Walking Camino Norte in May 2025

[beano5892]

Hi folks

I am planning to walk the Camino Norte first section from Irun to Bilbao with 3 friends in May and am very excited.

We are flying from UK, overnighting in Irun to make sure bags can be collected for the first day's walk!

We have been dealing with the company "Follow the Camino". Yesterday our group eventually agreed on dates and booked our flights. I have been given an itinerary but a little worried that they won't confirm accommodation until we have paid the deposit. Looking at the t&c and the deposit is 30% non-refundable. Is this normal?

Are FTC a reputable company? If not, can anyone please recommend a tour company who can arrange accommodation and bag transfer for this section of the route?

Maybe a little late in the day to be asking but hey ho!
Many thanks
jo

 

[J Willhaus]

Hi @beano5892 and welcome. I hope you will get an answer. Many people on this forum (I think most people) don't use tour companies and just manage Camino planning on their own, as it saves money and really isn't that difficult. Best wishes!

 

[Caomhin O Fearghaill]

Hi folks

I am planning to walk the Camino Norte first section from Irun to Bilbao with 3 friends in May and am very excited.

We are flying from UK, overnighting in Irun to make sure bags can be collected for the first day's walk!

We have been dealing with the company "Follow the Camino". Yesterday our group eventually agreed on dates and booked our flights. I have been given an itinerary but a little worried that they won't confirm accommodation until we have paid the deposit. Looking at the t&c and the deposit is 30% non-refundable. Is this normal?

Are FTC a reputable company? If not, can anyone please recommend a tour company who can arrange accommodation and bag transfer for this section of the route?

Maybe a little late in the day to be asking but hey ho!
Many thanks
jo

I used FTC on the Camino Inglese in 2022 with no problems at all.

 

[Tincatinker]

@beano5892 why have you elected to use a tour company for a perfectly straightforward walk in a densely populated and well serviced part of the Basque Country? If your internet skills run to using their website then you’re able to sort out accommodation, luggage transfers (if required) and even the better places to have lunch.

I’ve no knowledge or opinion regarding FTP. I suspect they are a perfectly respectable company who provide an excellent service to their clients. I just think that their services are not really required unless you require the comfort of someone else being responsible

 

[beano5892]

@beano5892 why have you elected to use a tour company for a perfectly simple walk in a densely populated and well-serviced part of the Basque Country? If your internet skills run to using their website then you're able to sort out accommodation, luggage transfers (if required) and even the best places to have lunch.

I've no knowledge or opinion regarding FTP. I suspect they are a perfectly respectable company who provide an excellent service to their clients. I just think that their services are not really required unless you require the comfort of someone else being responsible

Thanks @Tincatinker .. actually agree and if I were on my own, I'd be booking myself as I did for walking the Two Moors Way earlier this year. It's just the convenience of having someone collect the bags and not to have to walk with them plus the first stage from Irun to Bilbao appears to be quite sparse in terms of hotels rather than albergues and hostels that my friends have opted for. I'm going to have a look at various websites tomorrow and see if I can piece something together.. I looked at the Correos website but wasn't able to make a booking for Camino Norte.. no villages/ towns were listed so I have emailed to ask.

 

[Tincatinker]

My recollections of that stretch are such a plethora of accommodation possibilities that I could have got a headache just staring at Berking.con.

Perhaps it’s time your friends stepped up and sorted themselves in?

There are several bag transporters along the Norte, depending on season. Correos offer a seasonal service. If you’re planning to walk outside of “season” then you may have to opt for less stuff and carry it yourselves.

For a seven day walk I’d probably pack one complete change of clothes and a spare pair of socks. Was a time I’d just have packed a toothbrush but my daily meds outweigh a spare pair of knickers these days.

Anyway, have fun but do involve your friends in the fun (process). They’ll thank you eventually

 

[trecile]

looked at the Correos website but wasn't able to make a booking for Camino Norte.. no villages/ towns were listed so I have emailed to ask

Correos does service the Norte, but only "in season" so if you are looking now you might not see the towns on the list.

 

[trecile]

Correos does service the Norte, but only "in season" so if you are looking now you might not see the towns on the list.

