Which Guide?

[SYates]

Which guide do you had with you on the VdP and did you found it useful? What I am looking for is a guide that has

Short descriptions of history / special points along the way not to miss.
Really extensive list of accommodation options, but I do prefer albergues wherever possible.
Way descriptions on confusing points.
Overview maps(s) of stages.
Height profiles.
Distances from place to place instead of prescribed stages.
Good indication about where to find next water hole/shop/albergue/ATM/restaurant and the like.

Any suggestions?

Many thanks y Buen Camino, SY

 

[VNwalking]

I do prefer allergies wherever possible

Really?! (Cute auto-correct typo, SY)
And for future reference I'll be interested to read the answers you get...

 

[dougfitz]

Really?! (Cute auto-correct typo, SY)
And for future reference I'll be interested to read the answers you get...

I think knowing where there are allergies to be avoided would be a very useful addition to the current range of topics in Camino guidebooks.

 

[peregrina2000]

Which guide do you had with you on the VdP and did you found it useful? What I am looking for is a guide that has

Short descriptions of history / special points along the way not to miss.
Really extensive list of accommodation options, but I do prefer allergies wherever possible.
Way descriptions on confusing points.
Overview maps(s) of stages.
Height profiles.
Distances from place to place instead of prescribed stages.
Good indication about where to find next water hole/shop/albergue/ATM/restaurant and the like.

Any suggestions?

Many thanks y Buen Camino, SY

Hi, SYates,
I have walked the Vdlp twice and both times used the Eroski guide. Its walking directions were perfect, and I supplemented with notes from the forum, etc. Now that there's the accommodation guide in the resources section by jirit and LTfit, that should be all you need. If you're looking for a Gitlitz/Davidson equivalent, I think you are out of luck, though. Buen camino!

Edit: Oh, but of course you're not a monolingual North American! I'm sure those German yellow and red guides are great.

 

[madrid12]

I used a Spanish guide called Guia del camino mozarabe de Santiago Via de la Plata by the associacion de Amigos del camino de Santiago de Sevilla but I walked this route a long time ago so mine is quite old. I brought it in Seville and do not know if there are updated versions but I think it contains most the information you are looking. I am not sure if there is an English version.

 

[SYates]

Really?! (Cute auto-correct typo, SY)
And for future reference I'll be interested to read the answers you get...

Oh dear, oh dear! Thanks for catching that! Yes, autocorrect running wild, sorry. I did recently switch to Safari as a browser and have not gotten completely used to it. Corrected now, SY

 

[Lachance]

Oh dear, oh dear! Thanks for catching that! Yes, autocorrect running wild, sorry. I did recently switch to Safari as a browser and have not gotten completely used to it. Corrected now, SY

Always turn off "auto correct"! Especially the Apple version. Better the mortification of the odd mistype than utter shame.

 

[SYates]

Now I have only to find out where to do that ... SY

 

[movinmaggie]

Found it; System Preferences, Text, uncheck auto spell correct…..

 

[movinmaggie]

Now I have only to find out where to do that ... SY

whoops….System preferences, Language/Text…….Text, uncheck auto correct

 

[Harington]

Which guide do you had with you on the VdP and did you found it useful? What I am looking for is a guide that has

Short descriptions of history / special points along the way not to miss.
Really extensive list of accommodation options, but I do prefer albergues wherever possible.
Way descriptions on confusing points.
Overview maps(s) of stages.
Height profiles.
Distances from place to place instead of prescribed stages.
Good indication about where to find next water hole/shop/albergue/ATM/restaurant and the like.

Any suggestions?

Many thanks y Buen Camino, SY

I used the Lepère guide (in French) when I did it in 2013, but it was dated 2011 and I suspect pretty out of date now. It had brilliant topographical maps in it of each stage, but road/railway construction meant that these were often way out. But when combined with Eroski Camino and Melanie's app they made a guide that included everything one could want.

 

[SabsP]

I heard from my Germans friends good reviews from this yellow guide. From Raimund Joos.
http://www.via-de-la-plata.de/

 

[SYates]

As a German I know that series of guides, but they are a bit wordy on the way descriptions and a bit opinionated in general ;-) SY

 

[SabsP]

As a German I know that series of guides, but they are a bit wordy on the way descriptions and a bit opinionated in general ;-) SY

Ok. I was very impressed when my fellow German pilgrim had hers with her on the Portugues. Still less opiniated than my Brierley's.

 

[musicman]

We walked the "Plata" from Seville to Caceres, this April.
We do our second Etape, next Spring.

We bought the English edition of the " Guia" in the Seville fraternity office; lovely people, great T- shirts!

Check online for opening times, which are mainly in the evening.
Else wise the Fleches were always evident.

Great Walk.

I have a spreadsheet of our accommodation, if it is of any help; we try to avoid Albergues.

