Camino de Santiago

[hobo]

Has anyone any experience of using a motorhome to follow the Camino de Santiago from the French border to Santiago de Compostella. We are planning a possible trip so any experience or advice is most welcome.

Hobo

[Bojitoes]

Dont think you will have any problems at all.

We were in Santo Domingo de la Calzada in March and en route saw lots of pilgrims walking the way. Good campsites along the route too I think.

Enjoy the trip

Bob

 

[George Collings]

And some very interesting conversations to be had with the pilgrims.

[galaxyhunter 309]

There is a great film called "The Way" staring Martin Sheen directed by Emilio Estavez (Martin's son). This is a brilliant film very well done. It is one of my all time favourites.

 

I will be very interested in how folks respond to this as I would love to do this walk although I may be too old already. (63). There were folks in the film who were older, I think, so if I were to do the walk it would have to be soon.

 

Take care. And........ bon camino

 

Graham

[Bojitoes]

A couple of years ago we were on our way back from Spain and spent our last night at a campsite just outside Calais. We had to book in as the site was actually closed for the winter. After we had settled in we were surprised to see a young man arrive with a back pack. After a while we met up in the kitchen where he told us he was a pilgrim on route to Santiago de Compostela; he had a booklet which listed various overnight stops where pilgrims could stop free of charge and the site we were on was one such place.

 

He told us that he had started off from Darenth in Kent 10 days previously and that he had difficulty finding places to stay in the UK- it did seem though he had not had a wash in that time and he may have had to sleep rough for a few nights. He seemed a very nice young man who was obviously undertaking the pilgrimage for a reason, which he did not disclose and we have wondered ever sincehow long it took him to get to Santiago, if indeed he made it.

 

Good luck Graham if you go for it, but be warned, it is a long, long way!

Bob

[starvin marvin]

Apologies for the delay on this post. Couldn't find what I was looking for, as usual. However, I assume you want to follow the French route, but from where?

 

Lots of folk "start" from St John Pied du Port, if so the most useful guide we found is Walking the Camino de Santiago published by Pili Palace Press; www.pilapalapress.com, ISBN 978-0-9731698-4-3 but of course there are alternative routes such as the Route de Napoleon which is more dramatic, you can cross the Pyrenees much further east at Somport which then links you through to Pamplona and you're back on the French route.

 

When we did parts of the route we used an AA map of Spain which marked the route in purple across the map, we drove to villages which have accommodation for walkersv and simply parked up. We walked sections, and walked back staying overnight, never got a second look from villagers.

 

Still on my bucket list to complete the whole thing. Go for it.

[Bisnick]

I have just finished the Camino Portuguese from Porto to Santiago, I am 59 and was one of the youngest pilgrims! I met one couple where the gent was 82 , he had decided to give up walking after completing six Caminos but had decided to have another go this year as they were bored and miss the walking.

As long as you obtain your stamps on your passport as go you can stop and return to the same spot and continue walking at a later date. some people take five or six years to complete their Camino.

Bon Camino

Nick