.

This will be my first time--I know people say, "If it's your first time in Spain, don't miss out on Frances!" Is the same said of LePuy? If so, is it un-missable enough to warrant dealing with the crowds?

I am feeling confused and a little overwhelmed, and would welcome any help!

If you're pretty familiar with the French routes, live in the US and wouldn't mind a phone call...I'd really appreciate the chance to ask questions---

B

 

[newfydog]

Yes, the LePuy route is that good.

Relative to the Frances. I would describe it as expensive rather than crowded.

 

[gittiharre]

Hi, happy to chat to you on the phone, send me a pm with ,your phone no, Le Puy Route is great and able to be done at a reasonable budget, less crowds than on the Frances... It is wonderful. Warm regards, Gitti

 

[Kitsambler]

Even in the busy periods of early May and early September, the Le Puy route has about one-tenth the number of walkers as the Camino Frances in Spain. Late May and June are considerably less busy. Of the four routes in France, the Le Puy route has the most walkers and therefore the most infrastructure. On the other routes, finding accommodation can be a challenge. There are blogs here (see blog links section immediately above) that describe experiences on all the routes.

It's true. With its French food, French hospitality, and spectacular scenery (including churches that are open), the Le Puy route is a delight. Staying in a mixture of gites private, chambre d'hote, and small hotels, my daily expenses for bed and meals ran an average of 40 euros. This was not bare-bones, and there is margin to economize if you want. Get a current copy of Miam Miam Dodo!

 

[Green Tortuga]

I can't say how crowded the Le Puy route is in May (I hiked it in August), but in total numbers, it's bound to be less than you'd find on the Camino Frances. On the flip side, though, in terms of finding accommodation, there's also a lot less available. Supply and demand have a funny way of equalizing over time. *shrug*

I've been told that wild camping is legal in France, so that might be an option if gites are particularly crowded. I'm not saying that it IS legal--just that I've been told it is. I never had any issues with camping, though.

Le Puy is absolutely beautiful--as are many of the places the route will take you through. I haven't done any of the other French routes so I can't really say how they compare, but in terms of scenery--some areas are absolutely beautiful. Other areas can be a little boring. You'll go through a lot of neat places. I suspect the same is true of all the routes, though. You'll probably enjoy yourself no matter which route you choose. =)

-- Ryan

 

[gittiharre]

We walked the Le PuynRoute in May/June and while it was busy with walking groups, a person alone would always have found somewhere to stay, book a day or two ahead, the gite owners where you are staying or tourist offices will help you out. You don' t need to feel overwhelmed by the Le Puy Route, it is very user friendly, brilliantly signposted and has a great infra structure. No nasty big towns to get through, very peaceful, it is my favourite route so far. Happy Planning, Gitti

 

[Kanga]

We have also walked the Le Puy route (several times) in April/May/June and it is an absolute delight. One person travelling alone would be very unlucky not to find accommodation. We used Miam Miam Dodo as our accommodation guide (everyone does) and never had a problem booking from night to night. It did tend to be busier on Friday and Saturday nights with weekend walkers. I have heard that sometimes a large group will travel together and cause problems but if that happened you could take a few extra days somewhere to get out of sinc. It is also possible to ride with the baggage carriers that run up and down the Le Puy route - my husband did that for one stage when he had to catch a train.
The accommodation is more expensive than Spain but you get what you pay for - superior accommodation and if you can afford Demi-pension fabulous food!