• Remove ads on the forum by becoming a donating member. More here.

Search 74,075 Camino Questions

My 1st Camino from Madrid!

pablovergara

Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Madrid to Santiago de Compostela
Hello im Pablo C Vergara - Im in the Film Industry and been on some TV shows and NETFLIX.

I just arrived to Madrid and staying at Tres Cantos tonight and intending to travel north to start my Camino tomorrow!

Anyone knows where I could get my passport in this town on Sunday and also any free albergue I could stay in?

Also, which route do I take to start the camino? Im a newbie and pretty green here!

(personal contact info removed)


Thanks!

Pablo
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
It is not safe to embark on a long, multiday walk without a lot of planning and preparation. Perhaps I am wrong but my impression is that you need a plan.
 
Are you traveling the Camino Madrid or heading to another city to begin your pilgrimage on another route? Gronze.com can help you find lodging if you know where you are heading. It can also help you find a credential as it will be indicated in the information about the albergues.

Just a note, there are no "free" albergues. Some are donativo which means you should leave a donation according to your financial ability.
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
It is not safe to embark on a long, multiday walk without a lot of planning and preparation. Perhaps I am wrong but my impression is that you need a plan.
I've met people who just showed up in SJPdP without much planning or preparation. They managed to safely complete the Camino. But one does need to have an idea of where they will start and on which route.
 
It is not safe to embark on a long, multiday walk without a lot of planning and preparation. Perhaps I am wrong but my impression is that you need a plan.
My plan was to first escape the Hell i was at back home. Now my plan is to walk at peace and find God during my journey. I am sure it wont be as unsafe as you say. Whats the worse that can happen?
 
Are you traveling the Camino Madrid or heading to another city to begin your pilgrimage on another route? Gronze.com can help you find lodging if you know where you are heading. It can also help you find a credential as it will be indicated in the information about the albergues.

Just a note, there are no "free" albergues. Some are donativo which means you should leave a donation according to your financial ability.
I am in Tres Cantos and about to start walking up north in some hours. I have no idea where im going and where I will end at the end of the day..I'm 'playing it by ear'.. isnt it exciting?!

I can definitely do some donations ar albergues. I aint loaded with cash neither.

Where can i find my route from Tres Cantos to the next.destination?
 
Fail to prepare? reduce your risk by buying this book full of practical info.
2nd ed.

Access this page and then look at the next stage here.

 
My plan was to first escape the Hell i was at back home. Now my plan is to walk at peace and find God during my journey. I am sure it wont be as unsafe as you say. Whats the worse that can happen?
Maybe download a guide book and a few apps. They will show you some typical walking stages and will also show you the accommodation typically used by pilgrims. The apps also generally have gps maps that show you the route. This can be useful. The guide book will also describe the typical pilgrims backpack and gear. Good luck.
 
Maybe download a guide book and a few apps. They will show you some typical walking stages and will also show you the accommodation typically used by pilgrims. The apps also generally have gps maps that show you the route. This can be useful. The guide book will also describe the typical pilgrims backpack and gear. Good luck.
Thanks Rick! I have downloaded a few apps and now I know my route for tomorrow. It will be a day walk of 25km to the next town of Colmenar Viejo..in there I assume ill find quick accomodation and rest for my next day's journey. This is so exciting!


Maybe download a guide book and a few apps. They will show you some typical walking stages and will also show you the accommodation typically used by pilgrims. The apps also generally have gps maps that show you the route. This can be useful. The guide book will also describe the typical pilgrims backpack and gear. Good luck.
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery

Access this page and then look at the next stage here.

Thank you! This was very useful and ive bookmarked it! Wohoo
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
Anyone knows where I could get my passport in this town on Sunday
You will need to get a credencial (pilgrim passport) if you want to stay in albergues that are intended for pilgrims. I don't know where you can get one on Sunday - perhaps at the Iglesia Parroquial de Santiago y San Juan Bautista, although I don't know what their hours are. Otherwise, some albergues may have them.
 
Fail to prepare? reduce your risk by buying this book full of practical info.
2nd ed.
My first sunrise in Spain.. in some hours my healing journey will begin.
Pablo, perhaps it would be a good idea before you leave Tres Cantos to call in at Acogida en la Parroquia Santa Teresa de Jesús
or Casa de Acogida Misión Emmanuel,
which are both in Tres Cantos and explain that you don't have a credencial. They might be able to help with that. (Maybe you are staying at one of them).
I'm probably too late with this suggestion.
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
There are no free albergues. There are donativos, which have no fixed charge, but they cost money to run and pilgrims who stay in them are requested to contribute what they can to maintain them.
The one exception to this, in my experience was, out of all places, in Tres Cantos. When there I stayed at the Misión Emmanuel. There was no donation box and donations were not requested. When I insisted, they said I was welcome to contribute to furthering their mission, but it was clear that they were not considering it connected to or for the hospitality they had provided.

But that was very much the exception to the rule which is as you stated.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Hello im Pablo C Vergara - Im in the Film Industry and been on some TV shows and NETFLIX.

I just arrived to Madrid and staying at Tres Cantos tonight and intending to travel north to start my Camino tomorrow!

Anyone knows where I could get my passport in this town on Sunday and also any free albergue I could stay in?

Also, which route do I take to start the camino? Im a newbie and pretty green here!

(personal contact info removed)

Thanks!

