Itinerary?

[mattpoin]

Hi all, I am planning a trip and I want to start in St. Jean-Pied-de-Port and go all the way to Santiago de Compostela. I have no need to rush/more than enough time to complete the entire thing. I would greatly appreciate it if someone could post a suggested route with distances between each stop from St. Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela. I can't find any online that aren't for abbreviated trips - like 14 days or less.

Thanks in advance, and I look forward to conversing on here in the coming months.

[Javier]

http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/...tiago/frances/

[John Hussey]

Camino Planner

For three routes. You select the stops, it shows conveniences at each. You can customize it to fit your itinerary, name it and print to carry with you.

http://www.godesalco.com/plan

But, don't plan too much. They often don't work much beyond the first few days anyway

[Leslie]

This page list all the hostels along the route. http://www.caminodesantiago.me.uk/albergues.html

[antonian]

Hi all, I am planning a trip and I want to start in St. Jean-Pied-de-Port and go all the way to Santiago de Compostela. I have no need to rush/more than enough time to complete the entire thing. I would greatly appreciate it if someone could post a suggested route with distances between each stop from St. Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela. I can't find any online that aren't for abbreviated trips - like 14 days or less.

Thanks in advance, and I look forward to conversing on here in the coming months.

Hi mattpoin,

If you are not constrained by time then I would strongly recommend not bothering with an itinerary. In my experience one of the best things about the Camino is to be able to escape from schedules, timetables and the routine of daily life. Let it take you where it will. I realised this half way through my first Camino in 2005 and haven't looked back since. The way is very well marked and you will never have to walk more than 20Km between places to stay. I've since seen others on the way so preocupied with maps, guide books and itinerary that they mostly missed the whole point of going.

Buen camino
A.

[mattpoin]

Thanks a bunch for all the replies.

I am a student who is applying for a fellowship to do the Camino Frances in 2009 - I am doing it partly as a personal journey, partly as a gigantic research project, and many of the grants you can apply for ask you to map out a day by day itinerary for them. I would love to tell them, "I'm just going to take it as I feel" but I can't say that. I have to present them with a schedule that says "on day x, I leave from here and arrive here." I wouldn't actually have to comply with this schedule in reality, but must show them I have an ability to plan ahead at any rate.

So again, thanks for the help. Being American, I look at distances listed on some sites and see "35.5" and my eyes pop out for a moment before I realize that means kilometers, not miles.

[Sassmeister]

John Brierley's book is a popular one - lists recommended routes for each day - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pilgrims-Gui...2685978&sr=1-1

as with what others say - you don't need to follow them - but the book is quite compact and easy to follow.

good luck!

[Karla]

Hi Matt,

I too am planning on walking from St. Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago and on to Finisterre. I'm leaving Chicago on July 30th and plan on returning on Nov 4th. The book that I have found most helpful and the lightest in weight is
Walking the Camino de Santiago
Bethan Davies & Ben Cole. It is at pilipalapress.com It gives all the route distances, elevations, and refugio information. I've found it's much better than Brierley's book because it has the same info and HALF the weight!!

Maybe we will meet in person on our journey.... Blessings. Karla

[Covey]

The greatest problem on the Camino is time.

To do SJPdP to Finesterre you need 6 weeks and 5 weeks to Santiago. Any less than that and you are starting to push yourself hard, and risk stress injuries to ankles, knees and sundry ligaments.

I always suggest that you take a day off at Burgos and Leon and give the feet a bit of a break. To take a day off you need to stay in a small hotel for two nights, of which there are plenty in the big cities. You cannot normally stay more than one night in an albergue, unless you are injured and they agree you can stay an extra day.

Staying in a hotel also means you escape the dreaded lock up at the albergue and can enjoy the night life. The Spanish come out to enjoy themselves once the pilgrims are locked up in the albergues!!!

Avoid the official albergue in the park at Burgos. It is probably the worst albergue in Spain! Treat yourself to a night between sheets!

[miriam]

Check out this website for a pocket book full of info and trail details for this route. I bought the biik and it's really informative.

Good luck with your trip.

http://www.pilipalapress.com/

[Karla]

Thanks.... I already have all of their books and I pour over them every day....its the one book I am planning to take my my journey. I can't wait for it to begin...but that is still 4 months away.

[shirley]

I have 33 days available to spend on the Camino this spring, and hope to walk St.J to Santiago. When planning my time off work, etc., I decided on this number of walking days based on my readings at that time, esp. John Brierley's suggested itinerary.
Now that I see some of the postings on this forum from experienced members, I'm wondering if I'm allowing enough time to really savour the moments along the way. Going in April, I assume that there won't be a race to get a bed at the next albergue, and that I can enjoy the experience without feeling like I'm part of a marathon.
I can't extend my time, so I'm thinking perhaps I should start from Roncesvalles or Pamplona, but I also feel quite attached to the notion of starting in St.Jean.
Others thoughts & suggestions?
Shirley

[Karla]

Hi Shirley,

I'm leaving on Aug 4th and flying home on Nov 1st. I'm 54 and want to stop and look and meditate whenever the urge hits me... after reading Shirley McLaine's journey, and being a Past Life Hypnotherapist... I want to be there for as long as I can be in Europe without a visa. I've not walked it before this time. I am anxiously awaiting my flight out. I'm going into Dublin and then probably Bilboa. Not quite sure past Dublin.

April could be interesting in the mountains but I'd just be prepared.... isn't it completely wonderful that this is in our futures?? I hope it is magickal in all ways... I'm curious to see how many pilgrims will be there in August. I think that most will be at the end of the route instead of being at the beginning. I too feel a need to start at St Jean but I plan on stopping the first night at Honto or Orisson. I chose to be on the Camino at the harvest also... lots of festivals happening. I think you should take as much time as your life allows.

Blessings....