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Hi Glenda,Hi everyone
Coming from Australia where we cycle /walk on the left hand side of paths, trails, footpaths etc, but walk on the right hand side of the road (facing oncoming traffic), my question is: which side of the path, trail etc do you walk on in Spain?
I have seen advice re walking on the left on roads (facing oncoming traffic for safety), but in photos of pilgrims walking I see them all over the path. I don’t want to get mown down by cyclists or get in the way of whatever other traffic there might be, so could someone point me in the right direction please.
cheers
Glenda
Thank you Paul. Our cyclists are supposed to use a bell to let you know they’re coming but mostly whizz by at high speed unannounced ( and very close too), so this is good news.Hi Glenda,
Having recently walked my first Camino from Portugal to Spain, when walking on a road we walked on the left facing the oncoming cars. On the rest of the paths we walked on the right mostly leaving room for bicyclists to pass us on the left of the path or anyone walking in the other direction (rarely). Sometimes the paths were too narrow and the bicyclists just had to warn us that we were nearing and we pulled to the right and stopped to watch them as they approached and then passed by. We found the bicyclists were respectful of the situation which might not always be the case.
Paul
Thanks David. I hadn’t thought about off Camino, so will have to restrain myself from signalling and saying ‘keep left please’ in the supermarketAh, I am a lefty too - UK - definitely walk facing traffic on roads! and wear a hi-viz vest.
and as Paul says above, on Camino.
You will find an interesting problem off Camino, walking pavements and in supermarkets .. when someone is coming towards you you will automatically veer slightly left to pass - they will automatically veer right ... you will almost bump in to each other - so off camino always veer right (is hard to learn this!).
Re cyclists. Pilgrim cyclists tend to be very careful and considerate (and not speedy) but there will be groups of rainbow lycra clad super-fast off-roaders, usually in small groups, and they can whizz past you before you even know they are there which can be a bit disconcerting.
Hi everyone
Coming from Australia where we cycle /walk on the left hand side of paths, trails, footpaths etc, but walk on the right hand side of the road (facing oncoming traffic), my question is: which side of the path, trail etc do you walk on in Spain?
I have seen advice re walking on the left on roads (facing oncoming traffic for safety), but in photos of pilgrims walking I see them all over the path. I don’t want to get mown down by cyclists or get in the way of whatever other traffic there might be, so could someone point me in the right direction please.
cheers
Glenda
Only a Brit would describe the speed of a car in metres per second and Miles per hour.Ah, I am a lefty too (UK) - definitely walk facing traffic on roads! and wear a Hi-Viz vest.
A car at 42 mph travels about 20 metres in one second ...
my question is: on which side of the path, trail etc do you walk?
On the road, I walk facing traffic. Being from Belfast, we learned in the 70s and 80s to always face oncoming traffic especially at night. On the camino, I am a wobbler. Left, right up the middle and to tell the truth, in my experience most everyone is a wobblerHi everyone
Coming from Australia where we cycle /walk on the left hand side of paths, trails, footpaths etc, but walk on the right hand side of the road (facing oncoming traffic), my question is: which side of the path, trail etc do you walk on in Spain?
I have seen advice re walking on the left on roads (facing oncoming traffic for safety), but in photos of pilgrims walking I see them all over the path. I don’t want to get mown down by cyclists or get in the way of whatever other traffic there might be, so could someone point me in the right direction please.
cheers
Glenda
Also, in Spain there is a law requiring pedestrians to wear hi-vis safety vests when walking against oncoming traffic.
Tom,
Is this new?
I fear that your reply quoting the truncated version of my reply to Tom is more than a little misleading : I am quite clearly (and I hope diplomatically) querying Tom's idea of the "rule".Not new, but very rarely enforced! Nevertheless good advice to follow!
BC SY
Tom,
Is this new?
My understanding has been that this rule applies in limited circumstances i.e "outside of town,between sunrise and sunset and in conditions of reduced visibility " the latter not being defined.
I have not tracked down the Spanish original but "Article 123 of Royal Decree 1428/2003" was referenced on this forum (in Spanish and English) in Jan 2016 ( https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/reflective-vests.38005/) ; the reference itself was from peregrina2000
Mike.
We just returned from walking the Camino Frances!!! Must say it was the very best "thing" we've ever done.Hi everyone
Coming from Australia where we cycle /walk on the left hand side of paths, trails, footpaths etc, but walk on the right hand side of the road (facing oncoming traffic), my question is: which side of the path, trail etc do you walk on in Spain?
I have seen advice re walking on the left on roads (facing oncoming traffic for safety), but in photos of pilgrims walking I see them all over the path. I don’t want to get mown down by cyclists or get in the way of whatever other traffic there might be, so could someone point me in the right direction please.
cheers
Glenda
Ah, I am a lefty too (UK) - definitely walk facing traffic on roads! and wear a Hi-Viz vest.
A car at 42 mph travels about 20 metres in one second ... if you are 50 metres from a bend in the road and a car appears at 42 mph they have 2 1/2 seconds to see you, react to you being there, and either brake or drive around you (if oncoming traffic allows) - that has to include their awareness level and their reaction time .... and that is in clear daylight, factor in mist or fog or rain or twilight ......
so, yes, always face the traffic - you can jump onto the verge if need be! - and a Hi-Viz - (for the insurance claim if they hit you).
