Considering walking from Le Puy-en-Veley spring 2025

[MCCanada]

Hi there, I'm considering walking from Le Puy to St. Jean next spring if I can get my French up to par. I'm looking on advice on a few things:
- Would it be too cool and rainy to start walking mid-April?
- I'm already used to the Buen Camino app- is it the best one for the this route?
- Are there many others who walk the route? I just walked the Camino de Santiago this fall for the second time, and although it was a bit too crowded, it was fun having people to chat with whenever I was in the mood for it (I tend to prefer some solitude while walking)
- Is it necessary to pre-book accommodations?
- Any other advice for me?

Many thanks!!

 

[naplesdon]

Buy the Miam Maim Dodo guide book, it is worth every cent you pay for it. You don't necessarily need to be fluent in French but knowing the language helps. April can be cold, I started in late May and encountered sleet and snow and then a heat wave in June, when I ended up relying on rides with the Malle Postale for a few days because it was to hot to walk. Reservations are required because most of the place to stay are gites and need to know how many they are cooking for each day, however there are are some great hotel/hostels open to the public. I would recommend looking into the Cele Valley alternative but accommodations are limited and reservations advised. BTW, due to the time of the year I was walking, I only met one couple who were walking at the same time I was.

 

[CTLawGal]

Hello! I am walking the route this spring as well, but starting in Geneva mid-April. It may be cold and rainy, there may be sleet and snow (as @naplesdon experienced). I expect to make it to Le Puy first week of May.

You will definitely need to book ahead, and especially in May as there are many "bridge" holidays in France during that month - 2-3 day holidays that allow the French to get 7-9 days of holiday while only using 2 vacation days. So apparently a good many of them like to go on walkabout for a week during May. So some stages may have more walkers than others during those bridge weeks. On the whole though, my understanding is that it is not well-travelled and most of those who do it are French, so you may need to know more French for this than Spanish for a Camino in Spain. My French is strong (there were entire days on the Norte and Primitivo I spoke nothing but French with my new friends from France who spoke no English).

I will stay mostly in hotels, out of the 50 days so far I've been able to confirm 45 bookings, the rest can't be booked just yet, maybe in another month or so....

Another thing to be aware of is that most of these small towns apparently shut down on Sundays/Mondays, so you may not be able to find open restaurants or markets on those days, so plan accordingly.

There's a Forum for Le Puy and lots of good info there

Buen (Bon-?) Camino!

 

[Lexicos]

Be prepared for rain. I started on 29 April this year and it rained every day for first two weeks. Snowed one day.
I agree with comments above re booking ahead and the public holidays in May that make accommodation more tricky. I used Gronze. Works well for me. I speak a bit of French, not much. Not an issue really. It’s a beautiful route, I love it and I’ll be back in May to continue from Lectoure to SJPdP and possibly then to Finisterre.
I say go for it but book a day or two in advance and definitely get yourself the Dodo guide, it’s the best by far.

Bonne chemin!

 

[Bill905]

Hi, yes book ahead. The GR (Grand Randonée) trail system in France includes many walking trails of which the Via Podiensis is one, aka GR65. As others have alluded to, there are lots of French people who walk these routes, but not strictly as a Camino. They book ahead, and the gîte operators need this information in order to prepare the meals, known as a demi-pension. But, not all gîtes provide meals, so some restaurants or grocery stores are needed from time to time, and the aforementioned holidays were very irritating to me some weekends in May when I walked it in 2022 and 2023. You will need all the French you can muster. In the smaller towns there is virtually no English, and the majority of walkers are also French (not a problem for me as I am originally from Montreal). Anyway, it is a gorgeous trail, despite some very difficult sections, the people and the food are outstanding, as are the history and the culture. I would love to return ... maybe in 2026. Bon Chemin!

 

[Johnnyjenga]

I just finished a portion of the Via de Vezelay and saw no other pilgrims. Be careful on Sundays and Mondays, restaurants and cafés close in these small towns and villages and if you don't plan ahead you'll go hungry! I would definitely book the next or the next two nights in advance. You will see some rain.

 

[josephmcclain]

Am planning on leaving Le Puy late May 2025. My question is avoiding the heat that can happen in June. What in your minds would be the June cut off date for heat?

 

[naplesdon]

I think if you review the average weather for June, you will find that normally it is not a problem; but then who knows after watching the recent sever rainstorms in Spain. The world's weather has become unpredictable.

 

[Bill905]

Am planning on leaving Le Puy late May 2025. My question is avoiding the heat that can happen in June. What in your minds would be the June cut off date for heat?

