luggage transfer and hotels or pensions and when to go - newbie here

[veronica]

hello,

i am planning to go this year and i am wondering if there is a backpack transfer service available and how much it costs. I would rather travel with a small day pack than take all with me. i have a lower back problem that can put me out if i strain my back.

Also are there cheaper hotels or pensions in most places? Do you know where i can get a list/brochure of them? I can get a guide book like Lonely Planet or something on Spain but i am afraid that lots of the villages/towns will not be listed as they could be small or not too touristy. Please forgive if those questions seem naive, but i have never done something like that before.

also, i read on this forum that some months ( september?) it is mostly older people, over 60 walking. I am in my mid 30 and would enjoy meeting people my age and really variety of ages but i wouldnt enjoy if 80% of people i met were over 60.

thank you
buen camino
veronica

[HuskyNerd]

Hi Veronica and welcome to the Forum ~

Yes, indeed, there are luggage transfer services available. You didn't mention from where you'll be starting, but Express Bouricot is an example of a service that does this in the early stages of the Camino Frances.

Yes, there are inexpensive hotels along the way. I'd recommend the Brierley guidebook Amazon.com: A Pilgrim's Guide to the Camino de Santiago: St. Jean - Roncesvalles - Santiago (Camino Guides) (9781844091928): John Brierley: Books as a good resource for you. He provides contact information about hotels in each town.

You didn't mention what month you're thinking of walking, but monthly statistics on broad age groupings are available on the Santiago Cathedral website at Pilgrims to Santiago . The categories are a) under 30, b) 30-60, and c) over 60. As you will see, the largest category each month is actually 30-60, but during the summer months the numbers of under 30 people increase significantly and the over 60 group seldom is more than 25% of the total. Since I'm to be in that group in 6-7 years I should probably include a note about the beauty and wisdom of our elders here and how much you'll enjoy over-60 pilgrims.

Hope this helps. Buen camino ~

[veronica]

thank you very much. i will be starting in pamplona. i think. i read that starting at the traditional beginning of this route is very strenuous and i would rather start at an easier point. do you think pamplona is a good idea?

Thanks for recommending the company. they charge around E8. reasonable i think.

i think i will go in may or september to avoid crowds and because the weather is more to my liking.

[Covey]

I have never been as early as May, but have walked the Camino Frances a few times starting in the first week of September. The weather in Sept/Oct has always been good and it is not quite so hot at midday when most of us are still walking.

Pamplona is a good place to start. There are those who think that the trip to St Jean Pied du Port is the "real" start of the Camino Frances, but quite a few start at Puy and a few from places such as Amsterdam, Paris, so really where you start is up to you.

If you arrive in Spain at Madrid, then getting to Pamplona is easy and if you can I would spend a day or two in Pamplona acclimatizing in one of the nice bars around the main square. Those arriving in Spain from far flung places would do well to shake off any jet lag before you head for the hills and far away.

Most pilgrims feel that the pain of carrying a pack (suggest 10kgs max!!) is part of the life of a Pilgrim, but the bag service which you will now find everywhere is invaluable for those who are really tired or whose joints are complaining loudly!! There are no injuries you pick up on the Camino that get better the more you walk!! Just stick to whatever pace you are comfortable with and guess what? One day you will arrive in Santiago with the biggest smile on your face!

Have fun and Buen Camino.

[HuskyNerd]

Although I've never tried September I have come to choose May my favorite month for the Camino. It has some of the same advantages as September -- fewer crowds, cooler weather -- but also has the advantage of the beautiful, deep greens of the countryside. While the plowed-under crops of the Meseta in September yield gorgeous fields of pink and brown, the verdancy of May is astounding. Everything seems so full of life and the vast, green fields are amazing.

Of course Covey's right about Pamplona as a good place to start, but you might also enjoy a start at Roncesvalles. It's after the big climb from St. Jean and, with the exception of one large factory, it allows a couple of days walking by very delightful small farms and thick forests with the sounds of bubbling creeks accompanying the pilgrim. The town itself is a monastery, two restaurants and two hotels, but the pilgrim vibe is strong. Some Spaniards (and their pilgrimage t-shirts) insist that the actual start of the Camino is at Roncesvalles (not St. Jean or anyplace else farther east). Express Bourricot can deposit you there as well.

Whichever you choose you have a marvelous trip ahead of you. Buen camino.

[veronica]

thanks for your responses.

as you can tell , i am not a purist. i like to socialize with people in the evening, walk together or alone etc... but i want a good bed at night. if someone else carries my pack...its ok with me too.

thank you for answering those questions. the luggage one would make me go or stay home. fortunately there are services available. i will not pack heavily, but even 6 kg is not something i would like to carry for hours. Reading your storied about bedbugs, people snoring and communal bathrooms didnt make me optimistic either.

good suggestion about starting in roncesville, past the big mountains. thank you, i will look into that.
see you somewhere in may!

v

[Sil]

I have a post on my blog with a list of all the companies that do backpack and people transfers on the the Camino Frances.
If you have your pack transferred you need to have a place booked ahead of time.
Amawalker: LUGGAGE & PEOPLE TRANSPORT ON THE CAMINO
I also have a post of companies that will book accommodation for you/
Amawalker: 2010 – HOLY YEAR IN SANTIAGO BOOKING ACCOMMODATION ON THE CAMINO
You can pick up a brochure with contact details for all the private albergues on the Camino Frances in most albergues or tourist offices. Or, you can download one here:
Folletos
ood luck!

[HuskyNerd]

Sil, this is super-helpful info. Thanks for collecting it and passing it on. You're great.
All the best ~
Sandy

[Sil]

de Nada :-)

[Sil]

And a couple more.

Camino Norte
Le P'tit Bag transports bags from Bilbao to Irun.
http://greencartrans.webcindario.com/

Camino Primitivo
Taxi-Service
Pick-up Service from/to Asturias Airport
Back packs and luggage transport
Shuttle-Bike
Support Vehicle Service
Information service for Peregrinos
Website: /www.taxicamino.com


Aragones Route
taxijavi@yahoo.es
Jaca, Huesca Tel: 637 503 920

[veronica]

hey! thank you very much!
veronica

[Sil]

You are welcome. You do your Camino your way - and I'm wishing you a wonderful walk!