"Pilgrims Guide to the Camino de Santiago"

[Gerry47]

I have looked at a number of books and really think that The Pilgrims Guide to the Camino de Santiago by John Brierly is the best. It is full of practical advice, has maps for each day and also looks at the deeper aspects of the Camino. There is a map for each day and it is corrected for altitude so for instance the first day is 24.8km but involves a climb of 1,390meters and therefore the walk is the equivalent of 31.7km.

The ISBN is 978-1-84409-069-3

Hope that helps

Gerry

[Leslie]

Regarding carrying guide books. Get what you want as light as possible. There are many guide books abandoned along the way in most of the hostels.

[ziggywigs]

I had bought John Brierley's book too and found it to be most excellent and informative he aimed for about 20km per day mas menos...unfortunately i managed to leave it behind and was the poorer for it!

A fellow Pilgrim had Lonely Planets 'Walking in Spain' and whilst helpful it didn't give as near as much info....also had some pocket pouches given to me in SJPDP with a map for each stage...i found these to be more than i could cope with at 30km distances but not helpful on accommodation ...adjust these to suit your walking pace and fitness levels.

[Leslie]

A fellow Pilgrim had Lonely Planets 'Walking in Spain' and whilst helpful it didn't give as near as much info.

I don't think it is nearly as good as most dedicated guides and it is far too big and heavy. I was in a book store last Friday and looked at the Camino guides - here in Dublin there are at least ten different guides, great.

[Companera]

I really like John Brierly's guides too - particularly his acknowledgement of the fact that this is a "soul-ful" journey for many. The pilgrim guides are relatively easy to carry too - which is a real consideration. He is also one of the few who has mapped the Caminho Portugues - and did a good job.

The only thing about guide books, is that you need to keep them in their place - or you can finish up walking someone else's caminho!
C

[John Hussey]

Regarding carrying guide books. Get what you want as light as possible. There are many guide books abandoned along the way in most of the hostels.

Does anyone know the best current guide book for the Camino Frances in Spanish? On the VdlP, once I saw the one in Spanish in a bookstore I purchased it and sent mine, in English, home. It was smaller, more up to date, as well as accurate. It did not even list the albergue as even existing in Merida!

[Leslie]

I always found the German guide books the most up to date - so if you can read german...

But none are needed on the camino Frances.

[millerjmc]

I've got this book and plan on using it on my trek-Aug 15-Sept 20
the book looks like it has everything I'll need-even space to jot down a few notes. I even emailed the author sking about me walking alone and he responded.

The author seems to really care about the spiritual as well as the physical aspects of the adventure, which I like.

Joan

[amgirl5]

Hi,

I found the Lonely Planet's Walking in Spain section on the Camino useful, I ripped it out of the book, and the paper was thin, so it didn't add much weight. What it did have was descriptions of both routes whenever the camino split, or detours, etc. I used a second guidebook, a Canadian one that I can't remember the title of.

Does anyone know if there is a route around the climb after Cizor Menor (Alt de Perdon?). I'm asking because I want to walk the Camino in Feb-April this coming winter, and there was a really badly washed out stretch shortly after leaving the last village before you reach the top, and someone actually pulled me up the side of the trail. I don't think I can get through it on my own. (It was pouring down rain, and ridiculously slippery. I imagine winter will be similar.) I had heard that there might be a way around that goes to the old church in the field - I cannot remember the name of anything right now-where one of the other routes out of France meets up. How do cyclists get from Cizor Menor to Obanos?

Liz

[purpleboots]

Hi - when I did the walk, the lightest, most comprehensive book much in evidence and shared with pilgrims from germany, holland etc. was the confraternity's A5-sized guide. lots of basic information, light, updated every couple of years. Now of course, you can get much of that information online so I'm not sure whether I wouldnt' be looking for something more wideranging - t
to be honest, although I brought books along with me to read, they were left along the way in my passion for shedding stuff and not replaced - the little guide though.....

for the portueguese route there is very little and the best seemed to be a booklet produced in portugal that shows information in portuguese and english - sadly I forget the name - as this route is used in both directions (from Santiago to Fatima and back) it is well marked though and, particularly in Spain, the Xunta have been opening enough places up that ;you probably don't need a guide for direction finding any more than you do for the camono frances....