Weather is unpredictable. When I walked in 2022 our trek ended in Moissac on June 10. Even at that time, and also in late May we experienced afternoon temperatures of 36⁰C (95⁰F) for a few days. Strategies to manage that include starting very early in the morning (6:00 am) so that your day is complete before noon, and also shipping your backpack ahead. However, walking in the heat can present another problem if you have booked ahead, because that's where you have to get to! To manage that I recommend keeping a list of phone numbers for taxi services in the different regions. If you can't get those in advance, no worries, just ask at each gîte you stay at, or at a restaurant in a town along your path. Bon Chemin!

 

[Michelle G Daoust]

Hi there, I'm considering walking from Le Puy to St. Jean next spring if I can get my French up to par. I'm looking on advice on a few things:
- Would it be too cool and rainy to start walking mid-April?
- I'm already used to the Buen Camino app- is it the best one for the this route?
- Are there many others who walk the route? I just walked the Camino de Santiago this fall for the second time, and although it was a bit too crowded, it was fun having people to chat with whenever I was in the mood for it (I tend to prefer some solitude while walking)
- Is it necessary to pre-book accommodations?
- Any other advice for me?

Many thanks!!

Hello,

A wonderful consideration. A few thoughts:
- Practice your French, know the ‘basics’ and know that you will be warmly welcomed by just trying (and of course, can use your phone).
- Completed the chemin from Le Puy to St. Jean in 2017 during the heat dome…wow. Talked with the gite owners re: weather and they indicated that the weather patterns have changed so much that one May they had 40 degrees…another May they had snow. Be prepared with layers, rain jacket (if that is your preference), good footwear….you will figure it out.
- More and more people are walking this route - it is glorious and delicious. You can find solitude and connection. Connection due to the type of accommodation most popular - Demi-pension - dinner, bed, breakfast.
- Booking ahead is advisable, as the owners of the gites prepare the meals for the numbers of guests (much smaller numbers than the other Camino walks) and need to know how much to make.
- The other things about pre-booking: I had pre-booked all our accommodation - NOT what I liked doing, I prefer the ‘spontaneous’ approach….but I am SO GLAD I did….for how many nights we (my husband and I) came across pilgrims/walkers on the phone for far too long after walking all day, trying to book accommodation (and sometimes walking far shorter/longer days, in order to have a place to stay.
- Last little bit - you might enjoy this website - for GR 65 (Via Podiensis) walkers. AMAZING info and files on updated accommodation/tips etc.


If you have any specific questions, send me a message.
I see from your Name MCCanada you are in my country (I’m from BC).
Bon chemin.
Michelle

 

[MCCanada]

Buy the Miam Maim Dodo guide book, it is worth every cent you pay for it. You don't necessarily need to be fluent in French but knowing the language helps. April can be cold, I started in late May and encountered sleet and snow and then a heat wave in June, when I ended up relying on rides with the Malle Postale for a few days because it was to hot to walk. Reservations are required because most of the place to stay are gites and need to know how many they are cooking for each day, however there are are some great hotel/hostels open to the public. I would recommend looking into the Cele Valley alternative but accommodations are limited and reservations advised. BTW, due to the time of the year I was walking, I only met one couple who were walking at the same time I was.

Wow, so few people! That's something for me to consider- perhaps if I walk towards the end of the summer instead of the spring, otherwise I might find it a bit lonely. Were the gites pretty empty as well>

 

[MCCanada]

Hello,

A wonderful consideration. A few thoughts:
- Practice your French, know the ‘basics’ and know that you will be warmly welcomed by just trying (and of course, can use your phone).
- Completed the chemin from Le Puy to St. Jean in 2017 during the heat dome…wow. Talked with the gite owners re: weather and they indicated that the weather patterns have changed so much that one May they had 40 degrees…another May they had snow. Be prepared with layers, rain jacket (if that is your preference), good footwear….you will figure it out.
- More and more people are walking this route - it is glorious and delicious. You can find solitude and connection. Connection due to the type of accommodation most popular - Demi-pension - dinner, bed, breakfast.
- Booking ahead is advisable, as the owners of the gites prepare the meals for the numbers of guests (much smaller numbers than the other Camino walks) and need to know how much to make.
- The other things about pre-booking: I had pre-booked all our accommodation - NOT what I liked doing, I prefer the ‘spontaneous’ approach….but I am SO GLAD I did….for how many nights we (my husband and I) came across pilgrims/walkers on the phone for far too long after walking all day, trying to book accommodation (and sometimes walking far shorter/longer days, in order to have a place to stay.
- Last little bit - you might enjoy this website - for GR 65 (Via Podiensis) walkers. AMAZING info and files on updated accommodation/tips etc.
View attachment 180595

