Can I Walk the Camino Without a Smartphone?

[CaminoKevin]

Greetings! I am planning to walk the Camino Frances next month and am thinking of doing it with only a flip phone and the Brierly book. I think that walking without a newsfeed, social media, WhatsApp messages, etc., would make the pilgrimage more powerful for me, but I realize that the Camino apps, booking websites, and forums (like this one!) can be immensely helpful and supportive. I'd love to hear from others about their experiences and thoughts about leaving the smartphone at home and allowing the Camino to provide whatever is needed. Many thanks!

 

[lovingkindness]

Hola @CaminoKevin.
Yes. I've walked as a pilgrim without a Smartphone: across Europe and Spain, in the Holy Land and some other places. Thousands of kilometers at a time on established, mostly signed trails. I used paper maps, guide books and tourist office freebies. And I always spoke to the locals.

This past year, though I have tried a new approach. Whilst waiting for work, i carried a Smartphone. I walked with paper OS maps which came with an off-line gps also. I am finding that whilst it is fun to check the gps & off line OS map every now and then, I still prefer walking with just paper maps.

In 2004 when I first walked to Santiago de Compostele, Smartphones did not exist. I saw just one pilgrim with a mobile phone the size of a brick. I was astonished by it.

I am a contemplative soul. I love solitude and need extended periods in nature, alone. I am also friendly and a chatterbox. Disconnection for me, is bliss.

Buen Camino

 

[JustOneGuy]

IMO, of course you can! Seems like a great idea to me, actually. And I thought about it, although I can see my brain trying to come up with good excuses not to do it... But after all, people have been doing it for centuries.

As usual, there is a trade-off: you have to organize yourself differently, especially the booking can be a problem.

 

[jungleboy]

I think that walking without a newsfeed, social media, WhatsApp messages, etc., would make the pilgrimage more powerful for me, but I realize that the Camino apps, booking websites, and forums (like this one!) can be immensely helpful and supportive.

How about just deleting the apps in bold? Then you remove those distractions but can still take advantage of the other smartphone benefits you mentioned.

 

[Bradypus]

I walked my first two Caminos without a phone of any sort. Now that smartphones are cheap and readily available I would not choose to leave mine at home. I know that walking without one can be done but I find the advantages far outweigh any downsides. But that is entirely a personal judgment.

 

[henrythedog]

Certainly you can walk without a smartphone - or indeed any phone - but I’d take @jungleboy ‘s advice.

There’s no need for navigational assistance - but if you think you might have the need to communicate with accommodation ahead and you don’t speak functional Spanish, then you may miss WhatsApp, which is far and away the prevalent form of text communication in Spain.

 

[edandjoan]

yes. we have done it.

 

[Bill905]

I too agree with @jungleboy. However the difference for me is that yes I can, and have, removed or disabled notifications on certain apps, but the smartphone and especially WhatsApp was important for my wife and family to keep being reassured that "all is well".

 

[Juspassinthru]

On the Camino, my iPhone is a camera 99% of the time.

 

[mspath]

During my first caminos my husband and I communicated when necessary by land-line telephone; since 2008 I carried a smartphone which also served as camera+computer on which I wrote my daily blogs then using Blogspot

Since we both were then in our 70's whilst apart we texted each other good morning, briefly cited our daily plans, and texted again at day's end. Simple, swift and efficacious this helped keep each of us in the other's loop although physically we were often on different continents.

While walking a phone and European assistance number 112 can provide invaluable emergency help. Luckily I have never personally needed such assistance, but over the years I have called 112 for other pilgrims who needed fast help and either had no phone or were unable to use a phone.

...In retrospect I would never walk without a phone. Carrying one may help save someone else's life. Furthermore I would never carry a computer or iPad; I like to travel light. However i always carried my full backpack.

Although I am no longer able to easily hike at 85 I still use a smartphone as my computer. All my posts here are written on the phone. I am using it now to write this.

 

[Frankybaby66]

I take it, but only use it when absolutely necessary - it's pretty much a camera with a phone available for emergencies. I usually call accommodations direct (phone numbers in my Brierley) if I want/need to reserve.
It's got all my travel insurance, boarding cards etc on it when/if needed.
I steer clear of socials (including this forum)
I carry a full first aid kit - never feel the need to use everything available in there either

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Yes

 

[M2ME]

Greetings! I am planning to walk the Camino Frances next month and am thinking of doing it with only a flip phone and the Brierly book. I think that walking without a newsfeed, social media, WhatsApp messages, etc., would make the pilgrimage more powerful for me, but I realize that the Camino apps, booking websites, and forums (like this one!) can be immensely helpful and supportive. I'd love to hear from others about their experiences and thoughts about leaving the smartphone at home and allowing the Camino to provide whatever is needed. Many thanks!