Buen camino

 

[domigee]

I used a combination :
http://www.viaplata.org/guia-del-camino
This guide gives a good overall picture of the day ahead. You can order it or buy it in Sevilla at the Amigos de la Via de la Plata. I'd choose the Spanish version as I was told (I haven't verified it) the English translation is a bit fantasist...
They also have a comprehensive list of albergues BUT the person manning the 'shop' the day I went didn't know anything about it. But there is, I saw it!

For the albergues/other accommodation: euroski http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/los-caminos-de-santiago/via-de-la-plata/
and also gronze
http://www.gronze.com/camino-de-santiago/caminos/guia-via-plata
Also the lists available on the forum, very useful.

Btw I just found this site but haven't had time to check it out:
http://www.turismocastillayleon.com/es/servicios/publicaciones/guia-via-plata.ficheros/67699-Via de la plata.pdf

Where there are confusing signs due to the AVE construction, I (eventually!) found that talking to the locals is useful. Unlike on other caminos, they're aware of the difficulties and well informed (those I met anyway).

Buen camino

 

[Jeff Crawley]

http://www.godesalco.com/plan is useful

 

[C clearly]

I used a combination :
http://www.viaplata.org/guia-del-camino
This guide gives a good overall picture of the day ahead. You can order it or buy it in Sevilla at the Amigos de la Via de la Plata. I'd choose the Spanish version as I was told (I haven't verified it) the English translation is a bit fantasist...
They also have a comprehensive list of albergues BUT the person manning the 'shop' the day I went didn't know anything about it. But there is, I saw it!

Go to the website www.viaplata.org, click on the tab at the top "Atencion al Peregrino", then choose Albergues and Via de la Plata. From there, after a bit of fiddling around, I was able to download an Excel spreadsheet. Perhaps that is the list you've seen.

 

[domigee]

Oh my goodness, you wonderful person, thank you Cclearly! There it is!
http://www.viaplata.org/atencion-al-peregrino/albergues/via-de-la-plata

 

[C clearly]

This guide gives a good overall picture of the day ahead. You can order it or buy it in Sevilla at the Amigos de la Via de la Plata. I'd choose the Spanish version

Do you know what the difference is between the "versión original" and "la edición coleccionista"? It is rather confusing - was one of them updated in 2009 or 2011?

 

[Hikoi]

Do you know what the difference is between the "versión original" and "la edición coleccionista"? It is rather confusing - was one of them updated in 2009 or 2011?

Thanks for the link to the albergues pdf, C Clearly. I've loaded it into my kindle app.

I have the "Versión original" of the Guía del Camino Mozárabe de Santiago in Spanish. I had it sent to me a month or so ago from the Amigos del Camino de Santiago de Sevilla. The printing date was the 30 of December, 2010. I don't know, but I suspect that "la edición coleccionista" is a hard bound copy of the same edition.

 

[domigee]

View attachment 22793

Thanks for the link to the albergues pdf, C Clearly. I've loaded it into my kindle app.

I have the "Versión original" of the Guía del Camino Mozárabe de Santiago in Spanish. I had it sent to me a month or so ago from the Amigos del Camino de Santiago de Sevilla. The printing date was the 30 of December, 2010. I don't know, but I suspect that "la edición coleccionista" is a hard bound copy of the same edition.

I have the same edition of the Guía as Hikoi. This is what they say about the colleccionista:
Disponibles en la versión original y la edición coleccionista (solo en español), considerada la mejor y más completa guía sobre la Vía de la Plata. Reeditada en el 2009, contiene la historia, descripción de los monumentos principales y consejos para recorrer el Camino por la Vía de la Plata.
I understand it to say the colleccionista is the best and most complete guide, reedited in 2009. It includes the history, description of the main monuments and advice to walk the VdlP. It is only available in Spanish.

I can't recall seeing it in the shop, I bought the only version available and I found it basic but useful. It indicates if there are shops/banks/pharmacies etc and the number and type of albergues but no other details about them so you do need a list of accommodation.

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

I used the one on the photo above, as Hikoi did, and combined it with the Eroski free guide from their website (2 guides = idiot-proof), combined with my beloved compass. Call me a neurotic but I haaaaate getting lost...

/BP

 

[Pawel]

great info. thank You!
there are also some apps for android. but, well, I'm still wishing that there will be better ones - with more info e.g. about history.

 

[geraldkelly]

Hi Sylvia!

I just found this thread about guides to the Via de la Plata. I also edit one, it's been in existence about five years now. I keep it up-to-date with help from people who use it while they're walking the Via.

You can download it in PDF format from my website: http://www.viadelaplataguide.net/

I Plan to walk the Via again early in 2016., so after that I'll be doing a lot more updates.

Buen Camino!
Gerald

 

[SYates]

Thanks, will have a look at it. Buen Camino, SY