If you are intending to walk roads in poor light you can buy small front and rear gel bicycle lights, which easily fit onto your pack and front harness .. they are cheap, very light, battery last for ages, and they give out a bright light too - like these ones
View attachment 67052
and as Paul says above, when on Camino.
As a lefty you will find an interesting problem off Camino, walking pavements and in supermarkets .. when someone is coming towards you you will automatically veer slightly left to pass - they will automatically veer right ... you will almost bump in to each other - so off camino always veer right (is hard to learn this!).
Re cyclists. Pilgrim cyclists tend to be very careful and considerate (and not speedy) but there will be groups of rainbow lycra clad super-fast off-roader day racers, usually in small groups, and they can whizz past you before you even know they are there which can be a bit disconcerting.
As an aside, Spain is known for having lots of rules, many of which are ignored or only honored selectively, or occasionally. Not being critical, just an observation...
I don't know much about Spain's laws but I know that in France and in Germany for example the law does say that pedestrians walking on roads outside of built-up areas and without a pavement must walk on the left side of the road in the direction of walking unless it endangers their security and safety or in other special circumstances. It says so in article R412-36 for France and article § 25 StVO for Germany, and I could probably find the same for other European countries. So Spain is no exception in this respect. We were taught this as kids by the adults, without knowing anything about any laws. I used to think that everybody is taught this as a kid but apparently not.What I said about walking on the right side on paths is not an "official rule" of course. It is just a custom that follows almost everybody in Spain.
Oh yes ... My knees still start shaking when I think of it. I crossed the Mer de Glace near the Mont Blanc once, tied to an Alpine guide (I'm a chicken) and he instructed me to step aside on a very narrow and very steep trail in the snow where you could fall down the mountain for 200 metres on the right and for 1000 metres on the left because two mountaineers were coming up while we were going down and they had right of way. I do this now also on all kinds of other trails, including on the Camino Frances, but not many people are aware of this convention.In relation to the priority of those who are going up in steep slopes, it is an universal custom of courtesy, that I learnt in the Dolomites (Italy) where everybody did it when I was there.
I don't know much about Spain's laws but I know that in France and in Germany for example the law does say that pedestrians walking on roads outside of built-up areas and without a pavement must walk on the left side of the road in the direction of walking unless it endangers their security and safety or in other special circumstances. It says so in article R412-36 for France and article § 25 StVO for Germany, and I could probably find the same for other European countries. So Spain is no exception in this respect. We were taught this as kids by the adults, without knowing anything about any laws.
Yes, I realised belatedly that you were talking about paths and not roads ☺. And I agree that there is a tendency to walk on the right side on paths, not just in Spain but elsewhere in Continental Europe, too.Yes, of course, in roads you must walk on your left in Spain to see the cars coming.
But, in rural paths with no cars involved, better walk on your right side because is the custom in Spain.
Maybe you are right, but I think we are improving.
What I said about walking on the right side on paths is not an "official rule" of course. It is just a custom that follows almost everybody in Spain.
In relation to the priority of those who are going up in steep slopes, it is an universal custom of courtesy, that I learnt in the Dolomites (Italy) where everybody did it when I was there.
And in the US too.And I agree that there is a tendency to walk on the right side on paths, not just in Spain but elsewhere in Continental Europe, too.
As a child in Australia we learned to walk on the left of paths/footpaths etc, but this seems to have been conveniently forgotten by many today who walk wherever they please despite signs on cycle paths etc stating ‘keep left, share the path’. Good to see the custom of walking on the right still holds in Europe.I don't know much about Spain's laws but I know that in France and in Germany for example the law does say that pedestrians walking on roads outside of built-up areas and without a pavement must walk on the left side of the road in the direction of walking unless it endangers their security and safety or in other special circumstances. It says so in article R412-36 for France and article § 25 StVO for Germany, and I could probably find the same for other European countries. So Spain is no exception in this respect. We were taught this as kids by the adults, without knowing anything about any laws. I used to think that everybody is taught this as a kid but apparently not.
Oh yes ... My knees still start shaking when I think of it. I crossed the Mer de Glace near the Mont Blanc once, tied to an Alpine guide (I'm a chicken) and he instructed me to step aside on a very narrow and very steep trail in the snow where you could fall down the mountain for 200 metres on the right and for 1000 metres on the left because two mountaineers were coming up while we were going down and they had right of way. I do this now also on all kinds of other trails, including on the Camino Frances, but not many people are aware of this convention.
There are quite a few signs (at least on the Camino Frances) directing peatones (pedestrians) to stay a la izquierda (on the left)
I was hoping that someone would have a picture of one of the signs.Hi,
Yes, Trecile, we have seen some of them when reaching Castrojeriz (maybe because the painted strip on the right side could have been an option?) :
View attachment 67202
Hi everyone
Coming from Australia where we cycle /walk on the left hand side of paths, trails, footpaths etc, but walk on the right hand side of the road (facing oncoming traffic), my question is: which side of the path, trail etc do you walk on in Spain?
