Busier route

[bolter]

Hi all, which route is the busier in May: Arles or Vezelay?

 

[jdpiguet]

Hi Bolter,
I would not say any of them is "busy"
Both are quite lonely routes where the probability that you meet more than 10 other pilgrims on the way is close to zero...
There no comparison possible between the le Puy route and the others in France!

Buen Camino, Jacques-D.

 

[bolter]

Hi Jacques-D, Thank you. I'm trying to decide which of these routes to take starting from the beginning of May. I have to leave in May to fit in with other commitments. Last year I had to give away walking from Le Puy because of the press of pilgrims and the constant difficulty of finding accommodation and I don't want this to happen this year.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

The French will be out walking in May, so there will be fellow hikers. Arles will have more, but the difference will not be noticeable! Both routes are part of the GR system, and attract walkers for athletic reasons more than religious reasons. The French call ahead regardless of whether it is busy or crowded. Particularly for chambres d'hote you must call ahead if you expect them to be open. The hosts do not sit around waiting for drop-ins. If no one is on their customer list for the day, they may just take off! Bon chemin.

 

[hollinhead]

Can’t speak for Arles route (or Le Puy) but I walked Vezelay route last June. It was very quiet. And a heatwave. Only parts of it follow the GR and even then I met no hikers. Accommodation was never a problem but calling ahead eased anxiety, knowing I had a bed and (sometimes) a meal later when I was tired and my feet were hurting. Mostly pilgrim hostels, a few chambres d’hote. I was prepared to sleep a la belle etoile but never needed to. It’s not a dramatic landscape - mostly gentle and quite varied, moving from the Morvan, through Limousin, and on to Perigord when I started to sense the South ahead of me. I took a month and made 600 km, stopping in Perigueux. Whichever you choose, Bon Chemin!