It can be done, of course it can. Depending on the route you walk and the time of year staying on the path and organising accommodations can be more challenging without it. I deleted all news sites from my phone and after the Camino realised they didn’t bring anything positive into my life so never reinstalled them. I long ago gave up on social media this site being an exception (I will disable it on my next Camino). WhatsApp is the only one I use for family as we all live in different countries and time zones it’s a useful too saving a fortune on international phone calls. Most of the time my smart phone’s greatest use is as a camera. I find podcasts and music useful for relaxing in your bunk or as you wait for the washing machine at days end.

 

[JustOneGuy]

If you are really interested in having no communication and distractions without sacrifing safety, you can always opt for a GPS locator. It costs a little, but it frees you from the bondage of your phone.

Anyone you wants to can follow you on a map all the time, and you won't even need to carry a charger (batteries last a week or more).

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

@CaminoKevin, as everyone else has said, of course you can.
I think it's like so many things in life : you simply have to weigh up the pros and cons.

Personally I took an old smartphone which has a good camera, and predominantly used it for that. But I also opened a 2nd whatsapp account (specific to the Camino), which I found useful on occasions (mainly for contacting fellow pilgrims that I met along the way). I put a new SIM and an additional memory card into the phone.

I also loaded booking.com onto the phone, which was useful on the couple of occasions that I wanted a private room.

Only immediate family had the ph number.

All of the main camino's are very well marked, I've never had the need to download any Camino specific app. Nor, might I add, do I carry a guidebook - if during my research process I find something of particular interest I simply take a photo of that page.

I would add that I keep a paper copy (in a notebook) of any important info (emergency contact, flight details, contact numbers, bookings etc).

Regardless of what ph you take, do take note of the emergency number 112 as @mspath says. It's the first thing I programmed into my phone (under ambulance /fire /police) Because when an emergency happens you may not be thinking straight.

Buen Camino!

 

[David Tallan]

Greetings! I am planning to walk the Camino Frances next month and am thinking of doing it with only a flip phone and the Brierly book. I think that walking without a newsfeed, social media, WhatsApp messages, etc., would make the pilgrimage more powerful for me, but I realize that the Camino apps, booking websites, and forums (like this one!) can be immensely helpful and supportive. I'd love to hear from others about their experiences and thoughts about leaving the smartphone at home and allowing the Camino to provide whatever is needed. Many thanks!

Can you walk without a smartphone? Yes! My first Camino was without a smart phone (then again, smart phones were science fiction when I first walked). There are a number of people who walk without a smart phone.

Should you walk without a smart phone? That's a completely different question. I tend to walk with a smart phone. I like the tools that it offers. I like the Camino apps, the ebooks so I don't need to carry paper with me, the ability to see at a glance where I am where the Camino is and confirm that I'm still on the Camino, or find my way back to it if I am not. I like the facility in communications: with albergues, with fellow pilgrims, with people back home, with people on forums like this. And, of course, as others have mentioned, the camera built in is something I use often.

That said, I can see the attraction of leaving the newsfeed and social media behind. Heck, even completely leaving all connection with people at home, lie pilgrims of old did, carries benefits. For me, not as many benefits as staying in touch, but it may be different for you, especially if this would be your first experience of that.

An alternative might be to take your smart phone and delete the social media and newsfeed apps, to reinstall them upon your return. That might help you resist their pull and offer the best of both worlds.

 

[scotteacher]

I walked my first Caminos in the early 2000s without a phone. I do not know if I could do it now as it is now part of my routine. I do, however, keep it in my bag when I am walking.

 

[Pilgrim9]

Some hostels, for example one in Pamplona and one in Sarria, have a zero-contact check-in process: usually no staff is present at check-in time and to unlock the street door one must use a secret code that is emailed to the reserved guest at about mid-day of the check-in day. Not having a smart-phone with an Iberian data plan makes it practically impossible to receive the email that enables one to get in. Sometimes, one can gain access by convincing other guests to let one in, but that is an awkward and unreliable method and not one that I would want to have to attempt after dark.

 

[Tincatinker]

Smartphones are compulsory. How else will Meta know where you are and what you’re buying

 

[Kiwi-family]

As someone who has walked both without a phone and with one (as a camera, and for daily blogging and messaging family every few days - everything else deleted), I would suggest one thing that hasn't been mentioned yet. You don't even need it for booking if you don't book!

 

[Robo]

Can I Walk the Camino Without a Smartphone?​

Simple. Yes.

Would I want to?
No.

It's my camera, my map, and my emergency device. (alert cops app)
I'd feel really dumb sitting alone at the side of the path with a broken ankle and no means of communication.

Sure, my device is also a phone, can browse the internet, access social media etc.
Doesn't mean I have to use it for those things though.

