Wing It?

[ricksca]

I have been driving myself a little nuts trying to decide how much planning I need to do for a May Camino. My pack is in order for clothes, sleeping bag, etc. I am an experienced packer/hiker, so that's not the issue. It 's travel arrangements from Paris to SJPDP, books/maps, and other Camino specific stuff that I'm a little sketchy about. My question is: Can I mostly wing those things? Is there some essential that would be much cheaper/easier to get here (California) before i leave? Like guide books in English. Are they available enroute? After several years of thinking about this trip, I am inclined to get on the plane to Paris and make it up from there. Your thoughts?

 

[Caminando]

I am inclined to get on the plane to Paris and make it up from there.

You've said it above.

And your experiences as a hiker etc are perfect for having a great camino. Many do a camino who have never even seen a backpack and they make it. You are better placed than many.

Just arrive as best you can and dont worry.

Buen camino

 

[BHfmSanDiego]

Hey Ricksca, Congratulations on your upcoming Camino. I'm from California too, you can probably guess what city from my screen name, anyway I'll pass along how I got to St Jean. I flew to Washington DC on United, from there I flew to Madrid on Aer Lingus arriving about 7:30 in the morning, I took a train from the Atocha station in Madrid, it left about 10 AM and took about 3 hours arriving in Pamplona at 1 PM. I had arranged transport to St Jean with a shuttle service called Express Bouricott, they picked us up at the station and we were in St Jean at about 4 PM. In my opinion coming from North America it's easier traveling through Madrid, it's just easier to get back there from Santiago. Here is a link to the shuttle company, the more passengers they have the cheaper it is, http://www.expressbourricot.com/en.html. If you have any specific questions feel free to PM me.
Buen Camino,
Barry

 

[Deleted member 3000]

You won't find many guide books in English in Spain, so take them (it) with you. I recommend John Brierley's book. If you don't care about having a narrative, just take his book of maps.

 

[jeff001]

I second the Brierley recommendation. Without it you will have no problem finding your way but you will have no real idea of what is ahead of you or what you are passing. If you believe that the journey is the destination you will be missing the most important part.

 

[scikowski]

I also agree with the Brierley recommendations. I am in California too and would be happy to loan you the guidebook and /or map strip book. They are telling me that they want to go on pilgrimage again this year!
Suzanne

 

[renegadepilgrim]

I will be the one who speaks out against Brierley's book. I wanted to toss it on more than one occasion last year. The maps are not to scale and the elevation charts are even worse. I also found I didn't really need to read some of the historical stuff while on the road and would have preferred info on the trail and towns and albergues. If you are starting from SJPdP, then get the single page, double-sided list of albergues from the Pilgrim Office, and maybe pick up the Michelin map book of the Camino and you are set. You can also pick up information about albergues as you walk, and chances are someone will have the Brierley book or the CSJ book with them and will let you take a look. I loaned mine out many times and found myself borrowing the CSJ book a few times too. Just my opinion, and everyone here has one!

Also, FWIW, I flew into Paris, took the train to Bayonne, then a bus to SJPdP. Flew from SDC to Barcelona where I continued my traveling around the world. I would agree, though, Madrid seems to be the best entrance point for the Camino. I am looking into flights there for when I serve as a hospitalera this fall.

Good luck and buen camino!

 

[Andrewere]

I would highly recommend downloading caminoguide.net. If you print on both sides of A4 sheets (9 sheet in total I think) it's very light and disposable. It's comprehensive, up to date and doesn't include any history - just info on navigation and accommodation.

Andrew.

 

[skilsaw]

In 2004, my first Camino, I used an English Guidebook printed by the Confraternity of St. James in England. Their website is www.csj.org.uk The website is a treasure trove of information. Their guidebooks are brief, consise and regularly updated. The books are inexpensive and light to carry. Details for purchasing a guidebook and having it mailed to you are on the webpage.

A free spirited Mexican lad that I met heard about the Camino while on holiday in Europe and spontaniously decided to do it. All he had was a tourist brochure that had a list of towns with albergues and the distance between towns. He was truly winging it, and having a great time.

If you fly into Madrid, you can get to SJPP through Pamplona as described, or you can take a train from Madrid to Hendaye on the French border and change trains in Bayonne for the 1 hour train ride to SJPP. It can be done in a day. Four Americans that I met did this and had a travel agent in the US book their train tickets.

I found the more I was able to let go of my compulsive need for planning and wing it, the better my Camino became.

Just Do It.
David, Victoria, Canada.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

I found the more I was able to let go of my compulsive need for planning and wing it, the better my Camino became. Just Do It. David, Victoria, Canada.

Well said David - please keep reminding us of that profound fact.

 

[methodist.pilgrim.98]

In 1998 I walked with only the CSJ guide and Alison Raju.

There were so many things I missed that I had to go back in 2004 to see them.

Having done some research and reading I have also done a number of short Camino's to specifically go and see stuff.

If I lived in California I might take a very different view. Sometimes I think the Camino is there just to be experienced with minimal preparation so that you don't end up re-enacting someone else's journey. Your journey should be authentic to you and not coloured by someone else's interpretation of the Camino.

I will warn you that you will return knowing that you have made mistakes and missed opportunties, but it will be worth it for the sense of delight and wonder that you will also experience.

I love it when I find something not in the guide book.

There will always be wonders round the next corner if you keep your eyes open and don't have your nose stuck in a guide book.

IMHO.

 

[ricksca]

I would highly recommend downloading caminoguide.net.

Andrew.

Thank you all for your great suggestions. Particularly, the Caminoguide online is a bulls-eye. And, yes, Madrid seems to make more sense than Paris. (Just ordered maps from Amazon

 

[Deleted member 3000]

If you just ordered maps, you don't sound like a "wing it" sort of guy!! I found that planning was not an obstacle to enjoyment as long as execution remained flexible. Brierley is to scale, but does not show the surrounding roads, so it not useful when you are lost. Your maps will do that. The Alison Raju books give good history and background, but the maps are not sufficiently detailed to be useful. The detailed narrative, however, does help with the tricky turns through a town/city. You cannot take them all!

 

[renegadepilgrim]

Brierley is to scale, but does not show the surrounding roads, so it not useful when you are lost. Your maps will do that.

His book specifically states in the beginning somewhere the maps are NOT to scale. Based on my experience, they definitely are NOT to scale and often leave out enough detail I wanted to rip my hair out. I remember getting really lost somewhere and if I hadn't come across some other peregrinos with a better guide and map book, I'd probably still be wandering around in the holler. It didn't help that the Camino was also on the same path as a local hiking trail. There were conflicting signs everywhere. I wish I could remember where that was....regardless, next Camino....no Brierley guide. I really liked the Michelin map book that my Aussie and Kiwi friends had. It was easy to look at and much more accurate with regards to elevation changes and distances.

 

[ricksca]

If you just ordered maps, you don't sound like a "wing it" sort of guy!!

Winging it doesn't mean being clueless. I like maps.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

The Brierley maps are not a map overlay, I agree, which is why they are not useful when you get off course. The distances are accurate, so while the route line won't give every minor turn or dip, you do have an accuracy that allows an educated guess on the time to the next point. It is better than following the yellow arrows, but not as good as a Michelin map. Any of the three will get you to Santiago!