I have seen advice re walking on the left on roads (facing oncoming traffic for safety), but in photos of pilgrims walking I see them all over the path. I don’t want to get mown down by cyclists or get in the way of whatever other traffic there might be, so could someone point me in the right direction please.
cheers
Glenda
I would think that it is just best to choose common sense. I am from Oz. and whilst in Spain, still walked facing the oncoming traffic. And when walking, I tried to keep to the left as much as possible.Hi everyone
Coming from Australia where we cycle /walk on the left hand side of paths, trails, footpaths etc, but walk on the right hand side of the road (facing oncoming traffic), my question is: which side of the path, trail etc do you walk on in Spain?
I have seen advice re walking on the left on roads (facing oncoming traffic for safety), but in photos of pilgrims walking I see them all over the path. I don’t want to get mown down by cyclists or get in the way of whatever other traffic there might be, so could someone point me in the right direction please.
cheers
Glenda
While walking on a paved road we thought we were taking a precaution by walking toward the oncoming traffic until a car going the opposite direction overtook a car in order to pass, the driver came dangerously close to us. Watch out Pilgrims!
Day 16 on the Camino Frances, from NZ. Big problem for me too, bumping into people for the first few days. Now I stay with the right side on paths, and it works. As for walking on the roads, our logic says: Face the oncoming traffic. We are right, they are wrong, even though so many on the Camino do it wrong. I just don't get it. But I am not going to get run down 20000 kms from home for anyone.Hi everyone
Coming from Australia where we cycle /walk on the left hand side of paths, trails, footpaths etc, but walk on the right hand side of the road (facing oncoming traffic), my question is: which side of the path, trail etc do you walk on in Spain?
I have seen advice re walking on the left on roads (facing oncoming traffic for safety), but in photos of pilgrims walking I see them all over the path. I don’t want to get mown down by cyclists or get in the way of whatever other traffic there might be, so could someone point me in the right direction please.
cheers
Glenda
This is an old thread, but I think you have conflated two different issues. When walking on a sidewalk or path, people in Spain will stay to the right. But when walking on the shoulder of a road, where motor vehicles are present, pedestrians generally and pilgrims specifically, in my experience, all walk on the left side towards oncoming traffic. I’ve never seen pilgrims walking on the shoulder of the right side of the road, but I’m sure it happens occasionally.As for walking on the roads, our logic says: Face the oncoming traffic. We are right, they are wrong, even though so many on the Camino do it wrong.
I have seen signs along the Camino when the route goes along the road for a bit that say that los peatones deben caminar por la izquierda - pedestrians should walk on the left. Unfortunately, I have seen pilgrims walking on the right side when they should be on the left, and in some cases there will be pilgrims on both sides of the road. This happened this year on the Norte in the stage after Güemes, and the drivers were getting angry and actually yelling at those on the right side.But when walking on the shoulder of a road, where motor vehicles are present, pedestrians generally and pilgrims specifically, in my experience, all walk on the left side towards oncoming traffic. I’ve never seen pilgrims walking on the shoulder of the right side of the road, but I’m sure it happens occasionally.
Yes, I do the same.The one exception would be when you come to a closed curve. To increase visibility, I will move to the “other side” of the road until the dangerousness of the curve is past.
You also walk upside down! I‘ve seen a globe before.Hi everyone
Coming from Australia where we cycle /walk on the left hand side of paths, trails, footpaths etc, but walk on the right hand side of the road (facing oncoming traffic), my question is: which side of the path, trail etc do you walk on in Spain?
I have seen advice re walking on the left on roads (facing oncoming traffic for safety), but in photos of pilgrims walking I see them all over the path. I don’t want to get mown down by cyclists or get in the way of whatever other traffic there might be, so could someone point me in the right direction please.
cheers
Glenda
Oh, yes you have (or should have)I’ve never seen pilgrims walking on the shoulder of the right side of the road
I also pay attention to how safe the road is to cross, how far I will be walking along it, and which side I will be exiting on.Oh, yes you have (or should have)
There are three basic rules - country independent
1) if there is a SAFE footpath, use it
In my experience, both at home and abroad, many foot paths are not safe. Broken surfaces and many sloping, (both ways) vehicle access ramps are the main problems.
2) walk facing the oncoming traffic - but with space to step off the road as needed
For moderate to heavy traffic volume, the "shoulder' may be good, and easier to walk on.
Read the road ahead - did the oncoming driver see you - or being overtaken - etc etc
3) curves/bends - walk on the outside (this means on the "wrong side" when required)
The rationale is simple. When driving I, and most other drivers, tend to drift to the inside of our lane.
In Europe, for example:
If the curve is to the walkers left, the oncoming driver will drift to their right and so be very close the edge of the road - not a good place for a walker to be.
The walker is best to cross over to the "wrong" side (their right) a good distance before the curve.
- the car coming from behind you will drift to their left, closer to the centre line.
- and increases the space between the vehicle and the outside edge of the road.
I also pay attention to how safe the road is
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