 

[JustOneGuy]

As I wrote earlier, I recently started keeping the map on my watch (a Garmin 645) all the time. It vibrates when there is a turn or an abrupt change in direction. This way, I can keep my phone in my pocket (and even in flight mode, once I start avoiding distractions, since I keep my GPS on all the time) and never go wrong in the (very few) places where there are no clear signs or when I walk not very popular routes.

I use Komoot's premium feature, but the free version was good enough for this, and there are many other options. The track has to be prepared and saved beforehand, but I really like this method. I do not even need my reading glasses to read it as the track is very large and visible. The only point is that I have to charge the watch every 4-5 hours, but I can do that while walking.

Let me add that at least during this period I walk alone and in very isolated and remote places. I usually meet 2-3 people all day long.

 

[OZAJ]

Hola @CaminoKevin.
Yes. I've walked as a pilgrim without a Smartphone: across Europe and Spain, in the Holy Land and some other places. Thousands of kilometers at a time on established, mostly signed trails. I used paper maps, and tourist office freebies. And I always spoke to the locals.

This past year, though I have tried a new approach. Whilst waiting for work, i carried a Smartphone. I walked with paper OS maps which came with a ofline gps also. I am finding that whilst it is fun to check the gps & off line OS map every now and then, I still prefer walking with just paper maps.

In 2004 when I first walked to Santiago de Compostele, Smartphones did not exist. I saw just one pilgrim with a mobile phone the size of a brick. I was astonished by it.

I am a contemplative soul. I love solitude and need extended periods in nature, alone. I am also friendly and a chatterbox. Disconnection for me, is bliss.

Buen Camino

Me too. And a Silva compass, but no GPS.

 

[Kirkie]

Greetings! I am planning to walk the Camino Frances next month and am thinking of doing it with only a flip phone and the Brierly book. I think that walking without a newsfeed, social media, WhatsApp messages, etc., would make the pilgrimage more powerful for me, but I realize that the Camino apps, booking websites, and forums (like this one!) can be immensely helpful and supportive. I'd love to hear from others about their experiences and thoughts about leaving the smartphone at home and allowing the Camino to provide whatever is needed. Many thanks!

You are asking the question. Of course you can. Without dispute. Do you want to? Why? Why not?
I would not leave mine at home. Neither would I want to be pegged to it.
You are the author of the discipline required to use it and not let it use you.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it!

 

[Jarrad]

I did the CdF with just Brierly and an old Nokia phone that predates the flip phone. I only used it to call Mrs. Jarrad every 3-4 days or so and I never used it to call ahead for accommodations. Like those who somehow managed to survive childhood without ever wearing a bicycle helmet, I was just fine. A lovely young lady from BC, Canada reserved a bed for me on the last night before Santiago, but I would have been fine without her help. I took plenty of great photos with a small Canon Elph camera that fit nicely in my waist belt pocket.

That said, I'm looking forward to the convenience of my awesome iPhone in the spring. Pics are amazing with this thing. I'll use the mapping apps when I must, but I will trust in the yellow arrows to get me where I'm going most of the time.

 

[JustOneGuy]

I only used it to call Mrs. Jarrad every 3-4 days or so and I never used it to call ahead for accommodations.
[...]
A lovely young lady from BC, Canada reserved a bed for me on the last night before Santiago

Was Mrs. Jarrad aware of this, and happy about it?

p.s. just kidding...

 

[lt56ny]

I walked my first 2 caminos without any phone at all. Walked from Le Puy without a word of French. I did just fine. Does that mean I would recommend walking without a smartphone? No I would not. Just for the fact that in an emergency it can be a lifesaver is the best reason. Also it makes it much easier to check in with my wife and kids. When I first walked there were cafes and almost all the albergues had computers. Not anymore. Also I walk very quiet caminos and in late fall and sometimes I need to know if the only albergue in a given town will be open or I have to call or whatsapp ahead to let someone know when I am coming. So take the phone and just don't look at it. Turn it off unless you really need it.

 

[Kathy F.]

Perhaps it depends on what you want to get out of your Camino. Do you want to find out about yourself - what you can do on your own? Or do you see yourself more as a tourist?

I brought a cell phone and a separate camera on #1 & 2. For #3, I brought only my iPhone. It was my camera and I had it for emergencies (better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it).

I used my trusty Brierly on all 3 to follow the path/s when in doubt and became really good at reading maps. I never got lost and always found a bed.

I did not correspond with anyone while walking although I may have sent a photo or two to Dear Hubby. Your support system is going to come mainly from the people on the ground, not on the internet.

Take it and don't use it. You are in charge of it, not the other way around. Don't be afraid.