[geraldkelly]

Hi Everybody!

I've put together a short guide to the Camino Frances from St Jean to Fisterra. It's based on my experience walking the Camino over the last few years. I'm hoping that people will use it and send me updates so I'll be able to keep it as up-to-date as possible.

I wanted to create something which was really light and which just contains the information you really need, walking, sleeping, eating. The rest of it, what the experience means to you, should come from you.

Well, I hope some of you find it useful.

It can be downloaded from The Camino Guide - Home

Buen Camino!
Gerald

[Gwynasyn]

Hi all,

I did the Camino a couple of summers ago with a friend. I ended up buying Rother's Walking Guide while in Moissac in France, as it had been highly recommended by many pilgrims, though we had started off with Walking The Camino De Santiago By Davies and Cole. So we ended up using both together, which worked quite well.

Some other friends are interested in doing it, and I'd more than love to do it again. I'm a bit hesitant to use Rother's guide again, though it was by far the most useful. It wasn't as good for showing the gradations and climbs in more detail, but I really liked it because it had the most accurate information on pilgrim hostels. However, the last version I can find (and still have) is from 2007 and even when I did it in 2009 there were many new hostels. I had also heard while on the Camino that the Spanish government was planning on adding even more hostels along the route for the 2010 Holy Year.

My question is what book has since been released that has the most up to date and accurate information on the hostels? For a map, I was thinking of getting Brierly's as it seemed to be the best for showing gradations and what not.

Buen Camino!

[Anna-Marie]

Hi Gwynasyn,

Both The Camino Guide (free) and the CSJ guide are updated frequently based on reader feedback (I think the CSJ guide is published once a year, but you can find updates on their website). I'm not sure about others.

If you're interested in elevation, the Godesalco website can give you a customized elevation profile. The pilgrim office in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port also gives out a sheet with elevation profiles--or at least they did when I was there two years ago.

Buen Camino!

Anna-Marie

[Gwynasyn]

I remember using Godesalco last time, but I found the elevation profiles were more general. It would show a straight line-incline between towns or landmarks, but would not show the various inclines and declines in between, so it could be very misleading. I remember one day in particular, I think it was going into Viana, where Godesalco and the Rother's Guide elevation profile both said was relatively straight and flat, but it was a constant up-and-down and was a pretty tough day. Only after did my friend and I realize that the Guide mentioned in the text-part about how hard a day it was despite its elevation profile... we read all the text very carefully after that

But the profile isn't something I'm most worried about, since I've already done it once so (I'm hoping) nothing will surprise me in that regard. Plus Brierley's map guide had a very good elevation profile, and I was going to buy that one. It was more the updated albergue information that I was concerned about, so I'll be sure to check out those two links of yours. Thanks!

Buen Camino!

[GypsySoul]

Hi all,

I just had a thought and I'm not sure if it already exists or if John Briely would be too impressed but how about recycling our guide books?
Of course if people want to keep them for sentimental reasons or because they plan to do the Camino again then so be it.. but if those who would only take it home and throw it away I think it'd be a nice idea to leave guide books at the end of the Camino. They could then be posted back to the start for new Pilgrims to pick up on their way through.
It would save that extra bit of money that one seems to spend on all the equipment needed to walk to Camino and also the planet =)
Just a thought..

[HuskyNerd]

Neat idea. I'm one of those, though, that kept my Brierley guidebook "for sentimental reasons" as you mention. I couldn't tell you how many times I referred back to it to remember where I'd been, showed it to people who couldn't believe I'd walked that far, showed it off it in talks I gave about the Camino, lent it to friends and family who were considering a future Camino, and sometimes just lovingly remembered it was in my possession, along with my credencial and compostela to show I'd achieved the goal. I guess I can't imagine just throwing it in the trash bin -- seems too amazingly heartless considering how far I carried it and how it helped. I'm guessing that if a person is uncaring enough to want to throw their Brierley away they're probably too uncaring to throw it in the recycle bin!