Pablo
hi pablo. not much, if anything, free until you get past Segovia, and even then the public hostels i stayed at charged a small fee.

no idea where to get a pilgrim credential in tres cantos. try the church, town hall and/or information offices in colmenar and manzanares where you will e walking tomorrow.

there is only one camino trail and from tres cantos you start here (see pic)

good luck and buen camino
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot 2024-09-29 at 14.16.50.png
    Screenshot 2024-09-29 at 14.16.50.png
    141 KB · Views: 14
Hello im Pablo C Vergara - Im in the Film Industry and been on some TV shows and NETFLIX.

I just arrived to Madrid and staying at Tres Cantos tonight and intending to travel north to start my Camino tomorrow!

Anyone knows where I could get my passport in this town on Sunday and also any free albergue I could stay in?

Also, which route do I take to start the camino? Im a newbie and pretty green here!

(personal contact info removed)

Thanks!

Pablo
Hi Pablo, You could go to the church off the Plaza de Santiago, though probably too late now. Albergues often have them. Where will you begin? I would recommend doing the Frances, better chance of walking with other people for the start to get your bearings If Frances I would suggest Pamplona if you haven't done much preparation, it's a lot of uphill but once you figure out how to get out of town it's pretty straight forward. Depending on how much time you have, you could also start in Logrono, Bugos, Leon, Ponferrada (ask for directions into town), Villafranca del Bierzo or Sarria. Most larger towns/cities will have stores with guidebooks. You can download Wise Pilgrim guides and Gronze app. Might be good to download map/s of cities you need to find your accommodations in, too. I always manage to get a bit lost in cities. Buen Camino!
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Waymarking was quite good on the Madrid. If you are looking for accommodation, go to the ayuntamiento. In many cases they have the key to the albergue, and they will certainly know where it is.
 
Pablo
I don't know how much time you have, but if you have plenty, you can turn left when you get to Sahagun and keep walking to Santiago de Compostela. If that's not enough you can continue on to Muxia, then down to Fisterra and back to Santiago and then keep heading south following the blue arrows to Fatima if you really want. Of course you will not be making those decisions yet, but I'm just letting you know some possibilities. You'll work it out.
 
Last edited:
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
Hola!

Mi día #3 viajaré de Manzanares del Real a Circedilla posiblemente mañana. Trataré de salir a las 7 am para poder llegar a medio día. Algún albergue de donativos por la zona que recomienden?

Google Translate:
My day #3 will be traveling from Manzanares del Real to Circedilla, possibly tomorrow. I will try to leave at 7 am to be able to arrive by noon. Are there any donativo albergues in the area that you recommend?

IMG-20240929-WA0093.jpeg
 
My day #3 will be traveling from Manzanares del Real to Circedilla, possibly tomorrow. I will try to leave at 7 am to be able to arrive by noon. Are there any donativo albergues in the area that you recommend?

Acogida en el Polideportivo de Cercedilla

 
It is not safe to embark on a long, multiday walk without a lot of planning and preparation. Perhaps I am wrong but my impression is that you need a plan
I've met people who just showed up in SJPdP without much planning or preparation. They managed to safely complete the Camino. But one does need to have an idea of where they will start and on which rout
Also, which route do I take to start the camino? Im a newbie and pretty green here!

I agree with @trecile. I am living proof of no plan. I walked my first camino 12 years ago. Yes i had a Brierley guide but no idea of what I was doing. I was on the CF and it was wonderful. Then there were far fewer pilgrims and no where near the infrastructure of today.
I walked from Le Puy in 2015 with just an almost useless Michelin guide. Those first two caminos I didn't even have a phone let alone apps. I am no explorer but I got along just fine, even though I got lost a few times in France. Also did not speak a word of French and I met less than 5 people who could speak English. Gite owners would tell me where to go each day and make a reservation at the next Gite for me.When I got to the town I would have to find someone to show me where the Gite was.
Some of the really less traveled caminos do need so planning in regards to food etc. I will walk the Madrid very soon. I leave for my Camino in a week. After the Aragones I will continue on the Madrid. There is are enough towns and villages and places to stay. I am not worried at all about where to sleep. But this is also my 9th camino. But we all have worries and doubts. I still do after all this time.
The OP has Gronze and some apps with GPS. He will be fine. The challenge will be physical and spiritual. Just remember to listen to your body and not your head.
 
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).

❓How to ask a question

How to post a new question on the Camino Forum.

Most read last week in this forum

I wonder how many other people (besides me) are giving second thoughts to walking the Camino in Spain because of all the new information needed to submit under the new law for entry that became...
Let me start off by saying that I have done 10 Caminos. This is not to brag but to say that I should have known better. Before my last one, my grandkids convinced me that I should document the...
A few of the Forum members have known about my condition for some time. In Feb. 2024 I was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. I was registered in the national Parkinson registry. A miserable...
I'm sure a lot of us pour over our Camino photos from time to time as they bring back such wonderful memories. Not just of that great view or amazing meal, but some may have a much greater meaning...
I've always wondered about the security bars you frequently see on the windows of homes in Spain. The obvious purpose is security, but they are so ubiquitous, including on the windows of houses in...
Among the many, many things I was ignorant of is the Jubilee Camino. Coming home from London yesterday, while scanning the departure boards at the station, I had a chance meeting with a fellow...

Featured threads

❓How to ask a question

How to post a new question on the Camino Forum.

Forum Rules

Forum Rules

Camino Updates on YouTube

Camino Conversations

Most downloaded Resources

Featured threads

This site is run by Ivar at

in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon
Official Camino Passport (Credential) | 2024 Camino Guides
Back
Top