 

[DreamWeaver]

Greetings! I am planning to walk the Camino Frances next month and am thinking of doing it with only a flip phone and the Brierly book. I think that walking without a newsfeed, social media, WhatsApp messages, etc., would make the pilgrimage more powerful for me, but I realize that the Camino apps, booking websites, and forums (like this one!) can be immensely helpful and supportive. I'd love to hear from others about their experiences and thoughts about leaving the smartphone at home and allowing the Camino to provide whatever is needed. Many thanks!

I met a French young man last year. He walked with a not so smart phone, those that can only send sms and a disposable camera, and a book. When we met outside of Carrión de los Condes, he asked me to take a photo of him and WhatsApp his mom to gv her a surprise . He was having such a good time. And because he was away for a month, no smart phone, no social media, when he got home, he was very emotional when he saw his family.

I am very sure you will have a good time disconnecting. Enjoy your digital detox

 

[Tickbush]

I met an 81 year old woman on the CF this summer, who carried no phone or camera. The Camino did provide, in that various pilgrims would take photos of her and send them, along with a message from her, to her son. But I would always recommend carrying a phone, if only for emergency use.

 

[t2andreo]

How about just deleting the apps in bold? Then you remove those distractions but can still take advantage of the other smartphone benefits you mentioned.

The various apps available for smart phones add a dimension of knowledge, predictability and safety that a voice and simple flip phone cannot. I concur with Jungleboy's suggestion. Delete what does not help, and keep what will.

You should know that many, many small hostels and hotels use What's App for communicating. This will help when making reservations. But, the other social media apps will likely detract from your experience. Delete them until you return - or just remove them form your home screen, so you cannot see them.

Unless you speak passable Spanish, I would not leave my smartphone home. I carried a flip phone on my first Caminos over a decade ago. Making reservations and finding out stuff was a LOT harder. Back then, I carried an Apple iPod. It only worked when I had access to free Wi-Fi. This was VERY inconvenient.

I was very glad when I got my first iPhone in 2015. What a difference portable data makes!

Online Camino guides are more current and weigh a lot less than a paper book. Having access to e-mail, sites like Gronze, and this forum are priceless and will help you a lot.

Bottom line, you CAN have your cake, and eat it too.

Hope this helps.

Tom

 

[RRat]

Greetings! I am planning to walk the Camino Frances next month and am thinking of doing it with only a flip phone and the Brierly book. I think that walking without a newsfeed, social media, WhatsApp messages, etc., would make the pilgrimage more powerful for me, but I realize that the Camino apps, booking websites, and forums (like this one!) can be immensely helpful and supportive. I'd love to hear from others about their experiences and thoughts about leaving the smartphone at home and allowing the Camino to provide whatever is needed. Many thanks!

Great idea! 2018 and 2022, SJPDP to Santigo. Only used my phone to touch base with wife back home. And even those calls felt like an interruption to the experience.

 

[trecile]

Perhaps it depends on what you want to get out of your Camino. Do you want to find out about yourself - what you can do on your own? Or do you see yourself more as a tourist?

Please, let's not define "pilgrim vs tourist" by if one carries a phone or not.

 

[dfox]

I think that walking without a newsfeed, social media, WhatsApp messages, etc., would make the pilgrimage more powerful for me, but I realize that the Camino apps, booking websites, and forums (like this one!) can be immensely helpful and supportive.

In my view, smartphone is more than a "phone". It is a "digital assistant". It is a navitagion tool (Google map, GPS, compass, etc.). It stores/carries airtickets, train tickets, credit cards, etc., It is used to make 112 call if/when necessary, etc.

In short, I carry a "digital assistant" instead of a "social communications tool".

By the way, my wife tracks my movement using its "location service". ;-)

 

[MTtoCamino]

Greetings! I am planning to walk the Camino Frances next month and am thinking of doing it with only a flip phone and the Brierly book. I think that walking without a newsfeed, social media, WhatsApp messages, etc., would make the pilgrimage more powerful for me, but I realize that the Camino apps, booking websites, and forums (like this one!) can be immensely helpful and supportive. I'd love to hear from others about their experiences and thoughts about leaving the smartphone at home and allowing the Camino to provide whatever is needed. Many thanks!

Yes I did not have one. It is as basic as determining what to put in your pack. The question you need to ask is will you need one once your off the Camino. As the world outside has changed to resources required to have one for travel. If your flip phone can get train schedules, bus schedules, flight schedules, your good.

 

[John Crawford Howell]

On the Camino, my iPhone is a camera 99% of the time.

Totally concur. I only used it a few times to make phone calls. I was focused on the daily satisfaction that comes from moving west and unconcerned about the world outside the Camino.

