Camino in two stages - advice needed please!

[Lulu]

Good morning all
I just joined this forum as I am planning on doing some of the Camino Frances next Spring. Ideally I'd like to do the whole thing in one go but that is not feasible due to work committments etc. Boring!
So I hope to complete the Camino in two stages, of two weeks each - the first stage in April and the second in the Autumn (hopefully). Has anyone done this before and if so - where do you break midway? I plan to start in Saint Jean PP and was thinking maybe Burgos could be the place to stop and then restart in the Autumn. Is this the best option? I could then finish the walk to Santiago in the Autumn...
Thoughts? Advice?
thanks in advance
Lulu

[SandyGale]

Good evening Lulu
I am planning to do half too - at the end of April and beginning of May and then the rest another time. I am just planning to get as far as I can and experience it and then work it out later but will be interested to know where you plan to stop off
Take care
Sandy

[Lipka149]

I am planning on doing some of the Camino Frances next Spring ... I'd like to do the whole thing in one go... I hope to complete the Camino in two stages ... I plan to start in Saint Jean PP and was thinking maybe Burgos could be the place to stop and then restart in the Autumn. Is this the best option? I could then finish the walk to Santiago in the Autumn ... Thoughts? Advice?

Hi Lulu -

Welcome to the forum ! You pose a great question. If done in two (or more) parts, is it ok to start from a place you can not finish from and complete it later ?

I'm going to go on record as saying NO.

Lulu, you gotta start from a place that ends in Santiago. Others may argue against this and I welcome/respect their viewpoint. But the fact remains ... El Caminino de Santiago is a pilgrimage to Santiago. If you want to do it, you simply must end up there. Not doing so will forever leave you ... unsatisfied.

IMHO, you get one chance at this. So many things can come between getting almost there, and actually getting there. It is hard enough to overcome injury and unforeseen delays ... which makes it all the more essential to connect the goal with the effort expended. IMHO, if you are going to pay the price of walking for an extended period of time, there needs to be a payoff at the end. "Almost there" doesn't cut it !

My advice is to start in Leon, end in Santiago, and backtrack from there if time ever permits. There is nothing ... NOTHING ... that will compare to walking into the plaza in front of the Santiago cathedral and experiencing the feeling that awaits you. To put in so much effort over so much precious time to end otherwise is ... not the best way to experience the Camino !

All the best -

[HuskyNerd]

Hi Lulu ~
My first camino was unintentionally in two stages. I started in late May 2008 from SJPP and, when I got to Villafranca del Bierzo after about 3 weeks I learned my mother was having heart problems back home. I returned home in mid-June, spent two months looking after my Mom until she was better, then returned with my wife to complete my camino in August. No way could I NOT go back to the camino and finish -- even at the expense of another trip from the USA West Coast to Europe in the same year.

I respect Alan's advice, but I'd worry that if you reach Santiago in your first walking session you might not be motivated to return for the earlier part that doesn't have as much of an emotional draw. So I'd stick with your plan to divide it in two and do it in order. Just one opinion!

[Docker walker]

I have recently walked from Pamplona to Santiago, but because of time constraints I had to do about eight stages by bus, and did not start at SJPP. I agree that nothing will compare with the feeling that you get when you walk in to the square in Santiago, but not having walked all the way from SJPP has now left me wanting to go back and do the whole camino again. Perhaps if you can only do it in two stages, then SJPP to Leon and then Leon to Santiago may be good. However I also walked on to Finisterre, which was great. The camino was very quiet, the regugios were quiet and the feeling of walking to the tip of Finisterre was really good. I would recommend it to everyone. Whatever you do the experience will be very rewarding, and you will want to do more I am sure.

[grayland]

I have to agree with Sandy. Start in SJPP and go as far as you can. The motivation to finish will be huge and you will return.
In your case, you have definite plans to return in the fall so this will probably happen.
In my opinion, the Camino is best experienced from the start and followed thru to the great arrival in Santiago.
That is just two opinions.

[Lulu]

Thanks all for the good advice. I am going to start at the beginning and see how far I get. My only worry is transportation out, and back to the uk.... Sort of feel like I need to have that organised in advance?
Sandy, I'm also thinking about going slightly later ie late April, early may becos of the better weather (although that idea might be scuppered due to family committments!) .... Is early April likely to be cold and wet as I'm definitely a fair weather walker!
Lulu

[HuskyNerd]

You'll likely get cold and wet weather in late April on the mountain passes at least. Come prepared and you'll be fine. From the UK the travel isn't that tough to arrange. You can almost always catch a train from a nearby city into Madrid, then a quick flight to the UK. Buen camino!

[quiet]

Hi
I returned to the uk from Burgos in the last few days and my advice is to have a basic plan for returning home, booking in advance from a computer in the uk is much easier and cheaper than booking a flight whilst in Spain. I think for most people St Jean Pied De Port- Burgos is about 14 days walk. Burgos has excellent rail and bus links and i think Ryanair do flights from Santiago, Bilbao,Santander,San Sabastion,Biarritz and Bayonne. I took the train to Hendaye then 2 local buses to Biarritz and because my backpack was only hand luggage size the flight home was only £16 also National Express run a very good service from Stanstead airport.
Good Luck
Paul

[quiet]

Hi
Whoops have just realised when i booked my flight home from Biarritz my original plan was to finish walking in St Jean Pied De Port........walking to Burgos was a change of plan.If you finish walking in Burgos the best choice of airport to fly to the uk from is actually Valladolid hope this helps
Paul