I just checked the Correos site and they are currently only showing the towns that they service on the winter.
They will start service on the Norte in April.

Rucksack transfer on the Camino de Santiago

Correos transfers your rucksack, suitcase or luggage along the Camino de Santiago stage by stage

www.elcaminoconcorreos.com

 

[PelegrinNikolai]

Using Google Maps, while looking at the area, I click "hotels", making sure I've put the correct date in, to see what's out there. There is plenty of private accomodation on that stretch. From there you can often find the link for the accomodation's own website, or use Booking/etc if you have to.

Companies that build your itinerary for you may send you to a further away, off-Camino hotel that requires you to take a taxi at the end of your walking day.

I'm not bringing any luggage, but I know pack transport is something I could set up while on-Camino if I was injured and needed it. (I'm only taking clothes that I can wash and dry quickly and aiming to stay near laundramats often).

I'm saving lots of money figuring it out myself, but if you're time-poor a company might be more suitable.

Have an amazing journey! Buen Camino!

 

[beano5892]

My recollections of that stretch are such a plethora of accommodation possibilities that I could have got a headache just staring at Berking.con.

Perhaps it’s time your friends stepped up and sorted themselves in?

There are several bag transporters along the Norte, depending on season. Correos offer a seasonal service. If you’re planning to walk outside of “season” then you may have to opt for less stuff and carry it yourselves.

For a seven day walk I’d probably pack one complete change of clothes and a spare pair of socks. Was a time I’d just have packed a toothbrush but my daily meds outweigh a spare pair of knickers these days.

Anyway, have fun but do involve your friends in the fun (process). They’ll thank you eventually

thanks!

Will investigate now the accomodation .. booking.com seemed mostly sold out when i looked but I have fixed dates now. Are there any other sites than b.c? There must be tonnes.. but no idea where to start!

Correos says that they operate from April so we should be ok there. Is it easy to do? What time to the Correos offices open? Just worried that if we are out of town that we will either have to walk back to drop off our bags or do they collect from hotels/rural casas? Can't seem to find anything on their website. Not sure I shall persuade the party to carry bags

Thanks for your help.. much appreciated!

 

[beano5892]

I just checked the Correos site and they are currently only showing the towns that they service on the winter.
They will start service on the Norte in April.

Rucksack transfer on the Camino de Santiago

Correos transfers your rucksack, suitcase or luggage along the Camino de Santiago stage by stage

www.elcaminoconcorreos.com

Yup thanks! Saw that but unsure when they open for bookings. How much notice do u need to give them to collect/drop off a bag? And is the cost per collection the same in every town/village? How can I find out the villages in the Northern Camino that they service. Apologies for the questions!
Thanks in advance

 

[trecile]

Yup thanks! Saw that but unsure when they open for bookings. How much notice do u need to give them to collect/drop off a bag? And is the cost per collection the same in every town/village? How can I find out the villages in the Northern Camino that they service. Apologies for the questions!
Thanks in advance

All the information is on the Correos site. If you pay for the entire Camino in advance there is a discounted rate for the entire route regardless of number of days you take. You need to notify them by 8pm each day to let them know the pick up and drop off locations.

 

[Tincatinker]

Yup thanks! Saw that but unsure when they open for bookings. How much notice do u need to give them to collect/drop off a bag? And is the cost per collection the same in every town/village? How can I find out the villages in the Northern Camino that they service. Apologies for the questions!
Thanks in advance

you can book Correos on the night before you start walking, or the day before that if you prefer, or even a week in advance. No need to even bother trying before April (or 31 March). Much the same applies to the other transport providers. With most of those if you fill-in the envelope available at your accommodation, put your €'s in the envelope and attach it to your luggage and leave it in the designated spot. Your bag is transported by 100 naked Unicorns to your destination as if by magic.

Charges do not vary; except between providers, Correos will quote you for Irun to Bilbao, the number of stops is irrelevant.

Correos (other providers proliferate) collect your luggage from, and deliver to, your accommodations provided your accommodation has a staffed reception desk and is on their list of pick up/drop off points. That excludes most AyreBnB and Berking.con apartments. Some Albergues, mainly the volunteer staffed Municipal and Parochial style, will not accept transported luggage.