 

[FourSeasons]

Greetings! I am planning to walk the Camino Frances next month and am thinking of doing it with only a flip phone and the Brierly book. I think that walking without a newsfeed, social media, WhatsApp messages, etc., would make the pilgrimage more powerful for me, but I realize that the Camino apps, booking websites, and forums (like this one!) can be immensely helpful and supportive. I'd love to hear from others about their experiences and thoughts about leaving the smartphone at home and allowing the Camino to provide whatever is needed. Many thanks!

I say do it! Leave that smartphone at home. My first Camino Frances in 2013 I walked without a phone. I had a cannon camera and Brierly's guide. Many other pilgrims had phones with them and at times I felt lonely in the evenings at the Albergue's because their faces were in their phones. This was my true introduction to what socializing in the smartphone world would be like. Lonely.

Honestly, I never even thought to bring my phone with me on Camino. It was freeing and very magical.

My other two Camino's I did have my phone with me. It served as my camera, my booking device and my find the trail companion. Oh and my boarding passes. It's hard now a days to not have a smartphone with us where ever we go. The only exception where life could be had and had well without a smartphone is on the Camino. Disconnect and walk on.

Buen Camino

 

[Joynz]

Greetings! I am planning to walk the Camino Frances next month and am thinking of doing it with only a flip phone and the Brierly book. I think that walking without a newsfeed, social media, WhatsApp messages, etc., would make the pilgrimage more powerful for me, but I realize that the Camino apps, booking websites, and forums (like this one!) can be immensely helpful and supportive. I'd love to hear from others about their experiences and thoughts about leaving the smartphone at home and allowing the Camino to provide whatever is needed. Many thanks!

Yes you can, definitely. The SJPDP Pilgrims Office even gives out a printed paper list of albergues with addresses, phone numbers.

I used my phone for the pilgrim apps - but I didn’t have the Brierley book!

 

[henrythedog]

By the way, my wife tracks my movement using its "location service". ;-)

Mrs HtD tracks the whereabouts of my ‘phone using it’s location service.

My whereabouts may not - always - be precisely the same.

 

[Joynz]

I walked my first 2 caminos without any phone at all. Walked from Le Puy without a word of French. I did just fine. Does that mean I would recommend walking without a smartphone? No I would not. Just for the fact that in an emergency it can be a lifesaver is the best reason. Also it makes it much easier to check in with my wife and kids. When I first walked there were cafes and almost all the albergues had computers. Not anymore. Also I walk very quiet caminos and in late fall and sometimes I need to know if the only albergue in a given town will be open or I have to call or whatsapp ahead to let someone know when I am coming. So take the phone and just don't look at it. Turn it off unless you really need it.

Regarding safety - with the non smart flip phone the OP will be still able to call the police, ambulance for help in an emergency just like they could with a smart phone… assuming they have the correct sim.

 

[bullingtonce]

Greetings! I am planning to walk the Camino Frances next month and am thinking of doing it with only a flip phone and the Brierly book. I think that walking without a newsfeed, social media, WhatsApp messages, etc., would make the pilgrimage more powerful for me, but I realize that the Camino apps, booking websites, and forums (like this one!) can be immensely helpful and supportive. I'd love to hear from others about their experiences and thoughts about leaving the smartphone at home and allowing the Camino to provide whatever is needed. Many thanks!

Recommend contacting the pilgrims of yesteryear/of old and discourse with them on how they were able to walk their Camino with no I-phone, no phones in any town, no electricity, no computers, no ATMs, etc. Their response and insight might be helpful. Chuck

 

[Kathy F.]

Please, let's not define "pilgrim vs tourist" by if one carries a phone or not.

No no no!
There was no “one is better than the other” said or intended!! I know “tourist” pilgrims get a bad rap here on this forum - so many purists - but there’s really nothing wrong with wanting to walk the walk and take tons on pictures!
And taking a phone is kind of common sense to me. I took one! Nothing wrong with that in my book.,

 

[lt56ny]

Regarding safety - with the non smart flip phone the OP will be still able to call the police, ambulance for help in an emergency just like they could with a smart phone… assuming they have the correct sim.

I am sure that is true but you can’t download the alert cop app which should be downloaded, I believe may be easier and quicker.
Thankfully, I can only speculate because I have never had to use it. But when I arrive in Spain, it is the first thing I download after I get my new Spanish Sim card with a Spanish telephone number. If you are not familiar with this app google it and read the website.

 

[Joynz]

I am sure that is true but you can’t download the alert cop app which should be downloaded, I believe may be easier and quicker.
Thankfully, I can only speculate because I have never had to use it. But when I arrive in Spain, it is the first thing I download after I get my new Spanish Sim card with a Spanish telephone number. If you are not familiar with this app google it and read the website.