If you have any specific questions, send me a message.
I see from your Name MCCanada you are in my country (I’m from BC).
Bon chemin.
Michelle

Thanks for your tips- I'm now thinking I should start towards the end of the summer rather than the spring as I would like to encounter SOME pilgrims, as I am planning to walk on my own. I saw lots of pilgrims working their phones on the CF this fall too- by then I had started booking ahead every 2-3 nights, once I figure out how much walking I was capable of. Guess I will need to abandon the spontaneous approach once more

 

[MCCanada]

Hello! I am walking the route this spring as well, but starting in Geneva mid-April. It may be cold and rainy, there may be sleet and snow (as @naplesdon experienced). I expect to make it to Le Puy first week of May.

You will definitely need to book ahead, and especially in May as there are many "bridge" holidays in France during that month - 2-3 day holidays that allow the French to get 7-9 days of holiday while only using 2 vacation days. So apparently a good many of them like to go on walkabout for a week during May. So some stages may have more walkers than others during those bridge weeks. On the whole though, my understanding is that it is not well-travelled and most of those who do it are French, so you may need to know more French for this than Spanish for a Camino in Spain. My French is strong (there were entire days on the Norte and Primitivo I spoke nothing but French with my new friends from France who spoke no English).

I will stay mostly in hotels, out of the 50 days so far I've been able to confirm 45 bookings, the rest can't be booked just yet, maybe in another month or so....

Another thing to be aware of is that most of these small towns apparently shut down on Sundays/Mondays, so you may not be able to find open restaurants or markets on those days, so plan accordingly.

There's a Forum for Le Puy and lots of good info there

Buen (Bon-?) Camino!

Thanks for your advice, particularly concerning the bridge holidays- I definitely wouldn't have thought to check that.

 

[MCCanada]

Be prepared for rain. I started on 29 April this year and it rained every day for first two weeks. Snowed one day.
I agree with comments above re booking ahead and the public holidays in May that make accommodation more tricky. I used Gronze. Works well for me. I speak a bit of French, not much. Not an issue really. It’s a beautiful route, I love it and I’ll be back in May to continue from Lectoure to SJPdP and possibly then to Finisterre.
I say go for it but book a day or two in advance and definitely get yourself the Dodo guide, it’s the best by far.

Bonne chemin!

Thanks for the tips. I had to buy a new raincoat midway this fall on the CF, so I'm set there. I used Gronze in Spain, so good to know it will be useful here!

 

[naplesdon]

Later in the summer, August, is when all the French flee their cities and take long holidays. Hiking has become very popular.

 

[Bill905]

Thanks for your tips- I'm now thinking I should start towards the end of the summer rather than the spring as I would like to encounter SOME pilgrims, as I am planning to walk on my own. I saw lots of pilgrims working their phones on the CF this fall too- by then I had started booking ahead every 2-3 nights, once I figure out how much walking I was capable of. Guess I will need to abandon the spontaneous approach once more

You will encounter pilgrims ... and you can decide for yourself what level of interaction you would like. Here is a photo from one fine morning in May 2022 along the VP near Saugues, which is just a few days along from Le Puy ...



Although, I will add that as we got further from Le Puy, there were fewer pilgrims, but every day we had some type of interaction.

 

[MCCanada]

Hi, yes book ahead. The GR (Grand Randonée) trail system in France includes many walking trails of which the Via Podiensis is one, aka GR65. As others have alluded to, there are lots of French people who walk these routes, but not strictly as a Camino. They book ahead, and the gîte operators need this information in order to prepare the meals, known as a demi-pension. But, not all gîtes provide meals, so some restaurants or grocery stores are needed from time to time, and the aforementioned holidays were very irritating to me some weekends in May when I walked it in 2022 and 2023. You will need all the French you can muster. In the smaller towns there is virtually no English, and the majority of walkers are also French (not a problem for me as I am originally from Montreal). Anyway, it is a gorgeous trail, despite some very difficult sections, the people and the food are outstanding, as are the history and the culture. I would love to return ... maybe in 2026. Bon Chemin!

Later in the summer, August, is when all the French flee their cities and take long holidays. Hiking has become very popular.

Ohhhh, August isn’t a good idea either