Another starting point beyond SJPP

[redrat]

Hi there
I am looking for another starting point in France, I got two months to walk about so I was thinking of starting at Bordeaux. Has anyone walked from here or another part of France? and what are the conditions of the trails and alberges?

Thank you for your help.

Marcel

[EvaTara]

Hi,

I am planning to start my pilgrimage at Bordeaux middle September.
I am browsing through the web pages a lot, but I did not find any reasonable information about the Via Turonensis yet.
I would be very grateful for some information.

Thanks,

Eva

[Anna-Marie]

Hi Marcel,

I'm afraid I don't know anything about starting in Bordeaux, but I did walk in France. I started in Le Puy-en-Velay, which is the most developed route in France. It was an amazing experience. It's mostly a nice route, through a lot of beautiful towns and countryside, though there's some highway walking and at the beginning you have at least one very steep ascent and descent each day. It's also very well developed, with a lot of gites d'etape (dorm accommodation for walkers). The food and accommodation is generally nicer than in Spain, but also more expensive.

The French part and the Spanish part (I took the Camino Frances) were each wonderful, and quite different. I started at the end of August. By the beginning of October, there weren't a lot of other walkers, since it's mostly French people on the Le Puy route, walking in two-week stages, and I guess they don't tend to go out walking in October.

It took me 2.5 months from Le Puy to Santiago, but I was slow. If you wanted to start a bit closer to Santiago on the Le Puy route, Conques would be a wonderful place to start (it's touristy but utterly gorgeous). Aside from the utterly awful insanely steep ascent out of the valley, that is.

You can read a bit about my experience on the Le Puy route, if you're interested.

Buen Camino!
Anna-Marie