The alert cop app might be helpful to someone who has a sim without phone calls. But for someone with a sim with phone calls, it’s pretty quick to tap in 3 digits! The app is not a replacement channel it’s just another option…

 

[Dilbin]

Greetings! I am planning to walk the Camino Frances next month and am thinking of doing it with only a flip phone and the Brierly book. I think that walking without a newsfeed, social media, WhatsApp messages, etc., would make the pilgrimage more powerful for me, but I realize that the Camino apps, booking websites, and forums (like this one!) can be immensely helpful and supportive. I'd love to hear from others about their experiences and thoughts about leaving the smartphone at home and allowing the Camino to provide whatever is needed. Many thanks!

Hi. We met a wonderful young man from Germany who wanted to leave everything behind when he walked the Camino Norte in 2018. He was 20th of age and didn't bring his phone from home. He even had his boarding pass for return flight printed to avoid use of phone. We all had so much respect for him. I met him again on the last day on entering Santiago and he made the 820km phone and media free. Beautiful young soul. Daniel

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Here's a compromise: take one but leave it switched off . . . unless a dire need arises.

Apart from a quite solitary Camino Ingles I always found there were more than enough people along the to interact with without resorting to social tedium er I mean social media. Hell on Camino No2 I even sent postcards!

I imagine the most used phrase on the Camino, after Buen Camino, was probably ¿Dónde están los baños?
and has now been replaced with ¿Tienes wifi?

Sometimes the Camino is just a Good Walk that enables you to literally get away from it all. Carpe Diem!

Buen Camino

 

[lt56ny]

The alert cop app might be helpful to someone who has a sim without phone calls. But for someone with a sim with phone calls, it’s pretty quick to tap in 3 digits! The app is not a replacement channel it’s just another option…

Yes I am aware of that. Alert cops also has many other useful features which is why I like it.

Home - Alertcops

alertcops.ses.mir.es

But everyone can use or not use whatever they want.

 

[WGroleau]

Smartphones are compulsory. How else will Meta know where you are and what you’re buying

Not to mention NSA’s biggest competitor. Compared to Google, Meta is an “honorable mention."

 

[NYSE]

Greetings! I am planning to walk the Camino Frances next month and am thinking of doing it with only a flip phone and the Brierly book. I think that walking without a newsfeed, social media, WhatsApp messages, etc., would make the pilgrimage more powerful for me, but I realize that the Camino apps, booking websites, and forums (like this one!) can be immensely helpful and supportive. I'd love to hear from others about their experiences and thoughts about leaving the smartphone at home and allowing the Camino to provide whatever is needed. Many

in 2019 I walked the CF with phone, but no connection until I found wifi. One doesn't need a phone.

 

[Former member 116840]

How about just deleting the apps in bold? Then you remove those distractions but can still take advantage of the other smartphone benefits you mentioned.

That’s what I do on the Camino, nothing but what is absolutely necessary until I’m back, though personal disclaimer- deleted all social media in 2016 and never looked back! But still many other ways for distraction on a Smartphone and those get the boot until I’m back!

 

[Miriam Fife]

Greetings! I am planning to walk the Camino Frances next month and am thinking of doing it with only a flip phone and the Brierly book. I think that walking without a newsfeed, social media, WhatsApp messages, etc., would make the pilgrimage more powerful for me, but I realize that the Camino apps, booking websites, and forums (like this one!) can be immensely helpful and supportive. I'd love to hear from others about their experiences and thoughts about leaving the smartphone at home and allowing the Camino to provide whatever is needed. Many thanks!

I walked 7 times to Santiago between yr 2000 and 2005, before smartphones were a thing. Only once carried a ‘dumb phone’ as I was walking from the UK and my parents were worried (even tho I was 38 at the time!), and it stayed in the bottom of my pack. There was no booking ahead, no looking at weather forecasts, no checking in with friends. It was wonderful; liberating, a way to notice everything and a reason to interact with others. This year I walked again, taking my phone but letting folk know I would not be communicating every day. I just used it for the camera and a couple of calls home.
The Camino has always provided and I think it always will. Walking in faith is a powerful thing indeed. I met some compañeros this year who liked the apps etc and occasionally I made use of information they passed on… but often the albergues they had chosen to stay at were full (the ones with good reviews of course), and there was a bit of panic, but we always found great alternative albergue accommodation and interesting experiences. I would encourage anyone to leave tech behind or use it very minimally; I think the journey will be much richer for it. Trust, walk, hope, pray, enjoy. Buen Camino

 

[lsg]

You could but I wouldn't recommend it. How else can you comment on this forum while walking if you don't have a smart phone?

Factious comments aside, I'm walking now and the smartphone has been really useful when booking accommodation. Sept will be a busy month so you'll definitely need to book ahead and talking to the albergue staff on WhatsApp is a lot cheaper than texting/ calling them.