[EFDoucette]

Been waiting 6 weeks now for my Brierley book from Amazon. New ones seem hard to get!

[Sparkly]

Been waiting 6 weeks now for my Brierley book from Amazon. New ones seem hard to get!

According to the publishers Findhorn Press, the 7th edition has just been published. Confusingly, it seems to have the same ISBN, so that might explain why it was out of stock at amazon(UK) and is now in stock, but still listed as 6th ed.

There's also a new edition (3rd) of the Finisterre book, it doesn't show in the Amazon search, but you can select it under the 'show 1 more format' option on the 2nd edition.

[Covey]

The Brierly Guide to The Camino Portugues has just been updated and republished.

It is now the 3rd Edition Published in 2011 with all the maps and photo's updated to 2011. ISBN:978-1-84409-530-8

[debtalbot]

Thank you Gerald for your guide, along with all other posts on this site I feel confident to begin my Camino as best prepared as I will ever be. One question about the hostels though; should I cary your list of them or do they post outside all info like price...? The only guide info I feel I would like to take is the great list of "Camino phrases". I know general polite Spanish but these phrases are specific to our needs as pilgrims and I greatly appreciate them. I would like to know how easy it is to find a place to stay at the end of the days walk. Can I just expect to stumble into any village and find private or public accommodations without any guide? Deb

[geraldkelly]

Hi Deb

You shouldn't worry about accommodation. The talk of shortages is exaggerated. In all the times I've walked different Caminos I have never failed to find a place to sleep. On the Camino Frances most villages have some accommodation however there are places where there are quite long gaps (15km) between villages so it's a good idea to have some kind of idea before setting out for the next village - especially if you're already tired, short of water, etc.

There's no general rule on whether prices are posted up outside. Sometimes they are, sometimes not. A warning, prices change all the time so you will find prices in the guide that are wrong. However, if you email me corrections I'll be happy to update them.

Buen Camino!
Ger

[Covey]

Welcome to the Forum Deb.

The average price of an official Albergue bed for the night is €4. The average price of a private Albergue bed for the night is €8. Very few even ask how much the bed costs before booking in! A single room with shower in a small local hotel will cost between €25 to €35.

When I stick my nose outside the Albergue door at dawn each morning, I have no idea where I am going to stop that night. I start walking at first light when I can look down and see the track surface clearly and aim to stop at 2pm and get my bed for the night.

Like Gerald, I have never gone without a bed in the village/town I wanted to stay in, but if you leave looking for a bed until 5pm, then you may have a problem.

The Spanish along the various Camino Ways, know exactly what we want out of life, so the pharmacies sell everything we might need, the shops tend to stock the items pilgrims tend to buy, although in both cases they are not averse to charging pilgrims more than locals.

[allisgroovey]

The Brierly Guide to The Camino de Santiago is excellent. Having just returned (mid March 2011) we made copies of pertinent pages and took them instead of the book, but we did take the book of maps as copies were not sufficient. Help identifying and locating albergues was especially good.

[WayWalker63]

Hey Leslie,
Our book stores here don't have much beyond John Brierley's guide. I have that but would love to look at some other ones. I am going to be in Dublin in Oct/Nov this year and was wondering which book store you were in?

[Leslie]

Hi WW,

Hodge Figgis on Dawson St - they have about 15 to 20 different books or try amazon. Dawson St is right beside Trinity College and the bookstore is only about 30 m up on the right.

I hope you enjoy Dublin.

[WayWalker63]

Thanks Leslie!
Dawson St is just down the street from the hotel where I will be staying. I have seen that book store with I 'went for a walk' on Google street view. I will look forward to getting some more material on the Camino.

Thanks again, Karen