August on Le Puy?

[Stephen]

A friend has mentioned Le Puy starting in August or September. What would temperatures be like in those months?
And what's the best guide book for this route?

 

[Susan Maria]

the miam miam dodo books are excellent. Even if you don’t read french, get someone to translate all the icons and use the detailed maps. There are two to cover the whole route from Le Puy to SJPDP. They may look expensive but they are updated every year. Available from le vieux crayon http://www.levieuxcrayon.com/ or https://www.csj.org.uk/

Hope your friend (and you?) enjoy it

 

[ranthr]

In 2009 I started from Le Puy 15.08. The paths were dry and easywalking, warm sunny weather until the last two days in France, when there was some rain. Arrived in Roncesvalles 19.09 and in Santiago 20.10.
I have some years later walked from Le Puy in early May. (2013) A very cold spring, wet and muddy paths made me choose the roads for some parts of the route. But weather differs, so you can never tell.

 

[ranthr]

I agree that the miam dodo is the best . I’ve tried that + the Cicerone guide in English and the yellow German Outdoor guide and different maps as well. The first one is best for accomodation++, you really do not need a map, the route is well marked and had become better since my first walk.

 

[kmrice]

Weather varies, but it was very hot in 2016 when we walked it in late July and August. I second the comments about the Miam Miam Dodo app, iMiam, which was outstanding. Be sure you get the latest version as the gites information changes from year to year.

 

[lt56ny]

the miam miam dodo books are excellent. Even if you don’t read french, get someone to translate all the icons and use the detailed maps. There are two to cover the whole route from Le Puy to SJPDP. They may look expensive but they are updated every year. Available from le vieux crayon http://www.levieuxcrayon.com/ or https://www.csj.org.uk/

Hope your friend (and you?) enjoy it

I walked the Route in 2014 with just the small Michelin Guide. At the Pilgrim Office in Paris when we got our Credentials the woman there suggested we buy the Dodo books. I should have listened to her. I didn't buy it because I don't know French at all. I looked at the guide more closely when I was almost at St. Jean. A French pilgrim had it and showed it to me. I realized we could have figured out everything we really needed. The Michelin Guide was very inadequate. Had some days where it was tough to find a Site and lots of times we saw villages in the guide and thought, oh we can stop there for lunch or a break and there would be nothing but a few homes and farms around the village.

 

[lt56ny]

A friend has mentioned Le Puy starting in August or September. What would temperatures be like in those months?
And what's the best guide book for this route?

I started the first week of September in 2014. Had a few hot days but nothing that was unbearable. It is a great Camino even though I can't speak a word of French. Had some problems but nothing insurmountable, except when I took a wrong turn and ended up walking about 38k that day!! But was rewarded with a great Gite and another memorable dinner. In my opinion the food, bread, cheeses and wine and dinners in the Gites in France and blows Spain away. No knock on Spain or communal meals etc. but it is just a different ball of wax. Back to the weather. You never ever know what it will be like. I had just a little rain and never too intense. Had some hot days but it was always cool and pleasant at night. When we got to the Meseta that year we had intense rain for days and high winds as well as that memorable day walking up to O Cebreiro where we had rain, wind, snow, sleet and hail all the way up the hill. It was loads of fun. Then barely a drop the rest of Galicia. You never know, you know!

 

[TMcA]

We started the third week in September of 2013. Walked until the first week of October and had to quit due to a somewhat severe injury to my wife. In October some gîtes and hotels are starting to close, so you need to do some advance planning/calling to arrange your lodging.

It's a very beautiful hike and my wife and I returned to France to finish it (although we did it in two week segments over the course of several years).

 

[Deleted member 75649]

Hi, I started the middle of August last year. The weather was very pleasant with only a couple of hot days mostly around 25 degrees. It only rained a sprinkle of one hour the entire time from Le Puy to Pamplona. I found it much cooler than walking the Camino Frances the previous year. I used the Michelin guide and simply went to the tourist office to book accommodation. They would ring for me and spoke English and had copies of Miam Dodo.