My question is whether it is feasible to complete in around 10 days starting from and returning to Biarritz.
Any thoughts/suggestions gratefully received
It is only 200k or so to Santo Domingo and about 250 to Burgos. I walked to Burgos. Santo Domingo is easy in 10 days. Depending on your fitness Burgos could be tougher in 10 days. If you are fit and an experienced it is very doable in 10 days.
Did you walk a partial stage or skip the stage? Is this that most difficult stage?
I deleted my post because I screwed up? Here is the completed post with the answer.
I walked it from Bayonne to Burgos in October '23 and had no problems with alberuges, with two caveats. I did not walk the 21k stretch from Zegama to Salvatierra. (Without a doubt it is the most difficult stage, I would assume. The stage before was tiring but very doable) I was having back issues before I left home. In Zegema I was stretching my back and a young man asked me if I was ok. He turned out to be a physical therapist. After a quick exam on the street he said that I should skip the stage. It was not the uphill that he said he worried for me but the long, steep and rocky downhill.
Also,I can't remember which town it was but there was a festival and there was no where to sleep and I had to walk an extra 10k.
The albergue network is excellent for the most part. In Tolosa there is no albergue just pensions.
I stayed here:
Información del Pensión Pensión Oyarbide, en Tolosa: precio, plazas, características, etc...
Like I wrote in Gronze it was ok. It was early October and it was still really warm and my room was hot. It was ok at night though. The owner was nice. It was nothing to write home about. Clean enough and for a pilgrim camino just fine. It is wonderful Crissy. Some really nice and even memorable albergues. Especially this one:
Información del albergue de peregrinos Albergue de peregrinos de Beasain, en Beasain: Precio, plazas, características, etc...
It is in the middle of a park so it took me a few minutes to find.
I walked from Bayonne. The albergue there is small but really welcoming and the town is beautiful. The walk to Irun has some highlights and some boring stretches but overall good. The albergues are A+.
It was weird when I arrived in Irun the municipal (also a good albergue but big) was pretty full. Lots of young (mostly) and excited pilgrims and had a good time with many people in the large kitchen and dining area. But I was the only one that was walking the Vasco. Everyone else was, of course heading west on the Norte.
The only pilgrims I slept with were some French men who were walking to Santo Domingo. Met them a few days before the split. They were nice but of course, none spoke English. One spoke some Spanish and we talked a little. But they never invited me to join them for dinner in the albergue. I only saw them at night. Never saw them on the camino. I loved this camino. After walking the Vasco, Aragones, Madrid and VDLP the last few years I am a pilgrim that loves the peace and solitude. Nest year Mozarabe and some of the VDLP and the Invierno!
If you have any more questions send me a PM and we can chat. Buen Camino