4 Stages to Bilboa/ route del norte

[Paula]

I am walking back 4 stages to bilboa in the first week in May. Has anybody got advice on this ? bus timetables and places to stay along the way. I would also like to know what the route is like and is it along the coast ? Any info at would be great

Many thanks Paula

[HuskyNerd]

Hi Paula ~
Congrats on your upcoming walk along the Via del Norte. I've not done this stretch, but I do know something about buses and have been to Bilbao a couple of times. I also know of a few resources that will be helpful for you:

First, try this website for photos of the stages you're hoping to do. The Camino del Norte In some cases the photos are a couple of years old, but the terrain is still the same obviously, and you can get a good sense of what you're getting into.

Second, bus timetables are easily available online, but the problem/opportunity of Spain is that there are many private bus companies and you have to know which one you want before finding out the schedules. Here's a listing of the buses that service the Bilbao bus station: Bus companies of Bilbao . I'm not sure which is largest, but I do find myself recommending www.alsa.es (the Alsa line) and www.monbus.es (the Monbus line) quite often. Type in your departure/arrival cities and I think you'll find what you want.

Third, one of the best resources I've seen for any of the caminos is a great website available free in Spanish from Consumer Eroski. Here's the link the their Camino del Norte pages: El Camino del Norte | Guía del Camino de Santiago | EROSKI CONSUMER They have a complete listing of albergues and contact information as well as maps for each stage. Unless you're using the narrative directions you don't really need Spanish to use this great resource. FYI if you have an iPhone you can also download their iPhone app and have this info right at your fingertips.

Hopefully this will help you piece together your walk. I'm sure there are many other Camino del Norte resources out there (in fact, you might want to try the Confraternity of St. James' del Norte guidebook at this link: Confraternity of Saint James Pilgrim Guides to Spain). Buen camino!
--Sandy