You could email all your questions to Correos. They will respond, and in English if required. It is unfortunate that Correos list of acceptable accommodations on the Norte isn't available on their website at this time of year.

 

[J Willhaus]

Booking.com only has a small number of the available rooms in a given hotel.

Try using Gronze.com to look at where accomodation is available. It is in Spanish, but can be translated using your browser. It will give you a better idea of what is on the route.

 

[beano5892]

Thank you so much everyone.

I plucked up the courage and have done all the bookings myself, including confirming that Correos will collect from where we are staying and have saved an absolute fortune!! Plus I've fun doing it!

Any suggestions for a fun place to stay for our last night in Bilbao. One of us is truning 60 whilst we are there so, without blowing the budget completely but equally using some of the ££ I saved, any suggestions of where to stay and what areas. At the moment I've reserved Caravan Cinema in Old Town as thought there might be some good tapas and restaurant there rather that up near the centre large roundabout.

Many thanks

 

[beano5892]

you can book Correos on the night before you start walking, or the day before that if you prefer, or even a week in advance. No need to even bother trying before April (or 31 March). Much the same applies to the other transport providers. With most of those if you fill-in the envelope available at your accommodation, put your €'s in the envelope and attach it to your luggage and leave it in the designated spot. Your bag is transported by 100 naked Unicorns to your destination as if by magic.

Charges do not vary; except between providers, Correos will quote you for Irun to Bilbao, the number of stops is irrelevant.

Correos (other providers proliferate) collect your luggage from, and deliver to, your accommodations provided your accommodation has a staffed reception desk and is on their list of pick up/drop off points. That excludes most AyreBnB and Berking.con apartments. Some Albergues, mainly the volunteer staffed Municipal and Parochial style, will not accept transported luggage.

You could email all your questions to Correos. They will respond, and in English if required. It is unfortunate that Correos list of acceptable accommodations on the Norte isn't available on their website at this time of year.

They did reply.. incredibly quickly... €56 per bag for the entire trip which I think seems great given there two amongst us who haven't yomped before! Thanks for your advice

 

[beano5892]

Booking.com only has a small number of the available rooms in a given hotel.

Try using Gronze.com to look at where accomodation is available. It is in Spanish, but can be translated using your browser. It will give you a better idea of what is on the route.

Thanks for your advice. I've managed to use a couple of other booking engines, as well as booking direct, and secured places that were sold out on booking.com.

 

[Damien Reynolds]

My recollections of that stretch are such a plethora of accommodation possibilities that I could have got a headache just staring at Berking.con.

Not in Deba. Unless... that new hotel on the beach they've been building is finally open. Other than that one there is the public albergue at the old train station, (which is great IMO) or 1 other small "hotel". Curious where the tour company puts someone on the stretch between Zarrautz and Markina...

 

[J Willhaus]

Congrats @beano5892! My husband and I stayed in the Marriott property Ercila de Bilbao when we were there a few years ago. There's a killer rooftop gin bar there for guests only...

 

[beano5892]

Not in Deba. Unless... that new hotel on the beach they've been building is finally open. Other than that one there is the public albergue at the old train station, (which is great IMO) or 1 other small "hotel". Curious where the tour company puts someone on the stretch between Zarrautz and Markina...

I agree! Deba was pretty limited but have got beds in Pikua Landetxea so all good. The hardest place was Gernika. Nearly everything seems to be sold out. Anyways all sorted now thanks to people’s advice to DIY

 

[Damien Reynolds]

I agree! Deba was pretty limited but have got beds in Pikua Landetxea so all good. The hardest place was Gernika. Nearly everything seems to be sold out. Anyways all sorted now thanks to people’s advice to DIY

Ok, just so you know. I don't think that Pikua Landetxea is actually on the Camino. Looks nice though. Certainly one can manage you'll just have to figure it out.

As far as Gernika, that one is tough too, sometimes. I seem to usually end up at Akelarre Ostatua. Its Spartan, but its clean.