 

[dbeatriceb]

Greetings! I am planning to walk the Camino Frances next month and am thinking of doing it with only a flip phone and the Brierly book. I think that walking without a newsfeed, social media, WhatsApp messages, etc., would make the pilgrimage more powerful for me, but I realize that the Camino apps, booking websites, and forums (like this one!) can be immensely helpful and supportive. I'd love to hear from others about their experiences and thoughts about leaving the smartphone at home and allowing the Camino to provide whatever is needed. Many thanks!

I got an iPhone around 2010 and only have used it for WiFi on several caminos. Before that, you could use the coin operated computers in bars to check email every now and again. I bought a cheap flip phone in Spain, basically a burner with a local number so I could make calls re lodging and have some way my family could text me even if my iPhone wasn’t on. Never used any apps, never needed them. I could have left the iPhone at home but wanted to have it before leaving the US and as soon as I returned. The last time I carried a guide, it was the maps-only Brierley book.
So yes, you can definitely do the Camino without a smart phone. It’s still conpletely doable. You will probably even find other pilgrims to converse with who aren’t so screen and app dependent they miss the scenery. I love being relatively “unplugged” for such a nice long period of time. It does wonders for the mind!

 

[CaminoKevin]

IMO, of course you can! Seems like a great idea to me, actually. And I thought about it, although I can see my brain trying to come up with good excuses not to do it... But after all, people have been doing it for centuries.

As usual, there is a trade-off: you have to organize yourself differently, especially the booking can be a problem.

How about just deleting the apps in bold? Then you remove those distractions but can still take advantage of the other smartphone benefits you mentioned.

Good idea! If they're not there I won't be tempted to use them. Thanks!

 

[CaminoKevin]

On the Camino, my iPhone is a camera 99% of the time.

Good point! I didn't think of that. Thanks!

 

[CaminoKevin]

Some hostels, for example one in Pamplona and one in Sarria, have a zero-contact check-in process: usually no staff is present at check-in time and to unlock the street door one must use a secret code that is emailed to the reserved guest at about mid-day of the check-in day. Not having a smart-phone with an Iberian data plan makes it practically impossible to receive the email that enables one to get in. Sometimes, one can gain access by convincing other guests to let one in, but that is an awkward and unreliable method and not one that I would want to have to attempt after dark.

Thank you for raising this important point, which I never considered.

 

[gerardcarey]

The majority of people have.
That number is understandably decreasing.

 

[Liica]

Greetings! I am planning to walk the Camino Frances next month and am thinking of doing it with only a flip phone and the Brierly book. I think that walking without a newsfeed, social media, WhatsApp messages, etc., would make the pilgrimage more powerful for me, but I realize that the Camino apps, booking websites, and forums (like this one!) can be immensely helpful and supportive. I'd love to hear from others about their experiences and thoughts about leaving the smartphone at home and allowing the Camino to provide whatever is needed. Many thanks!

I disable the data of all the apps I don’t want to see. All my notifications are off by default anyway.

Usually, just use the weather app and leave the phone on. All the rest are Off (phone data disabled). That saves battery and nothing can bother you.

You might need whatsapp eventually. It’a always good to know the weather one day in advance.

 

[Juspassinthru]

Good point! I didn't think of that. Thanks!

Remember to clean the lenses.

 

[Joynz]

Thank you for raising this important point, which I never considered.

I think ‘no contact checkin’ Albergues are a tiny minority so if I was the OP I wouldn’t use this as a deciding point. I didn’t encounter any albergues like this last year.

Which albergues were ‘no contact’?

 

[trac1]

Yes. But you will need it at the end in Santiago de Compostelo to register for the Pilgrims Office (to get the certificate).

 

[Frankybaby66]

Yes. But you will need it at the end in Santiago de Compostelo to register for the Pilgrims Office (to get the certificate).

You don't need a smart phone to register for a Compostela! You can register in advance on a a smartphone and will then be allocated a timeslot, however, this is not a requirement
You can just turn up and register on the screens available at the Pilgrim's Office.
This can mean popping back for your allocated slot (well-earned beer opportunity?)
You can get lucky though, if you time it right. The last time I walked the Camino (June this year) I went to the office around 7pm, registered and got my compostela in under 10 minutes . .

 

[Liica]

Yes. But you will need it at the end in Santiago de Compostelo to register for the Pilgrims Office (to get the certificate).

Not necessarily. There are computers at the door for those who does not have a phone

 

[M and M]

Greetings! I am planning to walk the Camino Frances next month and am thinking of doing it with only a flip phone and the Brierly book. I think that walking without a newsfeed, social media, WhatsApp messages, etc., would make the pilgrimage more powerful for me, but I realize that the Camino apps, booking websites, and forums (like this one!) can be immensely helpful and supportive. I'd love to hear from others about their experiences and thoughts about leaving the smartphone at home and allowing the Camino to provide whatever is needed. Many thanks!

