Confused Camino

[smokey32]

Hi all. Was hoping to get some answers to a few question. Going to be walking the Camino in November starting from SJPDP and finishing in Santiago de Compostela and i will be travelling alone.
1 Is there a best day to start? Ill be arriving on tuesday afternoon in SJPDP and plan to start Wednesday morning. Is this ok?

2 Do i get my pilgrims passport stamped in SJPDP before i leave? If so, where?

3 I have read about how long it takes to do the walk and they range from 30 days to 8 weeks. What i am thinking is giving myself 32 days for the walk and and about 3-4 days extra for rest days or any unforseen circumstances. So say 36-37 days to do the whole thing. I can give myself more or less time but in the next couple of months ill be booking my return flight so just wanted to know how long to give myself?

4 Money. Again i have read different accounts about how much it will cost per day. I plan in staying in the hostels with maybe 1 or 2 nights max in a hotel. The most i can bring for the whole trip would be about 2000 euro. Is this enough?

If anyone could give me advice on these 4 points i would be really grateful and because this will be my first Camino ill probably have loads more questions in the months ahead.
Thanks everyone and thanks for all the info i recieved in my other thread.
Niall

[HuskyNerd]

Hi Niall ~
Sounds like it's coming together for you. 1) There's no best day to start. Whichever day you choose is fine. Just make certain to get a weather report at the Pilgrim Office in SJPP so you can choose your route (avoiding snow) to Roncesvalles; 2) You can get your credencial (pilgrim passport) stamped in SJPP at your overnight lodging as well as at the Pilgrim Office; 3) It's very common for English speakers to follow the Brierley itinerary, which is 33 days of walking. Add 2 days for rest (Burgos and Leon), an extra day in Santiago, three days to walk to Finisterre, and one night in Finisterre and you have 40 days. I planned 42 last year and was able to spend a couple of nights in Barcelona on the way back; 4) Bring your ATM card and don't carry that much cash. Depending on your number of hotel stays you should plan on a minimum of 30E per day. Add 20-40E per day for hotel stays (I recommend a hotel in Leon and Burgos). Generally I carry about 200E in cash and replenish it at ATMs along the way. Buen camino!

[smokey32]

Hi Niall ~
Sounds like it's coming together for you. 1) There's no best day to start. Whichever day you choose is fine. Just make certain to get a weather report at the Pilgrim Office in SJPP so you can choose your route (avoiding snow) to Roncesvalles; 2) You can get your credencial (pilgrim passport) stamped in SJPP at your overnight lodging as well as at the Pilgrim Office; 3) It's very common for English speakers to follow the Brierley itinerary, which is 33 days of walking. Add 2 days for rest (Burgos and Leon), an extra day in Santiago, three days to walk to Finisterre, and one night in Finisterre and you have 40 days. I planned 42 last year and was able to spend a couple of nights in Barcelona on the way back; 4) Bring your ATM card and don't carry that much cash. Depending on your number of hotel stays you should plan on a minimum of 30E per day. Add 20-40E per day for hotel stays (I recommend a hotel in Leon and Burgos). Generally I carry about 200E in cash and replenish it at ATMs along the way. Buen camino!

Thanks for that sandy. Very helpful. One more question. I wont be walking to finisterre so when i finish in SDC i will need to get a train to madrid. Will i be able to buy the ticket in Santiago or should i buy online before i go. I would much rather buy it in person to avoid any problems. What do you think?

[HuskyNerd]

Once you're in Santiago you can walk right down to the train station and purchase a ticket on the day of your departure if you like. I've done that before and it works fine. You may have read about the overnight train to Madrid, which is always my personal choice. Buen camino!

[Precious1]

"Depending on your number of hotel stays you should plan on a minimum of 30E per day. Add 20-40E per day for hotel stays (I recommend a hotel in Leon and Burgos). " (and Santiago de Compostela where some of us stayed 4 days...what a city...and took a day bus trip to Finisterre and walked the 5k up to the lighthouse.)

30E a day, plus another 20E for a pension in,say, Sarria, and Santiago...sounds correct. That's not counting the red wine and sangria though, right?

[grayland]

Smokey...I would add to Sandy's excellent advice...Be sure to notify your banks that you will be traveling and using your cards..both ATM & Credit Card.
An ATM card from two different banks is a good idea if possible. (A credit union is a great choice for an ATM card). This can help if one gets eaten by a machine or for some reason is not accepted.
Have a great time.
Buen Camino

[BHinSanDiego]

You've gotten some great advise! For my little input I'd like to add to what Husky said, that is don't carry too much cash, I'd usually take out about 300 euros when I needed it, there is always that fine line we walk, that is not carrying too much cash but not wanting to use ATM's too many times to keep away from the bank service fees. In regards to ATM's they are in most towns along the Camino but not all, primarily not in the smaller villages, if you have a good guidebook that lists the amenities for each town for ATM's it should have a symbol for the Euro, kinda looks like an E with some lines through it. I had a money belt, while walking during the day I didn't wear it but kept in deep inside my pack, I had a wallet for day use only, but when I was at the alburgue and in the evening I would used the money belt, the alburgues don't really have any secure way of storing items, not that theft was a problem, the only thing I ever saw or heard about being stolen was an Ipod, the person plugged it in to a computer and left it, that touches on one item of information I want to pass along, often times people ask if they should take a phone or Ipod, that is all personal preference, but the way I look at it when the times comes to charge it you may feel the need to babysit it while it charges, I did see quite a few people charging phones and leaving them, usually you'd see a bunch of them together. The only people I saw using an Ipod were young Spanish women, I think the beauty of the Camino and the opportunity to interact with others would be diminished with an Ipod, but again thats my personal opinion.

The amount of time you've alloted yourself is very doable, my Camino took 33 days from St Jean to Santiago, I only took 1 full rest day and that was in Burgos, arrived on a Thursday and left on Saturday, I didn't take one in Leon, just didn't feel the need, I did spend about 3 days in Santiago, I arrived on a Wednesday and left Saturday. If you have to travel back to Madrid I recommend either the train or flying, , with the train you can get up and move around and the flight is quick, this is my personal preference, I just think sitting on a bus for an extended period of time would feel so confining especially after having all the freedom of movement the Camino provides.

Ultreya,
Barry