Should I Walk Camino Frances or Norte? Leaving next week!

[flyingteacosy]

Hello!
I'm planning on starting my first Camino next week, and I'd really appreciate some advice. You see, I'm torn between whether to take the Camino Frances or Camino del Norte route. I don't know anyone who's done the Northern route- and only one person who did the Frances route in very different circumstances to my own. I'd love advice from people who've been there.

Here's my situation. I'm a reasonably fit woman in my late twenties, and I'll be walking on my own. I have about forty days or so free- I'd like to leave at least a few of those days free for sightseeing.. and, I expect, for spending a day or so with my feet in a bucket of cold water during the first week! On the other hand, my budget is quite limited. I have a little bit of wiggle-room, but I do plan on staying in refugios and keeping costs down as low as possible. I have a flight booked to Biarritz for next Wednesday- what direction I go when I land is something I still haven't decided.

Right. When looking over routes, I was immediately drawn to the Northern route. I love the sea, I love the idea of walking near to the coast a lot of the time. I also figured that since I'll be walking in July and August, it would be nice to walk somewhere cooled by the ocean, as opposed to further inland.
There's a few concerns I have about walking this route, though. I've heard that at this time of year it can be very difficult to find accommodation. Given my budget, this is worrying. Could anyone give me a better idea of what getting accommodation is like? I'm thinking of carrying a sleeping mat along with me- is this a good idea? Would it be worthwhile? Also, I was originally planning to take a sleeping bag liner instead of a sleeping bag to save on space/weight. Would that be a good idea, or not sufficient?
I've also heard that this route is a lot harder to walk than the French route. Again, like I said I'm reasonably fit, so this shouldn't be a big thing unless it's lot more difficult.
The only other thing I'd worry about would be the weather. I gather that it's a lot more variable than on the French route and, well, I'm not too keen on having to carry half of my wardrobe on my back! Is it possible to walk this route and still pack light?

If anyone can give me a bit of advice from experience, I'd appreciate it so much. I've been running around in circles reading everything I can find out for the past week, and I just can't seem to make my mind up. Thank you!

[BHinSanDiego]

Though I haven't walked the Camino Norte I can safely say you won't be disappointed by walking the Camino Frances, after all it is the most popular route to Santiago, it didn't get that reputation by simply being there. Taking what you said into consideration you should have less to worry about in regards to finding a bed along Camino Frances, theres not only the municipal and church alburgues, but a lot of private alburgues too, and they don't cost much more to stay in, usually about 7 euros. You should be fine with a sleeping bag liner, last year I carried a fleece sleeping bag liner and it worked fine, the only time I needed more warmth blankets were provided by the alburgues. You shouldn't need a pad either, I carried one and it was nothing but dead weight, never came close to using it once. With the amount of time you have you have plenty of time to walk at a nice pace and see everything you want to see, I walked from St Jean to Santiago in 33 days, I took only one rest day, I just never felt the need for more. Always remember, it's your Camino, do it as you please, at your own pace, it's not a race, it's a rare opportunity to leave the fast paced world behind, to simply walk, eat, sleep, sightsee, visit with friends, and do it all over again the next day and the day after that for however long it takes. You will meet plenty of people from all parts of the world that share a sense of adventure as you. Normally people become part of a group of about 20 or people, by that I mean a moving family of pilgrims that you unintentionally become a part of, people you see almost everyday or maybe not for 4 or 5 but when you do see them you are very happy you do, you end up staying in the same alburgues, sometimes walk together, dine together etc. In closing this is what you will encounter on the CF, so I say take that route! Again you won't be disappointed, after all you are getting to walk across Spain! How many of your friends back home can say that!

[HuskyNerd]

Hi Fly ~
I seriously considered walking the Camino del Norte this year, after having done the Camino Frances in 2008. Instead I walked the Camino Frances again in order to enjoy the greatest treasure of the Camino -- great pilgrims from all over the world. The reason I didn't walk del Norte was that I've heard over and again how many fewer pilgrims there are. I'd walked the last 260 kms of the Via de la Plata last year and had learned what it's like to be with many fewer pilgrims over weeks. Also I'd heard about "iffy" weather on the coast and frustrations about topography (up/down, inland for 5 kms to catch a bridge over a 200 meter wide river, etc.). That said, I'm certain I will walk the del Norte sometime in the future, just out of curiosity.

So here's an idea for you: walk the first week or so of the Camino del Norte and decide how you like it. If you find yourself lonely and cold, take a bus or train down to the Camino Frances. Nothing says you have to walk all the way on the del Norte route if you don't like it. But do be aware that the Camino Frances is most crowded in July/August. It's also most hot on the Meseta in these months. Even so, many people walk it because, even in the crowded months, the Camino Frances is a treat.

Buen camino!

[BHinSanDiego]

Husky, that's a really good idea for her to walk the first week or so on the Camino Norte, with the amount of time she has it makes sense, 40 or so days will give her plenty of time to find out if CN is to her liking and if not still bus down to the CF and walk that route too! Not many get the opportunity on one trip to enjoy both, this is a unique opportunity.

[Lipka149]

... walk the first week or so of the Camino del Norte and decide how you like it.

Good advice. We spoke to some folks on the Camino Frances who did exactly this. They remarked on how the trail was along the roadside for much of the Way and the vehicle traffic was a constant bother and sometime danger. After determining enough was enough, they decided to abandon the northern route in favor of the Camino Frances.

[joe]

I walked with an Australian girl who left the Camino Frances at Burgos to walk the the Northern route, she had already walked the Camino Frances before and had no intentions of walking the northern route until she decided she wanted a more peaceful path so she can try and find her inner self. You could try this too, maybe its just the first week of the Camino Norte that is not so good?