I used my phone all the time on the Camino Frances in 2023. The Wise Pilgrim app was indispensable for booking ahead which I found was necessary. Also the Buen Camino app helped finding alternative paths and you can't get lost with it!. Google Translate was used often, and Whatsapp was used also making bookings. I also used imy smart phone en route for buses when I was injured and also for the train to Madrid after. I hope that helps.

 

[trecile]

You can register in advance on a a smartphone and will then be allocated a timeslot,

You are not allocated a "time spot" by registering. You receive a QR code which you are required to show before being admitted entry to the Pilgrim Office.

 

[JustOneGuy]

I used my phone all the time on the Camino Frances in 2023. The Wise Pilgrim app was indispensable for booking ahead which I found was necessary. Also the Buen Camino app helped finding alternative paths and you can't get lost with it!. Google Translate was used often, and Whatsapp was used also making bookings. I also used imy smart phone en route for buses when I was injured and also for the train to Madrid after. I hope that helps.

I believe that no one doubts the usefulness of the phone when going for a multiple days walk, as well as in a thousand other situations.

At the same time, I interpret the original question posed by @CaminoKevin to be motivated by the desire to be FREE from the phone at least during these long walks. In short, the problem is that for many the cell phone represents a kind of “funnel” into which one tends to fall: holding it in one's hand almost all the time, obsessively looking at what some friend said on Whatsapp, checking what a colleague wants on Teams, reading the most absurd news of what's going on in Buthan or elsewhere.

To avoid this, my personal solution, which I have illustrated many times before, is this:

1) keep the phone in a backpack pocket, unless I really need it (like to make a call to my wife or check the map of the trail with higher resolution)

2) have the route map on my smart watch (with all notification services turned off)

3) bring with me an independent emergency system (a GPS locator).

Obviously this is a problem that doesn't exist (or doesn't matter) for many, but I fully understand the psychological bondage that these phones produce in a lot of people.

 

[wabana]

My opinion (among the many posted here) is for (you) to place DRAMATIC limits on your 'online' time.... TRY to limit your tele to phone calls (home) & to connect to fellow peregrinos to coordinate meet-ups, and navigation..... Try NOT to go on ANY social media, watching videos and especially NEWS feeds....I found after around 21 days of 'unplugged' an amazing clarity of mind that I haven't had in years.. ! ... yup... it took (me) that long for a mental defrag of my brain.. it was AWESOME....remind yourself of the 'WHY' you are on Camino in the first place.... ditch the idol in your hand to the extent possible (Lord have mercy)....Whilst I used my phone to navigate I found the incessant / obsessive looking that the map screen and obsessive need to look and 'book' lodging a real distraction (that took a long time to mentally 'recover from while walking)... Should I be lucky enough to go back on a (final) Camino I will likely revert to work off paper maps again like I did in 2021... they always 'booted right up' and I had fewer missed turns ! and I was able to much better focus on poco a poco...... Paso a Paso.... Cheers from www livealagom. life

 

[Juspassinthru]

I posted earlier that my iPhone was used 99% of the time as a camera. I want to update that. 95% used as a camera, 3% used to contact my wife in the US and yes it was nice to use WhatsApp video to do so but, I could have just called her. Maybe 2% used for Camino related activities (contacting albergues, train reservation, etc.). You state that you have a flip phone so I would guess that you're not a slave to your device, that's a good thing in many ways IMHO.

I was on the Camino for 47 days earlier this year, for a while in a fairly remote area on the Aragónes and not once did I need to use a map or GPS to find my way. All of the routes I've taken on 3 different Camino's and 4 different routes were well marked. I've never been lost and only once did I need to ask a local if I was on the right path and that entailed a puzzled look on my face, my poor Spanish ("Camino?"), them pointing and me smiling and thanking them graciously.

Facebook, instagram and others are, for me, a total distraction. Enjoy the moment and the people you're with, you may make some great new (real) Friends. I completely agree with your thoughts about leaving it all behind (news feed, chats, etc.). Let your mind rest and for those few days, the world may not seem so screwed up and life is briefly simple once again.

Yes there are some conveniences, but your question was, can you do it without a smartphone, my answer and belief is absolutely YES!

Like many things on this forum, there is no definitive answer only the right answer for you. For me at 67, I was not tethered to a device all my life and I think that tempers my point of view, others will disagree, their experience is different but still real and valid.

Good luck, buen Camino.

 

[ShoshTrvls]

And here I was hoping that Kevin had finished his walk and was checking back in to let us know whether or not he was able to go phoneless!