what book?

[basildonbond]

hi im planning doing the camino frances next year after years of procrastination could anybody give me any advice as which guide book to buy and follow it would be greatly appreciated!

[Covey]

Most English speaking Pilgrims who carry a guide book use the Brierley's Guide to the Camino Frances.

In reality, you do not really need a guide book as the route is very well signed and there will be at least a dozen English language guide books being carried by other Pilgrims.

Just empty your mind of clutter and follow the yellow arrows!!

[Oak]

Brierley's Guide to the Camino Frances, I have, I hope to leave behind too!!
Got a few months to know it before going in April '012

[grayland]

I agree that the most used guide is John Brierly's guide.
I still carry the guide after several Caminos because it does have other information about what you are seeing along the way. It has information about accommodations and eating which can be pretty valuable if you decide to stop for the night in between the "normal" stage stops.
It is not needed, but I carry one. I also like to look at the maps and torture myself with the hills coming up in front of me.

[joe]

If you wait a few months the 2012 edition of John Brierleys guide book will come out, it will be updated for next year and anything new that has been added this year will be mentioned in it. I have the 2011 edition which I took with me, and others had the 2010 version, and mine had more information on albergues, cafes etc.

[Irene Schmidt]

I prefer the Confraternity Guide. Small, lightweight and disposable (you can tear off pages and discard them as you proceed), it is updated yearly in January. Very useful for planning your itinerary the night before of every stage, it has essential information about distances, accommodations and facilities in each town or village, and nothing else. I have the 2006 edition and will buy the 2012 when it comes out. Without the central yellow pages (preliminary info, meant to be removed from the book before starting) it weighs only 80 grams. I read up on history and geography before I go, and try to remember what I read once in the Camino...

[HuskyNerd]

Hi Basildon ~
If you're good at any foreign languages you might hunt down the popular German language guidebook. I'm not a German speaker, but I've been very impressed with the info in it, which seems much more exhaustive than even the Brierley. If you're a Spanish speaker you might enjoy the Consumer Eroski iPhone app that complete guides to all the major caminos in Spain. It's quite amazing really.

[John Hussey]

Hi Basildon ~
If you're good at any foreign languages you might hunt down the popular German language guidebook. I'm not a German speaker, but I've been very impressed with the info in it, which seems much more exhaustive than even the Brierley. If you're a Spanish speaker you might enjoy the Consumer Eroski iPhone app that complete guides to all the major caminos in Spain. It's quite amazing really.

I second that about the German Guidebook. I once walked with someone who used it and i was quite impressed. Another very good, and one similar to the German one, if one speaks Spanish, is: El Camino de Santiago en tu Mochilla by De Anton Pombo. There is a 2011 version out, too. It is a little heavy, though, at 0.72 pounds.

[nathan]

Fouled book store had more than half a dozen guides this afternoon
I passed a pleasent hour looking through them
Brierdly guide looked good with multi path options and elevation diagrams
I have just finished call of the camino by Robert mullins a very good pre camino read

[geraldkelly]

Hi!

I posted this already but it doesn't seem to have worked. My guide is free, it contains all the information you need and it's bang up-to-date because I updated it when I walked the Camino in summer 2011. You can download it from my website: Camino de Santiago - free guide to download - Camino Francés - St James Way

Ger

[nathan]

your site gerald is very good and informative
is it not about time for an i phone app though in this day and age?.....it would add no weight to a pack...or even an e book
the downloading od pdf's is not as ideal a format for viewing on a phone....can it be changed to a basic open in new window kinda format?